Upper Arm & Inner Thigh Lipo - Philadelphia, PA

I haven't decided on a surgeon yet (once I make my decision I will update this if it lets me, or post a new one), I'm still in the consultation phase. But I'm getting so much information that I need to get it out somewhere, and hopefully someone with experience with one or more of these surgeons can help!

My first consultation was with Dr. Evan Sorokin in Cherry Hill, NJ. I was very very impressed by his credentials (ABPS cert, tons of job experience, great schools, many years in practice, etc). His office was clean & the girls were super welcoming! I instantly took a liking to them. Ashlee, his surgeon's assistant who was in the consultation room with us, was extremely nice and knowledgeable! Dr. Sorokin was pleasant, cracked a small joke or two, and very thorough and informative when answering my questions. I wasn't 100% comfortable at this consult, I think because I was nervous (although neither of them gave me any reason to be). Dr. Sorokin was thorough but quick - he gave me an overview of how my procedure would be performed, then waited for me to ask the questions. Dr. S. said he uses Ultrasound Assisted Lipo (so they melt the fat first) under general anesthetic. He quoted me around $7K for arms & inner thighs (plus anesthesia, etc.), which is doable, but definitely at the top of my budget.

My second consultation was with Dr. Neil Gottlieb in Philadelphia, PA. His office is right off the boulevard in the Northeast, and it was more like a "regular" doctors office - somewhat busy, patients of all types & ages coming in and out, nothing fancy but clean & comfortable. I instantly felt at ease with Dr. Gottlieb. He looks to be a little bit younger, and was very personable. We talked about my medical history, what type of procedure I wanted; he was very thorough in his explanations and answered all of my questions. He explained the differences between UAL/smartlipo/tumescent; Dr. Gottlieb said that he has used smartlipo/laser lipo procedures in the past, and that he has always gotten the best results with the tumescent method, which is what they use. He quoted me $3K for arms, inner thighs, and axilla (armpit pooch). This quote also covered anesthesia, etc. This is where I was surprised - why so much cheaper??? I told him that I had previously consulted for laser lipo and Dr. Gottlieb essentially told me (in a politer way) that my first quote was a ripoff. In part, I understand that it is because laser lipo requires additional tools, which are an expense to purchase, maintain, and replace - but still. I have researched Dr. Gottlieb and the surgi-center DEEPLY, and I looked at his before & after pics - all looks good. He is board certified, no disciplinary action, primarily excellent reviews ... my guess is that, because he is less experienced than other PS's I've talked to, his prices are accordingly lower? (Dr. G. has 9 years experience, other surgeons I've spoken to have 20+). I thought it might also have to do with location. Northeast Philly isn't packed with Main Line affluent types like the suburbs, so perhaps prices are adjusted accordingly to best serve the community. I don't want to regret this (I can only afford to do it once)! Anyway, because I was so comfortable with him, I had almost instantly resolved to schedule with him - but his low price gave me pause, so if anyone knows of him or has had work done by him, your input is highly valued!

My 3rd consult (I have 4 total) isn't until next week, with Dr. Scott Brenman, also in Philly. However, I spoke to his office manager over the phone, and she was very informative, helpful, and friendly; she told me in detail about pre-op, the procedure, and post-op. Dr. Brenman uses Smartlipo under local anesthesia. I prefer local, because I just don't like being put "under"; I also hate having needles stuck in me (I have deep veins). However, when I had consulted with Dr. Sorokin, he told me that patients can still experience discomfort when using local anesthesia, which is why some doctors use general regardless of method. Anyway, Dr. B's office manager told me that all the girls who work there have had work done by him, which made me feel good about his skills - he is, of course, also board certified by the ABPS and has many years of experience and good reviews. I can't speak to how I feel about him in person yet, but I was quoted $6500 for arms & inner thighs.

My last consultation will be with Dr. David Bottger, in Newtown Square. I have little to no info on him, other than before/afters, his credentials, and patient reviews (all of which look good, otherwise I would not have wasted my time scheduling a consult). Not sure what his prices are like, but money isn't everything, and I want to make an informed decision.

Sorry for the wall of text! If anyone has any input on any of these surgeons, please share :) All of us ladies want to feel beautiful and confident in our own bodies and I am so glad I found this website for information and support!

Well, this week I have my consults with Dr. Bottger and Dr. Brenman, then I can finally make my decision and get this show on the road! I am having second thoughts about Dr. Brenman ... he does his procedure under local anesthetic, not general. I always thought I would prefer that, since I am not a need-in-vein kind of person (I fainted when I had to have my wisdom teeth out!); but I've done a lot of research and not only does it hurt when they numb all your surgical sites (obviously), some people STILL feel pain/discomfort even after they've been injected with the novocaine solution. Plus, could I really handle it being awake while my fat/blood/saline solution is being forcefully sucked out of me??? So now I am thinking that's not the procedure for me .... if anyone has any input, though, I am glad to hear it!!! Decisions decisions ....
I've still been doing research on all the surgeons I'm consulting with. I'm leaning towards Gottlieb, 1) because I felt instantly at ease with him, and 2) because, all other factors being equal, his price was certainly the best (and I haven't found any evidence to suggest that patients are dissatisfied with their lipo results with him, and I've looked at his before & afters for myself and seen results I like). Still, I want to go on all my consultations before booking a pre-op who knows, maybe Dr. Bottger will also give me a great price!

Gonna try to upload some befores, just to show y'all what I'm working with. My arms aren't outrageously huge, but they've always been disproportionately bigger than the rest of me - I have to go a size up in button-downs to accommodate them! I'm not uploading befores of my thighs, just because I have some identifying tattoos on my hips, and also because my thighs aren't anything awful ... I just figured, while I'm under the knife, might as well touch up another of my "problem" areas! ;)

Well, I decided on Dr. Bottger for my procedure! He was the most expensive, at $8100 for arms, thighs, and knees (originally knees weren't in my plan, so it would have been less expensive without that add on; but when he mentioned knees, I noticed mine do have a little bulk to them. I just never knew you could lipo knees! lol). I really really liked Dr. Gottlieb, but something about Dr. Bottger and his office and the ladies just made me feel like .... like they knew exactly what they were doing.
There are a few hoops to jump through. I have to get a physical and blood work done by my primary care physician, plus a pregnancy test (but that's to be expected), PLUS I have to go off my birth control for 4 weeks before surgery!!!! I'm guessing because of potential blood clots? Anyway, at first when I saw the price and they told me about all the stuff I had to do before surgery, I didn't think I could do it. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt like these people know what they're doing, and they take every precaution to make sure it gets done with minimal risk. So I worked on my budget and, it's not ideal, but I am doing it :)
Dr. Bottger was personable, but mostly he got right down to business. He was thorough and I felt like he really knew what he was talking about. He showed me exactly what he was going to do with each part of my body, which made me feel comfortable, and showed me some before/after pictures. I also didn't feel like he tried to "sell" me on anything.
My pre-op is scheduled for October 7, and my surgery will be on the 15th. I'm excited!!! I'm not looking forward to the first few weeks of recovery ... but I am looking forward to the final results. I hope the extra expense is worth it!!!