48yrs BREAST AUGMENTATION Tall Mentor Anatomicals, 555cc, moderate profile - San Diego, CA

preferences's provider

Joseph L. Grzeskiewicz, MD, FACS

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

I live and work in Beverly Hills, which has to be one of the meccas of breast augmentation in the states, but I chose to drive the 2+ hours to and from San Diego a few times for my breast augmentation because, after much research, I felt Dr. Grzeskiewicz was the best qualified surgeon for the job. I wanted someone with years of experience, especially with textured shaped anatomical implants, as well as a sensitive and compassionate doctor, an expert, an artist, and someone who I felt really cared and would strive to achieve the best possible outcome for me. In hindsight -14 days post surgery- I am happy to report I chose a doctor who met all of my requirements. I did extensive research for about a year before finally making the decision to get implants and choosing my doctor (there are quite a few to chose from in southern California). I am very slender up top (which you can see in my before shots) and I have always been somewhat embarrassed by my scrawny décolletage and arms. I didn’t feel feminine, but I never thought implants would work on me because I assumed they would end up looking like half cantaloupes on my flat torso, not a look I wanted. But from my research I discovered that shaped textured anatomical implants might actually work well on my frame. While they have been popular in other parts of the world for years, they have only been used here in the states for a couple of years, and only a select few board certified doctors have much experience with them. Shaped textured anatomicals do not really drop after being implanted (although the muscle and tissue covering them softens so they settle a bit), therefore there is less room for error and their placement needs to be precise; you really need a doctor who knows what he’s doing. I found Dr. Grzeskiewicz on RealSelf and was impressed by the reviews written about him, particularly by women who got the shaped textured anatomical implants. I liked his before and after photos and the way he answered questions, which is always very thorough and covers the reasoning behind his thinking. At my first consult he spent almost two hours with me answering questions about the myriad of issues with which I was concerned: little to no breast tissue, asymmetrical folds that would need lowering, nipple placement (I didn’t like nipples that point down – I wanted perky) and not wanting a harsh definition between my chest wall and the implants. He's a great listener and agreed the anatomical would work best on my frame. He and his right hand wonder woman Eva helped and offered feedback as I tried on sizers. I was and continue to be impressed by his painstaking attention to detail and his interest and involvement in all aspects of the process. Still, I did my due diligence and went to five or six other consults with top rated doctors. Some simply told me that shaped textured anatomical implants were bad because they rotate and end up looking distorted (not true). One top doctor in Beverly Hills who’s done thousands of implants said he didn’t think they’d look any different than smooth round implants but he’d use them if I wanted – only he had only placed them himself maybe seven times, and I wanted someone with much more experience. One doctor told me that my folds could not be lowered or changed in anyway. No one seemed as interested in helping me achieve the best possible results given my unique challenges as Dr. Grzeskiewicz. Thus, instead of having surgery with a 'top Beverly Hills' doctor three miles from where I live, I booked a hotel stay for breast surgery with a doctor 120 miles from where I live. My boyfriend was skeptical and even a bit critical of this decision, as logistically it made it much harder for us, but he went along with whatever I wanted. (smart man) I have had nothing but positive interactions with the doctor and his lovely staff. I returned for a second pre surgery consult with the doctor and Eva was extremely helpful with sizing, such an important part of the process, and I will be forever grateful for that. She is sensitive and intuitive and picked up on the fact that while I was saying one thing, my wish photos reflected that I desired another. After even more research I ended up going with a larger size that I had originally intended and am so happy that I did, as for a woman of my height, implants that aren’t large enough can end up looking like baseballs floating on your chest. At the same time, Dr. Grzeskiewicz was also making sure I didn’t go larger than my 'delicate tissues' could handle, as that could lead to problems. I ended up with the perfect size for me; no boob greed and they’re not too big. I love my new girls. Choosing an implant size is difficult and, once again, I greatly appreciated Eva and Dr. Grzeskiewicz’s help and expertise with this vital decision. Dr. Grzeskiewicz’s anesthesiologist, Dr. Marsh, is a master. I was able to drink clear fluids up until a few hours before my afternoon surgery, including a special 'ClearFast' drink, so I was comfortable all day leading up to surgery and felt great coming out of surgery, which was a huge relief. I have had surgeries in the past where I couldn't drink anything at all the day of, which I find extremely uncomfortable, and have felt, for whatever reason, absolutely horrible and sick for hours after surgery. Not so with Dr. Marsh. Hats off to her. I am only 14 days post op and couldn't be happier with my results and with the care I have been given. Despite the multiple challenges my particular physique presented to Dr. Grzeskiewicz, I ended up with beautiful breasts - and it's still early in the game. He lowered and secured my folds and their placement is perfect. My scars are directly in my breast folds and won't be detectable once they heal. I really didn't want my nipples to end up too low on my breasts, something I thought might be difficult to avoid as pre surgery there was not a lot of skin between my nipple and breast fold, and I am so happy to report that my nipple placement is perfect! They're prettier than I ever thought they would be and I feel I couldn't have asked for a better result. The pain medications have kept me mostly comfortable, despite the relatively large increase in mass that my tissues and muscles have had to accommodate. Dr. Grzeskiewicz is always quick to respond to questions or concerns I have. I can't say enough great things about this doctor. He is a perfectionist. He has years of experience, and with that comes knowledge of a variety of techniques, as well as expertise, especially with the shaped textured anatomical implants that require absolute precision. He stays up to date on the latest technologies, is gentle, kind and he really cares. I will not hesitate to return to him for any further procedures (despite the drive and my tire problems - see my review) and I highly recommend him.