POSTED UNDER CoolSculpting REVIEWS
Buyer Beware!!! Very Poor Communication on Procedure Costs!!! - Santa Barbara, CA
ORIGINAL POST
Very poor communication between doctor, staff and...
petdocDecember 11, 2013
$1,200
Very poor communication between doctor, staff and patient. After my consultation (there was only the doctor and myself...no nurse) I we decided on the major treatment areas and I was discouraged on treating one particular area (abdomen) since there wasn't enough fat. Turns out all the major areas weren't included in my medical write-up and even though the Dr. spent time discouraging doing the abdomen, he included that in the treatment work-up! I also was under the impression that the "8 pack" package would include ALL of my concern areas. I had 7 hours of treatment yet when I was told my "8 pack" package was completed, I informed the receptionist I only had 7 areas done. It was at this time (and not earlier) that I was told the abdomen makes up for 2 treatments areas due to the larger suction head being used. Well. if I had known the abdomen counted for 2 treatments even though it is ONE area...I would of NOT treated my abdomen as the Dr. suggested but done the 2 smaller hip areas instead. Now I have to shell out another $1200 in order for my treatment to look esthetically pleasing.
petdoc's provider
Replies (9)
June 27, 2015
I had a similar experience . In my opinion he is the most unprofessional doctor and staff . I am not surprised that every time I went to his office the place was empty and the phone wasn't ringing !!!
October 23, 2015
Rachelregina- I would request that you contact me directly as to explain your experience with my office. I have never before been accused of unprofessionalism and I take my patient's experiences VERY seriously. Our office is kept "empty" in order that patients have minimal interaction with each other, as discretion is one of the values our practice is known for. My scheduling is very deliberately made in this way so patients have a minimal wait time and I am not needed in two places at once.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lowenstein
Sincerely,
Dr. Lowenstein
October 23, 2015
I've only recently had your review brought to my attention, I'm very sorry to hear about your experience- it seems in later posts that you did see results and so I'm pleased about that, but the ambiguity about our pricing is something I really strive to avoid. The pricing for CoolSculpting is explained in detail on our website and has been for some time, and I and my staff do try to explain the pricing in detail. Large area sculpts are charged at a higher price because the CoolSculpting company, Zeltiq, charges us twice the cost each time the large applicator is used. The large applicator draws in 3 times the fat of the small applicators, and is charged at the price of 2 of the small applicators. The large applicator is used in certain contours, and the small applicator is used in other situations- the patient's body and goals are evaluated in order to form the most appropriate treatment plan.
The VAST majority of our CoolSculpting patients in Santa Barbara have been very pleased with their experience, their results, and their interaction with our office as can be seen in our reviews. This does not detract from my sincere wish that your experience was enjoyable and pleasant. I'm additionally very sorry to hear about your cancer diagnosis- please let us know if we can avail you of any resources to help with your situation.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lowenstein
The VAST majority of our CoolSculpting patients in Santa Barbara have been very pleased with their experience, their results, and their interaction with our office as can be seen in our reviews. This does not detract from my sincere wish that your experience was enjoyable and pleasant. I'm additionally very sorry to hear about your cancer diagnosis- please let us know if we can avail you of any resources to help with your situation.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lowenstein
January 29, 2016
Petdoc- I'm very sorry that you felt that our communication was less than ideal- clearly there was a miscommunication as I always discuss the fact that the larger applicator is charged at two times the smaller applicator. Certainly I did not make that clear enough in this case. You can always find an explanation of the pricing for CoolSculpting is on my website at http://www.sbplasticsurgeon.com/coolsculpting-costs/ so I hope that can help clarify things for patients with concerns about pricing. Please do ask the staff to make another appointment with me personally so we can re-evaluate your situation and your goals- particularly the issue with your inner thighs. This is the first I've heard of this issue and I would like to help get you the result you are hoping for. Best wishes, Dr. L
January 29, 2016
I think it's common sense the abdomen would be a larger area. You cannot remove all responsibility of yourself. Just saying. I'm sure you signed something?
UPDATED FROM petdoc
I am not comfortable in sending photos but...
petdocDecember 17, 2013
I am not comfortable in sending photos but my results, I'm afraid, are going to be subtle. I sought a solution to my post-menopausal "spread" that working out and dieting wasn't addressing. I looked into liposuction and abdominoplasty but was told I do not have enough fat but I would be the perfect candidate for coolsculpting.
am 3 weeks into it and so far no results. I had very minimal discomfort...worked out the same day as my procedure. The numbing and tingling is slowly fading and there's the occasional sharp pain but nothing debilitating. I canceled my follow-up appointment in Feb. for I was upset with the way Dr. Lowenstein's office handled the situation. They basically implied I was a "liar".
I took measurements (which they never did) and will see for myself if this procedure has worked. I will keep you and the community informed of my progress. I will be looking for another Dr. to go to...most likely in Washington for more follow up.
I just really wanted to get the word out regarding procedure costs and what these coolsculpting offices are charging. I was livid to learn that they charge more for what they call a "large area" yet all that changes is the size of the treatment head and not the time, materials ect. This to me is a rip off. The large head also doesn't fit small frames such as mine and my abdominal area was small so I could have gotten away with a small head. Now that I know what's up...I wanted to share my story.
Anyone is free to ask me questions if they can't get straight answers from their doctor.
Replies (2)
March 10, 2015
October 23, 2015
Shadowplay- I am not sure who you are, but I am absolutely SHOCKED at this comment- I would ask that you be certain that you are reviewing the correct doctor as your accusations are categorically against everything I stand for. I have never commented on a tattoo in such a manner as I hardly feel that tattoos "ruin" your skin. Inferring that I am homophobic in any way is ludicrous as anyone who knows me well would tell you. Please make certain that your review is of the correct person!
UPDATED FROM petdoc
Coolsculpting results...6 weeks out
petdocJanuary 10, 2014
Coolsculpting appears to be working on most areas, some better than others. I lost around 1/2 inch on my inner thighs and over 1 inch on my waist line. I have not seen a drop in my weight (pound wise)...if anything, I have gained weight. I have been working out a lot more and I am hoping the weight gain is muscle (will see for I will be having a body fat analysis done next week). The flanks are noticeably smaller and my abdomen seems firmer but the result so far isn't as dramatic as I would like. The inner thigh on my right leg has this depression where the applicator was placed so it treated the fat there but now there is a significant "bulge" below the treated area. So I was right and the Dr. was wrong...I was told the results would be even and my skin would compensate for the loss of fat...not true. I am looking into having now my lower inner thighs treated so that the results are more even .
Replies (4)
February 5, 2014
Petdoc- I'm very sorry that you felt that our communication was less than ideal- clearly there was a miscommunication as I always discuss the fact that the larger applicator is charged at two times the smaller applicator. Certainly I did not make that clear enough in this case.
You can always find an explanation of the pricing for CoolSculpting is on my website at http://www.sbplasticsurgeon.com/coolsculpting-costs/ so I hope that can help clarify things for patients with concerns about pricing.
Please do ask the staff to make another appointment with me personally so we can re-evaluate your situation and your goals- particularly the issue with your inner thighs. This is the first I've heard of this issue and I would like to help get you the result you are hoping for.
Best wishes,
Dr. L
February 9, 2014
Dear Dr. Lowenstein, You were the one to tell me I would not get much results on my abdomen so I told you then let's focus on the hips. Apparently this was left out in my exam write up. I assumed the abdomen was excluded but when the nurse said we were going to do the abdomen, I thought it was part of the "package". I should of asked more questions but this should of been address by your staff...I should have been more informed (especially since I knew nothing of 'coolsculpting'). To make matters worse, your manager implied I was "lying" about not wanting to do my abdomen, claiming that my main focus of the appt. was an abdominoplasty (which it wasn't...I just had question regarding the procedure). It was at that time that I knew nothing I said mattered so I cancelled my follow-up appointment. As for another visit...I appreciate your offer but I have a more urgent matter I need to focus on. I was just dx with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma of my right breast so I am a bit overwhelmed at the moment and my energy, as well as funds now need to go towards fighting my cancer. So much for my investment in Coolsculpting...
February 9, 2014
I am so sorry to hear about your new diagnosis but I'm hopeful that you have a great course to full recovery soon. So many recent advances in breast cancer can give you a world of reasons for an optimistic outlook.
As for the CoolSculpting, I'm sorry for the misunderstanding- in the thousands of treatments that we have successfully performed, there have been remarkably few episodes of misunderstanding like this and an incredibly high level of patient satisfaction. I really hope to see you back in the office once your breast cancer treatment is over and that is all behind you. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you navigate your care and I wish you a very speedy recovery.
February 9, 2014
Thanks for your understanding and support. My goal is to move on to a Graduate Program in Neuroanatomy at Washington State University so I will be moving hopefully this August (I was accepted as a Master's student). I will most likely follow-up my "makeover" treatments in WA.
Thanks for the extra information! Hopefully, over time you'll see some results, but please do keep us updated with your progress and with how your other consultations go!