Treatment Provider

Mark D. Epstein, MD, FACS
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
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My first experience with Dr. Epstein was back in...

My first experience with Dr. Epstein was back in 2008. I had a breast lift/reduction and an eyelid surgery. After having three children and breast feeding each one, nature had taken a toll on my body. My breasts were uneven and one became larger than the other. Finding a bra to fit was becoming an impossible task. I desperately wanted to get my old body back by was very fearful of surgery after having heard horror stories of how “painful” the procedure was. I also had three children that I needed to attend to.

I finally decided to go for a consultation and met with Dr. Epstein. He spent a lot of time with me, listened to my concerns and alleviated many of my fears regarding the surgery. His office staff is friendly and very efficient. Two weeks later, I had the surgery done. Genetically, I inherited droopy upper eye lids that aged me and made me look tired and old. The blepharoplasty procedure (eyelid lift) was minimally invasive and turned the clock back ten years, easily! The breast lift surgery and subsequent recovery was nowhere near as intense as I was imagining it would be. I could not believe the fact that I had NO pain! I only took Tylenol for some minor discomfort. Dr. Epstein called that night and the following day to check up on me. I remember asking him, “When is it going to start hurting?” He laughed and said it shouldn’t. I took it easy for a couple weeks and was back to my normal running around and exercise schedule. Best of all, I was happy with the way my body looked, for the first time in a long while.

Fast forward to last year…

I attended a patient appreciation dinner that Dr. Epstein hosted and brought along a friend who was considering breast reduction surgery. During his introductory speech, Dr. Epstein spoke about a new technique he trained for with an expert in Colombia. He said the new technique allowed him to contour parts of the body using Vaser 4-D Liposuction and then use the fat to enhance other areas of the patient’s body. It was clear to me that Dr. Epstein was passionate about his profession and took great pride in keeping his skills up to date with the latest advances cosmetic procedures. He spoke excitedly about the amazing results that he was having with this new technique and described how he could use the fat taken out and safely transfer it to the buttocks to giving it a full, more rounded appearance. It was called a “Brazilian Butt Lift”. Suddenly I was listening….“WHAT???? You can do that??? I WANT THAT!!!”

I am now 51 years old and fighting the inevitable effects of aging on a daily basis. I am dedicated to eating right and exercising daily and am not overweight, but even still, I was not getting the results that I wanted. I had a stubborn ring of fat around my mid-section that I could not lose despite working with a personal trainer for almost a year. The biggest issue for me was that I could not find clothing to fit. Whenever I found pants that fit my waist, the legs and butt would be too big. If the pants fit my legs and butt, I couldn’t button them. There was no winning. I felt very disproportionate even though I wasn’t overweight. If I lost more weight, I would drop a size but the disproportion stayed the same.

I decided to return to Dr. Epstein to learn more about the procedure. He explained that the recovery time would be several weeks (longer than I had anticipated). I was very eager to get started but due to my schedule, I was only able to have the surgery in the summer. The Brazilian Butt Lift portion of the recovery requires that you don’t sit for at least four weeks for any extended period of time. I ordered a special sitting pillow that shifted the pressure to my upper thighs instead of my butt. It took a little getting used to but it was no big deal. I also had to wear a special compression garment 24/7 for 6 weeks. (Except for showering). Other than that, I was exercising normally after two weeks. I am now two months post op and am very happy with the results of the surgery. I can actually fit into normal sized clothes! I was told that I would see optimal results between 4-6 months when all the swelling was completely gone.

If you are considering this procedure you must go to see Dr. Epstein. He is very caring and passionate about his work. His staff is very professional. I highly recommend him.

And now for the details of my recovery process for the Vaser 4D Lipo and Brazilian Butt Lift fat transfer surgery…..

July 8th: 2PM surgery, home at 7:30 pm. I had pain around my midsection. Took Tylenol with Codeine @ 8PM and again at midnight. I also had a burning sensation that was quite bad and took Gabapentin to help with that. It was very difficult to find a comfortable position to sleep because I couldn’t sleep on my back because of the butt surgery. I also had two drains in front (which stayed in for about a week), so that didn’t help with finding a position to sleep in. The compression garment was very tight and very uncomfortable.

July 10th: Part of the recovery process requires that you have a lymphatic drainage massage a couple times a week for several weeks. I had a woman come to my house for the massage. She massaged and moved around all the fluids in my midsection. Even though the area was very tender and it hurt a little, I actually felt much less stiff after she was done. The next time I looked forward to it because I knew it would help.

July 14th: I had my second massage and then back to Dr. Epstein’s to have the drains taken out. I felt so much more comfortable once they were removed.

July 16th: Feeling very depressed and puffy. The garment is squeezing me and I’m wondering if I made a big mistake and it wasn’t really worth it.

July17th: Massage therapist came again. Feeling slightly less puffy. But still a long way to go. She assured me this was normal and I was just still very swollen.

July 22nd: Two weeks down! Only 4 more weeks to go in this compression garment which is uncomfortable. Lying down is still painful. I feel much more comfortable moving around. It keeps me from getting that stiff feeling. The massage therapist has been coming twice a week but I still see some bumps. My waistline looks smaller so I am happy about that.

August 6th: I have definitely seen an improvement in the last 10 days. My waistline is smaller and “the garment from Hell” isn’t squeezing me as much. One good thing about the garment is that it is so tight, I don’t have much of an appetite. I am definitely feeling less stiff but I am still tender in the midsection. I had my one month recheck today with Dr. Epstein. He said everything looks great. He told me he reused ALL of the fat from my stomach and flanks into my butt to fill it out more. I look much less boxy and much curvier. Feeling happy about my decision.

August 20th: Good news 6 Weeks in, I can finally stop wearing “the garment”. Bad news, it actually feels more comfortable to keep it on. My nerve endings feel less sensitive when I’m wearing it. At least I have options.

August 31st: I’m feeling really good and am very happy that I went through with the procedure.

September 1st: Massage therapist came again today and told me to continue wearing a compression garment for a few more weeks. I found some high waist Spanx that are nice and tight without being horribly uncomfortable. It is a small price to pay for optimal results.

Provider Review

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
200 Motor Pkwy., Hauppauge, New York
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Dr. Epstein is a highly competent surgeon who clearly take a lot of pride in his work. He demonstrated to me that he strives to improve his surgical techniques by staying up to date on the very latest advances in cosmetic procedures. Dr. Epstein spent a lot of time with me explaining what my procedure would entail. He was very patient and caring.