The doctor and staff are far more than I could have hoped for

One Month Follow Up Appointment: Went pretty much the same way as the one week appointment . Made sure bruising and swelling were appropriate for healing. I was no longer having that much pain. Completely off of pain medicine. Just Tylenol extra strength at night.

3 month follow up appointment: incision still a little red, advised this is okay and it will begin to turn white in about another 2-3 months. It is not raised at all and looks very good. Advised to use sunscreen or keep covered when in sun. 3 month pictures taken.

Surgery
Abdominoplasty with lipo 360, lipo lateral thighs, bilateral breast implant exchange with capsulectomy and silicone exchange

I am one week post op. Dr Leedy and his staff rated alone are far more than I could have hoped for. I had a previous experience with a different plastic surgeon (PS) and I can say that as both a patient and a nurse, you cannot go wrong if you choose to go to Dr. Leedy.

I feel Dr. Leedy is not only a surgeon with the science behind his execution, but also a perfectionist in the art of medicine. Sometimes it can be difficult to find a medical professional that excels at both. He can hear your vision and is able to take his knowledge and execute that vision.

I feel like I need to tell my back story to have someone understand the full appreciation of what Dr. Leedy and his team has done for me.

When I went to a previous PS, I went with the intent of wanting a slimmer stomach/torso, and had a consult for a tummy tuck with lipo. Since I am a curvier woman, he recommended breast implants and liposuction to achieve the look I wanted. Trusting his judgement, after showing multiple pictures of my hopes, I took his advice. Everything was okay for the first three months. Then the problems started. I was not seeing the results from the lipo - was told it would take up to a year to see results. At this time I also started having uncomfortable discomfort in one breast and it was sitting a little higher and was harder than the other side - told my breasts were uneven to begin with so that was expected.

I ended up having numerous emails exchanged, and follow up appointments expressing my concerns of pain and tightness. He and his staff would just always say how “nice I looked, compliment me, and he voiced how “nice and high up that particular breast looked” - no joke. After three follow visits voicing the same concerns and no real action taken on his part, I decided to advocate for myself and get another opinion.

I learned of Dr. Leedy through his ratings when doing extensive research online. I had it narrowed down between him and one other surgeon. It so happened, a client of my sister had had surgery with Dr. Leedy and was extremely pleased with her experience. It seemed like a sign that he was the one I should choose of the two.

So my journey with Dr. Leedy began…

First: Have you seen his education and experience?

Consultation: Easy to schedule. Spent appropriate amount of time. LISTENED and HEARD my concerns. Immediately recognized the capsular contracture that the previous surgeon kept putting off as normal. Was supportive when I almost broke down and thought “this is what I get for being so vain.” He and his nurse were very emphatic and compassionate to my insecurities. Together, we came up with a plan and when something didn’t seem realistic or he knew I wouldn’t get the desired result I was seeking, he gave me alternate options.

Surgery Scheduling: He is in demand, but I was willing to wait. My initial date was going to be four months away. I asked to be put on a cancelation list.

Pre-Op: I was fortunate to get an earlier appointment from the cancellation list. They got me in right away - literally the week they called I was going to have surgery the following week. I was so glad, because I was in pain from the capsular contracture. We went over the plan again. Everything was explained in great detail. Tried on different sizing for new implants, etc. Hotel information was given to me from Ivanka since I’d need to stay close to the surgery center overnight since I live a distance away. Post-op meds were called into my pharmacy so I could pick them up and be prepared for after surgery.

Surgery Day: Husband dropped me off, Nurse Kelly came to get me, got me prepped, discussed post-op (which was also discussed with my husband upon pickup and given in paper form); talked with the anesthesia doctor and nurse anesthetist who both explained their roles and what to expect from them; Dr. Leedy came in and we reviewed process and procedure again, he marked me up and answered all the questions I had.

Post-Op: Don’t remember much of recovery. Husband said he was called by Dr Leedy with update, he came back into recovery room, Kelly went over discharge information, discussed drains, etc.
I was put in light compression garment, bra, and binder. The nurses were great at explaining the point of these items was to hold dressings in place and not actually apply too much compression. I also brought a button up dress that was so easy to put on over everything. Amazon find for less than $20. Best purchase ever!
Then off to the hotel for the night. Hotel was the hardest part. Advice- buy a wedge pillow to help elevate head and bring some of your own pillows. Have someone with you that is ready and able to be a big support - I needed a lot. Take your meds regularly. I tend to try and be tough - believe me this was not the time for that.

Day After Follow Up: Easy in. Taken right back to room. Dr. Leedy and his nurse looked at all incisions, drains, etc. They showed my husband how to do drains again to reinforce earlier teaching,and how to administer the lovenox injections. All questions were answered. I wore that same button up dress!

Nurse Phone F/U: Kelly checked in to see how things were going. Also found out husband had contacted the office at some point to ask questions.

One Week Follow Up Appointment: Appt was with his CNP. Stripped down to nothing and covered in gown (she can help or the person who brought you in) to check swelling, bruising, and incisions were where they needed to be for one week post-op. She took out drains, applied dressings, took off dressings under breasts. Dr. Leedy came in to do follow up and check things out himself. Between he and his CNP they explained the next steps - what to expect with swelling, sleeping, etc. They went into detail about how wound care now changes from week one, scar cream is incorporated, and how compression garments are now used differently than the first week.

Things I Really Appreciated:
That I didn’t have to figure out where to purchase and what garments I needed. Their office had everything I needed - compression garment, binder, and bra. They also made sure that they were still what was needed at the one week follow up. I ended up needing to go down a size in the compression garments. They supplied that too. This saved me so much money and so much unneeded stress. I had spent hundreds of dollars on these items and never knew if they were really what was needed, never got validation if they were what was needed with my past PS experience. So this was HUGE for me. The binder Dr Leedy’s office gives actually is sized for a woman’s torso, where the past one I had pushed under my breasts and I was told just to fold it in half. The surgical bra is adjustable in multiple places so will adapt with me as the swelling goes up/down and the breasts finally settle in place.
That button up dress.

I will have my next follow up in a week and a half.

If I could change one thing… I would have chosen Dr. Leedy the first time around.