Great results...great experience...but the staff needs some work

Treatment Provider

Provider Review

• 14 Mar 2017

I had laser lipo of the arms. I found Dr. Yousefi through his groupon ad. I went to a few consultations in the past, but never went through with a procedure due to pricing and concerns about the doctors. Even today, I am still dumbfounded at the price I paid. It was so low compared to the prices other doctors gave me. I was worried when I heard what he was asking for (cheap surgery had to come with a catch, right?), but he had 20 years of experience so I decided to give him a go. Since the area was small and I wanted to save money, I opted out of the twilight anesthesia the staff suggested I get. When I told them I didn't want it, they seemed surprised. They did their best to talk me into it but I wasn't going for it. Other than the price (which I told them was a factor), I wanted to drive myself home after the procedure (since I was getting lipo secretly). That meant no painkillers, no valium, nothing. It was the only way I could drive home without a support person with me. I can't lie, I was nervous about feeling pain. But today I'm so glad I didn't get talked into the anesthesia. It wouldn't have doubled the price I paid, plus slowed down my recovery. The day of surgery, I was nervous. I had got a hotel room to stay in nearby the hotel so I wouldn't be late for my appointment, and hadn't got a drop of sleep. I got to the office and signed in, then we got right to it. The pain (for me) was minimal. When he first puts the fluid in, it burns. It is uncomfortable, but I got through it (by thinking of all the money I was saving :) ). I had headphones on the entire time so I didn't have to hear any of the strange noises. After the fluid was in, I was left to 'marinate' for a few minutes. By now I wasn't so nervous; the 'painful' part was over. I wasn't watching the clock so I don't know how long the entire procedure took. The doctor had fantastic bedside manner the entire time, and made me laugh with a few admittedly corny jokes. It was a very enjoyable experience, and I was glad a stayed awake for it. When it was done, I didn't get to look in the mirror. I was disappointed about it, but didn't care enough to ask. I was too shocked at all the 'juices' coming out of my arm holes. The nurse quickly put me in a garment and helped me put my clothes on (I had a large black dress on the hide any red stains from the fluid. So glad I did). There was so much liquid on the drive home. The nurse was kind enough to give me a plastic sheet to sit in my driver's seat, but I had come prepared with a bunch of towels. I soaked every one of them (so be prepared). It was a mess, and the smell of the fluid was honestly going to make me sick. I got home and ended up putting maxi pads on my elbows to soak up the fluid. I used at least ten on the first day (five for each arm), and a few on the second day. I dripped a little on the third day but not that much. The first few days were...hard. My arms looked thin, but sort of strange looking. I was nervous because my elbows were huge while the rest was much smaller. I did some research and realized that it was just the fluid gravitating down, so tried to keep myself calm and wait for my results. My arms were very sore the first two weeks, but it wasn't to the point where I couldn't do normal, everyday things. I was able to conceal the fact that I had surgery by wearing big sweatshirts and jackets (while I was draining). Even today, I'm surprised at how easy it was to hide. I'm in week three now and my arms look amazing! The strange look in my arms has disappeared and so far, I don't see any unevenness. I can't wait to stop wearing the compression garment; it's the worst thing to have to wear (but I appreciate the doctor giving it to me for free). I totally recommend Dr. Yousefi. I enjoyed my experience (with him) and would go to him again for more work. The reason he only got four stars is because I honestly did not enjoy my experience with some of his staff. I live about 2 hours away from his office, and so when I went in for my pre-op before my surgery, I was very disappointed to hear that he was in surgery and some 'certified' woman would be meeting with me. She was nice, yes, but pushed me to buy the anesthesia. I told her I didn't have the funds and she left the room. Ten minutes later she comes back with a lower price (hmmm), but as I said before, I wasn't gonna go for it. My first scheduled post-op was the same. I drove two hours expecting to see the doctor and again was disappointed to see that he was in another surgery. I wanted HIM to see if everything was alright with my arms, not someone that was 'certified.' What annoyed me most was the fact that I got conflicting information on how long to wear the garment. One woman said I could wear it for 3 weeks for 24 hours and then another 3 weeks for 12 hours, while another woman tells me 6 weeks for 24 hours. At this moment I still don't know what's correct. It probably could have been avoided by simply having a conversation with the doctor. I have a second post-op scheduled but at this point, I don't think I'll be going. Not unless I see something crazy going on. I just don't feel like working with his staff anymore. Overall, I'd say that I enjoyed my overall experience with the doctor, though I wish I got to see more of him. I would probably go back to see him for more work, despite his 'certified' employees. If you can look past that, though, and decide on this doctor, I think you'll get a lot of bang for your buck. I may post photos later on. Thanks for reading and good luck!