I've been researching plastic surgeons for several weeks and I have a few that I'm very interested in, but I'm constantly on the lookout for additional surgeons to consider. I've repeatedly seen Florida mentioned as a spot with top doctors at affordable prices. I've also seen folks referencing recovery centers in Florida that are more similar to the aftercare many Mexican surgeons offer, which is very appealing. I'm looking a surgeon with great reviews who has done A LOT of body lift surgeries and I'm simply not finding many who fit that billing. Every time I see a Florida surgeon recommended I look them up and I either can't find body lift review or I only find a couple.

If anyone can provide names of surgeons with extensive experience doing body lifts, I'd really appreciate it. It doesn't actually have to be Florida, but I constantly see Florida referenced and none of the surgeons I'm considering are in Florida. The surgeons I'm primarily considering are Dr. Cardenas, Dr. Sauceda, Dr. Joseph Michaels, Dr. Katzen & Dr. Capella. From my research these seem to be some of the top surgeons in the field of reconstruction after massive weight loss, but if anyone has any additional names that have the level of experience and expertise as these folks, I'd love to know so that I can check them out.

Thanks!

2 hours ago, FatboySkin said:

I assume you live near Chicago? I'm also in the midwest, but not anywhere near a surgeon I'd trust with this kind of surgery. If I have to get on a plane, I don't care if I'm flying to LA, DC, Tijuana or Monterrey as long as I'm in good hands when I get there. If I had a great local option, I'd probably go with that. Thanks again!

I'm in southern Wisconsin - so about two hours away from Chicago. There wasn't anyone in my area who specializes in massive weight loss patients - or even someone who doesn't necessarily specialize but who does boatloads of body contouring on weight loss patients (first option was my preference - but second option would have been acceptable).

1 hour ago, ms.sss said:

Gonna chime in!

First off, did not have my PS done by neither Cardenas nor Sauceda (I had mine done locally here in Toronto).

My surgeon is one if the ones who have a time limit to how long he prefers his patients to be under: 5-6 hours. He did an arm lift, breast lift and Tummy Tuck in me in that time period last December.

While I was/am happy to get it all done in one shot, recovery was a b*tch. I think I probably would have had a better recovery time if I did less. HOWEVER: if I had to do it again, I’d still do it the same way as I think I prefer to have ONE longer-ish recovery period vs. multiple short-ish ones. But that’s just me.

Super excited for you though, plastics are a game changer.

Good Luck!

wow - that's a lot for 5-6 hours. My LBL took four hours, so he probably could have done the breast lift then, too, and still been within his six-hour limit - but he decided to do it along with the arm lift in a second surgery. Did you get a full LBL or did they just do a standard tummy tuck? That probably would account for the difference. Or he may have had a second surgeon in there - Dr. Capella (in New Jersey) usually has a second person in with him, so they're able to get a lot of procedures done in one surgery.

9 hours ago, ms.sss said:

Gonna chime in!

First off, did not have my PS done by neither Cardenas nor Sauceda (I had mine done locally here in Toronto).

My surgeon is one if the ones who have a time limit to how long he prefers his patients to be under: 5-6 hours. He did an arm lift, breast lift and Tummy Tuck in me in that time period last December.

While I was/am happy to get it all done in one shot, recovery was a b*tch. I think I probably would have had a better recovery time if I did less. HOWEVER: if I had to do it again, I’d still do it the same way as I think I prefer to have ONE longer-ish recovery period vs. multiple short-ish ones. But that’s just me.

Super excited for you though, plastics are a game changer.

Good Luck!

I hope I'm not fooling myself, but I keep telling myself that pain and misery I can handle. Complications, however, scare me quite a bit. No matter where I go I'll be flying, so at some point I'll return home and I want to do everything in my power to make sure I have no complications, particularly once I've returned home.

If I can get results similar to some of the results I've seen, it looks like a game changer. It's a bit like bariatric surgery all over again. It's a little terrifying, but even more exciting. Bariatric surgery was absolutely a game changer and I have high hopes for plastics.

Thanks for weighing in!

9 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

Did you get a full LBL or did they just do a standard Tummy Tuck? That probably would account for the difference. Or he may have had a second surgeon in there -

Just a regular tummy tuck (hip bone to hip bone), with muscle tightening and a bit of lipo on the flanks.

As far as I know he was the only surgeon in there...i nervous-chatted non-stop with like everyone in the room as I lay on the table and none of them identified themselves as surgeons, lol

5 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

Just a regular Tummy Tuck (hip bone to hip bone), with muscle tightening and a bit of Lipo on the flanks.

As far as I know he was the only surgeon in there...i nervous-chatted non-stop with like everyone in the room as I lay on the table and none of them identified themselves as surgeons, lol

I'm guessing part of the reason @ms.sss was able to have a lot done in a relatively short amount of time, is because of how thin she is/was. What was your total amount removed? Like a 1/2 lb, maybe even 1/4 lb?

18 minutes ago, sillykitty said:

I'm guessing part of the reason @ms.sss was able to have a lot done in a relatively short amount of time, is because of how thin she is/was. What was your total amount removed? Like a 1/2 lb, maybe even 1/4 lb?

not sure how much difference that would have made time-wise - although certainly some if she didn't need lipo. I had very little fat but it still took four hours - but then, I had the LBL, so they do one side, then flip you over and do the other side - so it takes twice as long.

3 hours ago, sillykitty said:

I'm guessing part of the reason @ms.sss was able to have a lot done in a relatively short amount of time, is because of how thin she is/was. What was your total amount removed? Like a 1/2 lb, maybe even 1/4 lb?

Doc said he removed a total of 400g (0.88 lbs) across the 3 procedures, and it was mostly skin. Funny how removal of a measly 400g of skin could make such a difference in appearance.

I have no idea if my surgery day size factored into the length of time doc needed to do his thing...though it makes a little bit if sense as there wasn’t alot for him to remove (i.e., not as much “material” to spend time on to have to cut off? I dunno...

Edited July 24, 20206 yr by ms.sss

On 7/23/2020 at 4:17 PM, HoosierGirl said:

I am looking at surgeons as well....I live in Florida but want a surgeon who specializes I body lifts for weight loss surgery patients. For that reason, I am zeroed in on Dr Cardenas and Dr Sauceda.< br />
On Saturday, I had a Zoom consult with Dr Cardenas. She is extremely impressive. I feel like she focuses on safety and feminine outcomes. Big emphasis on pre and post op nutrition. All of which are important to me.

Dr Sauceda is a bit more direct. Send your photos, get a recommendation and cost. He does good work.

Both doctors recommended the same procedures for me - makes it easy to compare cost. The costs were significantly different, but I am leaning toward Dr Cardenas because her results are just beautiful.

Will be sure to post results if I go forward with surgery in December.

Hope to see your results as well!

How exciting Hoosier Girl! December will be here in no time. I'm a Penn State girl. What part of Florida?

We are in Bradenton on the Gulf side. I like State College, PA - great town!

22 hours ago, sillykitty said:

I'm guessing part of the reason @ms.sss was able to have a lot done in a relatively short amount of time, is because of how thin she is/was. What was your total amount removed? Like a 1/2 lb, maybe even 1/4 lb?

Silly Kitty makes a very good point here. Each surgeon needs to evaluate one's age, health, skin type, pain threshold and flesh amount to be removed. For myself, I had stretched my petite frame beyond extreme at 5 feet. Even a few inches would have spread the wealth. LOL. Surgery for tummy + breast lifts past December was six hours from prep to recovery. My recovery was smooth, concise and without issue. Close to 6 - 7 pounds of skin removed! Interestingly, while my weight loss had stabilized - my body responded positively in other ways to the plastic surgery procedure. Day of surgery - I weighed 130 pounds. 1 1/2 months later - I settled in at 118. Now, 115. My arm lifts are scheduled 7 months from December surgery. I have very heavy upper arms, and suspect each may weigh 1 pound!? Soooo, that might mean a final weight of 113 pounds in the end. Do not plan on inner thigh skin to be removed. I can manage and conceal that pretty well. That being said, I am amazed at the Art and Science - Skill + Talents available to us with WLS and plastics to help us arrive at our best selves! So thankful and at awe of all our wonderful transformations! Other than the COVID thing - I'm really enjoying my slimmest happiest summer of adult lifetime. Game changer, indeed!

Joseph Michaels hands down. Get a consult. Plus pics of LBL of males have - hmm male considerations I trust him but definitely get a few consultations and go with who is right for you.

59 minutes ago, Stella S said:

Joseph Michaels hands down. Get a consult. Plus pics of LBL of males have - hmm male considerations I trust him but definitely get a few consultations and go with who is right for you.

Dr. Michaels is probably the US surgeon I'm most interested in at the moment. I plan on doing a few consults, so all this is subject to change, but right now Dr. Cardenas, Dr. Sauceda and Dr. Michaels are my top three surgeons. I assume you had surgery with Dr. Michaels, do you mind sharing how many procedures you had done? I'm curious how many procedures he's willing to do in one surgery.

I plan on going alone and the lack of aftercare in the United States is a pretty big concern for me. What was your after care experience? In short, I'm VERY interested in anything you can share about Dr. Michaels. Thanks!

First round - LBL, exterior thigh, bumb reconstruction with fat transfer, stomach muscle, and breast lift Round two arm lift round three inner thigh lift.
11 or 13 hours on the first surgery, then 4 and 6 or 7 respectively. Both hospitals he uses are top notch with extremely minimal infection rates. Finally in regards to aftercare - it was hell.
He is extremely good super responsive and I literally got in touch with him at all hours - also he can refer you to personal care nurses. In my final surgery this was super helpful and I wish I done it for all my surgeries. I would consider an Airbnb, with nurse support. They do this all the time so talk with the office staff. Honestly the aftercare part I was nervous about but feel pretty comfortable with. Round one and two went just fine. Inner thigh lift had complications - The complication rate is 50 to 75% and I knew this going into it. I also know that I can be a type a personality when it comes to medical procedures and I absolutely needed a response of staff and a doctor I could reach personally. Once I apologize for being a difficult patient- and he pointed out that is why he gets paid the really big box! Well his surgical skills are good and I like his bedside manner that hospital he practices at was a contributing factor - positive. I would highly recommend getting a consultation and seeing if he is a good fit for you chat with office staff as well.

First round - LBL, exterior thigh, bumb reconstruction with fat transfer, stomach muscle, and breast lift Round two arm lift round three inner thigh lift.
11 or 13 hours on the first surgery, then 4 and 6 or 7 respectively. Both hospitals he uses are top notch with extremely minimal infection rates. Finally in regards to aftercare - it was hell.
He is extremely good super responsive and I literally got in touch with him at all hours - also he can refer you to personal care nurses. In my final surgery this was super helpful and I wish I done it for all my surgeries. I would consider an Airbnb, with nurse support. They do this all the time so talk with the office staff. Honestly the aftercare part I was nervous about but feel pretty comfortable with. Round one and two went just fine. Inner thigh lift had complications - The complication rate is 50 to 75% and I knew this going into it. I also know that I can be a type a personality when it comes to medical procedures and I absolutely needed a response of staff and a doctor I could reach personally. Once I apologize for being a difficult patient- and he pointed out that is why he gets paid the really big box! Well his surgical skills are good and I like his bedside manner that hospital he practices at was a contributing factor - positive. I would highly recommend getting a consultation and seeing if he is a good fit for you chat with office staff as well. I think the times are right but it’s been a few years - The after care was smooth and even if I wasn’t local I would choose this doctor knowing what I know now. I would do it all over again too. As a note - he would not do the inner thigh left with the LBL as the skin pulls in different directions. The same is true of breast work with Arm lift.

Additional note regarding complications -/ The wound associated with the inner thigh lift was covered by my primary health care insurance hoo also covered my lab work and prescriptions for all the procedures. They are very strict and indicate in their policy they cover no elective reconstructive plastic type surgery - yeah they covered the medical clearance EKGs and other preop items. Maybe because I have my primary care doctor perform all those tests labs and medical clearances. Anyway it save me on my original weight loss surgery as well as three plastic surgeries. Just hate that word plastic - LOL