My Experiences with a South Florida/Fort lauderdale Plastic Surgeon

[abebe6]

I had lipo but this doctor and I don't recommend him at all! The Dr. mutilated my belly button. He was supposed to lipo my lower abdomen, flanks, and lower back. He didn't touch my lower back, my flanks were done a little bit, and my lower abdomen was done a lot but left it lumpy and very uneven. But the worst was that unbeknowsnt to me, out of the 9 punctures he made in me, 2 were in my belly button and my belly button now looks completely disfigured. It looks like I had a navel piercing that went very bad...it is disgusting and embarrassing.

I saw the doctor 24 hours after the surgery and then never heard from them again. One month after the surgery, I called the office about some concerns about my belly button looking like I had a navel piercing that went very wrong (and I'm a guy) and they put the nurse on the phone. I told her about my belly button and she said to email in some pictures. I did that and never heard from them again. I can't speak to the doctor about my concerns either. It looks like they saw the pictures, knew that they botched my surgery and that it's permanent and didn't know how to tell me this...so they just dropped off the face of the planet to me.

I didn't go down in pant size but went down 1 notch on my belt. I still can't believe I paid all that money for 9 incision scars, a lumpy and uneven abdomen that wasn't blended into my uper abdomen, a disfigured and mutilated belly button, and barely a reduction in fat. I actually PAID someone for this. If someone offered to pay ME for some physical pain, mutilation of my belly button and a lumpy abdomen, I'd say absolutely no...yet I am the one who actually paid HIM for this! This was a horrible experience for me....please don't make the same mistake. This is a very unskilled surgeon and the surgeons office will completely abandon you once they get the money and the surgery is done and there is absolutely NOTHING you can do about it. Best thing to do about it, is not letting yourself get in this situation w/ this doctor to begin with.

Please PM me to know more

[hmmm]

wow abebe6,

that doesn't sound good.

when did you get your procedure done? are you saying that he did not see you for any kind of follow up? why didn't you press the issue more?

and have you posted any pictures of your scars or do you have any pictures?

[abebe6]

Originally Posted by hmmm

wow abebe6,

that doesn't sound good.

when did you get your procedure done? are you saying that he did not see you for any kind of follow up? why didn't you press the issue more?

and have you posted any pictures of your scars or do you have any pictures?

I had the surgery done 40 days ago on 9/3. That's correct...no follow up except for 24 hrs after the surgery. They never called me and I never heard from them again. Press the issue? After 3 weeks I called them to voice concerns about my lumpy abdomen and belly button disfigurement...and to also ask them if lymphatic drainage massage could help me. The staff member told me not to worry about the appearance and shape b/c it's much too early and they told me the massage would be ok.

Then, a week and a half ago, I called again about my belly button and they finally put a medical person on the phone w/ me b/c they couldn't answer my questions. The nurse told me it's still too early and asked me to email them some pictures. I emailed them about 10 pictures and never heard from them ever again. No reply...nothing. So, a couple days ago I called them up and asked why I haven't gotten any reply to my email and the receptionist told me that the doctor doesn't talk to any former patient once the surgery is over unless it's face to face in person. I told her that I'm an 8 hr round trip distance from them and asked what do they do with out of town or out of state patients. She told me that if a patient isn't local that they can't speak to the doctor once the surgery is done....that they would have to take vacation and make a trip to see the doctor. I couldn't believe it...especially since the doctor spoke to me on the phone PRIOR to getting my money before the surgery. But once they get your money they feel there's nothing to compell them to answer any concerns or give advice.

I feel helpless...what can I do? By all of their actions, it's obvious of what their ethics are so I'm not going to waste 8 hours in a car for a 10 minute meeting where he'll tell me to wait longer.

I do have pictures but haven't posted them.

[DrRubinstein]

Abebe6,

I'm sorry that you're having a difficult time after your surgery. As a plastic surgeon I always want patients to have a positive experience.

If its any consolation, 40 days post-op is still early for liposuction. I advise my patients that there is a three phase healing process after liposuction. It takes 2-3 weeks to get the initial swelling to resolve. It takes 2-3 months for the remainder of the swelling to resolve and to see the true shape in the results. It can take 6 months to a year for some nagging issues like areas of numbness to return to normal. The good news is that you will probably reduce in size a bit more and your contour will likely become better over the next couple of months. The bad news is that the scarring around your belly button may not improve as well. Without photos or the chance to examine you I can't really comment on that too much specifically.

As for the way your problem and calls for help are being handled, it is my opinion that a surgeon should always be completely available to his/her patients. I give my personal cell number and pager number to my patients so that can contact me directly. I have a good number of patients that travel from all over the country and all over the world for procedures. I would never refuse to speak with a patient on the phone for any reason, particularly one that feels that there is a problem.

On one hand, you can give yourself more healing time. It is likely that your results will continue to improve over the next couple of months. On the other hand, if you are really distressed about the way things look at this moment, you may want to consider seeing another surgeon for an opinion. If you choose to seek a second opinion, I strongly recommend that you visit with a plastic surgeon that is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. I believe that your original surgeon is not. You can find many qualified surgeons on one of two websites:

American Society of Plastic Surgeons: The resource for plastic and reconstructive surgery This is the American Society of Plastic Surgeons

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery: The Mark of Distinction in Cosmetic Plastic Surgery® | The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery This is the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

In both cases, all members must be board certified.

I hope this info helps!

[hmmm]

abebe6,

how are you doing now? have things gotten any better for you and your healing process? have you spoken with and/or seen the doctor or been able to get anything resolved?

[DrRodgerStratt]

While Plasmetics is meant to be a forum where patients share their experiences with others, it is assumed that those posting will be done with honesty and integrity. Unfortunately, there are those who find it necessary, for what ever reason, to cause grievous harm to others.

"abebe6" wrote that "the Dr. mutilated my belly button...which now looks completely disfigured....and a lumpy abdomen" He went on to post other outlandish accusations, I believe, with the intent to do harm to me and my practice. "abebe6" further asserted that "It looks like they saw the pictures, knew that they had botched my surgery....so they just dropped me off the face of the planet."

In fact, after abebe6 sent me his pictures, I wrote him back almost immediately. (I have a copy of the E-mail if anyone wants to see it.) My staff also asked abebe6 to come in the clinic to see if he needs a touch-up. Since "abebe6" lives in another city, it would be impossible to perform a touch-up over the phone. I have not heard from abebe6 since then, except for his public posting, which due to its deceitful and grievous nature certainly deserves my reply in order to "set the record straight" and maintain BodyCare's reputation of excellence. I always put 100% into my work.

I certainly, for the life of me, do not know why abebe6 is making these outlandish and hurtful claims. I certainly do not know his agenda, however, I have looked at the photos abebe6 sent, and in my opinion, he got an excellent result. I do not see a "mutilated" belly button nor do I see any lumps or unevenness. In fact, I am going to share his pictures as he has refused to post them eventhough he was asked by another poster to do so. Note the I am in compliance with HIPAA as his identity remain confidential. abebe6 also signed a consent to allow the distribution of his before and after photos.
The first photo is his before and the second is his after. I think these photos speak for themselves. But, you decide.




R. G. Stratt, MD
BodyCare Center for Advanced Rejuvenation
bodycaredoctor.com
(954) 765-1316