Oh my gosh! I'm so excited I found this all female practice!!…read moreHow did I choose Gallery Plastic Surgery? I asked my PCP (Primary Care Physician), and my podiatrist for a recommendation. Both IMMEDIATELY said Dr. Wendy Wong Lamara! I trust both of these docs implicitly as we have such a great relationship. Then, I checked all the reviews on Yelp, and Google, as well as checked for complaints filed against this doc and practice. The reviews, not surprisingly, were mixed and no actions had been filed and/or resolved with the medical association. Think about it. Plastic surgery is a HUGE step, and fraught with lots of emotional baggage. I'd be willing to bet that for some folks, the doc could have done exactly what they wanted, and they still wouldn't have been happy. Also, all bodies are different and going to have different healing rates. I also checked Dr. Wendy's credentials and board certs, and found everything to be in order.
The location, office, and staff? The office on Pearl St is in the middle of downtown Monterey, so free parking sucks. The building is very unobtrusive, but once you walk in, every female head pops up, and smiles at you. The office is demure with very tasteful art hung throughout. The staff are, without fail, cheerful, professional, and personable.
I've lost over 80# in 20 months. No one told me that my skin would just hang like a dress ten sizes too big, literally! I've gone from a size 22 to a size 8. You pay a non-refundable $250 for a surgical consultation that is applied to your surgical procedure should you choose to have a procedure.
The med asst left me in a lovely room with high windows, so no claustrophobia, and gave me a robe in which to change. Dr. Wendy came into the room after about 10 minutes. She sat down and we talked as if we were friends getting to know each other for at least 15 minutes. We talked about the folks with whom we lived, our romantic and sexual relationships, the fun things we liked to do, traveling, our friends, and favorite foods. BTW, Dr. Wendy painted all the art in her office. It reminds me of Matisse's abstract female figures. It's gorgeous! If you're thinking about plastic surgery, how great to have an actual artist sculpting your body!?!
After that, we started to talk about what I wanted my body to look like and my expectations. Finally, about 20 - 30 minutes in, she said, well, let's see what we've got. I shucked the robe as the modesty ship sailed long ago! She asked me what bothered me the most. We settled on doing a gluteal lift with auto-augmentation. She explained the pros and cons, detailed the surgical procedure, talked about the post-surgical care, the pain to expect, and the results I could probably expect. Not once did I feel rushed or pressured. Dr. Wendy's asst, Jazmin, wrapped up the initial visit with me. Jaz is the sweetest, most positive, detail oriented person and perfect as Dr. Wendy's right hand.
My surgery is scheduled for 3/10/2027, and I couldn't be happier nor more excited. I'll keep you posted.