I have had two successful surgeries performed by Dr. Garner. Both of which exceeded my expectations. I have also had non-surgical procedures done (Botox) in his office over a few years (sadly I now go somewhere over the hill closer to where I work). Dr. Garner is an honest and intelligent doctor. He is knowledgeable, kind, and capable. His office is clean and staff caring and helpful. Beyond my two surgeries, Dr. Garner has consulted me on a major surgery that I got elsewhere. He was available, confident, and took the time necessary to answer all of my questions. I think that he is a great resource to have if you are considering plastic surgery. I just can't say enough good things about him, and the rest of the office as well. read more

My postoperative experience after a facelift began with a complaint about my face. Instead of addressing it, Dr. Steven Garner focused on my right ring finger and said he could cut it off ..., an alarming statement that made me question his judgment and intentions. Before the procedure, my dominant right hand functioned well. Although my ring finger bent at one joint, I could make a fist by trapping it with my little finger, and I was not seeking hand surgery. Garner never told me, on April 27, 2005, that he intended to perform surgery on my hand. The surgery took place the next day, April 28, 2005 ..., and I was under anesthesia for approximately six hours, during which students were present and participated, something I was never told about or asked to consent to. What followed was, in my experience, far beyond what I understood myself to be consenting to. I was left with serious loss of function in my right hand ..., from better than 50% median nerve function beforehand to what specialists later described as complete loss. In the years afterward, I consulted hand specialists and spent extensive time trying to determine what had been done and why. My concerns are supported by handwritten notes from 2007, in which I disputed the description of my preoperative hand, disputed his claim that he had cut into a preexisting forearm scar, questioned the use of a Hunter rod, questioned what I had consented to, and sought expert opinions and records. Two hand specialists I consulted, Diao and McCarroll, told me it would have been impossible to graft a tendon from my middle finger to my ring finger because the tendon wasn't long enough ...,directly contradicting the explanation I'd been given. A hand surgeon who later examined me said, in his opinion, that Garner appeared to want to get a Hunter rod procedure "under his belt." I cannot know Garner's private motivation and present that only as the surgeon's opinion, not established fact. This experience changed my life. Patients considering significant procedures should obtain a clear written explanation of the proposed treatment, alternatives, who will perform each part, and the precise scope of consent. read more

Open Letter to Dr. Garner Hello Dr. Garner, It took me more than 10 years to summon the strength to write you this letter. The rhinoplasty you gave me in 2012 was an absolute disaster. I was only 21 years old and needed your help in making the best decision for myself at the time. You failed as a clinician to do this; you failed to guide me in the process. As a result of the rhinoplasty: 1. I looked and felt terrible with a dreadful "ski slope" nose. 2. I looked many years younger as a result of my new nose. 3. My breathing was not improved, despite your assurances. I lost so much of the character of my face which, in turned, helped ruin my stage acting career. Your negligence in counseling me about how the rhinoplasty would actually impact my appearance was particularly devastating. You never mentioned to me that my nose would become feminine and like a "ski slope," and not just be straight and/or masculine. You never cautioned me about how it would make me look years younger (Which has hurt my professional career prospects - I am constantly mistaken to be a decade younger than I am and passed over for promotions). You never warned me that it could take away character from my face and image. And most egregiously, you could and should have used photo editing technology to help me visualize how I would look hypothetically with a different nose. This is industry standard! I would never ever have pursed this surgery if I knew what the result would be. It was one of the worst mistakes of my life. I am exploring all recourse options now, including revision rhinoplasty but also legal action to get some remedy for all I have lost. I can't imagine how your work has hurt other people with your lack of transparency. Your deeply saddened former patient, Albert read more

Caring, ethical, timely, reliable, skilled; insightful, experienced, kind, and will not lead you astray. Consulting this Doctor is a must before deciding on any cosmetic surgery, big or small. The Institute treats its patients with patience and kindness. You can not go wrong here. Highly recommended. World Class. read more

The place is clean, the prices are resonable, and the staff was really friendly. I think the last reviewer was menstrating when she wrote the review. It seems like if the doctor was being "too medical" then he needed to dumb it down. Anyhow, the girl at the front desk was super informitive. She gave me samples of Jan Marni products and told me to try before I buy. I loved that I didn't feel pushed. I was very happy with this office. I will be back ;) shhhh... our little secret. read more

The best plastic surgeon! I was able to get my breast gel implants in not only the size that I hoped for, but was in and out of surgery in no pain. Healed up quickly and almost a year with no problems. Dr. Garner is an awesome doctor. read more

NOTE: Negative reviews are removed regularly. 5/2/2013 I have had three procedures done by Dr. Garner. I have to say that he does try but the results are very disappointing. In two out of the three procedures I have had done, the second two were not good. I had to go back and go through the entire ordeal again and with a hefty extra charge, another surgery and another recovery time wasted. I have spoken to several people in this area recently and we agree that there are other options and surgeons who will give you the results you are expecting the first time around. I'm just saying, shop around before you decide. I didn't, I trusted and I got burned. Now, I know better. Feel free to contact me for details. read more

When our son needed plastic surgery to repair his cleft lip and cleft pallet, Dr. Garner was highly recommended by other medical professionals in the Santa Cruz area. Our visit with him was amazing. Dr. Garner took the time to sit down and explain every detail of the surgery, he used pictures and graphs to make us understand, and He was patient and answered each question we had. He spent a lot of time with us, his demeanor with our son was great. Our little guy (15 months old at the time), felt safe and comfortable with him. The day of the surgery he again comforted us, asked if we had any last minute questions, he was amazing. The result of the surgery was nothing less than a miracle, beautiful work. Our son could never have been in any better hands than Dr. Garner. He is a 1st class surgeon and a great man. Anita Telle Scotts Valley read more

I recently had cosmetic surgery preformed by Dr. Steven Garner. I can't praise he and his staff enough. I had lipsuction on my neck and a face lift. Dr. Garner spent alot of time with me asking what I would like done and what my expectations where. I never felt rushed, nor did I feel that he was trying to influence me to have extra procedures done. Well I am thrilled with the results. Recently I had a new DMV photo taken. When I held it next to the old one, taken 10 yrs ago, I look younger now! Chris MB read more

My son broke the orbit of his eye, in a roll-over accident in a cart that he fell out of, and it ran over his head. The eyeball was riding in a crooked position. Dr. Garner did a fabulous job of putting it back in place! It was done at the Surgery Center, under anesthesia. The area was swollen, but as it healed, everything came into perfect alignment. You cannot even see the scar. His vision is perfect. I am forever grateful for the excellent care, the kindness with which he attended to us when we were terrified, and his clear instructions. read more

I have been a patient of Dr Garner"s for the last ten years. up until recently I have mostly been involved with his staff. I have always found the staff to be highly educated, freindly and helpful. The staff have also always given the impression that they are very happy in their work . I always look for that because when people are happy in their work and where , and for whom they work, there is generally a feeling of team spirit and confidence. both I highly value in medical office. I have recentlly been a patient of Dr Garner himself. I was quickly impressed by his professionalism as well as his ability to make me feel at ease. The office is very well layed out and is done beautifully. It is very clean and comfortable. I liked that Dr Garner comes to get you himself form the waitning area and that he didnt wear a white coat and he didnt sit behind a desk while we spoke. I found him to be very interested in educating me regarding my treatment and was very encouraging for me to ask him questions at any time. He took alot of time with me and my many questions and patiently answered them all to my satisfacton. When I decided to proceed with the procedure he was very warm and encouraging. He did a wonderful job on the surgery itself and obviously takes great pride in his work. I wouldnt go to someone who didnt have pride or exude confidence in the work he does. He called the house that night and again the next day to check in on me, and to offer any assistance or answer questions. I found him delightful ,skilled , and perfessional. If I had a problem I am completely certain he was available to help at every turn of the way. An added bonous is that he has a great sense of humor. I am completely satisfied with my experince at this office and would whole heartdly recommend Dr Garner and his outstanding staff to anyone. And I have very high standards coming myself form a medical family and having worked in the medical profession for the last 34 years. Im quite impressed by this wonderful group of people. read more

Dr. Garner is the best - I am very pleased with everything! He listened and cared and I love the results!

Dr Garner and the staff are wonderful. Dr Garner tells it like it is and is very forward and doesn't sugar coat anything. I was fully satisfied and was able to go about my day the next day after surgery. I would recommend him to anyone thinking about getting plastic surgery. read more

I reached out to Dr. Garner with some questions. He took over twenty minutes on the phone with me explaining the situation and what options I had. He was courteous, prompt and friendly. I was very impressed with his knowledge. read more

I have been a patient of Steven Garners for 4 years.I am a cancer pt. I have never been more pleased with the entire process I had to go thru with breast reconstruction. Dr.Garner is the most honest person I have ever dealt with in the medical field. If what I wanted wasnt going to work he explained that to me .He was always the one that made ME feel good about ME.After a masectomy and chemo you need that. All and all I am so impressed with the way my body looks ,(so is my husband.) I have sent 2 of my good freinds and 1 family member to his office.I will never recommend anyone else to any other then Dr. Garner . HE IS THE TOPS IN HIS FEILD. It hurts to see some one writing a bad reveiw for him and his team, my opionIion is simple and to the point on that person....YOU CAN FIX UGLY, ITS A SHAME YOU ARE UNABLE TO FIX STUPID. read more

I visited this medical spa on May 24, 2016 due to a recommendation from a family friend Loree. This medical spa gets an A+ for the level of care and the outstanding patient services. I was greeted by Dr Garner and the front desk staff. He made me feel welcome and thanked me for choosing his medical spa. During my consultation with Kim, I didn't feel any pressure to go through with the procedure. She informed me with the details of the procedure. She said I could back out at anytime and I didn't feel obligated to do anything, which really calmed my nerves. Cat Fox is also an amazing asset to the team. She has a plethora of skills with a very calm, relaxed and positive demeanor. Following the procedure, Dr Garner gave me a call to make sure I was satisfied with my procedure. This is a very professional, high-end medical spa that I will recommend to anyone who wishes to improve their appearance. I also noticed that they have received a lot of "Best in Santa Cruz" awards and I can see why!! read more

The place is clean and, for Santa Cruz, very nice. Unfortunately I cannot recommend him for surgical facelift. Don't let him talk you into a facelift in his office using local anesthetic with his favorite nurse assisting him administering meds to relax you. Yes, this will save you money by not using the surgery center but it is not worth it. You will spend 5+ hours in an uncomfortable/table chair in his office while he tries to "hurry" the procedure for you because you are so uncomfortable in the exam chair he uses for you to sit in. It was a really, really bad recommendation and I should have asked more questions and gotten more information. A friend recommended him because she had some minor things done. When asked, he avoided the question about how many facelifts he has done and how many he has done this way. He answered with a flippant remark hinting there were many. He doesn't actually seem very friendly or like his patients. It feels like he's just doing this for the money and would rather be playing golf. I really should have walked out the door. Once there for the surgery I didn't get the feeling he had done the procedure very often and especially in his office. He seemed nervous and unsure of himself. I wouldn't recommend him for any surgical procedures. I wouldn't want to be awake again for any surgical procedures with him and after being awake for one with him I wouldn't trust him or want to be asleep for any with him either. I would recommend anyone to stick with more med-center type procedures at this office because he's not your surgeon for the serious stuff. Go to a real surgeon for the bigger procedures. Results after 9 months are very minor and negligible - barely noticeable - and not what I paid ALOT of money for so I would recommend a real surgeon with a surgery suite or procedures done at a surgery center with a Doc who has already done many, many procedures before yours. read more

Dr. Garner has the WORST bedside manner I have ever encountered. He explains things in terms that are too medical for me to understand, and when I ask follow-up questions, he pretty much explains that I'm too dumb to understand, in more technical terms of course. Furthermore, he read me the clinical note from my last visit with him, which was full of inaccuracies. He wants to do surgery on me without even knowing what is wrong and got upset that I preferred to get imaging first. Funny thing is, he treated me MUCH different when I had different insurance. I would not trust this "surgeon" who seems more money hungry than altruistic, neither with my tonsils nor appendix, much less my bones! read more

I feel extremely pleased with Dr. Garner and his outstanding office staff. Dr. Garner removed a dupuytren's contracture that could have crippled my hand. Now, my hand functions perfectly. I am also pleasantly surprised and impressed that the scar is almost invisible. While extremely professional, I also found him quite personable.He politely and clearly answered all of my questions. This was my first ever surgery, so I had a lot! He was patient, kind, reassuring, and knowledgable. He went to great effort to ensure my health and comfort. Thank you Dr. Garner. My experience could not have been better. read more

Five Stars and Two Thumbs Up for Dr. Garner and his wonderful staff for quality, professionalism, customer service and satisfaction!!

Dr Garner is simply the best of the best in his field he was very honest in answering questions and concerns that I had I was very self conscious of my neck to the point of not leaving my house! Now I am thrilled with the results and no longer wear turtlenecks! He is a kind and professional Doctor staff is great! read more

I'm responding to the woman who thought Dr Garner had the worst bedside manner. Do you want to have someone to hold your hand or do you want one of the best surgeons attending to you? I've had two surgeries this year by Dr. Garner and couldn't be happier, in fact my results were better than expected. As for her problems with reviewing clinical notes, I found it very informative and reassuring that all areas of my surgery were understood. Patients should also do their homework so they have some knowledge about their surgery which makes for better communication with their Doctor. I'll be back next year read more

I saw Dr. Garner for a surgery consultation, and I found him to be rather obnoxious and paternal. Without exaggeration, he spent the first third of our appointment chiding me for choosing the doctor that I had chosen for a surgery that is now ten years in the past (apparently he wasn't impressed with the doctor's credentials). He spent the second third of our appointment commenting on the surgical technique of a different, highly-qualified doctor for a surgery now five years in my past ("Meh, there are things I would have done differently..."). It's important to note that I was not visiting Dr. Garner for surgery revisions, and that I was, and still am, delighted with the results of my past surgeries. His comments were not solicited, were not helpful, and were not relevant. During the remainder of our appointment, he repeatedly interrupted me and told me it was "important to listen." I certainly would have listened to his responses, but he didn't seem to have the time for the questions. Further, when asked to see examples of his work, he rifled through a drawer full of pictures. I had expected a neatly organized portfolio of work, not an unorganized drawer of fuzzy snapshots. Obviously, I can't comment on his work. I'm giving him two stars only because he did not attempt to sell me on any procedures, else I'd give him one. read more

I recently had a surgery with Dr Garner & am very satisfied with the results , would recommend him no problem. He spent time with me & answered all my questions before & after the surgery. After the surgery I had some questions and was able to text him & got an immediate answer. His staff is friendly & professional. The office is attractive. I went to a different surgeon for a consultation & to his credit he recommended I get a second opinion....Dr Garner was the second opinion. I liked his manner & patience and chose him for the surgery. No regrets. read more