Eight months ago, I recruited Dr. Thomas Mustoe to be my plastic surgeon. Today, eight months later, he has become my hero.
I am a 20 year old patient who lost 70lbs (230--160), and sought an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) to remove excess skin and fat so that my existing skin would fit my smaller body.
The results speak for themselves. I walked in with a pouch of skin and (eventually, after swelling subsided), walked out with a beautiful six-pack. One friend even asked "How did you do that? How did you get your stomach to look so good?" Family, friends, and even my general practitioner were wowed by the elegant yet natural-looking abdomen that Dr. Mustoe created just for me.
Yet great results alone do not an expert surgeon make. I believe the process is just as crucial. As such, I've chosen to share next my personal yet educational journey of surgery and recovery with Dr. Mustoe as my advocate for health, beauty, and comfort.
When I first met Dr. Mustoe, I requested a thigh lift, body lift (buttocks) as well as a tummy tuck--3 procedures total. At that time (I realize now), I was a bit obsessive about removing skin and fat, having won a painstaking battle against 70lbs of fat on my own over the past year. Dr. Mustoe explained that the abdomniplasty (the most obviously "deformed" area) should be fixed first (which I had asked for), and that he would "keep the dialogue open" about the other procedures, although he seemed against the idea of them, as the benefits would be small but the risks high. He did not say no, however, and maintained sensitivity and open-mindedness to my wishes.
Sensing that I may be an anxious individual, he prescribed a sedative for me to take on the day of surgery, which I greatly appreciated. It allowed me to relax when arriving for my tummy tuck, as I know I would have been nervous and apprehensive otherwise. After the surgery, since he knew I attend school out of state, he even invited me to visit him in his home to check up on me over the weekend, as I couldn't easily make it back during the week. These actions proved to my family and I the great deal of empathy and care that lies in Dr. Mustoe's heart.
Now, I have realized that a body lift and thigh lift would not be worth the tradeoff of a huge scar; Dr. Mustoe was correct. I thanked him for his integrity after coming to this realization. He is a man of supreme integrity in a field that has been referred to, even by practitioners within it, as a "buy'ers beware market".
I am what some people may call a "trust fund kid", with very successful parents, and a less integrative physician could have easily performed $20,000 more surgery (body/thigh lift), giving me what I thought I wanted, but he instead did what was best for me in the long run by insisting I take time to think about it, even though the financial implications would have meant little to my decision.
I was blessed to be in the hands of Dr. Mustoe. His triad of care, integrity, unequaled skill, and extensive research-based contribution to his field have made a positive impact on my life. To him, I will forever be grateful.
Because I have not had the chance to evaluate other plastic surgeons, I cannot say whether another may be as qualified, caring, meticulous, or sensitive as Dr. Mustoe. There may exist his equal. But I can say with absolute certainty that he has no superior. Dr. Mustoe is not the physician you go to to save money, to "roll the dice" on results, or even get a "good result". Dr. Mustoe is there for people who need more than just a surgeon providing a service. He is a man with a passion, who doesn't abandon his patients, and will advocate for them even when it is inconvenient for him. Dr. Mustoe is the man to go to when you not only hope to have your own plastic surgeon, but your own hero as well. He is mine. I hope he can be yours.
And I hope when you take your shirt off at the beach, or whatever other garment covers your surgery-produced area, you may watch the amazed reactions of those around you, as it will look too natural to be so beautiful. And it will look too beautiful to be natural. And it will be because of Dr. Mustoe. read more