I'm officially one year post-op after having a tummy tuck with muscle repair, abdominal…read moreliposuction, chin liposuction, breast reduction, and breast lift with Dr. Kalaria.
Overall, I'm okay with my results. I certainly wasn't expecting perfection and understand that no surgical result will be perfect. I'm sharing these details simply to be transparent about my experience and results: my areolas are not aligned or nearly the same size (also had an issue with tape being left on too long & damaging my skin), one breast is noticeably larger than the other, & they did not take my side boob fat.
My biggest advice if you choose this place: GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING and be very specific about exactly what areas are being treated.
During my consultation, Dr. Kalaria and I discussed my side boob fat. She physically pointed to/touched the area while discussing what would be addressed. As a patient with no plastic surgery expertise, I didn't know this was technically considered a separate area from the breast that needed to be separately listed and priced.
I had a similar issue with the abdominal liposuction. It was not made clear to me that only a specific portion of my abdomen would be liposuctioned. I understood I was having ab liposuction with my tummy tuck and didn't realize other areas of my abdomen were excluded. These distinctions may be obvious to a plastic surgeon, but they aren't obvious to a patient.
I was very upfront that I was relying on the professionals to educate and guide me rather than trying to become an expert in plastic surgery myself. I'm a lawyer, and just as my clients rely on me to explain things they wouldn't necessarily know to ask about, I relied on my surgeon to do the same.
Unfortunately, my quote was not detailed. Even the muscle repair we had discussed wasn't specifically listed, so I asked and was told it was included. I therefore assumed the side breast/underarm area we discussed was similarly part of my breast work and didn't understand that "abdominal liposuction" referred only to a limited area. Had these distinctions been clearly explained, I could have made an informed decision about adding and paying for the additional areas.
Even assuming, for the sake of argument, that the side boob area had not been specifically discussed, it should have been brought to my attention as a suggested area to address. It is immediately adjacent to my boobs that we discussed being worked on and was something I definitely wanted treated (I think most ppl would). I relied on my surgeon not only to answer questions I knew to ask, but also to flag relevant considerations I might not know enough to ask about. Had I been told, "That area is separate and requires additional liposuction," I would have made clear that I wanted it included.
What bothered me most was how the issue was handled afterward. When I asked about the area post-op, I was told it was considered the underarm, not the breast. I later emailed after reviewing my notes, and the response was essentially that we had never discussed the area and I hadn't paid for it. Again, the money wasn't the issue. My concern was being told the conversation hadn't happened when my notes reflected that it had.
Even if the office had no record of the discussion, I would have appreciated something as simple as, "We don't have this documented, but we're sorry there was a misunderstanding." Instead, I felt my recollection was being dismissed, which ultimately damaged my trust in the practice.
I also found that some questions toward the end of the process or after surgery were met with responses along the lines of, "We're not at that point yet; I'll explain it later." As a patient, I don't know what I don't know. If I'm asking a question about my surgery, recovery, or results, I want it explained, even if it won't become relevant until later.
To be fair, there were things I genuinely liked about Dr. Kalaria. I wasn't looking for the cheapest surgeon; I wanted someone knowledgeable, trustworthy, and safety-conscious. One reason I chose her was because she would NOT perform back liposuction at the same time as my other procedures because she felt the surgery would be too long and unsafe. I respected that tremendously and it gave me confidence in her judgment.
Ultimately, my experience reinforced the importance of doing your own research and documenting EVERYTHING you discuss. Don't assume that because an area was discussed or a procedure is described generally that you know exactly what will be treated. Ask specifically what areas are included and excluded, and confirm important discussions in writing.
I had actually planned to return to Dr. Kalaria for additional work. Unfortunately, based on my overall experience, particularly how my concerns were handled afterward, I no longer feel comfortable doing so.
