Jessica decided to undergo tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) and liposuction with Pasadena plastic surgeon Dr. Stewart Wang after realizing that extra pounds on her small frame were keeping her from enjoying life and pursuing her goals to the fullest. She was having a hard time finding clothes that fit comfortably and she avoided exercise because of large amounts of skin and fat tissue, along with pulled abdominal muscles and a herniated belly button that caused pain whenever she attempted stomach exercises.

I had no idea how confident I could feel in my body.

As part of her work as a human rights advocate, Jessica does a lot of public speaking. She knew that her stomach was not only causing discomfort, it also was undermining her confidence while she was in the spotlight. "I present to a wide range of people," says Jessica, "and I thought it was time that I look and feel more professional, that I do something about the skin and fat around my belly that was weighing me down both physically and emotionally."

Finding the Right Plastic Surgeon in Los Angeles

Before seeing Dr. Stewart Wang, a plastic surgeon with offices near Pasadena and the Inland Empire, Jessica scheduled abdominoplasty consultations with two other cosmetic surgeons in Los Angeles. At the other offices, she felt very rushed and didn't receive the information she was looking for. She searched the Internet for more details about tummy tuck and about what to look for in a cosmetic surgeon, such as board certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. During her Web research, she came across an online medical discussion forum where several forum members recommended she contact Dr. Wang.

Jessica found Dr. Wang to be the most personable surgeon she visited, and she was delighted that he took the time to give her one-on-one attention. "Almost as soon as I walked in," she says, "I felt like a member of the family. Dr. Wang has such a friendly staff, and the time he spent with me was just like talking with an old friend."

Jessica's first concern was safety. "When you're choosing elective surgery, you need to feel confident that it's safe. Dr. Wang explained what precautions he takes with every surgery, and that really put my mind at ease." She was also worried about the discomfort that can accompany a tummy tuck. "I had a hysterectomy a few years before my tummy tuck, so I knew abdominal surgery is no walk in the park. But Dr. Wang gave me a pain pump after the surgery, and I had no idea the first few days after the procedure could be so comfortable."

Planning for Perfection

Dr. Wang performed Jessica's surgery at the New Clinic in Ontario, California. She planned carefully for both her surgery and her recovery. "I knew I didn't want to deal with stitches and bandages in hot weather, so I scheduled my surgery in September, to avoid the Southern California summer. And I prepared to be out of action for six weeks-took time off from my work, froze plenty of meals, and set up a support network of family and friends to check in on me."

I'd fly back to have other procedures with Dr. Wang.

Jessica knew it would be slow going for the first few weeks after her abdominoplasty. Pasadena plastic surgeon Dr. Wang encouraged her to get plenty of rest and hold back on engaging in too much activity. Though she was up and around the house within a week or so, she took it easy for the first six weeks, and waited about eight months to start back full time on her daily exercise routine.

The hardest part of her surgery? "That was definitely the liposuction on my hips, which left me bruised for several weeks from my ribs to my buttocks." Though her recovery was challenging at times, she is fortunate to have been left with almost no scarring. Her lack of scars comes from a combination of good genes, limited movement during the weeks after surgery, and a daily regimen of applying vitamin E and aloe. "Even Dr. Wang is amazed at how well my incisions healed," she says.

Discovering New Confidence

Now, when speaking all across the country, Jessica has the ego boost and increased self assurance she needs to connect with and inspire change in the people she meets. "I'd been thinking of having a tummy tuck for 19 years, and I can't believe I waited so long. Even if I left Los Angeles, I wouldn't go to anyone else-I'd fly back to have other procedures with Dr. Wang. He gave me the freedom to enjoy a flat abdomen, and until this surgery I had no idea how confident I could feel in my body."

Even in Los Angeles, many men think they have little to gain from plastic surgery. But Pasadena cosmetic surgeon Dr. Wang sees many male patients who are considering a wide variety of procedures, including laser hair removal in Pasadena, rhinoplasty, and eyelid surgery. Danny, a recent patient of Dr. Wang, had much to say about his Pasadena eyelid surgery experience.

As a 46-year-old electrical engineer living and working in Los Angeles, Danny heard the same old question one too many times. Throughout the day, his coworkers would ask if he had been up late or if he needed a cup of coffee. It wasn't that Danny had low energy or really was sleep-deprived-instead, his drooping eyelids and the large bags under his eyes made him look exhausted and old.

Better Living through Cosmetic Surgery

Danny didn't want to look 20 again, but he did want to look his age and fit in with his peers, so he started doing the research on eyelid surgery near Pasadena. While searching the Internet for a highly-qualified local plastic surgeon, Danny came across Wang Plastic Surgery, with offices near Pasadena and the Inland Empire. He was impressed by Dr. Wang's background, education, and professional approach.

"He's a straight shooter," says Danny. "when I went in for my eyelid surgery, I also asked him about laser resurfacing for some old acne scars I had, and he was very upfront that from the available treatments, he hadn't yet found one that gave his patients 100% satisfaction. He only performs procedures that get results, and that inspires a lot of confidence."

No one would confuse me with a Barbie doll.

Like many men considering plastic surgery in the Pasadena area, Danny was looking for genuine cosmetic correction, not the latest beauty fad. "No one would confuse me with a Barbie doll. I'm not the kind of guy who primps and all that. But for those guys out there who have a cosmetic problem that's making them look 5 or 10 years older than they are, plastic surgery is a great choice."

And cosmetic surgery is more accepted than ever before. "I had an 80-year-old customer, a guy who's known me a long time, come in the other day and he was amazed by how much better I looked after my procedure. He wanted my results for himself. I recommended he go see Dr. Wang, and he was ready to sign up for surgery before his wife stopped him. She didn't want him looking better than she did!"

Danny's Alhambra, CA Plastic Surgery.

Though he knew eyelid surgery is a relatively simple procedure, Danny was impressed by how smooth everything went. He signed on for both upper and lower eyelid surgery. "I'm not the type who's intimidated by surgery. I've had several orthopedic surgeries before, so having a few incisions around the eye is really no big deal."

"I had the procedure done on a Thursday, at a surgical center 4 blocks from Dr. Wang's Alhambra, CA plastic surgery office. I was off Thursday and Friday, and by Saturday I had only mild discomfort. I rotated out ice bags for the first couple of days to minimize swelling and bruising. The biggest annoyance was not being able to focus well because of the stitches and swelling."

He only performs procedures that get results, and that inspires
a lot of confidence.

The stitches dissolved on the bottom eyelid, and Dr. Wang removed the ones on the upper eyelid a week after the surgery. The next week Danny worked from home. His follow up visits were just as pleasant as his consultation. "Everyone I met on the staff, they're all sweethearts, and Dr. Wang is a seasoned professional."

And Los Angeles BOTOX® Cosmetic Treatment

While his drooping and sagging eye skin was Danny's biggest concern, both Dr. Wang and Danny's wife noticed small lines on the sides of his eyes. Los Angeles BOTOX® Cosmetic injections are ideal to treat these types of wrinkles, often called "crow's feet." Danny also had developed a wrinkle across the bridge of his nose. "I was hesitant about treating that one," he says. "I make my living being a very serious, aggressive guy, and I guess that makes me scowl a lot. I didn't want a really thick line in between my brows, but I didn't want to lose my edge either." In the end, he did choose to soften the area with BOTOX Cosmetic.

"I have total confidence in Dr. Wang," adds Danny. "Now I look like guys my age should. I feel better when I see myself in the mirror, and my wife says I look at least 5 years younger. If I was going to get anything else done, I wouldn't shop around-I'd go straight to Dr. Wang."

Cathy is at a comfortable stage in life at 47 years old. Having successfully raised her 2 children into young adulthood, she enjoys the time outside of her career in construction sales staying fit and exercising. Cathy works out at the gym 6 days a week, taking on everything from spinning classes to weight training; on the 7th day she heads outdoors for her weekly hike. Fitness consumes the majority of her spare time, and Cathy wouldn't have it any other way.

When she developed capsular contracture from a breast augmentation procedure performed by another surgeon, Cathy decided to look for a different doctor to revise her results. She was also unhappy with the outcome of a liposuction procedure she had had on her abdomen.

Saved by the Web

Cathy decided to use the Web to find a skilled, experienced, and personable plastic surgeon. After looking at sites for several Pasadena and Riverside, California plastic surgeons, she was impressed with Dr. Wang's Web site, finding it interesting, inspiring, and informative. When she visited the practice for a consultation, she was impressed further still. "He was meticulous," Cathy said when asked to describe Dr. Wang. "He explains everything thoroughly and doesn't pressure you to get a lot of things done." Dr. Wang told her he had performed many corrective cosmetic procedures and was confident he could help her.

Dr. Wang explains everything thoroughly and doesn't pressure you to get a lot of things done.

Correction Connection

Soon after her consultation, Dr. Wang did an excellent job correcting Cathy's breast and liposuction concerns. The timing of her appointment was right as Cathy was one of the first patients to be offered an exciting new liposuction technology called AccuSculpt™ for laser liposuction in Pasadena. This modern advancement uses laser energy to melt the unwanted fat before it is vacuumed away, resulting in easier removal and minimal impact to surrounding tissue. Dr. Wang felt that this technique could give her more precise results than the other techniques he offers, including ultrasound-assisted liposuction (UAL), and power-assisted liposuction (PAL).

Easy Procedure, Easy Recovery

"The procedure was so easy," Cathy recalls. "He performed it in the office, while I was awake." With only local anesthesia she didn't feel any pain and the surgery went smoothly. Cathy's recovery was easy as well – partially because she had a relatively small area treated, and partially because laser liposuction was so gentle. This technique has less impact to the surrounding tissues than traditional liposuction because the laser liquefies the unwanted fat cells before removal.

After her procedure Cathy was amazed that she had no swelling or bruising, and was hardly sore, which was quite a contrast to her initial liposuction experience with the previous doctor. For the first week she wore a compression garment and held off on her exercise routine, but after that she was back to the gym and back to her busy life looking better than ever.

The procedure was so easy... I wish I had found Dr. Wang from the start.

Instant Gratification

Right away, Cathy was thrilled with her results. Her abdomen finally looked completely smooth and toned – a true reflection of her dedication to exercise. "I was so disappointed from my first liposuction that I didn't think it was possible to have it look this good. I wish I had found Dr. Wang from the start," she explains.

In addition to her surgical procedures, Cathy has returned to Dr. Wang's office for non-surgical facial rejuvenation treatments that help keep her looking healthy and youthful, including BOTOX® Cosmetic and Restylane® treatments for facial wrinkles. Like many of his patients, she truly appreciates Dr. Wang's patient-centered approach to enhancement and plans to be a lifelong patient.