Body Contouring Testimonials From Dr. Pousti's San Diego Cosmetic Surgery Patients

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Abdominoplasty (Tummy tuck)/Arm lift/Thigh lift

Dear Dr. Pousti,
I just want to thank you for the wonderful change in life you have made! Each of my surgeries has turned out to be better than I could have ever imagined. After losing approximately 65 lbs and having six children I needed help! Since I live in the Hemet (Riverside County) area, I was searching for a plastic surgeon in Southern California who could make me happy. My skin is so thin and the sagging was so disappointing after all of the exercise and dieting. Two years ago I had a tummy tuck by another doctor in the Murrieta area. I was pleased (As I did not know what to expect). I wanted to continue on my journey and a co-worker highly recommended you. A little over a year ago I went to you and another Doctor (located La Jolla) for a consultation. The day after my consultation in La Jolla, the doctor’s office was already calling to offer me a discount. I received calls from his office form almost year (even after my surgery) offering discounts. It made me feel like they were a little too desperate for my business! You have such a good attitude and make your patients feel so special! My husband and I appreciate how thorough you were explaining the procedure (belt lipectomy) and what to expect. I was also impressed that you wanted to meet with me several times before agreeing to perform my surgery to make sure that I was a good candidate, was fully aware of what to expect with this type of surgery, and that I was comfortable with you. After getting to know you and your staff I had no hesitation in having you perform this procedure. Until I saw some of your patients, I had no idea what a difference there was in the way your tummy tuck procedures looked and the way mine looked! My scar was so wide and thick and your patients had beautiful thin scars. When you preformed my surgery you also revised my scar. I was so pleased with the outcome that I knew I would have you complete my transformation. My second surgery was one year later for a medial and lateral thigh lift. I had so much extra skin that I was embarrassed to wear shorts or a bathing suit! You again were very honest and explained all the details of the procedure and recovery. You recommended that I stay at a recovery center for several days after the surgery as we live out of town. I am so glad that I stayed at the Hideaway as I needed to stay put and they made that easy. My husband and I were very impressed with Julie, Christy and their staff and how gentle and compassionate they were. They are a great complement to the whole experience. Again I was so pleased and the results were so much more than I expected. My legs look great! My last surgery was an arm lift and again the results were beyond what I had dreamed. The outcome is so impressive and you are always there for my husband and I. You are always more than happy to answer our endless questions and explain everything. I can’t express how grateful I am to you. You are such an artist and make such a difference in your patients' lives. In fact my husband and I were so pleased that I encouraged my daughter to consult with you for her breast augmentation and tummy tuck. She was so impressed with you, your staff and the patients she spoke with that she had you perform her procedures and she couldn’t be happier. She looks fantastic! You and your staff are so caring, professional and welcoming. You definitely have the best staff! You always take time and never make me feel rushed. You are with your patients all the way treating them with dignity and respect. You don’t do the surgery and then only see the patient once or twice and that’s it - you’re there for the complete recovery and beyond.
You and your staff are a rarity in this day and age of everyone being in a hurry. I truly feel you are one of the most gifted surgeons and I am so thankful for everything you have done for me. I highly recommend you to anyone contemplating cosmetic or reconstructive surgery and I would be more than happy to share my experiences. My results are amazing!
Sincerely,
G.H.
Hemet, California

Abdominoplasty (Tummy tuck)/Breast Lift/Breast Augmentation:

I want to start out by saying, “If you are pondering between what doctor you want to perform your surgery, look no further”. You have found him. Dr. Pousti is unbelievable. I can say this because I did my homework and ‘shopped’ around (5 doctors) and my heart led me straight back to my first consultation doctor, Dr. Pousti. I knew it all along, but, I wanted to dot my i’s and cross my t’s.

I had a Mastopexy/Breast Augmentation, Tummy Tuck and Liposuction of my medial and lateral thighs.

I am a busy mother of four very young children (6 & under) and am a full time Physical Education/Aerobic teacher. I workout 3 to sometimes 5 hours a day and nothing was going to bring on larger, firmer breasts (the sagginess was due to nursing all four children in 5 years) or take away the loose skin and the protrusion of my stomach from the laxity of the muscles in my abdominal region. And for the thighs, well, there was just a small amount there that my exercise was not taking care of.

I struggled with it all after having my last child, which just happens to be my only girl. I took a huge leap and decided to discuss the procedures with my husband. It’s not like he did not know I was interested, as I watched Dr. 90210 all the time and hinted about what I would like to have done. Of course he thought I looked great the way I was, but when it came to discussing the matter, money really was more of the topic.

Most average working Americans don’t have thousands lying around (at least not those with four children I presume), but my husband knew I had worked so hard baby after baby and from the mouth of Dr. Pousti, “No matter how hard she works out, she will not get rid of the tummy problems”. That convinced him, as he has a tremendous regard for Dr. Pousti. On that note, I took my husband to most consultations with me and bar none, he was most comfortable with Dr. Pousti.

I have read a lot of testimonials and I agree with all of them. “You are not just another person with Dr. Pousti and his staff”. When it is your time, you are his priority and post-op visits are no different. You are greeted with respect and dignity the minute you walk through his doors and that is QUALITY business if you ask me.

My surgery was quite lengthy (~6-7 hours) and I put all my faith and trust in Dr. Pousti. I can say that I was honestly NOT nervous, because number one it was him performing the surgery, and (no disrespect intended here Dr. Pousti) I knew I was going to be able to actually rest with a wonderful excuse and not have to be the one waiting on other people (you moms know what I am talking about).

I remember the day of my surgery as if it were yesterday. Dr. Pousti arrived and I was exhausted from getting things done the night before. With his calm and delicate demeanor, he wanted to assure his markings from the previous night and make sure they were “right on” and he said to me, “We’re on our way to a homerun” (I could relate as I love sports). I lay back down and his assistant, Michelle, came to walk me to the operation room (by the way, the whole Alvarado team is absolutely FABULOUS too). I walked in the surgery room and Dr. Pousti was all ready and focused with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He and his staff guided me to lie down on the table and I remember music playing, that of Elton John. It was a real soothing effect (I thought this only happened in the movies). As Dr. Pousti held my hand, the anesthesiologist said, “Here comes your cocktail” and I believe I said, “Make it a double apple martini”, or else I really wanted one at that moment in time. The last words I said to Dr. Pousti is, “You look double” and I was out for the count!

Following, I awoke to a wonderful kind and loving lady named Julie. She is the owner of a Recovery Retreat home called The Hide Away in La Mesa, California. She assured me everything went very well and I knew she was the one to transport me to her center (my aunt and husband also were there). I don’t remember much except waking up in a beautiful serene room lit with scented candles, beautiful décor and a nurse that was so sweet and there for my every need. Staying at The Hide Away was of course wonderful for me, but it truly took the pressure off my family for the first and most difficult 24 hour recuperation period (brochures are available at Dr. Pousti’s office). I went home a little over 24 hours later, but if money had not been an issue, I would have stayed at least three more days.

I am only 3 weeks out of surgery and love what I see and results are just going to get better as the swelling continues to diminish. My kids ask me, “Can you play with your tummy anymore” (I used to take the extra skin and pull on it and make light of it), but I tell them, I can’t do that anymore. I look forward to wearing my clothes the way they should fit, wearing a bathing suit and most of all just feeling more like a ‘real’ woman again.

Lastly, I always received comments like, “You don’t need it, you look wonderful just the way you are”, and “You should be proud of the way you look for having 4 children”. To these comments, I say, I am proud of who I am and what I look like, but no one understands until they are in your shoes, looking at a body, naked, and feel the emotions you do about what you look like. The point is, do it for you! Yes your husband or significant other will reap some benefits, but you have to do it for you and your self-esteem, at least that is why I did.

So as I started, I will also finish by saying, bar none, Dr. Pousti and his staff is the best around. He didn’t care about anything else but meeting my expectations and making my husband and me feel the utmost comfortable through and through.

You are with the best and as my husband would put it, “If it’s not the best, my wife won’t go for it”. And that I did.

Dr. Pousti-Thank you from my heart and soul for all you are!

A very happy patient,
M.O
La Mesa, Ca

Abdominoplasty (Tummy tuck)/Thigh lift:

My father's family was plagued by the "obesity gene". He was one of eleven children, half of whom were always seriously obese. Dad was a twin and he and his brother rarely weighed less than three hundred pounds each.

I had life-saving surgery on my eleventh birthday, at which time I weighed eighty pounds. By age twelve it was one hundred sixth pounds, and it never stopped. There have been three times in my life that I have weighed less than two hundred pounds.

I have experienced every diet on the market over the years, and every one of them worked for me - I always lost weight. The last one was a hospital-conducted program of liquid protein on which I lost over one hundred pounds (I made it to one hundred ninety eight pounds - the last time under two hundred!).

I was very committed to making that one work and having programmed in a forty pound weight regain I moved into life as a svelte man of great energy and agility. I radically altered what, when and how I ate and never returned to my former eating habits. It was a serious shock when two years later I had regained the one hundred pounds surrendered to the weight loss program, along with an additional one hundred pounds!

I was at four hundred forty pounds when I learned about bariatric surgery - permanent stomach reduction. My sister (a skeptical and obese nurse) had researched the procedure and recommended it to me - having secretly undergone the surgery some months earlier.

I entered the process of preparation for the surgery (as did my son at six hundred seventy pounds, and my daughter at four hundred pounds). Each of us have had successful surgery and all of us have had the resultant effects to our bodies - loose, floppy skin (on abdomen and thigh particularly) - several pounds worth of very much unneeded skin!

Enter Dr Tom Pousti. I was introduced to Dr Pousti by the lady my son was to marry (herself a recovered bariatric patient and nurse who had worked with him and other surgeons in bariatric recovery). I made an initial appointment to see what was required for the repair of my post-op body.

Dr Pousti and his staff proved to be unusually qualified, extremely helpful, very friendly, and non-judgmental in their demeanor toward me and my self-perceived "ugliness" of flesh. None of them pressured me to have the surgery - they simply explained the process and answered my many questions.

Well, the good doctor removed some thirty pounds of hanging skin from my abdominal area on one early morning, and the next day I was home in recovery which was quite uneventful. What a shock! I had to buy clothes that fit! Six months later Dr Pousti removed some six pounds of skin from my thighs, the recovery from which was also uneventful. I have now completed the entire procedure right up to having the "after" pictures taken for the files (you may have seen them).

I miss visiting the good doctor and his staff on a regular basis, but I will never forget what they have meant to me and to my family over these several months. They will be my friends forever and I will not hesitate to recommend them for anything Dr Pousti and his folk might recommend.

Godspeed!
The Reverend C.H.
Carlsbad, California

Abdominoplasty (Tummy tuck)/Breast Lift/Breast Augmentation:

WOW! I don’t even know where to start.
So, after having kids and yo-yo dieting for the last eight years my body had been put though the ringer, so to speak. I wanted to have my pre-baby body back. Say that three times, fast! The only way for me to achieve this was with a tummy tuck, breast lift, and small implants. Exercise and diet was not helping, well maybe a little but stretched skin does not go away. My husband and I have been talking about me getting these procedures done for a couple of years. I just wanted to look as beautiful and sexy as he made me feel. So, I finally started researching doctors. I did a lot of searching online. Some of the referrals I got from friends, and some I found myself, one of which was Dr. Pousti. We went on many consultations, prior to meeting Dr. Pousti, they made me so nervous I was so worried that they would tell me I still needed to lose weight and I was already so self conscious that the last thing I needed to hear was that I should lose more weight.
He was my FINAL consultation. He is so genuine and he made me feel so comfortable, well, as comfortable as I could be with all my rolls hanging out. You know what I am talking about, the extra rolls of you stomach, that hit your thighs when you sit down to go to the bathroom, yeah those rolls! Skin touching skin on your own body, not pleasant! I was not nervous at all, when you go to his office for a consult you get to see other post-op patients and their new look, so you feel more at ease.
He answered all my questions with even more detail than other doctors had.
All the girls in the office are awesome and so welcoming, I knew when I left that this was the doctor that was going to make me look as sexy as I felt!
Dr. Pousti had one of the office girls call a patient that had just had the same exact surgery that I wanted. I was able to talk with her on the phone, which was also very helpful in making my decision. I followed her though her recovery and that was it for me, she looked absolutely amazing, and I thought, that is going to be me.
Of course, with any surgery, you have concerns, yeah this was going to be a little stressful on my body. Childbirth was no walk in the park. I was so ready to replace the excess skin with scars. It was a trade I was willing to make.
I went to the office the night before my surgery to be all marked up and ready for the BIG DAY! That’s fun, NOT! Having all your sagginess lifted and measured to be drawn on, very cute! It was all good, though, at this time the next day it would ALL be gone and I would be on the road to recovery. I was excited, not nervous, yet! I had been so excited leading up to my surgery that I thought I would not get scared, but the morning of my surgery a little nervousness set in, okay, a lot.
Dr. Pousti came in as calm and collected as always, checked all my markings,
assured me he would take good care of me. And, that he did! I laid down on the table and Michelle, his assistant, put some music of my choice on, Dr. Pousti was holding my hand and making sure that as I feel asleep I was in a happy place! Because at this point I could have run out of the surgical room and I think he could see that in my face. He told me to think happy thoughts and the next thing I knew I was in the recovery area and Julie from the Hideaway was there to pick me up. I strongly recommend if you can, stay 1-2 nights at her place it is the best choice I made, they cater completely to you. They showed my husband and me how to take care of everything so when we got home we would know what to do.
That evening at the Hideaway, Dr. Pousti came by to see how I was doing. I thought that was nice.
My recovery went well. I was honestly not in excruciating pain, the first few days were a little rough but I would do it all again in a minute. I think I expected the worst pain and when it was not what I thought, I was good to go. Yeah, it was uncomfortable at times but completely manageable.
I am now about 3 months post-op and feeling great! Loving my new body and my husband is pretty happy, too! If you’re still looking for a doctor, STOP, look no more, you will not find a better doctor out there, trust me, I looked.
Good luck and enjoy your “BODY BY POUSTI” I know I am.
S.C.
~Murrieta, California

I am a 24 year old women who recently had liposuction done to my abdomen, flanks and back area, and I can not begin to tell you how EXTREMELY happy I am with my results. During my high school years I really wasn't to concerned about my weight, I figured I could lose a couple inches in my waist but I didn't stress to much about it. It wasn't until I joined the Marine Corps in 1999 that I began to really look at myself and realize that I wasn't too happy with the way my body looked. I had nice legs, arms and even chest but my waist....well I just didn't have one! When I put my uniform on I always felt "Fat". I felt that I didn't portray that Female Marine image. You know that slim, fit, small waist image? For years I would work out and try to watch what I ate, but I could never get the waist I wanted. As Marines we are responsible for maintaining a certain weight and body fat and I always met that criteria but I still felt overweight. I even went on the Atkins diet (which was a great diet) and exercised more then ever, but still no waist! Finally after talking with my mother and boyfriend, of 2 years, I decided to look into liposuction. I wasn't too fond of the idea since I never had any type of surgery done to me, let alone be put to sleep for surgery and the thought of "Surgery" scared me. Yet I did my homework and found that this might just be my answer.
After about a month of research I narrowed my decision down to two doctors. Dr. Pousti and...well...we will call him "The other doctor's office". They both checked out great and met all of "MY" requirements. I figured I would go and visit both of them and make my decision then. I first visited with "The other doctor's office" and found it to be a very nice environment. To my surprise though the staff didn't seem too friendly. I almost felt like they were rushing me along with everything. The doctor did see me but he too made me feel like he was rushing me along. I felt so uncomfortable that I didn't even get to ask all the questions I wanted to ask. After my visit the only thing I was really happy with was how much the procedure was going to cost me. A few days later I visited with Dr. Pousti's office and from the moment I walked in I felt welcomed. It almost felt like I had known the staff for years. They made sure I was comfortable and encouraged me ask any questions I may have had. Even though there were other patients in the office that day I almost felt like I was the only one there. They really made me feel important. When I met with Dr. Pousti he took his time to really focus on my problem area and answer any questions I had. Towards the end of my visit the staff had informed me of what my procedures would cost me and I must admit at first I wasn't sure, since "The other doctor's office" was a bit less in price. That night I went home and talked it over with my mother and boyfriend and we all came to the same conclusion. I (we) would rather pay the extra few dollars to a doctor and staff who really care, take the time to answer my questions and make me feel comfortable, then to deal with a doctor and staff who seem to rush me along and not really care why I'm there.
The very next day I was back in Dr. Pousti's office booking my surgery appointment. Every time I came by his office the staff would great me with smiles and some of them already knew who I was! They all made sure all my questions were answered and I that I always felt comfortable. The day of my surgery as I laid on the bed, going into my nice deep sleep before my procedure began, Dr. Pousti held my hand and said, " Don't you worry we will take care of you, just dream of being on the beach in the Bahamas!" and with that I knew I made the right decision in not only doing this operation but with choosing Dr. Pousti as my doctor. It has been 6 months since my surgery and I can't not even put into words the happiness my surgery has brought me. I am now look in the mirror with confidence and smiling too! I wear my Marine Corps uniform with more pride then ever. Let me tell you taking all my uniforms in to be tailored because they were all to big... HA! That was the biggest smile ever! The best part of it all is that everyone can tell the differences!
On a final note I would say to anyone doing any type of surgery that they need to not only look at the price of the surgery but the environment as well. Remember you want to feel secure, welcome, comfortable and happy with not only the doctor but the staff too. They should all make you feel like your important, cause in reality...you are! Dr. Pousti's office made me feel all of these feels and that is the biggest reason I chose him over all the other doctors in the San Diego area.
Thank you so much to Dr Pousti and his staff for not only making me look better in my every day clothes but in my uniform as well. I am now not only a better person but a better Marine too!!!! You have all made me a much happier person. I can't wait for summer to come to show off my new body! I have already recommended your office to friends and even family members and will continue to do so even when I leave the San Diego area. Thank you again and you will all be in my thoughts and prayers now and forever!
~Sargent, N.O.

Abdominoplasty (Tummy tuck)/Thigh lift/Belt lipectomy:

My name is Sylvia and my whole life I had been overweight. At my heaviest I weighed 300 pounds and I decided to have gastric bypass surgery. About one year after the surgery, I lost almost half of my weight at only 37 years old. I had excess skin to remove (a lot of it). I started looking for a plastic surgeon to help me --that's when I found Dr. Pousti. I had my first consultation with Dr. Pousti on 11/24/03. He gave me information on a tummy tuck and made me feel comfortable and at ease with my decision. That was my first surgery with Dr. Pousti. About one year later, I returned for a belt lipectomy and lateral thigh lifts. I felt very comfortable with my second surgery and I knew I was in good hands. The morning of my surgery, I was very nervous at the surgery center but the staff was kind to me and made me feel safe. I am very pleased with the work that Dr. Pousti has done. He and his staff are great! I would recommend Dr. Pousti to anyone planning on having cosmetic surgery. I plan on returning for more cosmetic surgery with Dr. Pousti.
Thank you!

S.F.
La Mesa, California

Abdominoplasty (Tummy tuck)/Arm lift/Thigh lift/Breast Lift/Breast Augmentation:

Life's Changes

It's an interesting and new feeling being one of the luckiest and happiest people I know. With all of the changes I've gone through during the last couple of years this is just something I'll have to get used to. Fortunately for me, Dr. Pousti has been a huge part of making this possible.

In October of 2000, I underwent a gastric bypass surgery with Dr. George Zorn at the Pacific Bariatric Surgery Medical Center in San Diego California. I'm happy to say I've lost over 180 pounds and have experienced great improvement in my health and general happiness. Unfortunately, not all the damage to my body could be solved by weight loss alone. I was left with huge amounts of excess skin which I needed and wanted to have removed. After talking with Dr. Zorn, and expressing my concern, he suggested I meet with Dr. Tom Pousti, a very talented reconstructive surgeon in the area who was experienced in dealing with cases such as my own. He also introduced me to one of Dr. Pousti's patients who'd recently undergone one of the surgeries I needed. Not only was she full of information, she took the time to show me the work Dr. Pousti had done for her. I was very impressed to say the least.

My consultation with Dr. Pousti was amazing. His office and office staff was warm and welcoming and friendly. The time he had scheduled for me was exactly that, mine. There was no rushing through questions or answers, unlike countless consultations I'd experienced with other surgeons. It actually took me a while to realize he was in no hurry, he was there, for me, and in no rush to have me leave. I felt very comfortable, very important and quite unique. Not only did Dr. Pousti answer all of the questions I had about what would be happening with me, but he happily answered questions I had about him and informed me of things I'd never thought about. He went through photos of procedures he had performed offering suggestions and insight. He didn't offer any miracles; he was honest and realistic in what we would be able to accomplish. I appreciated this because I needed to trust and feel comfortable with someone who would be taking my life in his hands. I have to admit, as I was leaving Dr. Pousti's office, I had a feeling this was the person who would be helping me to change my life.

Living out of the area, Dr. Pousti made a point of letting me know I could contact him with any questions or concerns, either by phone or e-mail and I could see him as often as necessary. After doing extensive research on reconstructive surgeons, and the surgeries themselves, on line as well as in person, I'd made my choice.

I've since undergone four procedures with Dr. Pousti, so far, a bilateral arm lift, bilateral thigh lift, breast lift with augmentation and a panniculectomy, all at the Grossmont Plaza Surgery Center. That has also has been a wonderful experience, full of kind, caring and professional people. His choice of colleagues has been a pleasure and gift.

I'm still a work in progress and am looking forward to my next surgery, and I can think of no other surgeon with whom I would feel comfortable, or trust with this body of mine. My incisions have healed and are healing beautifully and look better one month out of surgery than many photos I've seen of patients of other surgeons several months out. I honestly believe it will be difficult to see signs of scaring as the months pass. Friends and family are truly amazed at my progress and during my checkups to his office, I've been proud to show prospective patients of Dr. Pousti the work he has performed.

Throughout my entire experience with Dr. Pousti, I feel that his number one concern has been for my health, happiness and satisfaction. I feel as though we've been more of a team than just a surgeon and his patient. Not only has he been a most excellent surgeon and a kind and honorable man, but he has been a wonderfully amazing artist, changing the life of a very grateful, beautiful me.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Dr. Pousti, from the bottom of my heart!

M.K.
Reno, Nevada

More testimonials available upon request.

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