I went on 11 breast implant exchange consultations within a 6 month period looking for a doctor in my immediate New York/New Jersey home area to perform an implant exchange. My breast implants were seven years old and had bottomed out – I was just no longer happy with how they were positioned and wanted to also go bigger. I was discouraged by the consultations – either I was not comfortable with the doctor – or the doctor was discouraging and made a big to-do about “sewing pockets” to reposition the breast implants – or the cost was just prohibitive. I had paid just over $5,000 the first breast augmentation and I just wasn’t willing to pay double that just to get the breast mounds looking back to how they were supposed to be. I had just about given up on the idea of having the breast implant exchange surgery when my boyfriend really stepped up and really started doing research on the Internet. We researched for about two months constantly – investigating different informational sites, doctors and the work they had performed. We sent out emails for info and went back and forth with many offices, collecting info and trying to form impressions / expectations. Through one statistical site, we found that prices were dramatically different in areas other states such as Virginia, Maryland and Washington,DC, compared to the New York area – for the same procedure and what we saw as being the same if not better result, depending on the doctor. As it turns out, we saw in the pictures posted online – and found out later firsthand ourselves – the fact that someone is a plastic surgeon from a big city like New York City means nothing about their talent or the quality of their work.

Luckily we found Dr. Michael J. Brown in northern Virginia near Washington, DC – an easy four area drive from us. Location, cost, board certification and good results / pictures were our top priorities and he met all of them. He and his staff were extremely accommodating and professional. We were able to get all of the information we requested by either email or phone. All questions were answered and concerns addressed / discussed as many times as it took to make things clear or make us comfortable with our understanding. One of the things we most appreciated was that every person we spoke with, including Dr. Brown, really took their time with us – none of our conversations or visits were rushed. The procedure / risks were explained in detail and everyone really cared about ensuring we got what we needed.

Once we made the decision to proceed, it was all downhill. We came in for the consultation (one visit), had one pre-op, the actual procedure and one follow-up. Prior to the procedure, I sent the payment by mail. Within a week I was feeling and looking better than ever.

Some things I would like to note –

First, I went into Dr. Brown’s office with no information on my current breast implants. I had that first breast augmentation procedure done in New York. It had never been explained to me 7 years back by that doctor how many cc’s I had in me, what brand/ model implant, etc. I was young, had not done any research. I had no idea my doctor had not been even board certified. When I went back to have my breast implants fixed – I found out he was no longer in practice and nowhere to be found due to malpractice suits -so I had to go somewhere else – and I had no medical records or info. In New York, the cutoff is 6 years to get your records from the hospital itself. So I was out of luck. The point being is that it was a challenge on Dr. Brown’s part to achieve the look I wanted – not knowing anything about what he would find during the procedure – or how much was me or the current implant – and what size breast implants he should use. I am 5’2 approximately 95-100 pounds, depending on the day. I went from 34C (Mentor) with my previous breast implants in to a 34DD (MgGhan moderate profile) saline. I believe I received 630cc on one side and 660 on the other, since I was naturally a little bigger on one side. The results were amazing – exactly the look we had discussed with him and shown in pictures – and well beyond our expectation. Actually I had bought a bra ahead of time that I wanted to fill afterwards – and without even dealing with bra sizes per say and just taking the time to understand the look I wanted – he nailed it on the head. That bra is a perfect fit and the style he chose really suits my body.

Secondly, I was home in New York recovering and within a day or so – I developed a small tape blister where the surgical tape had been placed over the scar. Before the panic could set in from not knowing what that was – we took a picture and emailed it over to Dr. Brown. He was able to identify it and alleviate our fears immediately. It was no big deal and went away within a day. Fast, easy communication by email.

Thirdly, whereas every single other plastic surgeon had talked about the fact that we “had” to go in through the previous scar below the nipple, Dr. Brown gave us a choice – that or to go underneath the breast. I had never even wanted to consider that approach because I did not want a second scar and had seen a lot of underneath “chop job” pictures on the Internet. But as I thought about it, I was also worried about ruining the nipple area with another breast incision in the same place since I already had a little pucker there from my first breast augmentation procedure. Finally, we made the decision together and went with alternative suggestion of the second ‘scar’ underneath. Only the second scar was barely anything at all. It was a very tiny thin line in one direction – no criss-cross stitches or any type of sewing that you could see. It was a great surprise and great decision to go that route instead.

Fourthly, for anyone considering coming from New York- we stayed overnight in Baltimore, Maryland near Inner Harbor when we went for our breast augmentation consultation. It is directly on the way to Dr. Brown’s office and a beautiful area to visit. (There is even a very affordable Holiday Inn Express there directly off of the highway). Baltimore, Maryland is 3 hours of the drive to Dr. Brown’s from our house in NY. There is a beautiful area by the water, shops, great restaurants and the baseball field. So we drove in the previous night, stayed there, cut our down our travel time for that day to the one hour and enjoyed visiting the area. Then we did the last hour to Dr. Brown’s the next day. Just a nice idea if you are into making a little more out of your trip. For the day of the procedure itself, we did stay overnight in Virginia near the hospital – also very affordable for anyone wondering. Check online travel sites to find the best hotel rates in that area – we booked about two weeks in advance.

Overall, my boyfriend and I could not be happier with our experience. Dr. Brown’s office was convenient to our home in New York – definitely worth the commute. The majority of the drive from the New York area is just a straight line, one road – easy and very scenic. The price was below 98% all other doctors we investigated in the New York area; but – all the other doctors fell short on at least one of our other priorities I mentioned above. He and his staff were a pleasure to deal with – friendly, responsive – and reacted quickly to calls and email. They worked with and addressed both my boyfriend and I as one client, which I really appreciated. They make things as easy and pleasurable as possible for you. They educate and inform with info, pros and cons – and let you maintain solid control of your body and decisions. They even dealt with the fact we had practically overeducated ourselves on the Internet – we over thought certain things – and knew enough to even drive ourselves crazy and be pests. All in all, we learned that the doctor knows best – in this case at least. Dr. Brown has a real eye for perfection and the work he did on me came out absolutely beautiful. I could not give him a high enough recommendation. Take it from someone who did a LOT of homework ahead of time and has been there.

J.S.