Lauren Greenberg MD » Uncategorized

Promotion special rebate money back on BOTOX- can save up to $200!

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:00:35 +0000

Botox ladies, I have some new promotions for you.

1. Get your first treatment now thru April 30. Get $50 off.

2. You will receive additional savings of $75 off the second treatment, which must be done 91-120 days after your first treatment.

3. Then you will get ANOTHER savings of $75 off your third treatment, which must be done 91-120 days after the second treatment.

So, total is $200 off for the year off your botox. You must do the treatments 3-4 months apart (so won’t work for those who do botox more than 4 months apart.)

This rebate is INSTANT (no mail in coupons. Hooray!).

**This will not be in addition to the normal special Botox Day on March 15. It is part of the special- so on March 15, you will get $50 off 24 units/ one area, and $100 off 48 units/ two areas.

**You CAN print out a brilliant distinction coupon for those of you who have been faithful botox, latisse, and juvederm patients. So log onto your brilliant distinction account and print out your coupon. You CAN combine the brilliant distinction coupon with the other offers!

In your 20s- What is the very important place you forget to take care of?

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:00:02 +0000

Ah, you young 20 year olds. You likely don’t think about your neck. It has lovely crisp lines, tight skin. Do you put sunscreen on your neck? Lotions and potions? Or is it the forgotten thing to drape necklaces on?

Start. Now. Protecting. Your. Neck.

The neck is the hardest area to fix when you get older. I can easily fix many things on your face which reveal your age- crows feet wrinkles, hollows under the eyes, lines on the face. But the neck? The neck is tough. See my blog on the neck here, but just a quick note to you 20 somethings- start now. If you start putting sunscreen, antioxidants, and Retin A products on your neck at age 20, it will help your skin as it ages. By the time you are 40, you will have been maintaining your neck skin for 20 years. When people come in and tell me “I don’t want a facelift- I just want my neck tightened,” it almost always requires a facelift. People spend thousands of dollars chasing noninvasive ways to “tighten” the neck skin. It is a tough tough area.

So don’t forget your neck.

Starting now.

In your 20s- should you do liposuction or other body contouring surgery?

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:00:01 +0000

As part of my in your 20s series, if you don’t like part of your body, should you change it now? Or wait to do things until later, like after kids? What is better to do? When?

So first, lets talk about common surgeries of the body (not breast).

Liposuction
Tummy tuck (Abdominoplasty), Mini tummy tuck, (Mini abdominoplasty)
Less common: arm lift, thigh lift, body lift

Which of these would I recommend to young women? My general bias is to wait to do any surgeries where you are cutting out skin and tightening the belly muscles (abdominoplasties) until you are done with having children. The reasons are multiple, but generally when you are pregnant you are going to stretch out your belly skin and muscle. If you have issues with loose skin or stretch marks already (prekids) let pregnancy take advantage of this. If you tighten prior to kids, you will likely form new stretch marks and loose skin. Doing a repeat tummy tuck can be more difficult.

I DO like you to do surgeries which rely on skin tone, as your skin tone only gets worse (sorry) as you age (I know. Tough to do that aging thing.) So liposuction is great to do when you are younger. If you have an area which never budges, even when you are superskinnyworkingout, this is your body shape. Those with love handles which are always there, or the inner thighs which rub together. These are issues which will persist throughout your life.

Of course I always recommend you have a good diet and exercise program. If you haven’t tried to lose the weight or tone up without surgery, please start there. Surgery has risks, scars, sensory changes, cost. It is not something to be done lightly.

Pregnancy may make your problem areas worse, as the non “baby weight” gain goes first to where you have pockets of fat. So those love handles which you have now may become LOVE HANDLES when you are pregnant. And then when you are done with your kids and want to address the problem area, you are now 10 years older and your skin tone is worse. What may have been easy to fix at age 25, may not be at age 35.

I have many blogs about liposuction dos and don’ts. Please read them here. But know I am a fan of lipo prior to kids. Where can you do liposuction? What areas?

chin and jawline
arms
abdomen
back / braline
love handles
inner thigh, outer thigh
knee

Other body contouring surgeries tend not to be needed by someone in their 20s, unless they underwent major weight loss. Surgeries like armlifts and thigh lifts I think are fine to do when you are younger, as those are not areas hit hard by pregnancy.

SO. To summarize:

liposuction in 20s- YES
Arm lift or thigh lift in 20s- YES, but usually only seen after major weight loss (100 pounds +)
Tummy tucks, mini tummy tucks- NO. Wait til done with kids.

In your 20s. Breast surgery? 5 things to consider.

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:00:16 +0000

You are 20. You don’t like your breasts. They may be uneven, a funny shape, too small, too big. The question is should you do something? And WHEN should you do it?

The question is a big one, especially as we are now seeing teenagers considering things like breast surgery. So I have some things for you to consider.

1. Are you done growing? When did you have onset of puberty? Has your height changed at all? Breasts and body are all about proportion. You need to make sure your body isn’t still changing.

2. Is your weight stable? Breasts can change with weight changes. The breast is made up of breast tissue and fat. The proportion of breast tissue to fat is different for every person. For some, their breast size will go up and down with their weight. For others, it won’t change at all. Regardless, you seek a certain breast cup size to create an overall proportion with your body. So make sure your weight is stable. Especially when you go through life stage changes- college, new job, etc, it is common for your weight to change. For example: you don’t want to put in implants which look proportionate to 150 pound body, which may look too large on a 135 pound body. Another example: You don’t want to do a reduction and lift, and then lose weight, so then the lift loosens up and droops.

3. Babies? Anytime soon? I know you are in your 20s, but pregnancy and babies change everything. If you are on the cusp on babydom, wait to do surgery.

4. Think about the future. Particularly for breast augmentation, consider future surgeries. Fat grafting could potentially increase your breast size, and no future surgeries are needed, but there are issues with fat grafting (I am a fan, but it is not perfect- read my blogs) . With implants, consider what size to do with the thought you will need to replace implants in the future and during pregnancies and breastfeeding your breasts will be bigger. My general advice is don’t max out when you are young- leave yourself room to upsize down the road to tighten things up as you age. With breast reduction, surgery can affect your ability to breastfeed.

5. Why are you doing this? Your body changes as you age. There are things though which will not change with time- breast asymmetry, a funny shaped breast, no breast tissue at all. These are usually good motivators. Are you doing this for you? your self esteem? Or someone else? If it is for a boyfriend, your implants will likely last longer than he will. If it is to get a boyfriend, wrong motivation. Plastic surgery is not for others. It really is for YOU. Take this as a time to be introspective. What are your expectations?

You can see my post on Quora as well: http://www.quora.com/What-should-I-consider-before-getting-a-boob-job

In your 20s. What 5 things you should do for your skin.

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:00:25 +0000

It is never too early to start making your skin healthy. I read an article by a famous dermatologist who was recommending antioxidants for 10 year olds. Not sure quite about that, but by the time you are in your 20s, you should be on an active regimen to 1. prevent further damage and 2. reverse what you already have. (yes! you already have damage. I did a UV damage test on myself when I was 24. My skin looked really smooth, no blemishes, small pores but oh my! did I have a lot of damage already. Yes. Age 24. And during my medical school and residency studies I never got to go outside. Imagine how much more sun damage you may have.)

So what 5 things to do?

1. SUNSCREEN. Not going to go on and on about this one. You know it is good. SPF 15 or 30. Daily. I don’t care if you aren’t outside a lot. If you live in the Bay Area, you get tons of sun. Sun is one of the most damaging, aging things you can do to your skin. It will make you look old and wrinkly. Block it.

2. DON”T SMOKE. I won’t go on and on about this one either. Smoking damages your skin. It has toxins, it reduces blood flow, it causes little lines around your mouth. The effect of it won’t show for years, but when it does it hits like a brick wall. You can never fully reverse the damage smoking does. So don’t do it. It will make you look old and wrinkly.

3. EXFOLIATE. Cleaning your skin well is a must. It will keep your skin healthier, remove all those bad things in the environment, reduce your pore size, and help your products work better by penetrating more. You can use a chemical exfoliant (like my lovely glycolic acid pads!) or a mechanical one (like the clarisonic).

4. ANTIOXIDANTS. These are products which help repair the damage to your skin. Think of them as little doctors running around your skin fixing the injured cells. Don’t buy over the counter products. They are not the same strength and tend to cost as much. Buy from a MD.

5. VITAMIN A products, like Retin A and retinol. This is still the gold standard for reversing damage in the skin. I have tons of information on the subject. If you don’t tolerate full strength Retin A, retinol is a good alternative. Don’t do over the counter products- they don’t have the same strength medical grade products do. Also, if you are within six months of trying to have a baby, you need to stop these products. They are NOT safe during pregnancy and breast feeding.

tummy tucks and the week after. temporary buyers remorse?

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:10:50 +0000

Tummy tucks hurt. A lot. AND tummy tucks have a big scar.

So it is tough. I was reminded of this today when I saw a patient who had liposuction and a tummy tuck a month ago. She looks fantastic and is back to normal life, but still doesn’t feel quite back to her old self. She gave me a beautiful card and present (thank you!!! So so lovely of you!). What she said I think is particularly poignant and insightful:

“Dear Dr. Greenberg,

Thank you for everything. It’s been a tough month, but well worth it. Thank you for your care and support. It has been awesome.”

On the same day I got a card from another tummy tuck patient who is 3 months out. Her card read,

“I wanted to show and say my appreciation for your services. I feel like a million bucks and like that I can do just about anything. Thank you for being such a great doctor. And thank you for helping me look better than I did 10 years ago!.”

I warn all patients regardless of how fantastic they may look in the future to expect buyers remorse the first week after abdominoplasty. Why? Even if they look great and their friends and family can see a significant change, it is a big surgery and a tough recovery for the first few days in particular. You are bent over, you have drains, you are wearing a garment, your skin is likely numb, and it hurts. It is common for you to not “feel” like you look better. It is common for you to feel weird, puffy, pudgy.

So what to do?

know it is normal to have mixed feelings the first week after surgery. It is a tough recovery, big surgery, and unlike some other big surgeries, it is elective- you chose to do it.
know it is going to hurt. To help with this, I use the pain pump which I implant during surgery, which drips numbing medication along your muscles to minimize the pain. Also pain pills and muscle relaxants help.
know you won’t feel “normal” until at least 4-6 weeks out. At 3 months you will feel even better.
look at your preop photos. It is easy to forget what you looked like which drove you to seek help. Our minds are gentle, and I think the mind freeze frames us at age 29, pre kids and other life tolls. So look at the preop photos to remind yourself.

Talk to your doctor. If there are things which are bothering you, let them know. Anxiety of what is normal or not, what is going to stay versus what is normal post op stuff is all important to address.

After plastic surgery, when do you call the doctor? What 5 things should you worry about?

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:00:25 +0000

When you are a patient, surgery is tough. Scary. New. Nothing feels normal or “right.” How do you know when something in your healing is the “normal” amount of pain, swelling, and ick versus something bad?

This is a tough question. “Normal” healing after surgery varies a lot. Some people have a little swelling and almost no pain, while others have a lot. Both are normal, so how do you know?

I talk to and see my patients a lot. I do this because after being a surgeon now for almost 18 years, I have seen a lot. The best tool I have for making sure there is nothing to worry about is to see you. When I see my patients for follow ups, they likely think I am just chit chatting. But I am noticing everything. How do you move? Your pain level? Are you swollen? Bruised? How much? How do your incisions look? Do you have a drain? If so, what color and how much is coming out? I look at your skin. Is there any redness? Discharge? and overall, how are you?

I read a book recently by Atul Gawande called “Complications” (It was assigned for my book club–it was a fascinating read and threw me back into residency while I read it.) One vignette which struck me in his book was a story about when he saw a patient and everything seemed not so bad with her, but something tickled his mind. This tickle made him keep coming back to a different, unusual, but bad diagnosis. It was a story of a woman with a skin infection in the ER. He knew she didn’t have a fever….she didn’t look so sick…. her story wasn’t so bad….. she was young, BUT something tickled his mind–something seemed off, worse, different. And it was. His little tickle caused him to push further, and it saved her leg and maybe her life.

So, you the patient. When do YOU know? Clearly you haven’t had years and thousands of surgeries. When should you call the doctor?

PAIN. Pain is a good indicator of hurt. Your doctor should be blunt and clear with you of how much pain to expect and how to treat it. If your pain cannot be controlled by the normal medication, it is a reason to call the doctor. Sometimes pain indicates something else going on- bleeding, infection, abnormal swelling. This is a place where we get a feel for patients and for their surgeries. How complex was your surgery? Did everything go well? Is there anything we are worried about? How high or low is your pain threshold?
BLEEDING. Bruising is normal after surgery. A true bleed is not. If there is a drain in, how much and what color is coming out? If you have a bilateral surgery like a breast surgery or facelift, do the two sides look like each other? If one side is a lot larger and painful than the other, it could signify a bleed. You increase your risk of bleed if you have been on medications which thin your blood like aspirin, advil, vitamin E, fish oil, and many others- for many of my surgeries, my patients have to stop these 2 weeks before surgery and until their bruise is gone after surgery. Before your surgery, consult with your doctors about what medications you can take.
INFECTION. This could be a skin infection, a urinary tract infection, a lung infection (take those deep breaths after surgery). One general sign of infection is fever (greater than 101.5 in my practice). Then it goes by area. For urine, it is pain with urination, frequent urination, did you get a catheter during or following surgery? For skin, you look at it. Is it red, warm, tender? Is there discharge?
- Bad smell.
- Discharge. A little bloody discharge along your incision is normal usually for the first 24 hours. If it is more, smelly, painful, looks like pus- call your doctor.
DIFFICULTY BREATHING. This may be shortness of breath or pain when you breathe deeply. It could be a sign of a blood clot which started in your leg but ended up in your lung, called a “PE” or pulmonary embolus. If you have any signs of this, go to an ER immediately. They are not common. They require urgent treatment.
ANYTHING WHICH TICKLES YOUR GUT. Just like we get a tickly feeling as doctors something is amiss, you get the same tickly feeling. Call and see your doctor. If you are really concerned, make sure you talk directly to the doctor. Be a little pushy. I do not have any nurses or assistants to handle my calls, but I have a secretary who answers the phone. If you are worried, make sure you talk directly to me.

Thank you. Some (19!) online patient reviews of Dr. Lauren Greenberg

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:00:23 +0000

“How lucky was I to have a sister that had surgery by Dr. Greenberg. I was able to go directly to a great plastic surgeon that has had me smiling since my surgery July 11, 2011. I want to tell everyone about her skill and talent and how I was so fortunate to have her as my surgeon.

I had 40 year old breast implants that were ruptured and Dr. Greenberg removed them and gave me a lift too. My breasts have never looked so wonderful and I know that if others were to see my before and after pictures her already busy office would be over flowing.

Dr. Greenberg is so focused on her patients getting the very best results that I am telling all my friends about her. I live in Mill Valley but I am so glad that I made the drive to Palo Alto.

I have 2 woman coming to my home tomorrow because they are considering a breast reduction and a lift. My friend told them about my surgery and that I was thrilled with the results. I hope that I can refer her business because I want other woman to be as satisfied and get the best care possible like I did by Dr. Greenberg.

SR, breast reduction patient, Mill Valley

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8/28/2011

I had the most wonderful experience with Dr. Greenberg. I had a breast reduction and a lift and I am so happy with the results. I tell everyone to go to Dr. Greenberg. She is a perfectionist. She puts her patients first and she arrived at the hospital early to make sure that all was in place for my procedure. If you are seeking a compassionate professional that will produce the best results possible, there is no other plastic surgeon to consider. I met with 3 other plastic surgeons before I made the right decision to go with Dr. Greenberg.

S.B, San Carlos, Breast reduction patient

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7/16/2011

I found Dr. Greenberg after several months of searching. I was unhappy with the size of my breasts implants and wanted to make a change. After interviewing five or six women surgeons, I made my decision and decided to run with Dr. Greenberg. From the first appointment and initial impression, I knew that Dr. Greenberg and her staff was top notch. Not only did I feel extremely comfortable talking to Dr. Greenberg, my husband felt the exact same way. We both came in numerous times and pestered her with more and more questions about this and that and what if and you know, all the apprehensions related to breast reduction. Every time, Dr. Greenberg answered every question we had in terms that we, non doctors understand and spent considerable amounts of time with us on each visit. She was extremely knowledgeable and patient with us. Came down the day of surgery, she greeted us with a big smile, drew some lines on me, made me feel very relaxed and reassured me that I was going to be a very happy girl when I woke up, sore but still, very happy. Post surgery, she was 100 % correct, I could not have been happier. She created my new look exactly the way I envisioned and I could not be happier with the results. Her work is amazing! Very little down time too, maybe a month and that was it. I was back to the gym and loving my new look. It has been 4 months since the surgery and
I have very little scaring or pain. Dr. Greenberg’s expertise and ability to actually create what she told me she would create amazed me. Her work is beautiful and I can honestly say that, my new figure has changed my life and am the happiest I have ever been. I will highly recommend Dr. Greenberg for years to come. Dr. Greenberg does awesome work!

RM, Burlingame, Breast implant removal with breast lift

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6/8/2011

I met with Dr. Greenberg several times before the actual surgery and as other reviewers (old post) mentioned, she was very straight forward and was not pushy at all. She listened to what I was looking for but also gave me a very good suggestions. At the end I decided to have the surgery and I’m extremely happy with the result. It has been 3 months since I had the surgery, but my scar is pretty much gone and left only a great result. It looks very natural. I’m so glad I went to see Dr. Greenberg.
Thank you again!

JR, Palo Alto, breast augmentation

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6/6/2011

I highly recommend Dr. Greenberg and tell my friend about her when they ask about age defying treatments. Dr. Greenberg reconstructed my breasts 1-1/2 years ago and I could not be more happy about the results. She was very thorough in explaining the results to me and I gave her my full trust and rightly so – she did a beautiful job with both breasts – one that was 35% missing tissue due to breast cancer. She took my “cut up boob” and made it match the other side as best as anyone could. It healed beautifully and 18 months later I am still very happy with the results. I fully trust her for all of my needs – fillers, lipo and anything else that I will need to have done over the years now since I am 50. Dr. Greenberg is honest and trustworthy. I can say this with confidence as I interviewed 6 surgeons around the SF Bay Area and went with my gut – best decision. Thank you Dr. Greenberg for helping me feel more confident and I appreciate your professionalism. Sincerely,

MM, Saratoga, CA, breast cancer reconstruction, breast lift, and filler, and liposuction patient

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5/23/2011

i wanted to write a review about Dr. Greenberg because she is a woman for whom I have enormous respect. She runs her own small office and isn’t affiliated with any of the large practices. I think seeing a woman doctor on her own is inspiring. When you meet her you know that she is a person of integrity who truly cares about the procedures that her patients are choosing. She is good at what she does and honestly provides feedback about what is and what isn’t necessary. I would recommend her to anyone who asks for an experienced talented plastic surgeon.

SS, Santa Clara, CA

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5/21/2011

I saw Dr Greenberg for a skin consultation as I have a lot of sun damage due to years of sun worshipping. As I have aged I find that moisturizers have become a necessity and that there are way too many products out there which do little more than look good on you bathroom counter. She has a personal line of products that not only repair your skin but reverse the damage. Used with the exfoliate and the moisturizer I have seen a real improvement and am feeling much better about my appearance. These products are awesome and very affordable—I will never buy anything else.

MF, Redwood City, CA, skin cancer removal and skin care products

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5/11/2011

Dr. Greenberg changed me life! She performed some corrective surgery from a procedure I had done many years ago. I know I should have had the correction done sooner, but then I may not have found Dr. Greenberg who did such an outstanding job. The results are beautiful and natural. It was the best money I have ever spent. Thank you Dr. Greenberg!

MF, Belmont, CA Breast implant revision surgery

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5/11/2011

I have to say that I feel so lucky that I have found Dr. Greenberg! I interviewed a few doctors first and I took someone with me that had a lot of dealings w/Plastic Surgeons just to get a second opinion.

My first consult I was in near tears to show her my belly-totally blown out from two pregnancies very close together. She really understood my pain and total embarrassment I was walking around with. She took a very long time w/me and answered all of my questions, she never rushed me. She didn’t sugar coat anything and was upfront about all the possible ugly stuff that may come along w/abdominal surgery.

You can’t have surgery w/o scars but I know Dr. G did everything she could minimize the scars and put them low so I can easily hide them-even though I was was willing to let my stomach look like a road map I barely look touched. I mean, I really have to point them out to people and they are in total shock how great I look.

I can’t boast enough about the final results. I feel totally amazing, but mostly I feel like a sexy woman again. I proudly wear the snug tops again and I proudly tell people who fixed my stomach

I was worth it, every moment of the recovery (which was pretty easy I might add) and I would do it again but only if Dr. G was taken care of me. She is amazing and a great human! I am so grateful to have her in my life.

KG, Boulder Creek, CA, abdominoplasty and ventral hernia/umbilical hernia repair

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5/11/2011

I’m so happy I found Dr. Greenberg! She did my tummy tuck two years ago. After two large babies, my stomach muscles had separated to an awful degree. I looked six months pregnant – and it wasn’t because I was fat. I also had constant back pain and so little abdominal control I couldn’t do a sit-up. But even after my primary care physician urged me to get a tummy tuck as soon as possible, I was hesitant to sign up for major surgery. So, I interviewed five different doctors – I think this is an important step for anyone considering a major procedure of any kind.

Dr. Greenberg really stood out. In the first place, her scar book – the photo album the doctors have in their office to show exactly what you can expect to look like afterwards – was incredible. Her scars didn’t have the “pulled” look I saw in so many other albums. She was also happy to meet with me several times when I had more questions. And she gave me a very honest assessment of what I could expect to achieve. She was warm and sympathetic, but also not afraid to tell the truth! After the procedure, she responded promptly when I had concerns – either over e-mail or by phone.

My results are incredible. My scar has faded to a thin white line that’s perfectly placed to not show when I’m wearing a bathing suit – even a bikini. Since having the procedure, I’ve seen other people’s scars from other doctors, and I’ve been happily surprised at how much better mine is. Most importantly, I’m STRONG again. I can do headstands in my yoga class! Thanks, Dr. Greenberg.

SL, Los Gatos, CA, abdominoplasty

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My introduction to Dr. Lauren Greenberg was in the beautiful work she did in giving me breasts. Breasts that look real and natural, and that fit my build. If you didn’t know they weren’t real, you’d never guess. That was nearly five years ago now, and I appreciate daily what she has done for me. Given me a figure where once there was none. But in the years that have followed this transformation, I’ve embarked upon other transformations as well, seeking now to combat the effects of time on the face and hands, and on the skin overall. I have a figure finally, now I want to forestall the aging process just a little. Slow it down, and enjoy life.

Dr. Greenberg works magic with the needle. She does Botox, and you don’t look like you have Botox. You look smoother, younger, the perpetual frown is gone, and, if you’re lucky, there will be a slight lift to your brows, which helps open up the area around your eyes. They’ll look a little bigger, a little brighter. But you won’t look like you’ve had anything done. You will look like you, and you will have the full range of expression. Dr. Greenberg works with fillers as well, and, again, the results are beautiful. Those pesky lines around your eyes and mouth will smooth out and melt away. It’s you, it’s all you, just with the clock cranked back a bit. And people will stop asking you whether you’re getting enough sleep.

But aging is relentless. Came the day, about three years ago, when I could no longer bear how hollow my face had become. I had the look about me of starvation. The standard fillers won’t do much for such large hollowed out areas. Dr. Greenberg suggested Sculptra. Sculptra doesn’t just fill in lines, it adds volume. And it lasts, for up to two years or more. But it means, perhaps more so than with anything else, you must have absolute confidence in your surgeon. Me, I didn’t have to think twice.

Three years later, and I look better than I could have ever imagined. No one knows I’m having “work” done. People tell me I look healthy.

I wouldn’t let anyone else near my face. My doc’s touch is sure, her eye unerring. She’s simply the best.

1 Previous Review:

9/24/2009What I was looking for — and found in Lauren Greenberg — is knowledge, skill, and integrity. She is honest and direct: she tells me what’s likely to work and what’s not, rather than trying to sell me services. And she does beautiful work.

I went to Dr. Greenberg originally for breast implants. She is the only doctor I saw who asked me to bring two tops as we sized my new breasts. She explained that turtlenecks would emphasize the breasts, and V-necks deemphasize them. She was endlessly patient with me, as I tried on first one and then the other in the various sizes we were looking at. She steered me towards the optimum range medically, but let me make the final choice. The breasts Dr. Greenberg gave me look natural. They fit my build, and you’d never know, if I didn’t tell you, that they’re not the ones I was born with. This is particularly impressive given the fact that I’m small-ribbed and small-boned, and had virtually nothing to begin with. Where other doctors feared to tread, she created a sweet miracle.
OS, Redwood City, breast augmentation

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4/28/2011

Squeezed in a final visit to my favorite surgeon today before leaving the Bay area after 20 years and heading to Boston. As usual, Dr. Greenberg was lovely, and I am going to miss her extraordinary and sincere bedside manner. I have been a client of Dr. Greenbergs for over a decade since first visiting her to correct severe, unwarranted (no children yet) ptosis in my already size D breasts. She provided me with honest feedback and ensured I had realistic expectations about the outcome of any surgery, whether it were a lift etc. Ultimately, I went with a mid sized implant under the muscle, instead of going with a lift that might have resulted in extensive scarring. The outcome has been fantastic and 10 years later, I am still very happy. Dr. Greenberg also had a wonderful approach to “Mommy Makeovers” ! I went to see her after my first child to figure out how to get rid of the last bit of challenging chub on my tummy, thighs and flanks. I wanted a tummy tuck, and she helped me understand the procedure, and as usual in sincerely honest approach, helped me to see that a tummy tuck wasn’t necessary at all, that will a little bit of lipo in the right areas, and diet & exercise, I would have the results I came in looking for. Two years after that procedure, I am completely pleased – Dr. Greenberg is not just a surgeon, but an artist as well! She completely resculpted my waistline and gave me curves that were better than when I was 25! I am fortunate that in every consultation, Dr. G has been direct, honest and clear with what to expect, where other doctors that I had consulted with more or less agreed with me or told me what I wanted to hear. I have referred her to dozens of friends who have had similarly great expriences. When it comes to procedures like these, its crucial to find a doc with integrity, a good sense of humor, and willing to tell it like it is. A consummate professional, I can guarantee that I will be coordinating my future botox appointments (which is another A++ for the Dr.G!) during my business travels to the Bay Area!

KS, now moved to east coast, Breast augmentation, blepharoplasty, liposuction

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4/27/2011

Dr. Greenberg stitched up my five year old’s tongue on Monday. She was the perfect combination of calm, comforting and awesome!! It looks great. He had a deep laceration to his tongue and needed an injection of lidocaine placed directly into his wound (did I mention that it was on his TONGUE!!). I have no doubt that he would NOT have tolerated this procedure with a less than perfect combination of confidence and calm–which Dr. Greenberg has in spades!! Hats off to Dr. Lauren. She did a fantastic job!!

BF, Menlo Park, Urgent visit for child with laceration

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Updated – 4/25/2011

(Important Note: I just want to let everyone know that Yelp now filters out reviews from users that aren’t frequent raters. As this new application may be useful to other businesses, it’s not very good for plastic surgeons, who patients, like me, received beautiful natural-looking results and have no desire to reveal their identity, but want to rave of their doctor’s impeccable work, so therefore made a separate account in order to do so. I mean honestly, if this continues, I will have no choice but to review other businesses just so other people will be able to read this review! Yes, I’m that excited about my wonderful results. It’s the least I can do for Dr. Greenberg, as her talent has changed my life completely. If any Yelpers have any questions regarding my breast augmentation with Dr. Lauren Greenberg, feel free to message me privately.)

It’s been a couple weeks since I had my breast augmentation and I am just elated. At first I was apprehensive about getting an incision under the breast since it’s scarring is more noticeable than around the areola. But it’s only been 2 weeks since my augmentation and my scarring is practically invisible when I face the mirror topless, all because Dr. Greenberg was able to make a small incision at the exact location under my beasts where it casts a thin shadow. Of course the scar is somewhat noticeable when lift up my breasts, but it has really only been 2 weeks and this is just a minor trade-off I was willing to take in order to get the wonderful results I’ve received from Dr. Greenberg. I am in love with my new set of twins. They are absolutely perfect. I feel so much more comfortable, confident and beautiful and it all now beams through my body language. I am just go glad proceeded with the breast augmentation, now I don’t have deal with skin irritations from stuffing my bra. This procedure took a load off my chest, ironic eh? haha! Thank you so much Dr. Greenberg. I am truly honored to be one of your patients!

1 Previous Review:

3/20/2011

A couple years ago, my girlfriends sat me down and gave me an intervention about the my overuse of makeup.

They had a problem with how I caked raccoon eyes and plastered false lashes just to walk two blocks to the mailbox. I looked in the mirror and they were right.. I realized I do looked like a 5-dollar hooker trying to sport a dark blue smokey-eye look with bronzer 3 shades too dark- my face looks like I belonged in Jersey Shore, but my body was the same shade as a corpse. They said I had no choice but give up makeup and let my skin BREATHE, for just a week. After the first few days, I was ready to trade in my 3 year old nephew for the return of my makeup. But by the end of the week, I began to feel more comfortable in my skin and admiring this whole “natural” look. My only concern was that I had was my balding lash line from the constant tearing out of falsies. God, I love my honest friends. But why didn’t they grow the balls to give me an intervention sooner? My highly-arched eyebrows that made me look like I had a horrible facelift probably intimidated them. Yes, that’s probably why.

So, I originally found Dr. Greenberg through Yelp when I was looking for specials on Latisse, a powerful eyelash enhance. Buy 1, get 1 free Latise? My stereotypical inner asian instincts say, HECK YES! Within 3 months & with the help of Latise & an eyelash perm, my lashes began to swipe the ceiling cause they’re so long! I no longer cake on pounds of makeup nor use false lashes. A few simple swipes of mascara and I’d walk out of my house feeling like a million dollars. Everywhere I go, people of all ethnicities comment on how beautiful, thick and long my lashes are, and I refer them all to Dr. Greenberg.

Ok enough about me, this review should be about Dr. Greenberg, (see how self-centered I am with my newfound lashes?). Since the dinosaurs roamed the earth, I have always known I wanted a breast augmentation. Growing up, I’d stuff my bra with anything within arms distance. In high school, I decided to work towards savings up to finally get this procedure done. Four jobs and 3 1/2 years later, I finally saved enough to make my dream come true!

First, you must know, finding a plastic surgeon is like finding a soulmate, you have to date around to find out who’s truly, “the one.” You are exposing your innermost insecurities and blindly trusting this person to mold you a better version of yourself. I have invested a huge amount of my life working to be financially capable of paying for my own procedure and had declined countless nights out and shopping sprees in order to save for it. I’m typically the type to dive in head first when I want something. But I knew this procedure is life-changing and I wanted to consult with a good amount of doctors before settling with one. For the next few months I visited 8 other different surgeons who quoted me 5000-7000 dollars for silicone breast implant augmentation. One of those consultations was with Dr. Greenberg, who has heavy experience and extensive knowledge on this procedure, as she performs 50-70 cases a year. She spent a generous amount of time clearly explaining to me everything I needed to know about the procedure. She allowed me feel the different implant types and on top of that, sent me home with a kit that consisted of different implant samples so I could place them in my bra to see what size I’d prefer. She put my anxieties at ease and effectively helped me finally decide to get silicone implants, under the muscle and through the bottom of my breast. My boyfriend and I left her office knowing that she was, “the one.” However, her price was a bit steeper than I anticipated, so I couldn’t get the augmentation as soon as I wanted. (She does accept credit card, but I personally feel better paying in full. I’m sure she’d appreciate that as well.) It’s been almost half a year since my first consultation and I’m scheduled for my pre-op tomorrow. I’m typically a highly anxious person to begin with, but knowing that I will be taken care of by such masterful artist such as Dr. Lauren Greenberg, I hold nothing but pure excitement about my procedure. I am extremely privileged to have the opportunity to be her patient and I will update next month with great news of how my procedure goes

BB, San Francisco CA, Breast augmentation

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4/14/2011

It’s been a week since I’ve gotten my breast augmentation and a minor liposuction procedure done and now I cannot look in the mirror without tears of joy streaming down my face. And it’s all thanks to Dr. Greenberg’s expert aesthetic eye. My confidence has amplified since I met her the first day I walked into her office to buy my first box of Latisse. She thoroughly worked with me over the years to help me finally knock out the kinks on my body that found dissatisfying. And the results exceeded my expectations. What attracted me the most is her concern for the future aesthetic beauty and well-being of her patients and puts into consideration if the procedure be beneficial as we age, or will it create complications. She could have easily pocketed thousands of dollars from me, but instead, told me not to get certain procedures done due to the high potential of dissatisfaction when my 30′s-40′s rolls around. She is the only surgeon that I consulted with who was blunt enough to admit this to me, along with a great deal of other helpful information. She’s not your typical plastic surgeon who is ready and willing to proceed with your extensive list of surgeries in exchange for your life savings without mentioning that 10-40 years down the road the drawbacks will most likely outweigh the temporary benefits. She treats her patients with patience and premium concern and care as though they are her daughter or sister. Her office is beautiful and cozy, which makes her patients feel comfortable. It doesn’t have that cold-plastic-highly-moder n feel to it, as other plastic surgeons I consulted with had. What are you, as a patient, you paying for? The Picasso painting hanging on the wall of your surgeon’s waiting room? The high-rent of a room located in the heart of a rich city? Or are you paying for the flawless expertise, extensive knowledge and personable care of your doctor? That’s what I was looking to pay for, and those are just a few of the many great qualities that I saw in Dr. Lauren Greenberg. And on the side note, the ladies in the front desk, Patty and Marty, are warm-hearted sociable sweethearts. I highly recommend Dr. Greenberg to anyone who wants to enhance themselves and expect beautiful, natural and precise results that will leave you more than satisfied!

CK, Breast augmentation patient, San Francisco, CA

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3/13/2011

She changed my life for the better!
Dr. Greenberg is an extremely skilled, compassionate surgeon. I had been through 2 breast augmentation and reduction surgeries. One was performed by a well known on TV beverly hills plastic surgeon who is a supposed known expert, who left me disappointed, disfigured and never even saw me after the surgery even though I tried to schedule with him. I have to say since my first appt with Dr. Greenberg, she knew what I had gone through and understood me thoroughly and took the time to understand my needs and she gave me very comprehensive advice. I thought I needed a smaller implant but she suggested I had enough breast tissue to remove implants and she was correct. I have never even in my twenties had perky nice figured breasts. She uses a technique that leaves minimal scarring and s sure to uplift the breast. Now, I take off my bra and have to stare awhile in the mirror because I can’t believe the nice well shaped perky breasts in the mirror are mine. I look at them for the first time admiring them adoringly. Although I have always had a positive outlook and disposition, I cannot explain how Dr. Greenberg’s skillful work has given me my life back. I can wear pretty shirts that close and do not pop open, my breasts have a beautiful uplift and I can exercise and even jog again. Life is definitely better. Dr. Greenberg has studied different techniques and explains why she uses the technique she does and explained to me exaxtly what to expect after. This experience was so vastly different than the other two I had. I would recommend my sister, my mother, a friend to Dr. Greenberg because I trust her fully and know that as a woman she cares about women, their health and has the skill to help women beccome the best they can be. She would never push a procedure on anybody and explains clearly before the outcomes that can be expected. As far as caring for her patients, she took the time on her way home from her vacation for a follow up visit with me after the holidays as my home is 2 hours away from her office. I cannot sing her praises enough. In short, yes, I highly recommend her. From California

RL, Breast implant removal, revision, capsulectomy and breast lift, Sacramento CA

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1/23/2011

I highly recommend her. She is a knowledgeable very intelligent will train upfront courtesy surgeon and honest. I know this from experience.

CF, Los Banos, CA, Abdominplasty and liposuction patient

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9/3/2010

DR. Lauren Greenberg is the only board certified plastic surgeon I will let work on me now. Dr. Greenberg takes as much time as you need during consults to ensure that you have all the information you need, and that all questions are answered. I went in wanting a breast reduction and mini face lift, and instead she told me I needed a lift, not a reduction and could do it with a lollypop incision. My other surgeon that I was schedule for the procedure said I had to have an anchor incision and take me down to a C, which is smaller than I wanted. This is a HUGE difference in scarring and size. It’s easier to take off more breast tissue later on if I want them smaller than to have to put an implant in to get the size back. Regarding the request for a mini face lift, she said it wasn’t time and suggested several other options that were non-invasive and much less expensive. (I am 48 years old). I said I’d go the Juvederm route first, and she stayed late to administer it without hesitation. I went back three weeks later for a second round, and the next day coworkers told me how good/rested I looked – vibrant with great skin!

Dr. Greenberg does not up sell you, gives you all of the downsides of treatments and surgeries and is honest about complications that past patients have had and how to avoid them. She doesn’t talk down to you, doesn’t use clinical terms that a layman would not understand, and uses analogies to explain how the different options work.

She is very busy, and you need to be patient when making appointments because she is so booked…because she is THAT good. I have two more procedures scheduled with her and am no longer afraid to have the surgery. Check out her website – she puts so much time and thought into it to educate her patients and the public. She described the different incisions for breast reductions/lifts including what she favors and how she does it. Don’t have fillers or surgeries done until you have the chance to meet her. You’ve be happy you did.

NM, San Jose, CA

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9/15/2009

Dr. Greenberg is brilliant. Her work is impeccable and you won’t be dissapointed. Like every plastic surgeon, she has her own idea of what would look right/beautiful and she is very honest and straight forward. She won’t let you look foolish and takes pride in making sure you come out looking as natural as possible. My results were perfect and I couldn’t ask for anything better. I strongly recommend her for your procedure. She’s personable and cares about her patients and at the same time flexible to work with you and make time for you whenever needed. GO TO HER! : )

SS, breast augmentation patient, Campbell, CA

**These reviews were all posted on Yelp. Can be found in the filtered section.

MRSA. You’ve got it. What can you do? 6 steps to decontaminate.

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:00:18 +0000

Many of my patients have never heard of MRSA. But for those of you at risk (see prior blog), have had family members with it, or live in an area where it is common (I found out Santa Cruz has a pretty high rate of MRSA which I did not know), then it is something to look at.

So let’s say you have MRSA. ** NOTE THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. IF YOU HAVE A MRSA INFECTION YOU MUST GO SEE YOUR DOCTOR. Likely if you are my patient, you had some kind of risk factor, so we had your nose swabbed to check. We found out you are a carrier of MRSA. You want to have elective surgery, so we want to try to decolonize you before surgery. How do we do that?

1. Carefully drain any boils/lesions. Get rid of any supplies carefully, so not to spread it.

2. Shower at home using chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) or hexachlorophene (Phisohex). Do this all over your body.

3. The nose is a common hiding place for MRSA, so you need to clear it from there. Use Mupirocin (Bactroban) 2% ointment to each nostril twice daily for 7 days. **HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS should follow the same protocol. You need to repeat the nasal testing afterwards to see if the treatment worked.

4. Sanitize!! Toilet seats, Door handles, faucets, light switches need to be disinfected. You can spray disinfectants on the upholstery and carpets. Some think Tea Tree oil helps with hardwood floors and bedding (when used in the laundry soap).

5. Handwashing. You should be like Lady Macbeth. Wash wash wash. Place alcohol based sanitizers near bedsides, in your car, etc.

6. Doctors may prescribe an oral antibiotic. This use varies with your symptoms. Common antibiotics used are clindamycin, doxycycline, and Bactrim.

I take precautions with all of my patients to decrease infections, including having them shower for days ahead of their surgery with surgical soap. But even with all of these precautions, MRSA is a risk. It is not a common issue I see in my patients. But I have had about one case a year, and from what I hear from my friends in primary care, the numbers likely will rise.

MRSA: drug resistant bacteria. What 4 things can you do to prevent it?

admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:05:14 +0000

MRSA numbers are increasing, and can affect your surgery outcome. I had a healthy patient, totally uncomplicated breast reduction, who had a tiny pimple turn into a bigger wound. Why? She was MRSA positive. She had no idea, but her kids had a bout of it prior. So what can you do to prevent MRSA infections?

1. Screen. You can get a nasal culture to see if you are a carrier.

2. Sanitize. You can sanitize surfaces with alcohol. Wash your clothing.

3. Hand Washing. There is some discord over alcohol based washes versus antimicrobial soaps and washing hands with running water. Regardless, good hygiene is a good way to stop the spread of bacteria.

4. Avoid contact with anyone who has an active infection. The area needs to be covered, and avoid skin to skin contact until the infection is healed.

There is of course the more general global issue of trying to decrease the formation of drug resistant bacteria by restricting antibiotic use. There is a particular higher rate of MRSA colonization in those who have used fluoroquinolone antibiotics. The UK hospital had a strategy in the 1990s, where all patients with MRSA were isolated, and staff were screened for MRSA. They created MRSA free zones essentially. The problem was as the numbers increased, this effort was overwhelmed and failed. About 2.4% of the population is thought to carry MRSA. Most carriers have no idea they are carriers.