Looking for Dr. Matarasso and Dr. Pitman patients - Cosmetic / Plastic Surgery Message Board

UpperEastSide · 06-22-2003, 01:58 PM

I am looking for feedback from anyone who has had a tummy tuck and/or lipo from either of the above listed doctors. I have heard that they are both fabulous, but have hearth this more in the context of other surgical procedures.

alisonr · 12-10-2004, 07:32 AM

I just had a consultation with Pitman for lipo and have one scheduled with Matarasso next week. I was wondering which one you ended up choosing and how you made your decision. What was your experience like? Any advise you can give would be greatly appreciated!!!

nycgal24 · 12-14-2004, 07:53 PM

Hi there:

Both doctors are fabulous. In my opinion -- one shared by many -- Dr. Pitman is a very cold man with a total lack of bedside manner. That said, he is also a perfectionist and an absolutely brilliant doctor. Having had surgery with another doctor (with very good results), when I was ready for the next procedure I had planned, I made the decision that surgical expertise and the potential results were more important to me than the surgeon's personality -- or lack thereof. After an enormous weight loss and very necessary change of lifestyle, I needed and with careful planning was able to afford and take the time necessary for multiple procedures, including a tummy tuck, breast lift, arm lift, and liposuction. I had consultations with all of the "big names" in NYC; I wanted to be thorough and make sure I made the best and most informed decision given the huge investment I was about to make. I think I saw them all: Pitman, Matarasso, Reed, Baker etc.! That might sound silly to some of you, but in the big picture it seemed to me like the right thing to do. I initially passed on Dr. Pitman because of how unpleasant I found him. In fact, I left his office feeling completely put off and very uncomfortable. After going through surgery and recovery with another doctor, I felt confident enough in my ability to go through it again without the need for hand-holding. The bottom line is that if you can swallow paying a lot of money to have your procedure(s) with a doctor who will not spend any more time with you than necessary to do his job and will not "nurse" you through, then you will be very pleased with your decision. Dr. Pitman has a remarkable eye, he is the best in the field, and he is 100% perfectionist. I should also mention that the people whose job it is to coddle you -- the nurses at the hospital and hands-on staff -- are just as thorough in addition to being genuinely kind and very caring.

Good luck. I hope I was of some help. I will check back and am always happy to answer questions as best as I can, since I know what an important decision this is and how hungry I was for first-hand information.

alisonr · 12-15-2004, 02:25 PM

Thanks so much for your thoughtful response NYCgal24! Your comments were really helpful. I am going for lipo of thighs, hips and abs and having a hard time deciding between Pitman and Matarasso and like you, I think it is a big decision and important to be very thorough and make an informed decision. What did you think of Pitman vs. Matarasso specifically and why did you end up going with Pitman?
When did you have your procedurs done? How were the results? Any advise or experience you can offer would be greatly appreciated!

Stacycat · 12-26-2004, 05:07 PM

I had a lower body lift with Dr. Pitman, and I'd concur with much of what NYCgal said. I'm delighted with my results, and I intend to have him do a breast lift (although I hear Dr. Hidalgo is best for breasts) and thigh lift because I trust him implicitly as a doctor.

Dr. Pitman is cautious and caring, although not emotional or warm in any way. I think I've seen him smile twice. But when I developed an infection a couple of days after surgery, he had me come to his office every other day for a week (one of the days was a Saturday).He sent me to an infectious disease specialist for an accurate diagnosis. I want to do my breasts, but he wants to wait an extra 12 weeks before doing that, to be certain the infection is healed.

The doctor who did my facelift/bleph/browlift was a very personable and charming guy (a la Dr. 90210, although he was a NYC surgeon too) and he did okay but I wouldn't go back to him. He didn't end up making as much of a difference for me as I'd wanted. Everyone in his office was very charming and pleasant but it didn't feel genuine.

Everything you get from Pitman is genuine.