Patient Reviews
Patient Reviews
If you're looking for personalized treatments designed to not only meet but exceed your aesthetic goals, the team at HGH Plastic Surgery is ready to see you! Specializing in both surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures, our exceptionally skilled team is proud to work with patients in and around Birmingham, AL to address a wide range of aesthetic needs. Throughout the years, we have had the delight of hearing from men and women just like you who benefitted from our care and experience firsthand. We understand that trust is important when it comes to choosing a plastic surgeon, which is why we invite you to browse through our collection of patient reviews before you schedule your consultation. When you're ready to take the first step toward a new you, we welcome you to reach out.
"I feel like I am in the best shape of my life! - I first went to Dr. Fontana for Botox and fillers when she was at Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC. After being disappointed with other doctors, I knew I was lucky to have discovered Dr. Fontana; she always provided me with amazing results!By the time I decided to finally pull the trigger and have permanent procedures done, Dr. Fontana had moved on for a Fellowship, but it was a no-brainer that I needed to travel and follow her for my desired plastic surgeries. I knew I trusted the skills of Dr. Fontana more than any other doctor I have encountered, and I can 1000% affirm that I was right to! These were my first surgeries of any kind, so of course I was still initially nervous, but there is something about Dr. Fontana’s very caring demeanor that so easily puts me at ease, and I knew I was in good hands. Most importantly, I had seen Dr. Fontana’s work and it is clear that she is an extremely talented surgeon! My results somehow even exceeded my expectations!!!Okay, now for the details:I am 41 years old (40 years old at time of the surgeries), athletic (run marathons and do crossfit), but have some stubborn areas of my body that were only getting worse with age, even with diet and exercise. I have included several before and after pictures, with the after pictures being about 2.5 months post-op. I had always been unhappy with the excess fat below my chin and the increasingly excess tissue above my eyelids. I had also previously had Dr. Fontana do fillers to better define my cheekbones. To finally permanently address these areas I was unhappy with, Dr. Fontana performed liposuction under my chin, upper blepharoplasty, and fat grafting to my cheekbones. I feel like these three procedures took 10 years off my face! I did not experience any pain or discomfort from any of these procedures, and wearing the compression for a few weeks under my chin was not bad at all (I would literally forget I was wearing it sometimes!). Obviously, I am extremely happy with my results! I know I am holding my head higher as it has rejuvenated my self-confidence; I even cut my hair short to accentuate these features I previously tried to hide!My family genetics cause me to retain excess fat around my midsection, which again was only getting worse with age, despite diet and exercise. Since I have been doing crossfit since my late 20s, several years ago I was close to seeing some markings of defined abs, but they were fading under my expanding “love handles”. My self-esteem was also decreasing as I was no longer able to fit into more and more of the clothes I loved. Dr. Fontana addressed my specific concerns, and gave me back my positive body image, by performing liposuction on flanks and abdominal etching. Dr. Fontana’s work DRASTICALLY exceeded my expectations! It is crazy that now, at 41 years old, I feel like I am in the best shape of my life!!! I have never felt so confident in my body! As an unexpected bonus, being so happy in my body has made me even more motivated to maintain a healthy lifestyle, which I am very happy about! As for recovery, while there were a few weeks of swelling that could get a little uncomfortable at times, the compression really helped and I was only on pain killers for 2 days, so not a bad recovery at all.If anyone is questioning if they should choose Dr. Fontana, my advice would be to stop questioning and get an appointment with her ASAP!!! I feel like my pictures of her work speak for themselves; you will not be disappointed! My only regret is waiting as long as I did to finally set up my procedures…I’m kicking myself for not making the appointment to rejuvenate myself sooner!"
"I had a pain free recovery - Scheduled my consult with Dr. Fontana at Hedden & Gunn in Birmingham, Alabama because she took the time to call me and talk through my concerns. I had previously committed to a different surgeon but wasn't 100% confident that he was the surgeon for me. After talking with Dr. Fontana I moved my surgery to Hedden & Gunn. She performed a breast lift, breast implants, Labiaplasty, fat grafting to the labia majoras and a TCA peel under my eyes while I was under general anesthesia. I had a pain free recovery. Some swelling and tightness, which was expected, but no pain. I feel like Dr. Fontana's skills are so good that she did my surgeries so well that it has allowed me to heal fast and feel good the entire time. She is super sweet and patient also. I would follow her all over the country!Updated on 23 Mar 2024:Feeling amazing! I was cleared for light workouts at 3 weeks. My scars are not scary! This has been such a confidence booster. I haven’t purchased new bras yet but I’m having fun filling out my current wardrobe!! "
"I had a pain free recovery - Scheduled my consult with Dr. Fontana at Hedden & Gunn in Birmingham, Alabama because she took the time to call me and talk through my concerns. I had previously committed to a different surgeon but wasn't 100% confident that he was the surgeon for me. After talking with Dr. Fontana I moved my surgery to Hedden & Gunn. She performed a breast lift, breast implants, Labiaplasty, fat grafting to the labia majoras and a TCA peel under my eyes while I was under general anesthesia. I had a pain free recovery. Some swelling and tightness, which was expected, but no pain. I feel like Dr. Fontana's skills are so good that she did my surgeries so well that it has allowed me to heal fast and feel good the entire time. She is super sweet and patient also. I would follow her all over the country!"
"31 Year Old, Childless and Breastless - This initial review will be short until I have more time to fully describe the GREAT experience and breast augmentation that I received at Hedden Plastic Surgery in Birmingham, Alabama. Prior to deciding to undergo a breast augmentation, my weight settled at 135 lbs on my 5'7" frame and my poor breasts were deflated. My right breast was in Stage I ptosis and I knew that I wanted to do something about them. My Iphone made my breast look really saggy but when Dr. Hedden saw me on July 11th, he told me that I did NOT need a lift and would be fine with a breast augmentation. I settled on 450 cc in my right breast and 485 cc in my left breast. Recovery was harder than I expected. My cousin stayed with me for a week but the first 4 days were intense and I do not have any memory of day #3. However, 12 days later I feel great. My girls are dropping at different rates but I expected that (they've always had their own personality and swag) but ultimately, I am VERY pleased. I will upload pics later."
"23y/o, 5'2" 154lbs Tuberous Breast Correction 475cc Allergen Natrelle Style 20 - Birmingham, AL - I've been going back and forth about posting my experience on here, but I decided to go ahead and post since I love reading everyone else's reviews and I don't see many women with my "stats" on here! I'm currently in graduate school, 23 years old, 5'2", 157lbs (currently dieting and exercising responsibly before the surgery) and I have ALWAYS HATED my breasts. I've finally bitten the bullet and realized this is something that I need to do for my own self esteem. I've gotten tired of crying when looking at my bare breasts in the mirror, feeling like push up bras are a daily requirement, and shying away from anyone seeing me in a bathing suit. According to my PS, I have mild tuberous breast mixed with ptosis. I have had my consultation, pre op appointment, and have paid for my breast augmentation with Dr. Hedden in Birmingham, AL. My surgery date is 11/5 (a little less than a month away) and I can hardly wait! I'm currently a 36 A and am hoping to go to a FULL C. During my consultation my PS and I agreed on 400cc but I'm thinking that I want 500cc because my shoulders are broad and I want a "noticeable" change in breast size. I will be having a biplanar/dual plane procedure to help correct the ptosis without a lift with an inframmary incision under my breast. I've uploaded some pics to show where I am currently!"
"Under Eye Bags Removed -Dr. Schaffer- Birmingham, AL - I found Dr. Hedden's office features in Sky miles magazine awhile back. I had been thinking of getting my under eyes done and decided to research this office. I am 48 and felt the bags under my eyes were aging me. I read nothing but good reviews and the doctors credentials were impressive. I called Hedden and was referred to their out of town patient coordinator named Heather. She took my information and promptly emailed me the necessary information to start preparing for the surgery which I scheduled for Friday the 13th. I was originally scheduled with Dr. Hedden who recommended Dr. Schaffer due to his expertise with facial procedures. I agrees to the switch and am glad I did. My overall experience with Dr. Schaffer as well as the staff was absolutely a positive experience. All of my questions were answered knowledgeably and patiently. All emails and phone called were returned in a timely manner. I arrived from Nashville on a Thursday for pre op meeting and left on Saturday after my post op meeting. The healing was amazingly quick. I emailed pictures to Heather 2 weeks later and requested a follow up meeting 2 weeks after that to ensure my recovery was on the right track. Wynn, the head nurse agreed to fit me on a Saturday ( 1 month after surgery), to see Dr. Schaffer so I would not have to take anymore time off of work. What excellent customer service.!!!! Dr. Schaffer was very happy with the results and healing and pulled up my pre op photos.... WOW! What a difference,,... In a fantastic way. I look so much younger and not tired! This office as well as the staff has earned my respect and future business. If you are considering a procedure, I highly recommend Hedden Plastic Surgery and specifically Dr. Schaffer. A special thanks to Heather, Wynn and Penny as well for making this a great experience. A+ all the way!!!Updated on 22 Mar 2015:"
"Under Eye Bags Removed -Dr. Schaffer- Birmingham, AL - I found Dr. Hedden's office features in Sky miles magazine awhile back. I had been thinking of getting my under eyes done and decided to research this office. I am 48 and felt the bags under my eyes were aging me. I read nothing but good reviews and the doctors credentials were impressive. I called Hedden and was referred to their out of town patient coordinator named Heather. She took my information and promptly emailed me the necessary information to start preparing for the surgery which I scheduled for Friday the 13th. I was originally scheduled with Dr. Hedden who recommended Dr. Schaffer due to his expertise with facial procedures. I agrees to the switch and am glad I did. My overall experience with Dr. Schaffer as well as the staff was absolutely a positive experience. All of my questions were answered knowledgeably and patiently. All emails and phone called were returned in a timely manner. I arrived from Nashville on a Thursday for pre op meeting and left on Saturday after my post op meeting. The healing was amazingly quick. I emailed pictures to Heather 2 weeks later and requested a follow up meeting 2 weeks after that to ensure my recovery was on the right track. Wynn, the head nurse agreed to fit me on a Saturday ( 1 month after surgery), to see Dr. Schaffer so I would not have to take anymore time off of work. What excellent customer service.!!!! Dr. Schaffer was very happy with the results and healing and pulled up my pre op photos.... WOW! What a difference,,... In a fantastic way. I look so much younger and not tired! This office as well as the staff has earned my respect and future business. If you are considering a procedure, I highly recommend Hedden Plastic Surgery and specifically Dr. Schaffer. A special thanks to Heather, Wynn and Penny as well for making this a great experience. A+ all the way!!!"
"TUBA Boob Implants 385CC Under the Muscle - Birmingham, AL - I received under the muscle saline implants (385CC) via the TUBA incision. I had initially planned on getting silicone through the armpit using a Keller funnel. But, silicone requires a larger incision and I am prone to scarring. Besides, even if my implants do deflate, replacements can also be done via TUBA as well (in most cases....my doctor advised me of this). I already had a scar in my navel due to a tummy tuck so the plastic surgeon just went in through the same scar. So, I have no *new* scars by choosing saline. The thing about saline that really bugged me at first is the fact that if they did deflate, I would have one flat breast. But, Mentor has a warranty for replacement implants and will also give you up to $1200 in doctors fees to have them replaced. And with the $1500 I saved by using saline combined with the warranty, I have more than enough money in my booby emergency fund to replace my saline implants if I ever need to. No matter whether you get saline or silicone, breast implants are not lifetime devices anyway. I did not want to spend a lot of money on silicone and then hate them and feel that implants are not for me. I did not want to spend too much money on my first surgery--because, let's face it, if you have implants, you are likely going under the knife again for replacements and revisions due to aging, breastfeeding, rupture etc. They say silicone feels more natural. But, I am not in a sexual relationship right now anyway so I don't care about that. If I do get into a relationship, it certainly will not be with a man who is whiny enough to complain about how my saline implants feel! I am a thin woman...any man with eyes can see that. And thin women rarely have huge natural boobs because fat is a big component of boobs. If a man is too dimwitted to understand that, then I do not want to be with him anyway.I am a big geek....I actually sat down with a pen and piece of paper and wrote out a list of pros and cons between my two choices (saline TUBA versus silicone through the armpit). Cost was not an issue for me. And even then, saline won out. Everyone is different and I advise anyone considering breast implants to do a list of pros and cons when it comes to which doctor to choose and which implant material to choose. If I did not already have a belly button scar from a tummy tuck, maybe silicone would have won out on my "pros and cons" list. The day after surgery was rough....my stomach was killing me. But, now I feel a lot better. Waking up, your boobs feel heavy and hard. But, it is getting easier to move around. TUBA recovery is a lot easier than the armpit recovery and plus there are no tell tale scars on my boobs. I am very happy with TUBA. When they drop and fluff, I will be even happier!"