Before I begin, I wanted to chime in on previous poster's comment on Dr. Stoeckel- I don't feel he was being ""judgmental"" at all in inquiring about the poster's smoking. Smoking presents very serious complication risks for patients- most plastic surgeons (and I would say anyone worth their salt) would require patients to quit smoking for several weeks (if not months) in advance of surgery to prevent complications- not because they are necessarily judging you on your habit, but because they want to prevent potential serious complications (ie, necrosis of the skin after surgery, blood clotting risks).
Having said that, I am now nearly 3 weeks out from a full tummy tuck with muscle repair and some lipo- still on the road to recovery but already quite pleased with my results. My husband and I had consulted with another plastic surgeon in Raleigh and found him to be all too clinical and impersonal. We booked surgery with Dr. Stoeckel shortly after initial consult (note he does charge a consult fee but this will be applied towards your surgery should you choose to undergo the procedure). We found him incredibly personable and competent at the same time- he took the time to answer all our questions, never made us feel as if there was ""stupid"" question and seeing his gallery of before and afters sealed the deal (lots of great results on previous patients!).
He's been very responsive to all our concerns and questions both pre and post-op. I have been able to email him directly with questions and receive responses within a very short time. The office manager has been equally timely in responses. The staff present on my surgery morning were absolutely wonderful- didn't have a bad case of nerves as I expected. The nurse anesthesist was warm, comforting and funny all at the same time. It definitely helped to soothe my nervousness.
In short, I highly recommend this practice to anyone considering an abdominoplasty.
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