New Image Cosmetic Surgery

I had my back redone by a much more competent doctor in La Jolla. It cost me another $ 1400. Thank you, New Image Cosmetic Surgery for wasting my $ 7,000 on a surgery that left me deformed and had to be redone a year later. Please please please do not use this place!
Somehow my full previous review from September 2013 disappeared so I’m adding it here so people understand how awful this place is:
I had liposculpture and butt enhancement done by Dr Mark Garbutt at New Image Cosmetic Surgery on November 20^th, 2012. I waited this long to write a review to give my body enough time to heal. It’s been 10 months. I think that’s long enough.
Where to begin… First I’ll start with my consultation. I originally went to talk to Dr. Jeff Schaefer for some lipo on my back. A friend had been referred to New Image and encouraged me to go. He had not yet had his procedure done at the time of my consultation. My consultant told me Dr Schaefer is not personable and that I would do better with Dr Garbutt. I met with Dr Garbutt and he spent a lot of time with me. He told me I needed more lipo than I had planned on and that I really should get a butt augmentation or I wouldn’t be happy with my results. He spent about an hour with me, explaining everything. I liked him. So my $ 2000 surgery quickly morphed into $ 7000+. But he promised I would be happy with the results. My first red flag however, was that he was showing me all these pictures of patients that he had on his phone. I found that odd. Also, the consultant brought out my friend’s chart and showed me his before pictures. I thought that was a violation of privacy and really unprofessional. Regardless, I scheduled the surgery.
Surgery Day — They use local anesthesia for the surgery, in the form of pills. I do not believe they use any lidocaine. I woke up no less than three times during surgery screaming in pain. I could feel the cannula stabbing me in the back and I was screaming and begging them to stop. They finally doped me up so much that I didn’t wake up until almost 6pm. My surgery started at 9:30am. That really scared me. They do not have qualified people administering anesthesia.
Day after Surgery — I go in for my follow up and they take all the garments off. I now am able to look at myself and notice I giant puss-​filled blister on my stomach. I ask the nurse about it and she says it must be a bug bite. What? Um no. I also asked about why I woke up so much during surgery. She said I never woke up. What? Um no. Dr Garbutt comes in and I ask about the blister. He says its a burn from the laser and it will go away. It has now been 10 months and I still have a large deep purple scar on my stomach, an inch from my belly button. What was the point if surgery if I now need to hide my stomach because if the scar? I also asked him another waking up so much. He said I just metabolized the drugs too quickly. At least he didn’t lie like the nurse did.
Six months after surgery — I still have swelling, haven’t fully drained, still have a scar, and now my butt augmentation looks weird. I went back in for a follow up. Dr Garbutt comes out of surgery in bloody clothes with bloody gloves on to do a quick exam on me. I was in shock. He touched the scar with the bloody gloves and said it will take time to fade. He looked at my butt and said I have too much connective tissue and that’s why it healed the way it did. He offered to do another surgery. After waking up several times during surgery, a second surgery did not sound appealing.
Call from consultant regarding second surgery — consultant said they don’t do free revisions and it would cost me $ 1200 to fix my butt. What? I woke up during surgery because of your incompetent nurse, I am scarred from a laser from your incompetent doctor, I need a second surgery because the first was messed up and I have to pay for it? Absolutely insane. I told her I would think about it. I did and opted not to go thru that hell again.
It is now 10 months since surgery. The scar on my stomach is still deep and an ugly dark purple. It will take YEARS to heal. I still have liquid in my back that I can’t get to go away. I’ve been working out 6 days a week for 3 months and it has helped slightly but liquid is still there. I’m hoping in another year it is gone. My butt is still awful looking and I hate to look at it. The surgery was so not worth the money, pain, and suffering. And now I’m left with a scar. I would never ever recommend using this place. It was one of the worst experiences of my life and I very much regret it. I still have nightmares sometimes about waking up on the table and feeling myself being stabbed over and over. Avoid at all costs.

Do not spend your money here!

STAY AWAY! I was left with keloid scars– This was some time ago and I had never before and never since had keloids. This makes me wonder if his surgical technique is as rough as his personality. When I showed him the scars I’d developed he looked at me like I was wasting his time– he asked me what I wanted him to do about it and if I wanted him to cut them out??? As if I should have known what would be the best thing to do was??? Would NEVER go back to him– even if the services were free!!!

I have been to lots of spas before, and this is by far the worst. Some of the staff is really nice. but that can only go so far. Its a really small office and does not have a relaxing feel to it at all. You would think being on Coronado that they were the BEST ever, but no not at all. there just the most money $$$$. and you don’t get what you pay for at all. I purchased a few microdermabrasions here a year ago and they of course worked but when I got there I laid on the really uncomfortable chair, in a very bright room. that looked like a surgical room. and she laid a thin white sheet on my body and asked if I washed my face today, and I said yea and then she wiped my face off with a wet one, and started the micro on my face. and another nurse came in during my treatment to grab something from a shelf, which I thought was unprofessional. She was loud and I was not relaxed at all. Other spas that I have been to, the esthetician would pick at my face and wash it and would do my whole face and my neck area. and it would be a more relaxing room. I asked if she could get my neck and she said it would cost double then… it was already very very expensive. then after she just put a spf on my face and said stay out of sun and then I left. I would not recommend this place to a friend. If you really want to have a good experience I say go someplace else, for the same amount of money you can have a much better experience.

I have to retract my original rating. This doctor has poor people skills, and seems utterly disinterested in my well-​being as a patient. On each appointment, he spends all of 2 minutes talking to me, if he speaks to me at all. Find a better doctor.