Prelude:

I realize the review I have written isn’t exactly brief as a yelp review ought to be, however when it comes to cosmetic and any other invasive procedure alike, I think it’s especially beneficial to have as much useful information as possible. I have written this review not only to express my complete and absolute appreciation of Dr. Motykie as a surgeon and doctor, but also for the benefit of others. I hope my first-hand experiences can help those prospective patients battling with indecision; the indecision of not knowing which surgeon to choose, and whether an invasive cosmetic procedure is for them. I hope I can simplify and shed light on the unknown and bring about a sufficient amount of confidence; for those persons who are dubious, and fundamentally afraid of that specific unknown. I really tried hard to articulate as best I could all the notable reasons for those particular decisions I’d made and highlight the individual aspects unique to this thing they call ‘Cosmetic Surgery’.

Here We Go…

Initially, cosmetic surgery for someone like me seemed a real improbability. I honestly never really considered it as an option. So, it still comes to me as a surprise, even to this day, that I have undertaken such a venture. I can’t express in words nor song, or even ‘verse’ how happy I am, that I went through with it in the end. I have no regrets other than the fact I should have done it years ago. So much of my life was wasted on worrying about a significant ‘thing’ that I could’ve indeed corrected so many years ago, but didn’t out of fear and ignorance. It certainly wasn’t excessive vanity that prompted me to undergo surgery. I am definitely not the archetypical female who strives for aesthetic perfection, beauty or attention (not that there’s anything wrong with that, all I mean to say is that “it’s just not me”). Who I am really is a fairly typical looking and modest person wanting the luxury of being confident enough just to be myself, whether it is in the workplace, my numerous endeavors or just out socially. So the decision to undertake cosmetic surgery wasn’t an easy one for me personally, nor was it a fickle one, especially in my choosing of Dr. Motykie as my surgeon. I spent a number of months researching him and other plastic & cosmetic professionals alike.

I decided on Dr. Gary Motykie as my surgeon for three main reasons:

1). His intelligence: Dr. Motykie is a board certified plastic & cosmetic surgeon (FYI- this is very important!). Not only is he academically brilliant, he has a high emotional aptitude, a social conscience for the sick and a sense of purpose for those who are considerably less fortunate. His undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering and his involvement in The Healing Curve Foundation suggest this. Dr. Motykie has also worked on the development of artificial organs and prosthetic limbs, and has helped in the rehabilitation of burns victims and cancer survivors. The first thing one must consider when contemplating surgery is finding not only a brilliant surgeon, but one you can trust. Someone is most certainly more trustworthy, when they carry with them a ‘moral compass’.

2). His Artistic Edge: Of all the surgeons I have researched, Dr. Motykie certainly has an artist’s eye when it comes to aesthetics. I think more than anything, plastic & cosmetic surgery requires not only a great deal of skill, but an artist’s vision. You certainly wouldn’t hire a vocal coach who was tone deaf; neither would you hire a cosmetic surgeon who has no artistry. Dr. Motykie certainly takes an artistic approach to his surgeries. I think he truly is as close as they come to achieving that all important ‘Golden Ratio’. The very fact that he also performs many reconstructive surgeries, solidifies his skill-level, and ability in a achieving a highly desirable, and natural result (as can be seen with the many before and after pictures displayed on his website).

3). His Drive and Determination: From what I had seen and read, Dr. Motykie is a person who cares deeply about what he pursues. It really does matter to him, whether he does a good job or not. You can definitely deduce, just how extremely ambitious he is with his drive and determination to do well in all aspects of his life. I believe that that is a really important characteristic when choosing your surgeon and something not easily found in most people, even those professionals that we’ll all have to rely on someday. You certainly don’t want someone who is or has become complacent or ‘static’ over the years and ‘rests on their laurels’ to be always good enough (especially in regards to invasive surgery!). Dr. Motykie is most certainly a ‘dynamic’ and ‘innovative’ individual; and clearly demonstrates this in his approach to plastic & cosmetic surgery. He is always evolving in his techniques and is at the forefront of any new and novel technologies that have been recently developed.

So those are my fundamental reasons for choosing Dr. Motykie as my surgeon in the end.

As for my journey throughout the entire surgical process…

that being pre-operative to post-operative, I can confidently say that if it hadn’t been for Dr. Motykie and his team, I wouldn’t have gone through with what I eventually did. Having those procedures that I truly wanted and felt I needed. I will try to outline as best as I can, what I personally experienced.

1). The Initial Consultation: From the moment I arrived at Dr. Motykie’s office, I immediately felt comfortable. I was welcomed by a warm and friendly staff that I could see were genuinely dedicated to the support of their clientele; helping them feel at ease wherever possible, and bringing about a sense of calm pending their upcoming procedures and post-operative care. I will admit though, there was a little wait when it came to actually seeing Dr. Motykie ‘in the flesh’, however in this case, I think that very point is more of a positive than a negative one (which I know may sound a little nonsensical, lol).

My reasoning is as follows… I cannot count the number of times when I have visited a doctor, and other professionals alike, and have been quite literally ushered out the door, almost as soon as I walked through it. These days, a lot of doctors seem to be incredibly ‘time-poor’ and ‘patient rich’. The result is a long wait and short consult, which at times can be very frustrating. I can understand time constraints and am quite willing to ‘wait my turn’, however when seen by a doctor, I would always hope to be conscientiously listened to, and examined thoroughly, even if that means I have to stick around a little longer. Dr. Motykie in my opinion was definitely worth the wait.

Once he arrived for my consult, he was remarkably focused and attentive. He was willing to spend as much time with me as was necessary. He didn’t seem at all rushed or in a hurry, which made me feel so much more at ease about being there and in conveying my thoughts. He very graciously listened to all I had to say and answered all my rather extensive questions in such a simple, friendly and reassuring manner. He seemed genuinely enthusiastic about my pending procedure and was exceptionally comforting when it came to those ’embarrassing parts’ like ‘getting your gear off’ during the ‘pre-op’ physical examination.

Another thing I noticed about Dr. Motykie during my consult was his genuineness. I didn’t feel at all like he was trying to give me the ‘hard-sell’ so to speak and he seemed quite conservative in his approach to what cosmetic procedures were necessary. He was all about achieving only the best and most natural result for me. So having walked out of my initial consultation with Dr. Motykie, I can definitely say that I felt a whole lot better about my pending surgery than when I had first walked in. So having said that, I was supremely confident that I had made the right decision in choosing Dr. Motykie as my surgeon.

2). The Operation: Just like anyone else, I was really nervous about going under, especially for the amount of time I was to be out (about 4 hours I think). Upon arrival, I met with my surgical nurse. She was absolutely lovely and made me feel relaxed instantly. You could definitely tell she had been doing this a long time and just exuded experience. She double-checked what procedures I was having and helped me prepare. Dr. Motykie also checked in on me just before I was led into surgical theatre to make the necessary markings and to see if I had any last minute queries. It was nice to be given the opportunity to put any final concerns to rest and to have that last little bit of reassurance from my surgeon.

In the operating room I had the pleasure of meeting my anesthesiologist, whom I had spoken to the previous night regarding my surgery. He was also very pleasant. He chatted to me about various things, indeed in a gallant effort to divert my attention from the I.V he was inserting into my arm lol. From then on, it was ‘lights out’ for a while.

My mother had accompanied me for my surgery that day and was anxiously awaiting the completion of my procedure. Before my surgery had actually begun, that is, just before I was put under by the anesthesiologist, Dr. Motykie was making his way to the operating room where I was situated and on the way there he passed my mum sitting in the waiting room. He stopped and warmly greeted her. He asked if there was anything she needed and would she like him to turn the television on for her while she waited. However, my mum politely declined, (as she planned to read a book on her kindle instead) and told me about the encounter a couple of days later; about how impressed she was by it (indeed so was I).

The thing is, even though what he showed my mother was a very small type of kindness, it was a very simple kindness, one that seems to be quite scarce these days. I think most people are too busy to care about the little things anymore, which is really disappointing. Common courtesies like the type Dr. Motykie showed my mother are not often seen, so I thought it significant to mention. I have to say, I never expected that a busy plastic from Hollywood would be one of the rare few; to offer such a ‘kindness’. Especially now, with the ‘Pretentiousness Plague’ that seems to be afflicting the ‘modern day doctor’ lol. During my operation, the surgical nurse updated my mum about how I was doing. This action definitely meant a lot to me because it gave my mother significant peace of mind. And, after my surgery, both the anesthesiologist and Dr. Motykie spoke to my mother. They reassuringly conveyed to her that the surgery had been a success and that I was doing very well. I believe the communication exhibited throughout my procedure, by Dr. Motykie and his team was excellent. My mum can certainly attest to that!

3). Post-Operation: To be perfectly honest, surprisingly, I didn’t feel that I was in a great deal of pain after my surgery. I think initially the worst pain I felt was from a ‘coffee-headache’. Obviously before an operation you have to fast, so no food, and painfully no coffee! I usually drink three coffees per day and had a splitting headache because of the lack of caffeine. Immediately after my procedure, the surgical nurse was kind enough to offer me a soft drink. I said anything with caffeine please and that sorted it right out lol.

Previously, I had been under anesthesia only once before and had had a fair amount of nausea afterwards, however this time I had none. I was given a nausea patch and more than adequate pain relief medication for my initial recovery phase. I was also confident that I had been provided with the necessary therapeutic treatments to prevent any possible infections and blood clots. Invasive surgery is always a serious business. I believe all requisite precautions were taken by Dr. Motykie and his team. So I felt very positive about making a complete and healthy recovery after my procedure.

Following my operation, I visited Dr. Motykie on three more occasions. The day after my surgery, a week later and then finally two weeks post-op. Again, on all occasions, I was warmly received and well-looked after by Dr. Motykie and his team. I would also like to mention though, something that happened on the final instance while I had visited Dr. Motykie.

While I was awaiting my appointment, I had overheard a particularly ‘nervy’ lady speaking to one of the front receptionists. She expressed some minor worries that she had had and explained that she did not have an appointment that day. However, she still hoped to see Dr. Motykie with her reason being: “He always makes me feel better”. Very sympathetically, the receptionist granted her request and promised she would ‘fit her in’. I think that statement really sums up Dr. Motykie’s ‘bedside manner’. That is, he is incredibly comforting and personable. During the healing process after an operation and especially in cosmetic procedures, it’s so important that stress levels are kept to a minimum. A doctor who makes a conscientious effort to reassure and alleviate any potentially ‘pernicious’ stresses and anxieties from his or her patient would be considered in my book, not only impressive, but more importantly: responsible and diligent.

Conclusion:

So, for those of you wondering what procedures I may have had, I’m sincerely sorry for not sharing that piece of the story. The thing is, I’m an extremely private person and a little on the shy side. Having said that, if I thought it would help at all I might reconsider, however I think in this circumstance, it’s really not relevant. The principal object that I wished to share with this review was my total candid account; to wholly explain the choices I made and to answer whether or not I was happy with them in the end. As you would have probably gathered by now, my overall experience with cosmetic surgery has been an incredibly positive one. It’s also important to note that my approach to such a consequential undertaking has always been as meticulous and pragmatic as possible. I am fastidious by nature and hope in this instance it was somewhat helpful.

As Albert Einstein once said: “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler”. I hope I have made the decision of ‘who’ and ‘if’ in regards to plastic & cosmetic surgery a little easier; if not fairly ‘simple’ for whomever may read this.

Afterword:

One last time, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation for Dr. Motykie; for all you have done for me and I suspect for my life to come. I believe you’re a wonderful human being and have changed the course of my life. There are not nearly enough ‘Thank You’s’ I could give to you to respond in kind.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Maricella and Sandi, who were part of Dr. Motykie’s team. It was such a pleasure to have met you both. I will always be grateful for having you there by my side, during such a significant turning point in my life. There are also many others, like my surgical nurse, the lovely nurse who took out my stitches and the wonderfully diverting anesthesiologist. I wish I could mention everyone, however very regrettably and embarrassingly, I’m really bad at recalling names. I’m truly sorry about that, but hopefully you all know who are.

Charles Bukowski said: “An intellectual is a man who says a simple thing in a difficult way; an artist is a man who says a difficult thing in a simple way”. I think this really sums you up Dr. Motykie. You take such a difficult process, like plastic surgery, and make it as simple as possible for your patient. You’re not only an artist in cosmetic surgery, but an artist in life. It was such a pleasure to have met you…

Thank you…

Sincerely,

Layla 🙂