Tummy Tuck for Somers, NY

Choosing who does it comes first

A tummy tuck is major surgery, and the surgeon who performs it matters more than how near the practice is. Nearness still counts for something in the weeks that follow. Bellava, at 182 Route 117 Bypass Road in Bedford Hills, is about 13 minutes without traffic from Somers town hall, mostly on I-684, and closer to 17 minutes from Lincolndale or Granite Springs on the western side of the town. Before that drive matters, though, here is what to check about any surgeon you are considering — ours included.

Six checks, and how Bellava answers them

1. Which board certifies them? Plenty of doctors are board certified in some other specialty. For this operation, the credential to look for is the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Chang Soo Kim holds it, and is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the Yale Plastic Surgery Society.
2. How often have they done it? Experience with this particular operation is worth asking about directly. Dr. Kim’s count stands at more than 500 tummy tucks.
3. Where would you be operated on? An office procedure room is not the same thing as an accredited operating suite. Bellava’s suite is on site and accredited by The Joint Commission, and the surgery is outpatient.
4. Can you see their own results? Stock photographs and another surgeon’s work tell you nothing about the person you are meeting. Dr. Kim’s own patients are in the before and after gallery.
5. Who looks after you afterwards? At Bellava, every post-operative visit and compression-garment fitting is with Dr. Kim’s own team, in the building where you had surgery.
6. What does the quote include? Bellava’s figure covers the surgeon, the anesthesia and the facility together, and financing is available.

Where Dr. Kim trained

He took his medical degree at the Yale School of Medicine and did his plastic surgery residency at Yale–New Haven Hospital. With an abdominoplasty, his aim is a contour that looks natural rather than operated on, with the scar set low enough to sit beneath the bikini line. About Dr. Kim.

What the consultation settles

At a first visit Dr. Kim examines the skin, the abdominal muscles and any old scars, asks what bothers you, and recommends one of the four versions he performs — full, mini, extended or fleur-de-lis — or tells you plainly that surgery is not the right step yet. He will want to know whether your weight has been steady and whether you plan more children, since a later pregnancy can affect the result.

Somers patients ask

How long will I be away from work? Desk work and light activity usually resume after two to three weeks; strenuous exercise waits until about six weeks and Dr. Kim’s clearance.

When can I drive again? Dr. Kim’s usual guidance is around two weeks after surgery.

Does the consultation commit me to anything? No. It is free and private, and you leave with a recommendation, not an obligation.

How do I start? Press Request a Consultation, or call or text. Bellava’s patient coordinator calls you back to arrange a time, including Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm. The main tummy tuck page and Bellava’s page for Somers have more.