La Belle Vie Cosmetic Surgery Center

I was looking into getting top surgery with Dr. Mangubat and I can't really speak for his surgery results since I didn't choose him as my surgeon but I was pretty uncomfortable during our consultation. To start, he barely talked about my results and how they would appear and he examined me for about 2 minutes. He spent most of the consultation selling us on his experience and kept repeating "less than 1%" over and over instead of giving me some actual answers. It felt more like a 30 minute bragging session than a surgery consultation. I also brought my mom for emotional support and we both felt like he was talking to my mom more than me. The entire consultation took about 30 minutes and I felt extremely rushed. He also seemed very condescending at some points, like I was talking about the medications I was on and he mentioned one saying how he'll have to check how it affects wound healing and I said "Oh yeah, that one is an immunosuppressant." and he went "oh no I'm talking about *wound healing* cause this medication could suppress your immune system and make it hard for you to fight infection." wow. It's almost like you said what I just said but with more words.The other issue was they were out of network for my insurance and I was quoted 10k for my surgery, which I understand is the standard price for this operation and is actually quite inexpensive when talking about surgery. However, it's still 10k and he kept telling us "Well, that's not really a big deal." when in fact it IS a big deal because its $10,000. Overall it wasn't a nightmare consultation, but I still wanted to share my experience.

I am extremely glad I ended up choosing Dr. Mangubat as my surgeon for top surgery, with free nipple grafts and a lateral roll excision. I had a lot of concerns, one being finding a doctor competent enough to take on a high BMI patient (43 BMI). I couldn’t have been happier with my results. Dr. Mangubat took into account my need for a masculine chest that was proportional to my body. I was given clear instructions for how to care for my incisions and grafts, and healing has gone very well. I felt informed about the process, and given clear expectations for the result. Dr. Mangubat uses Penrose drains which are fantastic compared to other options. The desk staff, nurses, and anesthesiologist were great as well. Many of the nurses made me feel like my own mom was caring for me. The insurance coordinator was also very communicative and helpful. I recommend recovering at the adjacent Doubletree Hilton if you’re not from the area. They have a good deal with the clinic for free breakfast and parking, and you will be taken directly to your room in a wheelchair after surgery if requested. Overall, I would highly recommend this clinic. Top surgery was daunting, but I came through the other side very pleased. I enjoyed seeing their saltwater fish everytime I came in.

I have wanted double incision top surgery for a long time, but I have asthma and GERD, so I was really nervous about having to bind for a long time post surgery. It was hard for me to bind for a whole day, I truly didn't think I would be able to make it through having to bind a whole month like I've read some people have had to do post top surgery. I brought these concerns to Dr. Mangubat and the team at La Belle Vie, and they made me feel heard and understood. Dr. Mangubat was very thorough about what to expect from the surgery and the timeline for healing after. I also had a pre op visit before the procedure, and I'm so grateful I had it because I was able to go over with his medical assistants what the post op binder looked like, how tight it had to be, and how long I had to wear it (only a week! I was so estatic, I honestly don't think I could have gone longer) In addition to a smooth recovery with limited binding and a very thorough post op medication plan, I also really appreciated Dr. Mangubat's incredible eye for detail. The incisions were thoughtfully planned out with consideration for my individual body shape and the nipple grafts were proportional to the new chest shape as well ( I used to hate the size and shape of my nipples). It's been really awesome to see how good my new chest looks after only 3 weeks, and it was really nice to see Dr. Mangubat for the 3 week post op and have him be excited for me for how well everything is healing too!! Lastly, I wanted to give a special shout out to the medical assistants and the patient care coordinator at La Belle Vie, they helped make all the paperwork needed for requesting time off from work as smooth as possible, and I really really appreciated it!!

5 star results 2 star interactions I am three months out for my double incision top surgery. While I am so grateful for the opportunity to have this surgery, as well as my results, I feel there are some core parts of my experience that could have really harmed another person. First the good: The team is clearly highly skilled. My results are beautiful! They're fast, informed and responsive. Dr.Mangubat's method allows you to remove the post surgery binder after 10 days, which is huge as some practices require up to 6 weeks of wear. The studio is clean, up to date and clearly well taken care of. The intake is smooth and I at no point was worried for my safety as a trans person or a patient. I was able to get my surgery done within about a month of booking because of a cancelation and the team was flexible and helpful as far as getting all required forms gathered in time. The bad: To put it simply, things seemed rushed. Online Dr.Mangubat is very informative, concise and warm, but in person things felt rushed in that he had other places to be (patients to see?) and to have a certain surgeons personal taste in the process. I had to stop him and inform him of my aesthetic preferences at the very time of surgery as I was being marked as I had never been asked for reference photos or for my own desires until I made them known. That is to say, if you are not confrontational enough to put your foot down, your desires may be overlooked. When I did express my desires for a more straight line and more body mod aesthetic than a traditional masculine chest, it was clear that was not what he would have preferred. Though, he did change it to what I wanted and the results are very good! Post surgery we called the on call surgeon and no one awnsered. During the post surgery phone call we did get later that night I was she/her-ed which is hard from your surgeon who just removed your breasts. At my first follow up I asked for more pain killers and while I was given them the tone was that of I was drug seeking. I'm disabled and just had a double mastectomy, the ask was not unreasonable. Conclusion: Overall the team is very experienced and talented but ultimately they are not part of the queer or trans communities and do not communicate nor understand the cultural nuance that comes with that identity. If you are able to enforce your desires, have a clear vision and a thicker skin I would say definitely pick this surgeon. I do not regret my decision at all, but I worry that others could be given results they did not desire if they did not speak up for themselves and that is why I give the rating of 3 stars. From what I've heard from my community, all aesthetic surgeons have their quirks.