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Hurwitz Center for Plastic Surgery

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Plastic Surgery with Dr. Dennis Hurwitz

Since 1977, Dr. Dennis Hurwitz, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has devoted his life to plastic surgery and body contouring. For decades, patients from around the country have turned to Dr. Hurwitz to help them refine and rejuvenate their appearance through cosmetic surgery. Now, Dr. Hurwitz is opening plastic surgery centers nationwide so that even more people can benefit from his unique, powerful integrated surgical approach. Dr. Hurwitz is extending his expertise through the plastic surgeons he has trained to now serve at each Hurwitz Center for Plastic Surgery location.

With new clinics throughout the U.S. and a main office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Dr. Hurwitz and his plastic surgeon associates have expanded his body contouring expertise nationwide. Combined with his vast knowledge and experience, his camera-friendly personality has made him a favorite of the media.

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Media

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The Total Body Lift, a book by Dr. Dennis Hurwitz, is an introspective report that details plastic surgery as experienced by eight actual patients. Dr. Hurwitz has been featured in People magazine and appeared on television's Inside Edition, The Montel Williams Show, The Today Show, ABC's Medical Mysteries, the Discovery Health Channel, and numerous local, regional, and national news programs.

Office

There are many reasons to choose the Hurwitz Center for Plastic Surgery, Pittsburgh for your cosmetic surgery needs. Dr. Dennis Hurwitz is renowned not only for performing facial surgery and breast surgery refinements, but also for post- bariatric surgery body contouring procedures including total body lift. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Hurwitz Center for Plastic Surgery has helped thousands of people refine their appearances.

The Hurwitz Center for Plastic Surgery is staffed with experienced physician and medical assistants, surgical coordinators, managers, and medical aestheticians devoted to cheerfully provide you with superb support and care.

Meet the Staff
Dr. Dennis Hurwitz
Mechelle Maloney, Patient Advocate
Molly O'Tell, Medical Aesthetician
Jodi Wray, Medical Aesthetician


Associations

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Videos

Testimonials


Testi "People now find that I am funny and fun to be around. I was before but they just didn't bother to find out. They say I am beautiful. I was before but they just didn't look. They say I am happier now. I was happy before, but it's just so hard to show happiness when people you deal with don't see or hear you. I always got the feeling from people that I was not worth listening to. People speak to me now who never did before. People are friendlier and nicer. Now I can sit anywhere and I fit into any clothes I like. Yes, I am happier now, because the world around me wants to know me for who I am. I am worth listening to. It makes life so much easier and healthier."
S.


Testi "I was fast approaching 300 pounds when I made the decision to take back charge of my life and I was successful. Inches and pounds were gone but I still felt like a prisoner in my sagging, hanging body. I heard about the work that Dr. Hurwitz was doing, did my homework and scheduled a consultation. I knew the day I first met him that I was in the right place. Dr. Hurwitz told me 'I like what I do and I'm very good at it' and he backed up what he told me with pictures. I was treated with the utmost respect as he examined, tugged, pulled and photographed me - naked! Never once was I embarrassed or feel like I was on display.

In November 2003 I had my upper body restored to normalcy followed just four short months later by my lower body. My results are fantastic and I like the way I look. People ask, would you do it again? You bet! As a matter of fact in December 2004 I returned for a third procedure to lean out my middle section. It was about comfort, I couldn't keep my pantyhose up!

I am now one month out from that surgery and it's all good. Not only do my pantyhose stay up but I look great! An entire lifetime of my 'midriff bulge' issue is gone. Three major surgeries in 13 months meant a huge commitment and took a lot of perseverance but that's what I needed to do after massive weight loss. I set a goal over two years ago, kept my focus on the end result and I'm there. I will always be so very grateful for the part that the good Dr. Hurwitz did to help me get to where I am today. I am healthy, I feel great and I look fantastic!"
C.


Testi "Following my breast reduction surgery, I did have a couple of areas along my incisions that did have delayed healing. It took four to six weeks for theses areas to completely heal. As a result, I do have areas where there is thick scarring. Dr. Hurwitz introduced me to his aesthetician Molly who began laser treatments on my scars every three to six weeks. I am using a mixture of Retin A and smoothing gel and applying it to the scars. This mixture makes the top layer of skin slowly peel off, kind of like when you peel after a sun burn. I used the mixture approximately every other day depending whether I had any skin irritation from the cream. I have seen a noticeable difference in the appearance of the scars since starting this program. I have no regrets with having the surgery done and I am very pleased with the results. It has definitely had a positive impact on my life."
A.


Testi "Summers were the worst for me. We lived at the shore and going to the beach was out of the question. I was the only guy on my block who would not be seen without a tee shirt on in August. When I was growing up, cosmetic surgery wasn't something anyone discussed in my family. I had to wait until I was out on my own to have it done. Making the first consultation was the hardest part. The idea of having to get naked in front of the doctor and his nurse caused me to break out into a cold sweat. But after I got comfortable with Dr. Hurwitz's staff, the whole thing seemed simple, like why hadn't I done this sooner. Even the operation was not too bad. I focused on the outcome and the discomfort was minor. People have commented that my personality has totally changed after the surgery. They feel that I am much more open and that my new self-confidence shines through. I know that I am smiling more at people and they are smiling back, and women respond totally different to me. I feel so proud of my accomplishment and glad I had the courage to undertake this surgery. For any of you guys out there who have the same problem as I did, just do it."
H.


Testi "2004 was going to be my year. A year in which I took control of how I wanted to look. I was 55 years old, post menopausal, have dieted and exercised most of my life. I just retired from a profession that I was weighed for the first 14 years of it. So how I looked and felt about myself has always been an issue for me. For the past few years no matter how much I exercised or watched what I ate I could not change my breast and hip size. These two areas have always been a problem for me. With being older the size of my breasts seemed to be heavier and a pain in my back. As far back as I can remember my hips always had fatty deposits sitting on top of them I had thought about and talked about breast reduction but the surgery and the scarring scared me. So at the height of my disgust I called Dr. Hurwitz office to schedule an appointment. At the first meeting we discussed breast reduction and liposuction for my hip area. He agreed that my breasts were very large and a candidate for reduction and my hip area could be greatly helped with the liposuction. We also discussed liposuction in my midriff area, back, and stomach. Because he felt the skin would be loose in the stomach area we decided on a limited abdominoplasty. My surgery was scheduled and to say I was not scared would be a lie. My greatest supporter was my husband. He loved my body just the way it was but knew how unhappy I had been. I was a DD and hoped to become a C. The morning of the surgery Dr. Hurwitz and his team came to my room and proceeded to prepare me for surgery. He drew all over my breasts and the other areas. He then took pictures.

When I awoke in recovery I was glad to be staying overnight. I cannot lie. I was very, very uncomfortable. I had given myself ten days to rest and recover. It was painful to lie down, get up, sleep, and do anything. The pain medication helped as I wanted to sleep and be out of the discomfort. The staff was wonderful assuring me that it all was normal. Dr. Hurwitz explained that with the incisions and the swelling made everything so tight. He said the swelling would go down over the next three months. I really did not believe him. I had the surgery on Monday and by Friday my husband came home from work to find me crying. I felt I had made the biggest mistake of my life.

After five weeks I was permitted to go back to exercising and to play golf. I have to admit at that time I liked how my breasts looked in clothes. I tried jackets and tops on that I had not worn in a few years. It was great. I went to a party and wore a dress without a bra as it had thin straps. It was wonderful. I have to admit the other parts of my body were looking good too and even better in clothes. The best part is that my husband was thrilled. He loves how I look, and so do I. Well it is now eight weeks since the surgery. I can see that the swelling is going down and things do feel better. Imagine that. I love how I feel about myself now and especially not having the discomfort of the large breasts. I thought about the surgery and realize it's a bit like being pregnant. The pain was terrible while you are going through it but than you forget how bad it was. Your reward is a body that looks better on you."
J.


Testi "While fairly well-read /studied on all of these counts, I honestly never thought of myself as a serious candidate for elective surgery: in the end, the overwhelming day-to-day unhappiness with my body - despite a hardcore work-out ethic and small pre-surgery size - overrode what I formerly considered a needless vanity. But the significant scar and tissue from carrying and removing huge fibroids ('nearly the size of a basketball') was also beginning to erode my self-confidence across the board. I'm told I have a ways to go to full recovery, but I'm already feeling and looking so much better."
J.


Testi "In 2001, I had the gastric bypass surgery and lost approximately 265 pounds. I met Dr. Hurwitz a year ago and have had three surgeries: the tummy tuck and lower body lift, a breast reduction and upper body lift, and then the arm reduction, all in a nine to ten month period. I have gone from a size 4X or 32 to a Medium/10-12. The surgeries have not been easy; there have been complications-swellings, infections, etc., but I would gladly do it all over again."
D.


Testi "One year and four days post-op and I have lost 102 pounds and 66 INCHES!!! I have lost as many inches as I am tall!! I had a consult with my plastic surgeon, Dr. Dennis Hurwitz, about having a tummy tuck around to the back, arm reduction, and breast implants. I am just looking forward to the approximately 20 pounds the tucks will remove. I was kind of discouraged that I weigh 160 but then when you consider the extra skin, it's pretty good. So after the tucks I will be right where I wanted to be. People don't believe me now when they find out what I weigh; they think it's much less. I may eventually go for a thigh lift too because as summer is getting here I am finding I do not want to wear shorts because they are so jiggly! But overall I am very happy with the results and would definitely do it again in a heartbeat!"
E.


Testi "While I was going through the loss of weight after my gastric bypass surgery I didn't think much about all the skin that may be left. Of course, I knew there was a possibility that there will be some skin - I had heard vague stories about people who had to have surgery to remove it. But that may not happen to me - I was working out (lifting weights) religiously three nights a week to keep everything tightened up as I lost weight. Even if there was some excess skin, it didn't really matter. The important thing was that I would lose a lot of weight, and I would look so much better. And I would certainly be much, much healthier. What more could I want!

Little did I know then, that there would be massive amounts of skin that I would have to deal with at the end of the weight loss period. What I had thought would be the end of my life-long struggle with a large body that would not respond to my many attempts to change it, proved to be the beginning of a whole new, and equally restrictive, problem. Having lost 198 pounds, I found I was not as happy as I thought I would be. My face looked so old - I had jowls and what I referred to as a turkey neck. And my stomach! It hung in a huge fold in front of me - I developed frequent rashes under it, it was so heavy, and in the summer, it made me very hot. I was wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts all summer. I was happy only as long as my clothes covered my body. I had been looking forward to swimming at our swim club but I soon found that that would not be possible. I could just imagine the stares I would get when people saw the immense amount of flesh sagging all up and down my legs and hanging from my arms. I didn't even want my husband to see me uncovered. Was this why I went through two years of deprivation - so that I would have to go around all covered up? How disappointing! Then, too, I feared the comments from those who felt gastric bypass surgery was wrong, unhealthy, and quackery - they would have physical evidence that the current weight loss 'fad' was not what it was made out to be. I had, indeed, exchanged one awful problem for a different, and very grotesque, problem!

It was very hard to pick which part of my body I wanted to do the most. None of it looked good - 'good' wasn't even a word that could be used in the same sentence with my body, my body looked just horrible. Imagine losing almost 200 pounds and still being so terribly ashamed. How could I ever let anyone see my body in its present state?

When I went for my consultation, Dr. Hurwitz took many pictures - that was probably the hardest part. I was so very self-conscious about my body. I didn't even like having my husband look at me naked and here was a total stranger taking pictures of every inch of me! I got through it, and he didn't seem to be as shocked as I thought he would be. He was so nice, and I found that I could talk to him. He told me that there was a lot he could do - I could have a whole new body. If I wanted to proceed with the surgery on my stomach, we would certainly try to get insurance coverage, but he explained that I would not be satisfied with just stomach surgery. To make it look right, I would also have to have a lower body lift, which would include my legs and hips. He didn't like to do one without the other. It just wouldn-t be pleasing to the patient. When I left his office, I felt so hopeful, and I wanted so badly to have the surgery. My husband strongly encouraged me to go ahead with it. It was time for me to think of myself. He didn't think I would ever feel 'finished' without it. In a few days, with a little further encouragement, I called and set a surgery date!

It's what enabled me to get off this self-fulfilling cycle of unhealthy eating and yo-yo dieting. Weight loss surgery is often called a tool. How well you learn to use that tool is up to you."
J.



Qualifications

Master Innovator of the Total Body Lift!
Dr. Dennis Hurwitz, F.A.C.S., has positioned himself in the fields of plastic surgery and obesity surgery as one of the most respected practitioners of established techniques, and as an important innovator of safe, effective surgical advancements. Dr. Hurwitz of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has helped thousands of patients redefine their image by lifting a great weight off their shoulders, both literally and figuratively.

Dr. Dennis Hurwitz is the Clinical Professor of Surgery (Plastic) at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School and is the former director of the Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Center in Pennsylvania. He has been recognized as one of America's Top Physicians for specialist referrals and was the only plastic surgeon in Western Pennsylvania named in the 2001 Castle Connolly Guide. Dr. Hurwitz has innovated new techniques in obesity surgery, and is sought out worldwide, at his Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania office for the groundbreaking total body lift surgery.

Dr. Dennis Hurwitz is a diplomat to the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He is also a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the prestigious American Association of Plastic Surgeons. He was medical director of the University of Pittsburgh Cleft Palate/Craniofacial Center and had the largest active practice of cleft lip and cleft palate patients in the region. His cleft work gave him skills he applies in all areas of facial and body redesign. He has also been president of several city, state, and regional plastic surgery organizations, including the Allegheny County Medical Society. His devotion to his craft has led him to become not only a valued practitioner and innovator in medicine, but also a great teacher. He has lectured extensively in Pittsburgh and throughout the nation, on an impressive range of plastic surgery and obesity surgery subjects including the innovative total body lift. In Pennsylvania, he has taught both medical students and peers in plastic surgery and obesity surgery, and has published over 90 articles on procedures such as facelift, lipoaugmentation, body contouring and total body lift, ultrasonic liposuction, reconstructive surgery, and vascular malformations.

Since 1977, Dr. Dennis Hurwitz, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has devoted his life to plastic surgery and body contouring. For decades, patients from around the country have turned to Dr. Hurwitz to help them refine and rejuvenate their appearance through cosmetic surgery. Now, Dr. Hurwitz is opening plastic surgery centers nationwide so that even more people can benefit from his unique, powerful integrated surgical approach. Dr. Hurwitz is extending his expertise through the plastic surgeons he has trained to now serve at each Hurwitz Center for Plastic Surgery location.

Dr. Hurwitz is frequently invited by plastic surgery organizations worldwide to present special lectures and to demonstrate surgery at their meetings and seminars. His scientific and technical advances are regularly published in outstanding peer reviewed journals. Patients from all walks of life seek out Dr. Hurwitz for his unparalleled skill in performing facelift, lipoaugmentation, breast augmentation, skin rejuvenation, body contouring, and other complex procedures. As Clinical Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, he assisted in the training of over 125 skilled plastic surgeons. A select few practice at Hurwitz Centers.

Recent International Speaking
After performing a facelift on live television in Istanbul, Turkey and lower body lift on live television in Haifa, Israel, Dr. Hurwitz gave a presentation about his signature Total Body Lift procedure during the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation Cruise, traveling from St. Petersburg, Russia to Stockholm, Sweden. In August of 2007, Dr. Hurwitz was selected to speak at the Harvard University Grand Rounds.

Dr. Hurwitz gave a keynote presentation on Breast Reshaping and a Master Course on Brachioplasty at the annual IMCAS ( International Master Course on Aging Skin) in Paris January 2008. Dr. Hurwitz was an invited speaker for the body contouring seminar sponsored by Johnson & Johnson at the annual meeting of EURAPS ( Europe Association of Plastic Surgeons) in Madeira, Portugal in June 2008.

Procedures

Breast Procedures

  • Breast Augmentation
  • Breast Lift
  • Breast Reduction
  • Scarless (Transumbilical Breast Augmentation)

Body Procedures

  • Total Body Lift
  • Abdominoplasty
  • Liposuction
  • Thighplasty
  • Arm Lift

Face Procedures

  • Facelift
  • Rhinoplasty
  • Eyelid Surgery
  • Chin Implant Surgery
  • Browlift
  • Cleft Lip and Palate Repair
  • Lipoaugmentation

Non-Surgical Procedures

  • FotoFacialTM Skin Rejuvenation
  • Restylane®
  • Sculptra®
  • BOTOX® Cosmetic
  • ThermageTM

Med Spa

  • Full Range of Medical and Cosmetic Skin and Hair Care
  • Microdermabrasion
  • Triniti® Facial Treatments
  • FotoFacial RF® Color Correction
  • Matrix IR® Wrinkle Reduction
  • ReFirme® Skin Tightening
  • Lumenis Fotofacial®
  • Thermage®
  • Permanent Makeup
  • Botox®
  • Injection of Fillers
  • Restylane®
  • Perlane®
  • Juvéderm®
  • Radiesse®
  • Scupltra®
  • ArteFill®
  • Cyber-relax Multi-sensory Mechanical and Air Solution Massage
  • MedX Superluminous Diode (SLD) and Low Level Laser (LLLT) Treatments
  • Hivamat Vibratory therapy and Lymphatic Massage
  • VelaShape® Body Contouring
  • BodyTite Radio Frequency Assisted Liposuction (RFAL)
  • VelaShape® Cellulite Reduction
  • LifeStyle Fitness and Age Management
  • HCG hormone with Restrictive Diet Program
  • Endermologie®
  • ElōsTM Hair Removal
  • Leg Vein and Vascular Treatment
  • Stress Management
  • Psychological Testing and Counseling