[I posted this review on Dr. Tholen’s RealSelf, figured I’d post it here too]

So I have debated writing a review for a long while, but seeing as I’ve now decided to pursue a revision, I thought I’d share my bad experience with Dr. Tholen.

Background: I had an MTF breast augmentation in Spring of 2019 with Dr. Tholen. Everything seemed great, I was excited, the consult was nice and he was nice and seemed really experienced and knowledgeable, so I was thrilled. At my final pre op appointment, I decided on 520cc of cohesive silicone gel, through an incision in the crease.

The day of surgery, I got there bright and early and was so excited and so ready to have the boobs of my dreams! After some intake forms and going over aftercare, the anesthesiologist came in and put the IV needle in my arm (not connected to anything as I was still signing forms and stuff) I was nervous, and dr. Tholen was telling me it was gonna be great and I’d love my results.

So finally, the time came for dr. Tholen to mark my boobs and prepare for surgery, so my mom was excused from the room and it was just dr tholen and I. While he marked me up, he asked me (verbatim) “so if we have to, should we go bigger or smaller?” And I was confused. I asked if we couldn’t do my requested size (520cc) and he replied “just in case, would you want me to go bigger or smaller?” Mind you, I had the IV in my arm, this is moments before surgery. I was given meds, I was nervous, scared, young, and vulnerable. I told him “bigger I suppose, but is there a problem with the size I wanted?” And he told me no (this was red flag number 1) So I was confused but blinded by the excitement of it all and tried to brush it off.

So I get brought into surgery and then I’m out. I wake up to a nurse saying the surgery went well and dr. Tholen was able to fit 600cc in my boobs (when I only wanted 520cc). My mom was furious that he didn’t consult with anyone and just did that without any formal decision being made.

So the first couple months or so of recovery go by, everything is fine, but I was a little burnt about the size because although 80cc isn’t a HUGE difference, it was more than I wanted and I felt they were too big for my frame.

Around 2.5 months post op is where the real problems come in. I started seeing little lines around my nipples like a kid’s drawing of a sun. I called and they said it was probably stretch marks and to use vitamin e oil on them. Along with that, I noticed my scars starting to become wider and raise and they were really red. I addressed all of this at my next appointment and dr. Tholen brushed it off and said I looked amazing. I was nervous but he said it would 100% resolve itself.

Over the next few months, my stretch marks worsened to the point where my entire boobs were covered in thick, prominent, bright stretch marks, and my scars became enormous. At post op appointments, dr. Tholen continued to do nothing even after describing my scars as (and I quote) “angrily hypertrophic”. He continued to tell me over and over that this was normal and would resolve at around a year post op.

Throughout all of my post op appointments (around 8, if my memory serves me correctly) Dr. Tholen repeatedly talked about online reviews and how people would leave bad reviews and had never been a patient of his. He CONSTANTLY kept telling me to leave reviews on google, RealSelf, yelp, etc. he harassed me about it to the point where I left an amazing review on RealSelf, saying he was amazing and I loved my results (even though I’d hated them by that point) just to get him off my back about it. I’m not exaggerating when I say half of the time spent in post op appointments were talking about leaving him reviews. I feel like that’s why he has so many good reviews, because he just breathes down his patient’s necks about it

At about 6-9 months post op, is where it started to REALLY go bad. My stretch marks and scars had gotten worse, and now that my breasts had started to settle, I noticed how deformed they were. I could see the outline of a huge implant and the tiny bit of natural breast tissue I had that couldn’t cover it. My breasts drifted far apart, and they looked awful.

At my next (and final) appointment with dr. Tholen, I brought up these concerns. He said my problems progressed to where it would take my breasts 1-2 years to fully heal, as opposed to the normal 6-12 months. I was upset and he still wasn’t doing anything to help the scars, stretch marks, and he didn’t acknowledge the obvious deformities. He gaslit me at every appointment, and it infuriated me. But I tried to just keep it cute, and trust him.

As I walked out of that last appointment, I walked towards the lobby, and overheard him speaking into a little tape recorder saying my full name, and saying my case was “amazing, everything is going flawlessly, her results are perfect, no complications” and that’s when I knew Dr. Tholen was lying. To not even acknowledge the obvious complications is so scummy. I decided I would not be coming to him for my breast exams or follow ups anymore.

So months passed and I pursued a different surgery with a different surgeon in MN and that went great. So I asked if he could take a look at my breasts and he agreed. He said the type of implants were wrong for my breast size, the implants were way too big for how much breast tissue I had, resulting in the stretch marks and deformed appearance, the scars should’ve been treated with steroid injections or SOMETHING to stop them from worsening, and they were really far apart. I was relieved to hear a second opinion and finally not feel like I was crazy! So my new surgeon gave me steroid injections and talked to me a bit about revision options (that I’m looking into now) this was a couple months ago so the steroid injections have done the maximum they will probably do.

I’m now about 1.5 years post op, and I absolutely hate my boobs. The stretch marks are faded but still there, the steroid injections helped the scars be less raised, but they’re still extremely wide (over a half an inch thick), and very dark. The deformities are the same if not worse. I have not noticed ANY changes in my boobs since about 10 months post op, so I think what I have now is what I’m stuck with.

So all in all, what I have to say about Dr. Tholen is this: he went bigger than I wanted and took advantage of me moments before surgery to do so, he neglected my concerns post op and that lead to them worsening GREATLY, he bullied me into writing a review for him, he gaslit me, and he overall did terrible work. PLEASE think twice when you read his amazing reviews. I’d bet money that he annoyed and harassed patients into writing them, just like me.

To my trans sisters, DO NOT GO TO DR. THOLEN. I question his experience with trans patients and wonder if he claims to specialize in MTF surgeries just for a quick cash grab.

Dr. Tholen was sketchy, unprofessional, and did a horrible job not only on my breast augmentation, but also on the aftercare. I truly should have tried to sue for my money back, because I cannot believe this is the work of a board certified surgeon with decades of experience. I honestly wish I had never gotten a boob job. My breasts before made me dysphoric and depressed, but my current boobs are so much worse.

Do not go to Dr. Tholen. He absolutely botched me. I wish I could give him less than 0 stars for all the distress, self loathing, and complications he has caused me.