What a case study includes
| Element | What it covers |
|---|---|
| The starting point | The concern and goals in the patient’s words |
| The plan | Why this procedure, and what was ruled out |
| The procedure | What Dr. Polynice did, in plain language |
| Recovery | What healing actually asked of them |
| The result | Consented photos and an honest reflection |
The Santa Barbara Face & Body case studies are long-form stories of real, consenting patients in Santa Barbara, California, written by Dr. Alain Polynice, a board-certified plastic surgeon. Each follows one patient from first consultation through the plan, procedure, and recovery to the final result, showing the reasoning and honest trade-offs behind an outcome.
The case studies go further than a gallery by telling the full story behind a result. Each is an individual account of a real Santa Barbara Face & Body patient who has consented to share their experience, written by Dr. Alain Polynice, a board-certified plastic surgeon focused on the breast and body. A case study covers the patient’s starting concern and goals, why a particular procedure was chosen and what was ruled out, what the surgery involved, what recovery was genuinely like, and the final result with consented photographs. Because every patient is different, individual results vary.
Why case studies, not just photos
A photo answers “what,” a story answers “why” and “how.”
- The reasoning. Why this procedure suited this patient, and what was ruled out.
- The trade-offs. What the honest choices were, including staging and timing.
- The recovery. What healing actually asked of them, not a highlight reel.
- The judgment. How a Mayo Clinic-trained surgeon thinks through a real case.
A note on honesty
Every case study is a real patient who gave written consent to share their story and photos; none is invented, composited, or embellished. Stories include the honest parts, the trade-offs and the recovery, not only the flattering ones, because that is what actually helps someone decide. Because anatomy, goals, and healing differ, another patient’s story predicts the shape of a journey, not a guaranteed result for you.
Why Santa Barbara Face & Body
Case studies are where Dr. Polynice’s approach is most visible: the reasoning, the honest staging, and the candor about what a procedure can and cannot do. Many stories are revision and post-weight-loss journeys, exactly the complex cases where judgment matters most, and where a real account is more useful than a single photo. Written by the surgeon who did the work, these are the practice’s thinking made transparent.
How to use these
Worth reading if you
- Want to understand the reasoning behind a result, not just see it
- Are weighing a complex case such as revision or post-weight-loss
- Want an honest picture of recovery before you commit
- Prefer transparency to a highlight reel
Keep in mind
- Each story is one patient; yours will be your own
- Individual results and recovery vary
- Your plan is set at a consultation, not from a story
What it costs
Procedures described in case studies are quoted by the plan, not by a shelf price, and no prices are published on the site. You will have clear pricing in writing at your consultation.