Dr. Craig A. Vander Kolk

Dr. Vander Kolk is the best plastic surgeon in Baltimore! My husband's friend is the past head of plastic surgery at the University of Miami and he recommended Dr Vander Kolk and I am so glad he did. I had 3 C-sections form 3 big boys and my stomach was a mess before my tummy tuck with Dr. Vander Kolk. Now it looks like it did when I was 21. I can't say enough on how much Dr. Vander Kolk is more than just a plastic surgeon, he is a healer. Thank you Dr. Vander Kolk!

Amazing plastic surgeon!!! Love his work and his bed side manor.

"Life changing" is the term I use when describing the effects cosmetic surgery has had for me after seeing Dr. Vander Kolk at Mercy. His name came up repeatedly when surveying clients at the salon where I work as one of the best in the business. His beautiful office is easily accessible, and his staff is professional and a pleasure to deal with. I'm so grateful he was highly recommended because now I've got my primary care doc for cosmetic surgery!

My name is Kelley Herford. I live in Annapolis, Maryland. I am 56 years old and had very bad luck when getting breast implants at the age of 27. I did not research surgeons properly, just went with a surgeon that was reviewed in the Los Angeles Times. I contracted a severe post op infection in my right breast. It had to be redone, and a new implant placed back in. It never healed and I had breast pain from that point forward. I also developed hardness, and I looked deformed. Because my experience was not a good one, I just left it alone, and swore I'd never go thru surgery again. The doctor was annoyed that he had to fix one breast. I remember crying on the table before he put me out. That made him very impatient. I was stunned. Fast forward almost twenty seven years, one pregnancy, and a rupture detected via breast ultrasound, on my right side. My problem side. My research began. I went to Johns Hopkins, U of Md., a local group in Annapolis, another Baltimore solo practice, and Dr. Craig Vanderkolk, at Mercy. I chose Dr. Vanderkolk for many reasons. First, I am in the health care industry with many contacts and friends that are physicians. Dr. Vanderkolks name always came up. His reputation was exceptional. He is professional, kind, competent, and quite humble. He made me feel the most comfortable, and my gut said he was the best. He assured me he could remove all my capsule, important to reduce my pain, and help to give me back symmetry. He also fit me in when he did not have to. I needed to have the surgery as soon as possible. He did not pass any judgement, and I'm sure at times I may have seemed to ask many many questions. The day of the surgery I was greeted by a staff that could not have been more kind. The nurses, anesthesiologist, recovery team, were outstanding. I was very nervous and praying for a good outcome. As soon as the doctor came in, he immediately put me at ease. His confidence in my procedure helped me to relax. This is a surgery that requires general anesthesia, and quite a bit of time, and patience. I'm not sure another physician would have worked as hard as Dr. Vanderkolk to get this right. He did. I can't tell you how happy I am. With the lift I received, and one breast smaller than the other, naturally, he was determined to make me even. I cannot believe how good they look, implant free. I am referring him to many of my friends. I would not hesitate to go back, if another procedure is in my future. It gives me great pleasure to refer such a solid individual. And, gifted surgeon. Sincerely, Kelley Anne Herford January, 2017

As a patient of Dr. Vander Kolk, I recommend him highly to anyone considering plastic surgery. In fact, I may be uniquely qualified to provide a recommendation; in addition to operating on me, he has also been the plastic surgeon for my mother, my sister, and my friend. Between the four of us we have had no less than seven procedures performed by Dr. Vander Kolk. These procedures included tummy tucks, facelifts, and upper eyelid surgery. My first operation was a tummy tuck with liposuction approximately 10 years ago when he worked in a different hospital. I found him to be very professional in his approach and I appreciated his patience when addressing my questions about the surgery and recovery period. At no time did I ever feel rushed or pressured to make a decision. Not only was I thrilled with the results, but I was pleasantly surprised that my recovery was essentially pain-free. Although there was some level of discomfort, it was nothing compared to what I had imagined. In fact, I was able to sweep and mop my kitchen floor the day after surgery. Ten years later I continue to be extraordinarily pleased with the results - a flat abdomen was a very negligible scar. My only regret was that I didn't do it sooner. My second surgery was a mini facelift including upper eyelid surgery. Although Dr. Vander Kolk is now at Mercy, nothing much else has changed. He is as kind and caring as ever and now has the ability to take a picture of you and show you on the computer what type of results you can expect. After seeing the two facelifts he performed on my mother over the past 20 years, I was confident that he would make me look younger while being conservative in his approach. I have not been disappointed. Even a friend who tried to talk me out of the surgery, ("You don't need a facelift yet!") agrees that the results are fantastic. Most people who don't know that I underwent went surgery just comment that I look like I lost weight or got a different hairstyle. Dr. Vander Kolk met with me twice before the day of my facelift to go over the details, answer my questions, and refine his plan. Several hours after the surgery he called my husband to find out how I was doing and called in an additional prescription to the pharmacy when he learned that my nausea was a bit of a problem. He even came to my house the following day to change my dressings so I didn't have to get someone to drive me to the hospital! When he came dressed in a suit I joked with him that he didn't have to dress up for me but it turns out he had just come from seeing patients at a local veterans’ hospital. And this was on a Saturday! How you could find another plastic surgeon as gifted and devoted to his patients is beyond me. I feel extraordinarily grateful to have someone of his caliber in our community. Finally, I think it is worth mentioning that my recovery from the facelift was extremely easy. In fact, I can say that I felt no pain afterwards despite the fact that the only pain medicine I could keep down was Tylenol. I took a few Tylenol each day for the first three days in an effort to avoid getting any pain but then stopped on Day 4 when I realized I didn't even need it. I made a short video every day for the first week to document my experience in case any of my friends were interested in having the procedure in the future. In fact, on Day 3 after my surgery I video-taped myself while I took my dogs for a walk in the woods! Of course this is just one patient's experience and everyone recovers at a different rate. However, in my mind, Dr. Vander Kolk's skill in performing my surgery played the biggest role in making my recovery what it was. I will always be thankful that I chose Dr. Vander Kolk as my plastic surgeon and am happy to describe my experience to anyone else considering surgery.