Plastic Surgery Cosmetic Surgery

After pregnancy or substantial weight loss, many people find their abdominal muscles are weak and the skin in that area has become looser. Despite exercise and diet, this may be difficult to shift and can cause self-consciousness and anxiety. During the procedure the muscles can be tightened and excess skin removed, leaving a firmer flatter abdomen. Tummy tucks are becoming more popular than ever, experienced Surgeons can achieve some excellent results. (more…)

The effects of aging are inevitable, and, often, the brow and forehead area show the first signs. The skin begins to lose its elasticity. Sun, wind, and the pull of gravity all affect the face, resulting in frown lines, wrinkling across the forehead, and an increasing heaviness of the eyebrows. Even people in their thirties may have faces that look older than their years. Your tired, angry, or sad expression may not reflect how you actually feel. As a result, many people have opted for a procedure known as the forehead lift. Based on variations in how men and women age and on new advances in medical technology, different methods are used to perform this procedure. (more…)

Liposuction is among the top elective cosmetic procedures in the United States. Of course, liposuction is not only sought out in the U.S., it is a very popular procedure throughout the entire cosmetic surgery world. For this reason, many doctors who are not qualified or skilled in this procedure are using it to increase their pocket books, when they shouldn’t be performing it at all. I designed this website to assist other patients in learning about their options in liposuction and other fat removal procedures. I want you to feel comfortable with your choices and have provided this website with the goal of educating the public without sugarcoating the reality of liposuction. While it can truly improve the appearance of your body, it can also cause it to look worse if you do not choose your surgeon correctly, if you are not a good candidate, or if your fat percentage moderately increases afterwards. (more…)

Laser Skin Resurfacing

In the last half of this century, men and women have had more leisure time to spend outdoors than in previous generations. Many hours spent on outside recreations and the prevalence of both summer and winter vacations, have all taken their toll on people’s skin. Premature wrinkling is more common now than ever before. Both men and women seek facial plastic surgery to reverse the effects of sun damaged skin. Surgery may also improve the pitted look of acne scars and remove pre-cancerous skin growths called keratoses.

If you’ve ever wished that you could “renew” your complexion to make it smoother and more even-toned, laser resurfacing may be a good option for you. Cosmetic laser resurfacing, also called “laser peel”, is a procedure that smoothes the facial skin by using a laser to refinish damaged areas and shrink fine wrinkles. The result is a fresher, smoother complexion

Laser resurfacing is a relatively new treatment for reducing facial wrinkles and skin irregularities, such as blemishes or acne scars.
The technique directs short, concentrated pulsating beams of light at irregular skin. Laser skin resurfacing removes skin very precisely, layer by layer, resulting in fewer problems with hypopigmentation (lightening of skin). This popular procedure is known by several other names, including lasabrasion, laser peel or laser vaporization.

The laser procedure

A laser can treat large areas of the body in a short amount of time, which totally beats out the tedious and sometimes painful process of electrolysis. It is an outpatient procedure with no downtime. However, several treatments are needed because hair grows in three distinct cycles.
• First, the active or growth cycle (anagen); next
• The dormant cycle (catagen) and, finally,
• The fall-out or shedding cycle (telogen).

Laser hair removal is most effective during the anagen or growth cycle. Your hair is at different stages all the time, so the procedure must be repeated to “capture” hair when it is in the growth phase.

The pigment in the hair follicle absorbs the laser light and converts the light to heat. The heat, in turn, damages the follicle and destroys its ability to re-grow. With more advanced lasers, your skin is compressed and cooled. So you can see that in the right hands and with the right tools, the procedure can be very effective.

It’s important to remember that not all lasers and not all practitioners are the same. If you routinely need to remove hair the “old fashion method” it is time to investigate laser hair removal. This may be the answer you have looking for. This technique is good for underarms, face, legs, back and most other skin surfaces.

Laser Skin Resurfacing - Aftercare

After the procedure, any treated areas are dressed for healing. Surgeons are divided on whether the wound should remain open or closed (covered) during the healing process. For example, surgeons that adopt a closed procedure can use a dressing that is primarily hydrogel held on a mesh support to cover the wound. This kind of dressing is changed daily while the epithelium (outer layer) is restored. Open wound care involves frequent soaks in salt water or dilute acetic acid, followed by application of ointment. Whatever wound treatment is used, it is important to keep the healing skin hydrated.

Full restoration of the epithelial layer occurs in seven to 10 days after treatment with a carbon dioxide laser and three to five days after treatment with a Er:YAG laser, although redness can persist for many weeks afterward.

The body lift, also known as a belt lipectomy or lower body lift, improves the appearance of the abdomen, thighs, and buttocks. The operation is performed typically to remove excess skin and fat following massive weight loss. It can also be performed to fight the effects of aging and childbearing, including excess skin, cellulite, and sagging fatty tissue. Some patients also select body lift surgeries to improve the results of gastric bypass, panniculectomy, or liposuction.

The body lift procedure is performed on post bariatric patients as well as patients who have not had weight loss. The body lift transforms patients that have experienced massive weight loss and have excess skin. However, results are just as dramatic in patients who in addition to a tummy tuck want a tightening of the skin in their thighs and buttocks. The body lift (belt lipectomy) has the advantage that it can be done in one surgical session, or in stages, depending on the patients needs.

Body Lift Consultation

At the initial consultation for a belt lipectomy / body lift, your goals and expectations about the surgery will be discussed in detail. An individual decision as to the most appropriate technique(s) to be used will be made and the advantages of each technique will be discussed. Informational material and discussion will allow you to have a clear understanding of the belt lipectomy and body lift procedure.

The Lower Body Lift Procedure

This procedure is a big operation. It usually lasts about 6 hours and the patient has significant bleeding when compared to other plastic surgery, esthetic surgery procedures. Therefore, I request patients to have either themselves or relatives donate a total of 2 pints of blood that will be given back to them during the operation. Also, this is the only procedure that I require my patients to stay in the hospital for two days.

Conceptually, a lower body lift procedure is simple to understand. Imagine removing a 6 inch belt of skin around your waistline and lifting the lower body to fill the gap. This is a simplistic rendition of what a lower body lift accomplishes. This procedure will tighten the abdomen, waist, hips, buttocks, and outer thighs. It will not improve the inner thighs but it can be combined, in the appropriate patient, with an inner thigh lift, to accomplish a complete lower body enhancement.

The scar in this operation is of major concern. The location varies depending on the patient, but it usually resembles a bikini bottom pattern. Because of the high satisfaction that this procedure yields, patients are accepting of the extensive circumferential scar.

Recovery

Recovery from the body lift can be painful and extended. Patients have tubes and drains left in their skin for one to two weeks post surgery to drain any tissue fluid or blood. They are encouraged to walk right away, and progressively move more as days pass. Most patients resume normal activity in four to six weeks after body lift surgery.

Body lift complications

Hematoma: Small collections of blood under the skin. Typically absorbed spontaneously by the body. Larger hematomas may require aspiration, drainage, or even surgical removal to achieve best results.

Inflammation and Infection: A superficial infection may only require antibiotics. Development of an abscess can require drainage. Infection can affect the body’s ability to heal properly.

Thick, wide, or depressed scars: Some areas of the body scar more easily than others. Scarring can also depend on an individual’s genetic makeup. Unsightly scars can often be revised surgically.

Wound separation or delayed healing: Any incision, during the healing phase, may separate or heal unusually slow for a number of reasons. If delayed healing occurs the final outcome is not usually affected, but may require secondary revision surgery.

Sensitivity or allergy to dressings or tape: Most allergies are mild, but in extremely rare circumstances allergic reactions can be severe and require aggressive treatment or even hospitalization.

Injury to deeper sutures: Blood vessels, nerves and muscles may be injured during surgery, though this occurrence is very rare.

Loss of nipple sensation: Nerves that supply skin or nipple sensation may be cut or damaged while the pocket of space for the breats implant is being created. Although this does not happen routinely, it can happen no matter how carefully the surgery is performed. If sensory loss occurs, the nerves slowly recover over a period of one to two years in about 85% of the cases.