Plastic Surgery Cosmetic Surgery

Chemical peel uses a chemical solution to improve and smooth the texture of the facial skin by removing its damaged outer layers. It is helpful for those individuals with facial blemishes, wrinkles and uneven skin pigmentation. Phenol, trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and alphahydroxy acids (AHAs) are used for this purpose.

Phenol is the strongest of the chemical solutions and produces a deep peel. A phenol peel is mainly used to accomplish the following: (more…)

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.

Breast reduction is a type of plastic surgery esthetic surgery that will reshape a woman�s breast to be smaller. This is often desired by women who have very oversized breasts. There is actually a medical term for this: hypertrophy. This can happen when a female enters puberty or soon after. It can happen very quickly, as the breast will grow and enlarge to the point that a female can feel uncomfortable; a woman may have issues with back pain, as well. It is not known why this condition happens, but with breast reduction cosmetic surgery, this can be treated and a woman can have a more normal shape and the extra weight that her back was having to support will be removed.

Many women seek breast reduction surgery because of oversized breasts, a condition that is medically known as breast hypertrophy. Breast hypertrophy typically occurs in both breasts and happens at puberty or soon afterward. Sometimes the over enlargement of breasts occurs during pregnancy and then the enlargement persists. Although rare, the sudden onset of breast enlargement does occur. Plastic surgery - esthetic surgery can treat these conditions. The cause of over-enlarged breasts is unknown. These articles provide information about the procedure and what makes a good candidate for breast reduction surgery.

Breast reduction surgery is for women who have large breasts and want to resolve one or more of the following associated problems:

• Chronic back, neck and shoulder pain
• Poor posture
• Skin rash under the breasts
• Deep grooves in the shoulders from bra strap pressure
• Restricted levels of activity
• Low self-esteem
• Difficulty wearing or fitting into certain bras and clothing

You can have breast reduction surgery at any age, but it’s generally advisable to wait until you’re at least age 20, by which time your breasts are likely to be fully developed. However, sometimes surgery is performed in teens who suffer significant emotional and psychological effects of having too-large breasts.
If you want children, consider postponing breast reduction surgery until you’ve had them. Changes to breast tissue during pregnancy could alter your surgical results. Also, after the surgery, breast-feeding may be difficult.

Male breast reduction
Breast reduction surgery is not only an option for women. Some men who have large breasts, may need to have a breast reduction, which is a procedure called a gynaecomastia. Unlike the female breast reduction - which is carried out to both reduce and reshape the breasts - male breast reductions are usually required to flatten the breast area.
Large breasts in men are often believed to be a result of obesity, but this is not the only cause. Men, like women, can have an abnormal growth of glandular breast tissue, usually due to a hormonal imbalance. Some studies have shown that male breast growth could be as a result of high levels of the female hormone oestrogen being present in their bodies. Other causes of male breast enlargement include:

• excessive alcohol intake,
• use of certain drugs, particularly anabolic steroids (often used by body builders), and
• dramatic weight loss, causing skin to sag.

The surgical procedure for male breast reduction is exactly the same as the procedure carried out for women (see how it is performed section). However, the male operation usually only takes an hour. The recovery time is also the same (see recovery section), with men needing to wear an elastic garment (sometimes referred to as a pressure garment) for up to four weeks after the operation. The elastic garment helps to encourage smooth results.

Consultation with the surgeon
Before the breast reduction operation you should always have a consultation with the surgeon who will operate on you. This is your chance to ask questions about the operation. It is a good idea to bring a list of your questions to the consultation.
The surgeon will also give you advice on how best to prepare for the operation. If you are overweight, you may be advised to lose weight beforehand. Smokers will be advised to give up because smoking increases the risks of surgery, including delayed healing.
With your permission, the surgeon will also photograph your breasts for a confidential “before and after” reference image.
Many people find it helpful to take notes during the consultation, bring a friend for support, or tape-record the consultation. This is completely normal (and often encouraged by the surgeon).

The breast reduction operation
If you decide that you want to have the operation you will be asked to sign a consent form. This is to show that you are aware of what the procedure involves, including the possible risks, and give your permission for it to go ahead.
Breast reductions are carried out under a general anaesthetic. You will need to stay in the hospital overnight after the operation and sometimes for longer.
Your surgeon or the hospital will give you advice about recovery, including what home arrangements to make and who to contact if complications occur. You will need to wear a special, supportive bra for a few weeks after the operation.
Side-effects
These are the unwanted, but usually temporary effects of a successful procedure.

• You may feel sick as a result of the general anaesthetic or painkillers.
• There will be some pain and discomfort for a few days, and your breasts may feel tender and lumpy for weeks and even months after the procedure.
• You will always experience some scarring although this usually fades with time.
• You are also likely to lose sensation in the nipple, and this numbness may extend over part of the breast as well.
• It is unlikely that you will be able to breastfeed after a breast reduction, as your nipples are separated from the milk ducts in the operation.

Complications
Complications are unexpected problems that can arise during or after the procedure. Most people are not affected. However, in rare cases they can be severe and even fatal.
The major complications of any operation are:

• unexpected reaction to the anaesthetic
• excessive bleeding during or after surgery
• wound infection
• developing a blood clot, usually in a vein in the leg (deep vein thrombosis)

Specific complications of breast reduction include:

• occasionally, scars may stay thick, red and irritable for a long time
• rarely, abnormalities of the blood supply may result in loss of part, or even all, of a nipple
• breasts will always change shape slightly after the procedure, but occasionally the breasts may be more uneven than normal, or the nipples may not be level

Plastic surgeons use facial implants to improve and enhance facial contours. Frequently, these implants will help provide a more harmonious balance to your face and features so that you feel better about the way you look.
There are many implants available, manufactured from a variety of materials. They may help strengthen a jawline or bring the chin or cheekbones into balance with the rest of the face.
This brochure describes some of the facial implants currently available as well as the techniques for their use. It will familiarize you with these procedures but cannot provide all the details which may be relevant to your particular needs.
If you feel that one or more of the procedures described in this brochure may be of benefit, be sure to ask your plastic surgeon for more information.

Technique
The procedure follows a similar pattern for all facial areas. The surgeon makes a small incision near where the implant will be placed, either in a crease or inside the mouth at the gum/lip junction. Then a pocket is made in the facial tissue, the implant inserted, and the incision is stitched. The process generally takes 1-2 hours, usually with general anesthesia. The incision is bandaged or taped, and stitches are removed in 5-10 days (sutures placed inside the mouth will dissolve in a similar period of time). Sometimes facial implants are inserted at the same time as a facelift, nose or eyelid procedure is performed.

Am I A Candidate For a Face Implant?
You are a candidate for this procedure if you are in good physical and mental health. You should not expect perfection. Facial implants will not make you look like someone else. However, they will enhance your current features.

How Do I Know If a Face Implant is Right For Me?
When you sit down with your surgeon for your pre-operative consultation, he or she will ask detailed questions about your medical history. Among the things the surgeon will need to know is if you have had either cosmetic or reconstructive facial surgery before.
Additionally, he or she will want to know what you seek to change about your appearance and why you are unhappy with your features. Are there other surgeries you want or need to have done, such as a facelift, forehead lift, or other cosmetic procedure?
If you have dental problems, you will need to let your surgeon know about these.

How Are Facial Implants Done?
During your pre-operative consultation, you and your surgeon will decide together whether you’ll have local anesthesia with an oral sedative to help you relax or general anesthesia (which means you’ll be put to sleep).
In most cases, facial implant surgery is completed on an outpatient basis in a hospital, your surgeon’s office or a surgical center. Your surgeon will make this determination based on your particular case.
The length of surgery will depend on which part of your face is affected, but it commonly lasts between one to two hours.