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Facts on Abdominoplasty

Jun 16

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Abdominoplasty or most commonly known as “tummy tuck” is an invasive plastic surgery that removes excess skin and fat from the midsection and surgically tightens the abdominal muscles. This is an in-patient hospital procedure which takes from 2 to 6 hours under general anesthesia. Patient stays in the hospital from 5 to 7 days.

The surgical approach of the tummy tuck operation involves a wide curvilinear incision from the left side to the right side, mobilization of the skin from the pubic region up to the ribs, and placing of drains. There are two options for a tummy tuck. It can be done partially or fully depending on what you have discussed with your surgeon.

For the complete abdominoplasty, your abdomen will be cut from hipbone to hipbone in this procedure, the option for those patients who require the most correction. The incision will be made low, at about the same level as your pubic hair.

Your surgeon will then manipulate and contour the skin, tissue and muscle as needed. Your belly button will have a new opening if you undergo this procedure, because it’s necessary to free your navel from surrounding tissue. Drainage tubes may be placed under your skin and these will be removed in a few days as your surgeon sees fit. On the other hand, mini-abdominoplasties are often performed on patients whose fat deposits are located below the navel and require shorter incisions. During this procedure, your belly button most likely will not be moved. Your skin will be separated between the line of incision and your belly button. This type of surgery may also be performed with an endoscope (small camera on the end of a tube). The procedure may only take up to two hours, again, depending on your own personal situation and the complexity of your needs.

Abdominal skin contracts remarkably after liposuction. If there is loose skin still remaining after 6 months, this can be easily removed as an outpatient surgery procedure under local anesthesia only. Abdominal liposuction entails less risk than a tummy-tuck and may be done as an outpatient procedure. The patient is able to walk around immediately after the procedure.
Like any other surgeries, abdominoplasty, in itself, has its own complications and possible side effects. Remember, this surgery affects a very crucial part of your body. Though they’re rare, complications can include infection, bleeding under the skin flap or blood clots. You may carry an increased risk of complications if you have poor circulation, diabetes or heart, lung or liver disease. You may also experience insufficient healing, which can cause more significant scarring or loss of skin. If you do heal poorly, you may require a second surgery. The scars from a tummy tuck are fairly prominent and though they may fade slightly, they will never completely disappear. Your surgeon may recommend certain creams or ointments to use after you’ve completely healed to help with the scars.

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Facts in Buttocks Augmentation

Jun 16

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Buttocks augmentation is also known as buttocks enlargement or butt implants. This surgery is frequently sought by women who are unhappy with the size of their buttocks. Some feel their buttocks lack shape, while others want to have a more sensuous backside by making them larger and rounder.

There are two ways to do a buttock augmentation, fat transfer or a buttocks implant. With buttock implant surgery, the implant is rounded, anatomically similar to a teardrop or oval, and shaped like an egg. The implants are placed systematically between layers of muscle (Subgluteal) or even Sub or suprafascial. Fat grafting on the other hand is a technique which uses your own fat from the abdomen or thighs using Liposuction. The fat is then processed and then used to sculpt and contour your buttocks to the desired shape and size.

Patients should avoid sitting on the buttocks while healing from the surgery. With so much stress regularly placed on this area, patients may experience great pain during the recovery period. Bruising, swelling pain, and some discomfort may occur. Buttock implant patients will not be able to lie on their backs for about 2 weeks. Most surgeons recommend wearing a compression garment to hold down swelling. A patient who had butt augmentation may go back to work after 2 weeks. Pain, bruising and some discomfort may occur. Buttock implant patients will not be able to lie on their backs for about 2 weeks. Most surgeons recommend wearing a compression garment to hold down swelling. A patient who had butt augmentation may go back to work after 2 weeks.

A good candidate for a buttock implant is the one who is in good health overall, a non-smoker, a person who is willing to follow all recovery recommendations and has realistic expectations. An ideal candidate for any type of cosmetic surgery will understand that cosmetic surgery is intended as a means of enhancement. A Buttock Augmentation / Enhancement with implants can have very dramatic results depending on the patient, but individuals should be realistic about the results they can achieve through surgery.

The same with other surgeries, it is crucial to look for a surgeon who could give the best results and who could make you feel comfortable all through out the process. It is very important to find a surgeon who had enough training and experience for this kind of surgery. Browsing for the before and after photos will also give you an idea of how a good a surgeon is. The price would always be a big factor for selecting a surgeon but always keep in mind that the surgeon’s experience and your comfort with him or her are just as important as the final cost of the surgery.

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Facts on Liposuction

Jun 16

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Liposuction is a very popular procedure for people who are struggling from unwanted fats. At times, after months of diet and exercise, it was still very difficult to reduce fat in problem areas of the body such as the thighs, hips, abdomen, and upper arms. Now, this is where liposuction comes in. In just few hours, reasonable amount of fat can be eliminated.

The concept of liposuction is surprisingly simple. It is a surgical technique that improves the body’s contour by removing excess fat from deposits located between the skin and muscle. Several types of liposuction procedures available, all of which use a wand-like instrument called a cannula (from the Latin word for reed, tube, cane) to remove unwanted fat. Tumescent liposuction involves the injection if a large amount of anesthetic into the area being treated; the wet and super-wet techniques are variations of this type of liposuction. In ultrasonic assisted liposuction (UAL), sound waves are used to liquefy the fat before it is removed. Power assisted liposuction (PAL) employs a motor-powered cannula, which allows the surgeon to use smaller movements and make the experience more comfortable for the patient.

If you are considering liposuction, it is important that you have realistic expectations. Although dramatic results can be achieved, they may not be as immediate or obvious as you would like. To be a good candidate for liposuction, you should be in good physical health, near your ideal body weight (only 10 or 20 pounds overweight) and have good skin elasticity. There are no age limits but older people has less elastic skin and therefore might get results that are worse then the younger patients. On the other hand, liposuction is not appropriate for people with a weakened immune system, diabetes, heart or artery problems, or a history of blood clots or restricted blood flow.

All surgery has some uncertainty and risk involved and liposuction goes the same as well. When performing liposuction, a doctor has a choice in the techniques he or she wishes to use. Each technique has its own benefits and risks. In this procedure, there is a risk of bleeding, infection, and blood clot formation in the legs. The removal of too much fat can result in too much blood loss. There is also a risk of too much of the fluids injected into the body being absorbed into the bloodstream.

The risks of liposuction can be reduced significantly by choosing the right doctor. When liposuction is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon, complications are infrequent and usually minor since he has the necessary training, skill and experience. If you follow your surgeon’s instructions closely both before and after surgery, you can also reduce your risks of complications.

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Facts on Nipple Reduction

Jun 16

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Nipple reduction surgery presents a safe, quick way to permanently address long or oversized nipples in men and women permanently. Large nipples may be long and protruding or merely have a very wide diameter. In either case, such prominent nipples are bothersome to women or men because they can be seen through clothes. Whatever the cause, correction is done for cosmetic reasons and to look a chest or breast look that does not stand out in clothes. Enlarged nipples rarely cause pain or any nipple discharge issues.

Nipple reduction can be done by several different simple methods, depending upon the shape and length of the nipple and to what degree of reduction that the patient wants. One method involves removal of the top of the nipple in a v-shaped wedge and then closing it with small dissolvable sutures. Another method involves removal of a strip of skin around the neck of the nipple which when sutured closed, reduces the height of the nipple by pushing a portion of the nipple back into the breast tissue. With either method, feeling in the nipple is not usually changed and the ability to breast feed is possible. The top reduction method can reduce the length of the nipple the most while the strip reduction method is designed to have the least potential for any effect on nipple function. Once reduced, the shortened nipple length will be preserved forever.

Nipple reduction surgery is a simple procedure that can be done under local anesthesia in the office. Once injected, the procedure is painless and done in less than one hour. Small incisions are made right on the nipple and the excess nipple tissue removed. Dissolvable sutures are used so there is no need for suture removal later. Band-aids are used for dressings. While easily done alone in the office, nipple reductions can also be done with other breast procedures such as breast augmentation, breast reduction, or breast lifts. When combined with these procedures, they are done in the operating room with the main breast procedure.

There really is no recovery time with nipple reduction. One can return to work or any other physical activity the same day. Showering and getting the nipples wet can be done the next day. Other than some mild nipple sensitivity, there is no swelling or bruising of any consequence. When compared to other cosmetic surgery procedures, nipple reduction is a relatively simple process with few risks. Nonetheless, it is still important to discuss the risks with your doctor and to be certain you are fully aware of these risks before moving forward with the procedure.

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Facts on Breast Reconstruction Surgery

Jun 16

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Breast reconstruction is a type of surgery for women who have had a breast removed or the so called mastectomy. This is a physically and emotionally rewarding procedure for a woman who has lost a breast due to cancer or other condition. The creation of a new breast can dramatically improve your self-image, self-confidence and quality of life. Although surgery can give you a relatively natural-looking breast, a reconstructed breast will never look or feel exactly the same as the breast that was removed. It actually does not have natural sensations.
Breast reconstruction takes more than one surgery. Extra steps may include adding a nipple, changing the shape or size of the reconstructed breast and operating on the opposite breast for a better match.

Breast reconstruction typically involves several procedures performed in multiple stages. It can begin at the same time as mastectomy or be delayed until you heal from mastectomy and recover from any additional cancer treatments.

A variety of reconstructive techniques are available that offer cosmetically-appealing results. Two most common are the skin expansion and flap reconstruction. By far the most common method, in skin expansion, the surgeon inserts a small balloon expander beneath the skin and periodically, over weeks or months, injects a saline solution to slowly expand the overlaying skin. Once the expander has reached an acceptable size, it may be removed and replaced with a more permanent implant. Reconstruction of the areola and nipple are performed in a separate operation after the skin has stretched to its final size.
The second most common procedure uses tissue from other parts of the patient’s body, such as the back, buttocks, thigh or abdomen. This procedure may be performed by leaving the donor tissue connected to the original site to retain its blood supply (the veins are tunneled beneath the skin surface to the new site) or it may be cut off and new blood supply may be connected. This procedure has the downside of leaving scar tissue in both the donor and breast area, but, since the donor is the recipient, tissue rejection is not an issue. Also, the patient may end up with a better contoured abdomen if that was the selected donor area.

Multiple factors, such as the patient’s goals, medical condition and previous surgery, are considered when choosing between reconstruction using breast implants or flaps of tissue moved from other parts of the body. The decision to have breast reconstruction surgery is extremely personal. You’ll have to decide if the benefits will achieve your goals and if the risks and potential complications are acceptable.

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Facts on Gynecomastia Surgery

Jun 16

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Gynecomastia, or enlarged male breasts, is a common condition for men. Man boobs really should not be viewed as being something abnormal, but rather something that is common, though undesirable. It is undesirable because it makes men reluctant to take their shirt off. Some wear two shirts everyday just to cover it up. Even thin men who work out regularly at the gym and otherwise have put the effort into developing bodies that would look good in tight shirts and sweaters cannot do so. Gynecomastia can make men who are just a few pounds overweight look much heavier than they really are. However, the good news here is that gynecomastia is highly treatable.

In the past, gynecomastia surgery was mostly done on teenage boys sent to plastic surgeons by their pediatrician. But in the past few years, the treatment of gynecomastia has finally become a mainstream. It is not just the weightlifters and teenagers with the really bad cases seeking male chest reduction but also men in their 20s and 30s with just enough extra tissue in their chest for them not to look as good as they should.

There are two methods for treating male chest enlargement: liposuction and excision. In the pre-liposuction era, the only thing to do was to cut out the tissue (“excision”), usually using a small incision around about half the diameter of the areola. This worked great when there was a small and well-demarcated and circumscribed gynecomastia mass under the areola. But it didn’t work well when there was fat spread throughout the chest. Liposuction is ideal for the reduction of fat, because fat is soft and is easily removed through the liposuction instrument which is known as the cannula. However, firm and glandular gynecomastia tissue cannot be removed by liposuction but needs to be excised.

Gynecomastia surgery is a highly individualized procedure and you should do it for yourself, not to fulfill someone else’s desires or to try to fit any sort of ideal image. This procedure is a good option for you if you are physically healthy and of relatively normal weight, you have realistic expectations, your breast development has stabilized and if you are bothered by the feeling that your breasts are too large.

Though gynecomastia is very safe and less risky than other surgeries, it is still important to choose a surgeon that you could trust and could make you feel comfortable all through out the process. When choosing a plastic surgeon for gynecomastia surgery, remember that the surgeon’s experience and your comfort with him or her are just as important as the final cost of the surgery.

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Facts on Breast Augmentation

Jun 16

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Breast Augmentation, also known as, augmentation mammoplasty is the type of plastic surgery that involves placing of silicone or saline breast implants either behind the breast tissue or beneath the chest muscle to add size, shape, and fullness to the breast. Breast augmentation can be performed to make smaller breasts appear larger, balance breasts that are asymmetrical, or restore fullness that has diminished with age or as a result of pregnancy. This procedure to enhance and increase the size of a woman’s breast is one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures.

The surgery consists of making an incision, lifting the breast tissue, creating a pocket in the chest/breast area, and placing an envelope containing a soft, natural feeling implant material underneath. Although several implants are available at the present time, the implant which is used nearly universally for augmentation purposes is made of a silicone rubber sack, which is filled with a saline solution. Under certain conditions, silicone gel implants can be used. There are a variety of implant designs, all of which have advantages and disadvantages. Your surgeon will discuss the choice of implant, reasons for the selection, and will review with you the size changes that are possible with the operation. The surgical time for a breast augmentation is dependent upon many factors including the surgical approach used, location of the breast implants, the patient’s anatomy, and type of anesthetic used. Generally, the procedure requires a range of 1-3 hours.

Selecting a breast surgeon is undoubtedly the most important decision a patient can make about her breast augmentation. In addition to being board certified and experienced in breast enhancement surgery, the surgeon should be someone the patient feels comfortable with. Good credentials provide a reasonable indication of a doctor’s qualification to perform cosmetic surgery, and should serve as the basic starting point. Patients should then ask the surgeon about his experience. How long has he been in practice and how many times has he done the procedure you are considering? The broader your surgeon’s experience are, the greater your chances for a successful surgery.

Breast augmentation is fairly safe, but no procedure is completely risk free. Some of the more common possible complications include postoperative infection, hematoma (a blood clot in the breast tissue requiring evacuation of the blood clot during a subsequent surgical procedure), implant rupture, deflation or leakage, capsular contracture, calcium deposits, changes in nipple or breast sensation, interference with mammogram readings, shifting of the implant.

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Facts on Forehead Lifting

Jun 16

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A forehead lift is a surgical procedure to correct sagging of the forehead skin, eyebrows, and upper eyelids. It can also help people with inherited conditions, such as furrowed lines above the nose or a droopy eyebrow. This procedure minimizes the creases that develop across the forehead or those that occur high on the bridge of the nose, between the eyes, improves what are commonly referred to as frown lines, vertical creases that develop between the eyebrows. It also repositions a low or sagging brow that is hooding the upper eyelid and raises the eyebrows to a more alert and youthful position.

The usual patients who undergo forehead lifts are within the age range of 40-60. They choose to have it in order to minimize the visible effects of aging. However, anybody from 20 years old and up, especially those who have developed furrows or frown lines due to stress or muscle activity, are also candidates for this procedure. Other good candidates are those who inherited conditions like low, heavy brow, or furrowed lines above the nose since this procedure can give them a more alert and refreshed look.

An incision is mostly done across the top of the scalp, beginning above the ears and hidden within the hair. Other times, the incision is at the front of the hairline or toward the middle of the scalp in some cases. Like most incisions, it is designed to be inconspicuous when healed.

Sometimes, a limited endoscopic procedure should be the one done to remove frown lines between your eyebrows or across the top of your nose. Alternatively, if you are having upper eyelid surgery performed to remove excess skin, it may also be enough to remove those frown lines. The whole procedure takes around 1 to 2 hours under a local anesthesia with sedatives.

The area is wrapped with a sterile padding and an elastic bandage to prevent bleeding and edema. You will feel numbness and temporary discomfort in the surgical site, which you can control with medication.
After the forehead lift surgery, you’ll keep your head raised for 2 – 3 days after surgery to prevent swelling. Bruising and swelling will occur around the eyes and cheeks, but should begin to disappear in a few days or a week.

As nerves re-grow, numbness of the forehead and scalp will be replaced with itching. It may take up to 6 months for these sensations to fully disappear. The bandages will be removed a day or two after surgery. Within 10 -14 days, the stitches or clips will be removed in 2 stages.

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Facts on Facial Implants

Jun 16

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If you are bothered by a small chin, weak jaw or lack of facial contour, plastic surgery with facial implants may benefit you. Facial implant surgery can help you balance disproportionate facial features, strengthen a weak jaw line, or accentuate your cheekbones to create a more youthful appearance. Through a facial implant, a plastic surgeon can aesthetically improve facial contours.

You are a candidate for a face implant if you stopped smoking several weeks before the surgery and if you are in good physical and mental health. A weakened jaw line, or the appearance of reduced bone structure, can be improved with facial implants. Implants may also work in other areas of the face. You should not expect perfection. Facial implants will not make you look like someone else. However, they will enhance your current features.

The procedure follows a similar pattern for all facial areas. It can be done to your chin, cheek or jaw depending on the areas that you would want to enhance. For a chin implant, the incision may be inside your mouth, along the crease that joins your lower lip and gums. An incision just beneath the chin is an alternative. On the other hand, for the jaw, the implants are generally placed through the mouth with incisions inside the mouth, further back along the jaw line, at the crease where the inside of your cheek and gums meet. Lastly, the specific area to be augmented in the cheek determines where an implant will be positioned on the cheekbone. Cheek implants are most often placed through incisions in the mouth. When performed with other procedures, alternate incisions may be recommended including placement through an incision inside the lower eyelid or one within the hairline.

Your incisions will be closed with absorbable sutures or stitches that will be removed within 1-2 weeks following your surgery. While the initial outcome of plastic surgery with facial implants is noticeable almost immediately, it will be obscured by visible swelling. It may take several months for swelling to fully dissipate.

As with any surgical procedure, infection may occur. If the infection persists, the implant may have to be removed and replaced at a later time. Shifting of the implant is another possibility. If the facial implant become slightly misaligned, a second procedure might be necessary to reposition it. Strenuous activity and rough contact to the implant area must be avoided for 4 to 6 weeks. Lastly, patients with gum or dental problems will want to confer with their dentist before and after the surgery.

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Facts on Dimple Creation

Jun 16

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Dimples on cheeks are considered cute by many but do you know that it is possible to create dimples on your face even if you don’t naturally have them? Yes it is possible through dimple creation surgeries. The demand for surgically created dimples is increasing. This is a safe and effective surgery and is done under local anesthesia as a day care procedure with permanent results.

So how exactly is a dimple surgically created? A punch biopsy instrument is placed against the buccal mucosa (inner cheek) and circular motions are made to cut through the mucosa, sub mucosal fat, and cheek muscle. A circular core composed of these tissues is removed, leaving the skin intact, which will create a shallow cylindrical-shaped defect under the skin.

This ‘defect’ then is closed by placing an absorbable suture through the cheek muscle on one side of the defect, then through the dermis layer of the skin and finally through the cheek muscle on the other side of the defect. A surgical knot is tied, which in turn will result in dimpling of the skin even without smiling.
The skin will, however, flatten out in a week or two when the suture is absorbed. The internal scarring which takes place will connect the muscle to the skin, creating a dimple when one smiles.

Dimple creation surgery can be done on any type or size cheek may it be chubby or not. It would be easier if the cheeks are not too chubby. If someone wants dimples that are very prominent, a bigger punch biopsy will be used to be able to remove a bigger core of soft tissue. You can also decide where the dimples will be, or you can have your surgeon decide with you where the most optimal place for the dimples should be on your face.

Though this dimple creation surgery is simple and proven safe and effective, possible side effects are still present just like other surgeries. There is usually minimal swelling after, and the after care steps are just as simple and uncomplicated as the procedure. The after care usually involves regular mouth rinsing with Betadine oral antiseptic solution or Bactidol (chlorhexidine) solution, and antibiotic intake. A liquid diet during this period would be ideal since chewing could be painful. The mouth should be rinsed regularly for a few days with oral antiseptic solutions to avoid infection. The patient would be able to move out of the hospital the same day after a few hours of rest. The patient could resume normal daily routine after about 10-15 days.

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