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A note from a Philippine plastic surgeon on the background of breast surgery

Sep 1

Posted by digitalmoz in Uncategorized | No Comments

Many people will say, ‘ ahh, that’s breast enhancement, that can be very harmful!’ or ‘breast surgery for flat chested people, right?’

With these statement people are either swayed with the negative perception on this specific cosmetic surgery procedure or misled because of misconception of so many people, so let me give you a bit of its background and the important ideas behind this procedure. I am expecting that in the end you will be thinking the other way around.

A lot of Philippine plastic surgeons will agree to me that this is not harmful at all if it’s done the way it should be done, so you may now take away the idea of it being harmful because, again, it’s not. It’s only for flat-chested girl; again, this is another wrong idea so might as well take that away from your because because even those with enormous front have their reason to go under this surgery. To better understand my point, please read the following facts about the procedure.

Breast surgery or breast augmentation can be surgical and the non-surgical mammoplasty procedures that correct and enhance the size, form, and feel of a woman’s breasts. This plastic surgery operation is usually done when the breast reaches its final size after puberty (ages 17-18) except for cases when there is congenital breast hypoplasia or breast asymmetry in which it can be done earlier (local regulations in Philippines may be applicable).

The procedure involves the placement of an implant behind the breast tissue of each breast or the underlying chest wall muscle. Breast Augmentation is done on an outpatient basis in an ambulatory surgery center and usually under general anesthesia.

There are a couple of options with regards to the location of the incision that will be relayed to the patient, which would be dependent on the individual variables of the breast anatomy and the type and size of implant that will be used.  Not all options are available to every patient.  The implant type, pocket placement and incision approach all have relative advantages and disadvantages.

These following are the different type of incisions:

Infra-mammary: incision is made in the fold under the breast, peri-areolar: incision is made around the nipple, trans-axillary with endoscopic assist: incision is made under the arm.

The size of an augmentation implant usually depends on the woman size and proportions, the average size is 300cc. As a result, a woman gets a more flattering bust line, improving her appearance and boosting her self-confidence with regards to her figure.

So what do you think now?

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The popularity of Abdominoplasty and the Philippine plastic surgeons

Aug 30

Posted by digitalmoz in Beauty and Health Tips, Cosmetic Surgery Blogs, Cosmetic Surgery Facts, Uncategorized | No Comments

One of the most common problems among figure-conscious individuals is keeping their tummy area in shape. Some would go through special diet and exercise and yet, they don’t get the result that they want.

Here in the Philippines, it is a common scene in almost all corners of the streets and in every public establishment the bulging tummies of either a man or a woman. Some of them, if you are to ask them, are already used to what they have in their stomach and they are contented with their condition so there is no point of having a difficult diet and exercise routines. However, some will still tell you that they are disturb with what they have. They, most of the time, feel the insecurity and the discomfort brought by their enormous belly, that’s why they are thinking of a lot of solutions just to get rid of all the fat deposits in their stomach.

A few will think of undergoing to a cosmetic surgery procedure. The reason? The danger it might bring to them and the amount that they might spend just for a single operation. But many surgeons, specifically Philippine plastic surgeons, will suggest that it depends to the credibility and the ability of the medical clinic and if people really want to have good result they should have faith and believe with the procedure. When it comes to its financial aspect, well you really have to invest on it because at the end of the day, you will realize it’s worth; the result will boost your moral and will bring you a more healthy lifestyle.

But do you know how the operation for this specific problem took place? Or do you even know what it is? Well, let me tell something about the procedure that many Filipinos are looking forward to: the Abdominoplasty procedure.

Abdominoplasty or commonly known as tummy tuck is an invasive plastic surgery that removes excess skin and fats from the midsection and surgically tightens the abdominal muscles.  It involves the surgery of the abdomen in which excess fatty tissue and skin are removed, resulting to a firm and smooth abdomen.

The abdomen will be cut from hipbone to hipbone in this procedure, the option for those patients who require the most correction, for the complete abdominoplasty. The incision will be made low, at about the same level as one’s pubic hair area. Contrary to popular belief, the belly button is not repositioned during tummy tucks. The navel stays where it is and the skin is just redraped around it. After redraping, the surgeon can even adjust the size of the belly button with a bit of nipping and tucking.

This is an in-patient hospital procedure which takes from 2 to 6 hours under general anesthesia. It is a major surgical procedure so the patient can expect a considerable recovery time as compared to other cosmetic surgery procedures. Most patients will require between one to three weeks before returning to work and assuming a normal schedule. Daily activities are also restricted for about 6 weeks to give time for the healing process to occur.

Abdominoplasty is becoming a popular plastic surgery in the Philippines. This became the best solution for many Filipinos and proved that having a small tummy will definitely change one’s lifestyle.

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More Liposuction Options Mean More Risks?

Feb 12

Posted by Dr. Edwin Magallona in Cosmetic Surgery Blogs, Cosmetic Surgery Facts | No Comments

In the recent reports, it has been said that liposuction has once again become the number one and the most in-demand plastic surgical procedure performed not only in the United States but as well as to the other parts of the world. Since the advent of liposuction, it has been actually the most frequently performed procedure for quite some time.

One main reason for this is the fact that liposuction cuts across various demographics. Both genders, male and female as well as people of all ages can undergo this surgical procedure. In this reason, I don’t think liposuction will diminish its popularity anytime soon especially with the recent discoveries of other types of liposuction.

In our present time, we now have different options for people who are thinking of going through liposuction. We now have the laser liposuction, water-jet liposuction and other in-office options. But when do more options mean more risks?

It is when some physicians who are not really qualified to do such procedures started to dominate the market. To please the masses, there are some who offers the easiest procedure such as Smartlipo and thus results to higher risks and complications. What many people fail to realize is that the companies making medical devices and products can market their wares to anyone, meaning that physicians who are not trained surgeons have access to all of these surgical devices.

This is why a lot of warnings are given available to public to avoid complications. Always keep in mind that different physicians have their own scope of practice and not all are allowed to do liposuction, breast augmentation and other sort of surgeries. As such, you should always be aware of the qualifications you have to look for when finding your cosmetic surgeon.

Make sure that he is a certified plastic surgeon and have at least 6 years of surgical training and experience, with at least three years in plastic surgery. He must also operate only in accredited medical facilities and adheres to a strict code of ethics.

The bottom line: Stay informed, do your due diligence, and make sure your physician is properly trained, board-certified, and has performed the procedures you are interested in for some time.

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The Evolution of Liposuction

Feb 10

Posted by Dr. Edwin Magallona in Cosmetic Surgery Blogs | No Comments

When liposuction was introduced, it became so popular but was confronting negative publicity due to patients experiencing excessive bleeding and undesirable rippling of the skin after surgery. But dermatologists all around the world did not stop developing liposuction techniques to lessen such negative effects.

Liposuction had become so popular that it drastically increased the interest in developing methods for non-invasive fat reduction. There were already various technologies that appear to offer hype than hope and some new entries are really showing great potential.

In 1985, a dermatologist named Dr. Jeffrey Klein invented the tumescent technique for liposuction which allowed patients to have liposuction performed totally by local anesthesia using much smaller cannulas. This invention tumescent technique then revolutionized liposuction surgery.

The new age lipolysis, also known as laser lipo, is another breakthrough in the history of liposuction. This technique makes use of laser to remove fat. Local anesthesia is administered prior to the treatment for this minimally invasive procedure. The results thus obtained in this procedure are better, faster and the least painful when compared to that of traditional liposuction. This also minimizes blood loss, prevents trauma and has a failing rate of less than 1%.

Together with the evolution of liposuction techniques, the incisions related to each had also evolved from being over an inch long to often barely an eight of an inch. Some procedures such as laser-assisted liposuction do not even have the need for incisions.

Even the location of incisions has also evolved. Plastic surgeons have learned to place the incisions in an area where it can become inconspicuous as possible after they heal. However, not all surgeons will place it inconspicuously so make sure to talk about it with your cosmetic surgeon.

Liposuction has indeed evolved in so many ways. Various techniques used for surgery now produced amazing results which helped a lot of people to gain more confidence about how they look. Patients could now have liposuction surgery without the fear of excessive bleeding and undesirable skin depressions.

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Breast Augmentation Surgery VS “Boob Jobs”

Feb 9

Posted by Dr. Edwin Magallona in Cosmetic Surgery Blogs | No Comments

Many women aren’t really satisfied with the size of their breasts. Those who have flat chest tend to find ways on how they can make them look larger hence making them more attractive.
Since the advent of breast augmentation surgery in the 1960s, thousands of women have enhanced their bodies with silicone and saline implants in different parts of the world. Breast augmentation surgery has become one of the most commonly performed cosmetic plastic surgical procedures.
But what is “boob jobs” and how do they differ from breast augmentation surgery?
These two terms seem to be so similar to each other but in the eyes of professional surgeons, boob jobs and breast augmentation differs a lot especially when it comes to results.

One reason why women are indecisive when it comes to breast surgeries is that they fear of having an obvious boob job where it is very easy for other people to tell a woman has had surgery.

According to Dr. Grant Stevens, a plastic surgeon in Los Angeles, breasts that don’t look augmented, but rather completely natural, are the ultimate goal for any breast surgeon and this is what makes an excellent breast augmentation different from the classic “boob job”.
An excellent breast augmentation surgery should look natural, feel natural and have natural shape. Such result looks as if those breasts could really occur in nature. Thus, making people argue on their mind as to whether or not those breasts are natural or surgically created.
A good breast augmentation result should have natural fullness and perkiness. It must also increase in size according to the size that the patient and cosmetic surgeon with. It can also improve asymmetry to some degree though there is really no pair of breast that is perfectly symmetrical.
However, though there are a lot of positive outcomes of breast augmentation, patients should always still have reasonable expectations. For example, cosmetic surgery in the Philippines had come a long with regards to cosmetic surgery, but still, the patient’s satisfaction on the result will still depend on his or her expectations.
Make sure therefore, to have a good communication to your plastic surgeon to discuss your desires and expectation. By listening to your surgeon’s feedback you can ensure that your expectations are realistic, which will make for a better outcome.

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Breast Reconstruction After the Battling with Cancer

Feb 7

Posted by Dr. Edwin Magallona in Beauty and Health Tips | No Comments

Few years ago, women who had breast cancer and undergone mastectomy had no option of having their breasts restored. This in turn causes low self esteem for those patients thinking that they will never become whole again.

But with the advance technology we have now cases for cancer patients are far more different. Every woman has the right to have breast reconstruction after breast cancer. After their battle, they deserve to still feel pretty and comfortable no matter what they have been through. Now this is where breast reconstruction surgery comes in. There is no age limitation for this procedure and with all the medical skills we have right now, different options are available for every survivor.

After mastectomy, immediate breast reconstruction can be performed at the same time. This method includes various advantages such as the preservation of the patients breast skin, shorter or less obvious mastectomy scar and waking up with a new breast already in place which can avoid the experience of a flat chest. In addition, it also provides the best results especially when done together with nipple-sparing or skin-sparing mastectomy.

Patients could also have delayed reconstruction surgery since doctors usually require their patients to undergo radiation following their mastectomies. It is common to wait several months after the last radiation therapy before going through the breast reconstruction surgery to allow the soft tissues to recover completely.

The best option for some patients could be the implant reconstruction. The downside however, reconstruction with expanders and implants are associated with more complications than cosmetic breast augmentation. Complications following radiation therapy are also higher with implants compare to that using the patient’s own tissue.

Implant reconstruction can be the best option for some patients. However, reconstruction with expanders and breast implants are associated with more complications than cosmetic breast augmentation. Complications following radiation therapy are also higher with implants compared to reconstructions using the patient’s own tissue.

Tissue expander reconstruction, on the other hand is the most common method of breast reconstruction. Most cosmetic surgeons do this as a two-stage procedure. They will use expander to stretch the skin envelope to create the size the patient and plastic surgeon desire. The expander will then be replace with a breast implant usually in the form of saline or silicone. Some patients however, can also become candidates for the one-step implant reconstruction without the use of expanders. In such operation, a breast implant will be inserted immediately without going through the expansion process.

For women, breast matters and how they look after their battles matter. As such, women who have decided to have their breast reconstructed after mastectomy should not feel bad but rather feel that it is necessary and that they deserve it. All cancer survivors deserve to feel great and beautiful after breast cancer.

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Characteristics of the Ideal Buttocks

Feb 5

Posted by Dr. Edwin Magallona in Cosmetic Surgery Facts | No Comments

Most women feel unhappy with the size of their buttocks. Some find their buttocks flat or lacking in shape, while others want to have more sensuous backside by making them rounder and larger. Some women even wanted to have that Jennifer Lopez butt and she must also be one of those reasons why women have been seeking cosmetic surgeon to enhance their buttocks that drastically increases the number of butt implants procedures performed in many parts of the world.

But what really are the ideal buttocks?

For a surgeon to create attractive and youthful buttocks, he must be aware of the certain characteristics that are common to attractive and youthful buttocks in all ethnic groups. These include a smooth inward sweep of the low back area and waist and a very feminine cleavage as the buttocks separate superiorly and inferiorly. Attractive buttocks also show maximum prominence in the mid to upper buttocks and there should also be minimal crease below the buttock, without any drooping.

However, for surgeons with variety of clients in terms of race, he must also understand that different races have different reference of ideal buttocks. The American population for example is ethnically more diverse than most other buttocks augmentation patients. On the other hand, patients that are Hispanic choose buttocks that are very full, lateral buttocks that are also full, and prefer a slight fullness in the lateral thigh.

Asian patients prefer buttocks that are small to moderate in size, but shapely; they do not like or request fullness in the lateral buttocks or lateral thigh. However, Caucasian patients generally want buttocks that are full but not extremely large. Any fullness of the lateral thigh is considered objectionable. Lastly, African-Americans and Caribbean of African descent have a strong and consistent cultural ideal of very large buttocks, and several request a “shelf” or extreme prominence of the upper buttocks. The lateral buttocks must be very full. A woman with a very full, prominent trochanteric area of the lateral thighs is considered attractive by both men and women in this culture.

The subject of ideal buttocks is indeed subjective to the perspective of different cultures. But the bottom line in choosing to have butt implants should focus on its positive effects on the patients. These buttocks augmentation procedures are usually quite successful especially if you found the best Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Be Careful with Bargain Breasts and Botox

Jan 13

Posted by Dr. Edwin Magallona in Cosmetic Surgery Blogs | No Comments

In California, there are billboards advertising bargain boob jobs such as “buy one implant get one free” while other says “$8 Botox injections. Obviously, these ads are just a part of clever marketing campaigns that more often than not, leads to horror stories.

In the country, there are also surgeons which offer big discounts for various types of surgery. Some may even offer the same “buy one take one promo” to get more attention. There is really nothing wrong with promo packages as long as the standard procedures of surgical procedures will be done and most especially, done by a certified cosmetic surgeon.

More and more women nowadays are getting interested into having bigger boobs through breast augmentation and younger looking skin through the well-known botox. The increase in the number of patients also leads to higher competition among cosmetic and plastic surgeon of all levels. However, if you are planning to have a surgery soon, be careful not to be a victim of bargain breasts and botox.

Some studies show that most of these ads come from people who do not have any privileges to conduct plastic surgeries because they simply are not surgeons and never trained as surgeons. As such, they could offer a much lower price for they can go through the procedure without using anesthesia and other stuff necessary for the operation. This can lead to serious problems and worse, death.

So how does one know if a cosmetic surgeon is offers genuine and secured surgical services?

Get at least a couple of opinions and do a thorough research about your desired surgeon. Look for his/her background especially the depth of experiences. Internet could also help a lot since most people establish their services on the net. You can find their educational and working experiences there and sometimes you can also find out if they are board-certified or not. Testimonials of previous clients could also help you decide as more positive remarks means that your surgeon does plastic surgery really well.

You can also ask for the before and after photos of the doctor’s work for the particular procedure you want. Don’t settle for fancy pamphlets; you want to make sure there’s evidence of good work from the doctor you’re seeing. If no before-and-afters are available, that’s your red flag that it’s time to walk.

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Facelift for Men

Jan 12

Posted by Dr. Edwin Magallona in Cosmetic Surgery Blogs | No Comments

Yes. Not only women undergo facelift surgery and facelift for men could be more popular than you think.

Over the past ten years facelift surgery had become more and more popular to male patients. The reasons behind this lies in the idea that men would want to remain competitive in their workplace. They also want to look healthier and feel more confident in their personal relationships.

Facelift procedures designed for men can e a very effective way to minimize unnecessary effects of aging, stress and too much exposure to sun such as wrinkles and dry skin. Though the results o facelift to both men and women are similar, there are differences in approach that potential patients should be aware of.

Some considerations include the fact that men do not often have the option of concealing scars under the hair. As such, the incisions made during facelift for men must be placed inconspicuously. Incisions are made generally in the natural crease of the sideburn, inside the ear or around the earlobe, under the chin or back into the hairline. All incisions should be made invisible as much as possible.

Men also have more blood vessels in their face than female patients, which is another factor to be considered. Having more blood vessels in the face may mean that a male patient’s blood will take longer to clot before and after the facelift procedure. For this reason it is important for male patients to follow all surgical aftercare instructions to avoid the possibility of complications.

Surgical procedures are not without its risk and facelift for men does carry the same principle. Although side effects are rare and can e mitigated through an experienced cosmetic surgeon, a patient should still be prepared and well-informed on all the aspects of the surgical procedures. A patient is expected not to work for a few weeks for the recovery phase. Some activities should also be avoided such as exercising, smoking, the use of certain medications that may slow down the healing process and even sexual and other strenuous activities.

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Why Face lift Surgery?

Jan 12

Posted by Dr. Edwin Magallona in Cosmetic Surgery Blogs | No Comments

Stress and worry are another great factor that adds to the acquisition of wrinkles. These lines portray tiredness and make you look older than you really are. These creases usually form between eyebrows and between the nose and mouth. Even laughter lines around the eyes can become too deep to comfort. Moreover, fat redistributes itself under the skin of the jawline and the neck, with the skin sagging resulting in a loose, jowly jaw, and a loose neck.

As people grow older, the muscles of the face become weaker and slacker and its elasticity also lowers down. This results to the formation of wrinkles which is inevitable but the prevalence depends on different factors. Genetics could play a ig role but there are also environmental factors such as too much exposure to sunlight, smoking, gaining and losing too much weight or pollution.

Seeing those lines and tired-looking face when you look at the mirror makes you feel unhappy and worse, depressed. This is why many people decide on having facelift surgery. People usually undergo facelift at the age of forty to sixty, though there are also people in their eighties who have this kind of operation. The result of facelift can last for about ten years if the patient is careful enough to avoid excessive exposure to the sun, weight loss and smoking after the operation.

Facelift can also be performed on specific parts of the face such as the brow area, lower face or neck. However, full facelift is available to renew the whole face completely. Further procedures such as eyelid surgery can also be done at the same time to reduce droopy eyelids or the eye bags underneath the eyes.
For people who do not prefer to go under facelift, they could other alternatives such as laser facial resurfacing, tissue augmentation, anti-wrinkle injections and chemical peels. But before you decide which treatment best suits you needs, consult your cosmetic surgeon and ask for various facelift surgery information specific fo you facial situation.

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