Monthly Archives: November 2014

Sculpt your Arms with an Arm Lift

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Do you exercise regularly, eat responsibly, and still have flabby upper arms? Have you lost weight recently to find that you love your slender new figure but dislike your sagging, droopy upper arms? If you answered yes to these questions, then arm lift surgery (or brachioplasty) might be right for you!

Arm lift is a common plastic surgery procedure to effectively eliminate unsightly bat wings and restore a youthful, beautiful, sculpted appearance to your upper arms.

In addition to gaining and losing weight, aging, and sun damage, genetics also can have a role in making your upper arms appear older than you’d like. Whatever the cause, arm lift can take years off your appearance. It can help you look better when you wear short sleeves, sleeveless tops and dresses, and your bathing suit. Arm lift also can help your clothes fit better because it eliminates excess fat that can cause your upper arms to be disproportionately large for your frame.

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What is arm lift surgery?

Arm lift surgery involves the removal of excess tissue, fat, and skin of the upper arms. Depending on your needs and goals, your plastic surgeon will combine arm lift with liposuction to remove excessive fat in and sculpt the upper arms. Then she or he will make an incision on the inside or back of the arm to remove excess skin and tighten it for a beautiful result.

Arm lift usually takes 1 to 3 hours depending on the extent of the procedure. It is performed under general anesthesia. In most cases, arm lift is an outpatient procedure.

Who is a good candidate for arm lift?

The best candidates for arm lift surgery are women and men who are at a healthy weight, have no serious medical conditions that delay healing, are in overall good health, and who have realistic expectations about their appearance.

People with excessively droopy and heavily wrinkled skin from sun damage sometimes need more than one arm lift procedure to achieve their goals. Your plastic surgeon can examine you and tell you what you can expect from 1 arm lift procedure or whether you need 2 arm lift procedures to achieve your goals.

Having toned, tight-looking upper arms can help make you look fit and healthy as well as make you feel better about yourself.

After Arm Lift

You can expect to have bruising and swelling after your arm lift procedure. Your plastic surgeon will recommend prescription or over-the-counter medications to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible in the first few days after your surgery.

Most arm lift patients wear an elastic sleeve for several weeks to help reduce swelling. Keeping your arms elevated also can help minimize swelling as you heal. After 7 to 10 days, your plastic surgeon will remove your sutures.

By Dr. Patricia Yugueros | Atlanta, GA

The Skinny on Tummy Tuck

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Aging, being overweight, pregnancy, and obesity can stretch out muscles that underlie and support the organs in the abdomen, permanently changing the shape of the stomach and softening the elasticity of the skin on your abdomen. In some cases, the stretched muscles and skin can result in a pouch-like bulge or even a hanging apron of skin that cannot be corrected with diet and exercise.

Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) can dramatically reduce a protruding belly, improve the way your clothes fit and look, and make you look and feel younger.

Tummy Tuck Surgery

Click here to see Tummy Tuck Before and After Photos

What is a tummy tuck?

A tummy tuck is a surgical procedure that involves tightening loose abdominal muscles and removing excess fat and skin of the middle and lower abdomen.

  • A full tummy tuck is a more involved, and more powerful option that will improve the contour of the upper and lower abdomen.  This involves not only removing the excess skin, but also tightening the underlying muscles.
  • A mini tummy tuck is a smaller more limited operation. This involves removing the excess skin from the lower abdomen, but the belly button and the underlying muscle are not altered. While the results are not as profound as in a fully tummy tuck, this operation can give excellent results in the right patient.

In either case, the operation is primarily performed as an outpatient operation in a surgery center or hospital.  Some patients may benefit from an overnight stay, but it is not necessary in most patients.

Incisions for tummy tuck are generally made across the lower abdomen and around the umbilicus. The plastic surgeon then tightens the muscle fascia (the strong layer around the muscles) with multiple sutures; this improves the tone and contour of the abdominal wall and creates an “internal girdle”. In some cases, your surgeon will use liposuction to remove excess fat and improve contours of the abdomen. Excess skin is then removed and the overlying skin is smoothed and stitched back into place over the flattened stomach area. In many cases, the surgeon will reposition the belly button for a natural, youthful result.

Who can have a tummy tuck?

The best candidates for abdominoplasty are women and men who are in reasonably good shape but who have excess stomach fat and skin that cannot be corrected with weight loss and exercise.

  • If you are in process of losing weight, you should postpone having a tummy tuck until you have achieved a healthy weight for your height
  • If you plan to get pregnant, you should postpone a tummy tuck because the vertical muscles that are tightened during the procedure can separate again during pregnancy 

To create an overall polished appearance, you may combine a tummy tuck with liposuction, lower body lift, buttock lift, and thigh lift.

Talk to your plastic surgeon about your desires, expectations, and concerns. He or she will tell you what you can expect and explain limits and risks of the surgery. After reviewing your medical history and explaining the tummy tuck procedure to you, he or she will examine your abdomen and tell you which procedure will work best with consideration for your overall body contours.

After Tummy Tuck

When your procedure for tightening your tummy is complete, dressings will cover your incisions. You also will wear an elastic bandage for a short time to help minimize swelling and provide extra support as you heal. Drain tubes will usually be placed under the skin for a few days. In most cases, stitches used for tummy tuck are dissolvable and do not need to be removed. Your surgeon is likely to ask you to sleep sitting up for the first few nights to avoid straining your incisions.

As expected, you will have some swelling, bruising, and mild pain for a week or 2 after your procedure. Prescription or over-the-counter medications can help manage your discomfort.

Most people return to work and relatively normal activities within 2 to 3 weeks after a tummy tuck. Strenuous exercise can be resumed at about 6 weeks after the operation.

You will have an immediate, bisible improvement, but because of the swelling, you won’t be able to see the final results immediately after surgery. But in a few weeks, when all the swelling subsides, you will begin seeing the amazing results of your tummy tuck, including a flatter stomach and trimmer waistline.

Although the scar from a tummy tuck is long and will be visible, it is carefully placed low on the abdomen within the bikini line so that most clothing, including swimwear, conceals it.

Results from a tummy tuck are long lasting if you maintain a stable weight.

By Dr. Gordon Lewis | Richmond, VA

 

Understanding Blepharoplasty: What you Need to Know about Eyelid Surgery

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What is eyelid surgery?

Also known as blepharophasty, eyelid surgery is a common procedure that can correct drooping baggy upper eyelids and lower eyelids. It is an effective technique to remove and tighten excess, sagging skin, remove fat that causes puffiness under the eyes, and tighten drooping muscles to restore eyes to a youthful, fresh alert look.

After eyelid surgery, the area around your eyes and your entire face will look younger. People who have eyelid surgery often hear exclamations such as, “You look so wonderful and rested!”

Eyelid surgery is among the most popular cosmetic procedures today to rejuvenate the area around the eyes and make them appear open and bright.

Blepharoplasty in St. Louis

 Click here to see Blepharoplasty Before & After Photos

What happens during eyelid surgery?

 Depending on your needs, the techniques for eyelid surgery can include laser therapy alone, surgery alone, or a combination of laser therapy and surgery:

  • People with mildly softening and wrinkled lids often can get outstanding results with laser treatment instead of surgery and incisions
  • People with more severely drooping and wrinkled lids are likely to have surgery that includes very small incisions in the eyelid creases ¾ an approach that conceals the scars
  • Combination surgery and laser therapy can yield the best results for restoring the delicate area around the eyes to a youthful, alert appearance

Blepharoplasty usually takes less than 2 hours. It is typically performed in an ambulatory surgery center. Most eyelid surgery patients go home a few hours after their surgery.

After Eyelid Surgery

You are likely to have mild discomfort the first few days after eyelid surgery. In most cases, any discomfort can be managed well with oral over-the-counter or prescription medications such as ibuprofen or Tylenol.

For the first few nights after your procedure, you should sleep upright to reduce swelling. Your surgeon also might give you an ointment or eye drops to use during the first days after your procedure.

Nondissovable stitches are typically removed 5 to 14 days after eyelid surgery.

Swelling and bruising after eyelid surgery usually resolves within 10 to 14 days. Most people who have the procedure return to work and normal activities after about 2 weeks.

Who can have eyelid surgery?

Most people who have eyelid surgery are age 35 years or older. But you can have eyelid surgery at a younger age to correct inherited problems such as drooping or bags under the eyes.

When eyelid plastic surgery corrects drooping eyelids that impair vision, insurance often covers it. If you are considering eyelid surgery, ask your surgeon whether your surgery is medically necessary.

Want a fresher looking face overall?

Eyelid Surgery can restore a youthful appearance to your eyes and preserve the unique characteristics of your expression and features. To tighten and reduce wrinkles in the lower part of the face, you might want to combine a facelift and neck lift with your eyelid surgery.

Exceptional results in eyelid surgery depend on an experienced, skilled plastic surgeon who can rejuvenate your eyelids and make you the best you can be.

To find a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area, visit Surgeon Network’s Surgeon Directory.

By Dr. John B. Holds, M.D., F.A.C.S | St. Louis, MO

Breast Reduction for Comfort and Confidence

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If you have very large breasts, you know they can be uncomfortable. You might have experienced shoulder, back, and neck pain from having your breasts pull on your bra straps. You also might have difficulty finding clothes that fit well and look attractive on you. Some women with very large breasts suggest they are embarrassed to be seen in a bathing suit or other body-conscious apparel. Others say that having excessively large breasts limits their physical activities.

If you feel uncomfortable, have occasional or ongoing pain, or feel embarrassed by overly large breasts, then breast reduction surgery might be right for you.

Breast Reduction

Breast Reduction Before & After Photos

 Breast reduction can:

  • Reduce the overall size and weight of your breasts
  • Balance the size of your breasts to match your frame
  • Balance your breasts to be even with each other
  • Restore your breasts to a youthful position and shape
  • Eliminate neck, back, and shoulder pain from heavy breasts
  • Improve your posture
  • Make you look younger
  • Boost your self-confidence

 What is breast reduction surgery?

In most cases, breast reduction surgery takes about 3 hours. The length of time needed to complete your breast reduction procedure will depend on the size of your breasts and extent of the procedure. After your plastic surgeon examines you, he or she can estimate how long it will take to reduce the size of your breasts, reshape them, and reposition them for an outstanding result.
Breast reduction surgery is an outpatient procedure. It is performed under general anesthesia.
Many women who have surgery to reduce the size of their breasts suggest the only thing they would do differently is to have had the procedure sooner!
Most women who have breast reduction surgery suggest it makes them feel and look younger. Others say that having smaller breasts gives them newfound freedom to engage in a wide range of physical activities they previously avoided. Some women are thrilled to have more options for clothing, including bras that fit well and feel comfortable, slim-fitting dresses, sweaters, and tops, and bathing suits that support their breasts and provide adequate coverage. But most many women who have breast reduction surgery say that they are relieved to no longer be identified first by the size of their breasts. “Now people look at my face instead of my breasts when they meet me,” said one breast reduction client.

 After Breast Reduction Surgery

Immediately after your breast reduction procedure, you will see beautiful results. Your breasts will be smaller, firmer, perky, and younger looking. There will be some bruising and swelling that can take as much as 6 months to subside; but once all the swelling has resolved, your breasts will be a pleasing, comfortable, and youthful size and shape.

Breast reduction surgery leaves visible, permanent scars. But your surgeon will place them carefully so that your bra and bathing suit cover them. In time, your scars will fade considerably. Most breast reduction patients say that having smaller breasts is well worth the trade off of having some scarring.

 Health Insurance Coverage and Breast Reduction

Some insurers cover some of the costs of breast reduction surgery when it is medically necessary. Your doctor can help determine whether you qualify for medically necessary breast reduction. He or she will measure the size of your breasts and compare them to a breast size / body size ratio chart. In addition, you must have an exam with other physicians who can validate claims of back, neck, and shoulder pain from having overly large breasts. In some cases, insurance companies also want confirmation that you have tried nonsurgical approaches to reducing your breast size such as losing weight. Ask your plastic surgeon to tell you whether you might be eligible for medically necessary breast reduction surgery.

If you would like to find out whether your health insurance company covers breast reduction surgery, contact your insurer or visit the company website for details about criteria for coverage. A customer service representative can give you the information you need.

If having overly large breasts is giving you discomfort or pain, holding you back from doing the things you love, keeping you from wearing clothes that appeal to you, and making you feel self conscious, then schedule a consultation today to learn more about how breast reduction surgery can enhance the quality of your life forever!

Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy

The Importance of Breast Reconstruction

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If you have had surgery to remove part or all of one or both breasts secondary to cancer, you may be a candidate for breast reconstruction surgery to restore the shape and size of your breasts.

Recent advances in surgical techniques and procedures allow plastic surgeons to recreate breasts that feel and look natural.

Although no one elects to have a mastectomy, it can be reassuring to know there are options to help you restore your appearance and put cancer behind you. In some cases, mastectomy patients who undergo breast reconstruction surgery find that their reconstructed breasts may be firmer, more youthful, and more attractive than their natural breasts.

Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy

Breast reconstruction surgery can:

  • Help you feel better about your appearance
  • Restore your self confidence
  • Make your breasts look even in size and shape
  • Help you feel more comfortable in clothing, including bathing suits and bras
  • Eliminate the need for uncomfortable prostheses

When to Have Breast Reconstruction Surgery

Your plastic surgeon can perform breast reconstruction surgery at the time of your mastectomy or later if you prefer. When to have your surgery will depend on whether you need additional treatment for cancer as well as your desires. But it is never too late to have breast reconstruction surgery.

In many cases, plastic surgeons can partner with breast cancer surgeons to coordinate breast reconstruction surgery.

Options in Breast Reconstruction

The good news is that new techniques in breast reconstruction surgery give you more options than ever. Your plastic surgeon can explain each procedure and, depending on whether you have had a partial or full mastectomy, guide you to the procedure that’s best for you.

Types of Breast Reconstruction Procedures

There are effective options for reconstructing breasts to look and feel natural, including flap reconstruction surgery and breast implants.

The type or types of procedure(s) you choose will depend on whether you have had a unilateral or bilateral mastectomy. For example, if you have one breast removed, your plastic surgeon can reconstruct the area of the removed breast as well as reshape, reduce, enlarge, and lift the opposite breast to achieve symmetry.

If you have a double mastectomy, you can choose a series of procedures over time that can include implants or flap reconstruction to help ensure that your breasts are well balanced with your frame and appear as natural as possible. Many women also choose to have a new nipple and areola (the dark area surrounding the nipple) reconstructed.

After Breast Reconstruction Surgery

Your recovery from breast reconstruction surgery will depend on the type of surgery you choose as well as whether you need one or both breasts reconstructed. Your plastic surgeon can help prepare you for what to expect after breast reconstruction. In addition, your surgeon will prescribe the medications you need to be as comfortable as possible during the early stages of healing.

After breast reconstruction, you will need plenty of time to rest. Your plastic surgeon can tell you when you can return to normal activities, but for many breast reconstruction patients it takes up to 6 weeks before resuming exercise, lifting things, and other vigorous activities.

Insurance Coverage for Breast Reconstruction

Most insurance plans cover the costs of breast reconstruction procedures. To find out details of your coverage, speak with a representative with your insurance company. He or she can tell you what your plan covers and how and when to implement your coverage.

Your plastic surgeon and his or her staff understand that having a mastectomy and undergoing breast reconstruction can be overwhelming. For this reason and because they want to help make the process as manageable for you as possible, they can help guide you to the questions to ask of and answers you need from your insurer. If you are considering breast reconstruction surgery, don’t hesitate to ask your plastic surgeon for help navigating your health insurance coverage.

Talk with your plastic surgeon to find out about your options for breast reconstruction surgery.

By Dr. Nina S. Naidu, M.D., F.A.C.S. | New York, NY