December 17th, 2010
Every one wants to get rid of that “tired look”. My philosophy with regard to eyelid aesthetic improvement is to give the person a rejuvenated youthful appearance again, without an “operated upon” look. Upper eyelids usually need as much excess skin removed as possible and still be able to easily close the eyes. Small amount of protruding fat is also excised. The bottom lids usually need more fat removed or displaced and only a small amount of skin/muscle cut out. This leaves one with a “clean” presentation like the look we had in our teens. The incisions are hidden in normal anatomical folds. The shape of the eye, which is determined by shape of our eyelids, remains the same post-op as pre-op. This is critical if one wants to look their normal natural self; i.e. not ”operated upon” look. Surgery is performed in approximately one and half to two hours; sutures out in five days. If pre-op instructions are followed, people are able to be seen in public in one week with little make-up. The usual comments from the closest and most observant of friends will be about hair style change or rested-vacation look. This is the measure of a successful result in very little time!
Posted in Cosmetic surgery, eye lids, Plastic Surgery | No Comments »
November 27th, 2010
During the immediate post surgical recovery period many people feel anxiety over the recovery time and guilty about focusing on themselves rather than their family and/or other dependants. It is important to remember you (as the patient) spent most of your adult life taking care of other people and you are not used to taking significant time for yourself. The entire process is foreign and places you in uncharted waters. Take heart in the fact you chose a procedure with your surgeon that is safe with relative little risk. You will be there for your friends and family, more confident and happy about yourself, and therefore even more productive. Don’t feel selfish about the time. You deserve it!
Posted in psychology | No Comments »
November 4th, 2010
I have had countless occasions where patients have been happy with the results but then become sad wishing they had the procedure performed sooner in their life. I always try to point out that there were other important events going on in their lives that required attention. Whether we realize it or not we are constantly prioritizing tasks,events, needs and desires in our life. In the final analysis events take place in the order that they generally should. So don’t worry; you are taking care of yourself when you should.
Posted in Cosmetic surgery, psychology | No Comments »
October 1st, 2010
It really does not take any mystical power or knowledge to foretell disaster. Just reasoning and logic. I wrote over 4 years ago about the dangers of touting “anti-bacterial soap” when all is needed is “soap”. ( See “Medical Disaster or Soap vs Hope” Aug ’06) As predicted: with over use of unnecessary antibiotics we now have very dangerous strains of bacteria that are resistant to all known antibiotics. Resistance of bacteria has developed due to overwhelming exposure of “anti-” products driven by companies and fueled by the media. Its always not quite that simple. Another major factor is the public’s insistence on antibiotic treatment for viral infections, which every physician knows does not work. A third major factor is the predictable decrease in attentiveness to sterile technique and decontamination by the OR staff as the stressed workers now have to deal with chart and computer verification as their mandated priority. More on this third topic in future posts continuing to expose our politically correct calamities.
Posted in Health | No Comments »
September 20th, 2010
Recently there has been some controversy in regard to breast self-exam. Several medical articles indicate that there is no benefit to this procedure in early diagnosis of breast cancer. The reasoning stems from patient anxiety over what they feel leading to over use of extensive work-ups involving mammograms, MRIs, aspirations, and biopsies. Certainly this is true; but that is because most people have not been instructed in the proper method for self-exam. If physicians took the time to demonstrate and teach the technique and the logic behind the exam, most patients would respond in the proper context that certainly would lead to earlier intervention with possible life-saving results. The tecnique involves gentle palpation in a consistant direct at each exam (which should be performed once a month). The secret is not what is felt the first time, but rather the change from the last exam! Its the changes in each breast’s presentation that matters. Once a person knows how each breast feels and where the “lumps and bumps” are they are the able to assess a real change. This certainly can be picked up 12 times a year and therefore sooner than once a year mammograms or biannual physician exams. Breast self-exam still has an important place in the fight against breast cancer.
Posted in breast augmentation, Health, mommy makeover | No Comments »
May 20th, 2010
I cannot over emphasize the importance of sunscreen protection. Sunscreen is just that: it screens out the harmful UV rays, but does allow you to tan SLOWLY. This process prevents burning of the skin. It is the BURNING process that is implicated in sun damaged skin that can ultimately lead to cancer. Tanning itself does not cause skin damage or skin cancer. If you tan without burning you will be safe and have a healthy glow that we all want. If you burn to get to a tan then indeed tanning is not for you. Sunscreen should be used by everybody in order to avoid burning. Tan without burn: good. Tan with burn: bad. No matter what color your skin is or how well you tan or burn: use sunscreen. Tanning slowly (by using sunscreen) will prevent burning. Heed my words and you will have a “healthy tan”.
Posted in Skin care | No Comments »
April 22nd, 2010
Cuts or Curare? The question is certainly melodramatic but it makes the point. The overwhelming view of most people is that they would rather take a medication than undergo a surgical procedure, any day of the week, whether the treatments are equally effective or not. In reality drugs (which include naturopathic remedies and vitamins,herbals, etc.) have systemic effect on our bodies. They do not single out a specific organ or chemical reaction, rather they react with all tissues to more or less degree. That is why all meds including aspirin (which is a very powerful drug) have side effects. Not so with surgery! A cut purposefully made only injures the immediate tissue affected by it with no direct systemic consequence. Anesthesia (drugs) of course does, but even this aspect of surgery is under direct professional control. Surgery evokes a visceral response in us all, since it occurs much less often than our pill-popping daily use. Yet the dangers lie in our medicine cabinet much more so than in our operating rooms.
Posted in Health, scars | No Comments »
March 4th, 2010
Many people come to see me for aesthetic surgery but are very anxious that their result would leave them with bad scarring, like other scars they have from previous surgeries or accidents. Take heart, scar’s appearance depends on location and direction of the scar in regard to lines of tension. In other words a large wide scar on the breast plate that cuts across the chest does not at all indicate the kind of scar one would have from facial surgery. The quality of the scar depends on blood supply, tension and location which varies on the same body. Board certified plastic surgeons are trained to place incisions in the most favorable angle,position in regard to location, with expert closure, to give the best possible result.
Posted in Certification, scars, wound healing | No Comments »
January 5th, 2010
Everyone is afraid of pain following surgery or any semi-invasive procedure. Pain is usually secondary to swelling which follows any form of injury. We can help limit this discomfort if we logically and intuitively decrease our activity after any operation. This does not mean that we should lie in bed, on the contrary, that would be most dangerous, but rather our level of activity should slowly increase day by day until we have reached our usual level of daily movement without undue pain. Remember, activity causes swelling in an area of injury, which then causes pain. These trail each other by several hours, so that you can be sitting at home at the end of the day and experience only then most of the pain. Do not worry, you are only paying for the “sins” you committed when you were active earlier in the day.
Posted in Pain | No Comments »
December 18th, 2009
A large part of plastic surgery encompasses cosmetic procedures. Cosmetic surgery has come under attack recently in many different ways, but one particular editorial stands out as the most misguided effort yet. A very young woman felt it necessary to declare that cosmetic treatments should be declared illegal so that she does not have to feel the need to compete with other women for looks. Not much more has to be said other than we are a country of freedom where adults have choice. Choice includes also how we feel and respond to other people’s decisions.
Posted in Conduct/Behavior, Cosmetic surgery, Plastic Surgery | No Comments »
