Plastic Surgery FAQs

How do I select the right plastic surgeon?

The choice of a plastic surgeon is as important and as personal as your choice of any physician. Here are some issues to consider:

• Expertise: Make sure you’re speaking with a board-certified plastic surgeon who shares your views on quality of life issues and your goals for personal health and wellness.
   
• Partnership: Before you agree to undergo any procedure, you and your plastic surgeon should be exploring – together — the motivations for why you might be considering a certain procedure.
   
• Research: Consult the American Society of Plastic Surgeons or the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Web sites. They contain additional resources designed specifically for patient education.
   
• Patience: You have plenty of time to consider your options when it comes to cosmetic surgery. It’s your body, your health and your decision. You should never feel rushed or pressured into making the decision to undergo elective cosmetic surgery.

Why should I choose a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon?

Board certification is a credential a physician chooses to obtain after medical school and residency training. The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) is the only board for plastic surgery recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and requires rigorous training, including at least six years of surgical experience.

Plastic surgery is a nuanced specialty that requires extensive training, experience, and expertise to ensure the best outcomes. Board certification means that a surgeon has made a commitment to patient safety and continuing education, which is essential in such a field that evolves rapidly.

How do I know what treatment or procedure is right for me?

You and your doctor should be asking questions like, “How long has this issue been bothering you?” and, “How do you see the potential for improvement from the procedure impacting your life?”

Plastic surgeons understand that the more specific the patient can be in framing any bothersome issues that have led the patient to consider elective cosmetic surgery, the higher the likelihood of a successful surgical outcome.

Remember, too, that all procedures – even the less-invasive ones like fillers and lasers – carry risks and side effects. Be sure to discuss all the risks and concerns with your surgeon.

An accomplished plastic surgeon can deliver the desired enhancement in your appearance if you are a reasonable and realistic candidate for surgery. What no surgeon can do, however, is say whether your enhanced post-operative body image will improve your relationship with your spouse or make you more desirable to a potential employer. That part is entirely up to you.

Your plastic surgeon should have hospital privileges to perform any procedure that you are considering.

You and your surgeon may decide to operate in a free-standing ambulatory surgery center or an office-based operating room that is not affiliated with a particular hospital, but you should know that all plastic surgeons who are members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons have pledged to operate only in facilities that are fully accredited. This means that your operating room experience will be conducted to the same high standards that are in place in a hospital.

Having privileges to admit patients and operate at a reputable hospital means the plastic surgeon has satisfied the hospital's credentialing committee, the Medical Board and Board of Trustees of that Institution, and that they are competent and qualified to perform the procedures they’ve been granted credentials to perform.

For many patients, it's a great comfort to know that a plastic surgeon's performance, background and experience are under review by his or her peers and colleagues. A doctor operating without hospital privileges is not subject to the same degree of peer review. Also, if a complication occurs, a non-certified surgeon may not be able to coordinate your care should you need admission to a hospital for subsequent treatment.

Achieving privileges at a prestigious hospital typically means the surgeon has satisfied stringent requirements or has special skills and abilities.

Should the hospital or facility where I have my procedure be a factor in selecting a plastic surgeon?

Your Plastic Surgeon should have hospital privileges to perform the procedures that you are considering. You and your surgeon may decide to operate in a free standing ambulatory surgery center or an office based OR that is not affiliated with a particular hospital. But you should know that all Plastic Surgeons who are members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons have pledged to operate only in facilities that are fully accredited. This means your OR experience would be kept to the same standards as in the hospital setting. Having privileges to admit patients and operate at a reputable hospital means the Plastic Surgeon has satisfied the credentialing committee, Medical Board and Board of Trustees of that Institution that they are competent and qualified to perform the procedures they have granted credentials to perform. It’s a great way of knowing your Plastic Surgeon’s performance, background and experience is under review by his/her peers and colleagues.

A doctor operating without having hospital privileges is not subject to the same degree of peer review. And, if a complication ensues they may not be able to coordinate your care should you need admission to a hospital or subsequent treatment there! Traditionally, achieving privileges at a prestigious hospital means the Surgeon has satisfied particularly stringent requirements or has special skills and abilities. After all, having the best doctors, nurses and staff is what makes a hospital prestigious in the first place!

How does my age help determine which procedures are right for me?

A life stage approach to beauty helps a woman always maintain her personal best. Age-maintenance procedures that utilize less-invasive and more cost-effective techniques can deliver results that look far more natural than other, more radical surgical choices. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you achieve your very best using age-appropriate procedures that may include:

For women age 20 and beyond:

• Breast Augmentation: Most popular procedure, with a focus on increasing volume.
• Rhinoplasty: Nose reshaping, often done after facial growth stops.
• Liposuction: Target areas like hips/thighs, but only if a realistic trial diet and exercise have not allowed you to achieve your goal of improved body contour
• Skin Care/Preventative: Early Botox and laser hair removal, along with medically indicated skin care utilizing topical medications and appropriate levels of sun block

For women age 30 and beyond:

• Mommy Makeover: A combination of breast lift/augmentation and tummy tuck to address changes from childbirth.
• Botox & Fillers: Used to address early signs of aging, like fine lines.
• Liposuction & Body Contouring: Targeting stubborn fat and addressing overall symmetry; not for weight loss.

For women age 40 and beyond:

• Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty): Most popular procedure, used to address drooping lids and bags.
• Facelift: Addresses overall signs of aging in one procedure.
• Neck Lift:  For sagging skin along the jawline.
• Tummy Tucks & Breast Lifts: To restore body shape and youthful appearance.
• Fat Grafting: Transfers fat to add volume to the face.

For women age 50 and beyond:

• Facelift & Neck Lift: To correct significant sagging and wrinkles. 
• Blepharoplasty: To remove excess skin and enhance vision. 
• Brow Lift: To lift sagging brows. 
• Skin Resurfacing: Laser treatments for age spots and skin rejuvenation.

Menopause

Post-menopausal women typically experience changes in their bodies that need to be taken into account when considering cosmetic enhancements. Among the most important issues:

• Physiological age as opposed to chronological age: A woman’s overall health, height for weight index, types of environmental and sun exposures, and underlying health conditions will matter more than how old she is.
   
• Tendency to lose fat and tissue in the face: Restoration of subcutaneous tissues using fillers, fat grafting, or surgical repositioning is one of the great advances in facial reconstructive surgery over the past two decades.
   
• Non-surgical facial treatments: Many patients have experienced successful and satisfying outcomes with fillers, neurotoxins, microdermabrasion, or light-based facial rejuvenation treatments, extending well beyond their 50s and 60s.

Age is just one of the many factors that should be taken into account when deciding if a procedure is right for you, and why working with a surgeon from the beginning is the best way to achieve results you will be happy with. A personal consultation with our team can help you understand the cosmetic options that will best meet your overall goals and expectations.

Is Life Stage Personal Enhancement appropriate for men as well as for women?

While we can all agree that a man's aesthetic needs typically differ from those of a woman, a Life Stage Personal Enhancement approach to maintaining one’s personal best is equally appropriate. Because men tend to age at a fairly standard rate independent of a sudden dramatic decrease in hormone levels typically experienced by women, their plan for life stage balance in maintaining their facial and body esthetics is much more straightforward and remains consistent throughout a man’s adult life.

For men age 30 and beyond

• Injectables Fillers: To smooth forehead lines and crow's feet, and enhance the jawline, chin, and address under-eye hollows.
• Body Contouring: To address "dad bod" areas.
• Liposuction: for the abdomen and love handles.
• Gynecomastia Surgery (male breast reduction): for a firmer chest.
• Skin Rejuvenation (Laser resurfacing, IPL, and chemical peels): to treat sun damage, minimize large pores, and improve skin tone.
• Hair Restoration (topical/oral medications or hair transplants): to treat early signs of hair thinning.

For men age 40 and beyond

• Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty): to address drooping lids and bags.
• Liposuction targeting the abdomen and flanks, 
• Gynecomastia surgery) (male breast reduction) 
• Hair Restoration (topical/oral medications or hair transplants): to treat early signs of hair thinning.
• Injectables Fillers: To smooth forehead lines and crow's feet, and enhance the jawline, chin, and address under-eye hollows.
• Botox and other Neurotoxin Injections
• Daddy-Do-Over

For men age 50 and beyond

• Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty): to address drooping lids and bags.
• Liposuction targeting the abdomen and flanks, 
• Gynecomastia surgery) (male breast reduction) 
• Rhinoplasty 
• Hair Restoration (topical/oral medications or hair transplants): to treat early signs of hair thinning.
• Injectables Fillers: To smooth forehead lines and crow's feet, and enhance the jawline, chin, and address under-eye hollows.
• Botox and other Neurotoxin Injections
• Daddy-Do-Over
• Neck Lift

Of course, the basic information presented here can’t tell the whole story and any man’s specific situation – whether involving body contouring, increased fattiness in the breast tissue, rhinoplasty or something else – will require a personal assessment in order to reach the best recommendations from a Life Stage Personal Enhancement perspective.

What are injectables and how do they work?

Botox is an injectable treatment created from a purified protein. It is effective in the treatment of crow’s feet, forehead wrinkles, and neck folds. Botox smoothens out lines by preventing the facial muscles from contracting into wrinkles. A small dose of Botox is injected with a needle into the muscle blocking the nerve impulses that cause the contractions. The lines gradually relax giving you a refreshed natural looking appearance. The treatment itself only takes a few minutes and will take effect in three to four days, while maximum results are achieved in 7-10 days. Gradually over three to six months, the Botox effect will fade, and the muscle action will return. When the frown line starts to reappear, a simple repeat treatment is all that is necessary to maintain the desired result.

Juvederm is a gel made of hyaluronic acid – a naturally occurring substance in your skin that helps add volume and hydration. It temporarily adds volume to facial tissue and smoothens away facial wrinkles and folds. The procedure itself takes minutes and the effects can be seen immediately. They last up to a year.