Happy Birthday Surgi-Suite!

Aesthetic Surgical Images is proud to announce the 21st anniversary of Surgi-Suite. Since opening, over 17,000 cosmetic surgery procedures have been performed in this facility. The Surgi-Suite was the first free standing, outpatient surgical facility specializing in aesthetic surgery in the state of Nebraska. The facility has the highest level of certification available for outpatient surgery facilities.

The first procedure was performed in 1992 when Dr. John Heieck performed a rhinoplasty in the facility. Since that time, the numbers have grown significantly.

Our Surgi-Suite consists of a dedicated nursing staff, board-certified physician anesthesiologists, the surgeons of ASI, and state-of-the-art surgical suites. Once again, happy birthday Surgi-Suite!

Silicone Breast Implants Vs. Saline - How to Choose?

The type of breast implant used is one of the most important decisions facing patients undergoing breast augmentation. Silicone and saline implants both offer significant advantages for breast augmentation and are both associated with high satisfaction rates.

Although it’s hard to tell the difference between saline and silicone when looking at patients, there is a significant difference in how they feel. This difference is especially noticeable in women who have minimal amounts of breast tissue.

Silicone implants offer several advantages over saline implants. The most important advantage is how they feel. There is no doubt that they feel more natural than saline implants especially when there is minimal breast tissue present. In addition, silicone implants are less likely to cause rippling than saline implants.

How Soon After Pregnancy Can You Get a Mommy Makeover?

Pregnancy causes significant changes in a woman’s body.  These changes vary from patient to patient and are permanent in most cases unless surgery is undertaken to reverse them.  They can affect the breast, abdomen, and lead to fat accumulation in the hips and thighs.  Many patients attempt diet and exercise, but this isn’t always helpful.  This problem can ultimately affect self-confidence, self-esteem, self-image and the quality of day-to-day life.  For these reasons, many patients request breast augmentation, tummy tuck, and liposuction.

The timing of surgery following pregnancy is important and several issues should be considered before proceeding with surgery.  It takes time for a new post pregnancy body to reach its new baseline following pregnancy.  During this period, stretched skin may contract, a swollen uterus may shrink, and the weight gained during pregnancy may gradually disappear.

Breast Implants Under or Over the Muscle?

Implant placement relative to the pectoralis major muscle continues to be a source of controversy. Although the majority of plastic surgeons prefer submuscular placement, there is still a large group of plastic surgeons who feel strongly about subglanduler placement. Each group can make convincing arguments regarding their position of choice. It’s safe to say both approaches have advantages and disadvantages.

In the context of these discussions, we feel that every patient needs to be considered individually. Each patient has unique anatomic findings that effect the decision to place the implant under or over the muscle. The aesthetic goals of the patient are equally important and have a significant impact on the decision as well. The vast majority of patients are striving for larger breasts with a natural look. They want balance, harmony, and proportion with the surrounding structures.

The majority of breast implants are placed in a submuscular position. There are several advantages to the approach. These include more, soft tissue coverage, which results in fewer visible folds, creases, and ripples in the implant. This is especially important in women who have thin skin and minimal breast tissue who want saline implants.

Outreach Clinics Increase Convenience for Nebraska Cosmetic Surgery Patients

Many patients in Nebraska who undergo cosmetic surgery must travel significant distances during their surgical care. This travel is necessary to provide optimal care and ensure an excellent surgical result.

Unfortunately, multiple trips to see your physician take valuable time and can be expensive. Many patients at Aesthetic Surgical Images drive in excess of five hours to see their doctor. With gas prices recently costing in excess of $3.50 per gallon, this may also represent a financial hardship. In addition, it’s not comfortable driving distances in the immediate post-operative period.

In an effort to make your experience at Aesthetic Surgical Images more convenient we offer multiple outreach surgery clinics. These are located in Norfolk, Columbus, Fremont, and York in Nebraska, and Council Bluffs in Iowa.

Aesthetic Surgical Images Offers Evening Consultation Hours

The decision to undergo cosmetic surgery represents one of the most important decisions that you will make during your lifetime. Adequate preparation for this event requires optimizing your understanding of your procedure. This starts with the consultation process. Unfortunately, many patients don’t allow adequate time for this important step.

For many patients, finding time for a consultation during regular office hours can be very difficult. They may have small children at home or have a job, which prevents them from coming during regular hours. For these patients available time may be limited or non-existent. For these reasons, many patients attempt to squeeze a consultation into a narrow window of time.

At Aesthetic Surgical Images, we feel that the consultation process requires approximately two hours to complete. We emphasize a comprehensive educational approach so that patients can thoroughly understand their problem, what can be done about it, and the risk to benefit ratio. To accomplish these goals we utilize pre-consultation videos, computer imaging, pre and post-op photos, facility tours, and adequate time with the physician and patient care coordinator to ensure a complete understanding of the issues at hand.

What is the Life Expectancy of Breast Implants?

Breast augmentation is one of the most commonly performed cosmetic procedures at Aesthetic Surgical Images. Patients seeking this procedure often worry about the need to replace implants because of aging. There is a commonly held belief amongst patients that implants should be exchanged every 10 years. This myth probably has its origin with the implant manufacturers’ 10-year warranty. Implants do not have an expiration date.

In many cases, breast implants can be expected to last the patient’s entire lifetime. There are, however, several times when replacement is indicated. Obviously if implant deflation occurs, replacement will be necessary. This is accomplished by re-opening the incision and replacing the deflated implant. Recovery is quick since the implant pocket has already been developed.

Implants may also need to be exchanged when patients want to have larger breasts. After a period of time, many patients adjust to their implant size and want to become larger; once again, exchange is easily accomplished.