Aesthetic Surgical Images

Facelift Surgery for Rejuvenation of the Neck

It’s not unusual to see women who have significant changes in their neck area as a result of facial aging. In many cases, this may be the primary manifestation of aging, with the face itself being relatively unaffected. These changes may include loss of definition of the jaw line, loss of the sharp angle between the neck and jaw, laxity of the underlying neck muscles with the formation of bands called turkey gobblers, fat accumulation, and of course excess skin. To obtain an excellent result, all of these issues need to be addressed. With this in mind it’s important to remember that all patients have unique facial anatomy and specific aesthetic goals. Therefore, treatment plans may vary from patient to patient depending upon their underlying anatomic deformity.

The procedure that is most likely to accomplish these goals is a facelift. This procedure corrects the abnormalities of the underlying muscles which ultimately defines the jaw line, removes the neck bands, and improves the angle between the jaw and neck. It also addresses fat accumulation and excess skin to further accentuate these improvements.

Capsular Contracture Following Breast Augmentation

It’s normal for your body to react to a foreign material such as a breast implant by forming a scar. This scar surrounds the breast implant and is known as a capsule. Capsule formation occurs in every patient to some degree following breast augmentation. In most cases, this represents a normal response to a foreign material being placed inside your body.

Without capsule formation, implants don’t stay in one place. When this happens, implants migrate and secondary pocket revision may be necessary. In some cases, capsule formation occurs in an aggressive form, which results in a capsular contracture. In severe cases of capsular contracture, the breast implants become hard, distorted, displaced, and painful. The majority of capsular contractures develop within six months of surgery, but they can develop at any time.

There’s no laboratory or radiology test that makes the diagnosis. The diagnosis is entirely based on physical examination.

When younger patients have significant breast enlargement with associated symptoms, we don’t feel that they should be denied the benefits of this procedure because of an arbitrary age cutoff. Before proceeding, there are several unique considerations in this group that must be considered.

One of these is the issue of breast growth. We would prefer stabilization of breast growth for at least six months prior to proceeding with surgery. Another issue is the age of consent. Because of this, parents should be involved in every step of the decision- making process.

Choosing a Plastic Surgeon

It’s important for patients to be comfortable with their choice of plastic surgeon before proceeding with cosmetic surgery. When choosing a surgeon, several issues should be considered. These include the surgeon’s training, certification, and experience.

Completion of a plastic surgery residency is an essential requirement when picking a surgeon. Although it seems obvious that cosmetic surgery is a procedure that should be performed by someone trained in plastic surgery, this is not always the case. There are many physicians who perform cosmetic surgery who haven’t completed plastic surgery training. They frequently refer to themselves as cosmetic surgeons and have trained in a variety of other areas.

Board-certification is also extremely important. This means that your surgeon has undergone testing and peer review. He or she has satisfied certain criteria that are associated with surgical excellence.

One of the most important factors is your surgeon’s level of experience. Surgeons who have extensive experience with aesthetic surgery tend to have higher success rates.

Breast Augmentation Options

Several questions need to be answered before proceeding with breast augmentation surgery. These pertain to the following issues: 1) Implant size, 2) Implant type, 3) Incision location, 4) Under or the over muscle, and 5) With or without a breast lift.

Depending upon the answers to these questions, a large variety of treatment options potentially exist. Each patient should be considered individually since no two patients are the same. Patients may have unique anatomic findings and specific aesthetic goals that impact their treatment plan.

In general terms, data shows that the majority of implants are placed under the muscle through an inframammary approach. There is a greater tendency to use silicone gel implants than saline implants, but saline implants are still frequently used.

Keep Calm & Fight On!

Aesthetic Surgical Images’ Staff Members Attend Race for the Cure

This past Sunday, October 6th 2013, Aesthetic Surgical Images’ staff members participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The annual event helps raise funds to support breast cancer research. The event honors those who have lost their battle with breast cancer while celebrating those who have survived breast cancer. In addition to supporting research, the event also promotes breast cancer awareness, education, and early breast cancer detection.