When patients undergo cosmetic surgery, safety should always be a priority. The pre-operative evaluation varies from patient to patient and depends on a variety of factors.
The starting point is a comprehensive history and physical examination. Depending on the findings of this evaluation additional studies and consultation may be necessary before proceeding with surgery.
We generally recommend a mammogram on any patient over forty years of age. An EKG is performed on anyone older than fifty. Laboratory studies are performed on an individual basis and depend upon the medical evaluation. The vast majority of patients have CBC’s and pregnancy tests.
In many cases, consultation with cardiology, pulmonology, and endocrinology are appropriate based on the patient’s medical history.
It’s important to remember that cosmetic procedures are major surgical procedures that have associated risks. For this reason, safety should be everyone’s first priority.
A large number of liposuction techniques are currently available for treating localized areas of fat. These techniques have specific indications and are often associated with unique advantages and disadvantages.
Ultrasonic liposuction which is also known as ultrasonic assisted liposuction utilizes high energy sound waves to destroy fat cells. This process is known as cavitation and results in the formation of an oily material which is then removed by standard liposuction techniques.
In the vast majority of situations, ultrasonic liposuction offers no significant advantages over tumescent liposuction. However, when fat deposits are associated with fibrous tissue ultrasonic liposuction may offer unique advantages. This technique is therefore often utilized in the flanks and chest of men.
If you’re considering ultrasonic liposuction, it’s important to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. This surgeon should be able to formulate an appropriate treatment plan for your condition.
We recommend that patients don’t wear eyeglasses for at least four weeks following rhinoplasty. During this period the nasal bones aren’t totally healed and slight pressure can cause distortion, indentation and secondary nasal deformities.
In patients who are dependent upon their eyeglasses alternative strategies are occasionally necessary. When nasal splints are present, eye glasses can be placed directly on top of these stable structures without concern. The splints are usually removed after the first week and other approaches become
We often recommend taping the eyeglasses to the forehead. In some cases additional padding can be attached to the nasal eyeglass pads as well.
When patients require eyeglasses to function these maneuvers represent a significant disruption of daily activities. With this in mind, it’s important to remember that the benefits of rhinoplasty will last an entire life time.
For many patients, cosmetic surgery wouldn’t be possible without some type of financing. For this reason, the vast majority of plastic surgeons offer some type of financing program. With the availability of this type of program, plastic surgeons don’t typically take installment payments. They usually require full payment before surgery is performed.
In our practice, we almost exclusively utilize Care Credit. This is currently the most commonly used source of plastic surgery financing in the United States. The company is run by GE Capital. It’s reputable and you can apply for a loan online. It takes approximately thirty minutes to get a response. In some cases, you may be able to get a twelve-month interest-free loan.
Financing isn’t for everyone; make sure you understand the fine print in your contract. Don’t take on more than you can handle. At some point, you will have to repay the loan. It’s important to have all your financing questions answered before proceeding with cosmetic surgery. In our office, we have financial consultants who can help you with this very important issue.
Abdominoplasty isn’t recommended immediately following a C-section for a variety of reasons. These include the inability to make aesthetic judgments immediately following pregnancy, the mother’s overall health status, and the demands of a newborn child on the mother.
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, and during this transition, it’s impossible to make aesthetic judgments. During this period, stretched skin may contract, a swollen uterus may shrink, and the weight gained during pregnancy may gradually disappear. This process takes 3 to 6 months and needs to occur before abdominoplasty is performed.
Ideally, patients should be within 10% of their ideal body weight and in good health otherwise. The majority of women who have undergone C-sections aren’t in good physical shape and are therefore not optimal candidates for surgery for a variety of reasons. These may include severe fatigue, a depressed immune system, possible blood loss, an increased potential for infection and elevated estrogen levels which can increase the risk of blood clots.
Finally, the demands of a newborn would make the recovery from these combined procedures very difficult. For instance, the use of postoperative pain medications would prevent you from breast feeding. In other words, the abdominoplasty might impact your developing relationships with your newborn child.
For all these reasons, it’s obvious that C-section and abdominoplasty shouldn’t be performed together. If you’re considering abdominoplasty it’s important to give yourself time to fully recover from your C-section. Once this has occurred it’s appropriate to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon.
