Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Blog

After a tummy tuck, I request that my patients not expose their abdomen to the sun or go to a tanning booth for six weeks after surgery. Frequently patients will have areas of decreased sensation increasing the possibility of bad sunburn. Patients may go swimming as early as two weeks after surgery if wound healing is good and the abdomen is not exposed. However long periods of sun exposure in a bathing suit in the immediate post operative period is to be avoided.

Depending on the patient and the physical evaluation of the breasts, a number of different types of breast lifts or mastopexy may be indicted. For those patients requiring only a small lift or reduction in areola size, a Benelli mastopexy may be performed. In this procedure two concentric circles are marked on the breasts. The inner circle centered on the nipple is the desired final diameter usually around four centimeters. The outer circle is marked more as an oval displaced surperiorly to elevated the nipple. The intervening skin between the circles is removed and a pursestring type suture is placed to reduce the size of the outer circle to that of the inner circle. In the early healing period there may be some small amount of puckering which improves as the scars mature. This procedure avoids a vertical scar but is only indicated mastpexies. Contact Dr. Linderman to schedule your personal consultation.

Many patients present to my office for breast augmentation surgery that are better treated with a breast lift or mastopexy procedure. Some cosmetic breast surgery patients may require a combination of breast lift and breast augmentation. To understand how I determine what is the best operation for a patient it is helpful to discuss breast ptosis. Breast ptosis is dropping of the breast tissue and nipple below the inframammary fold [IMF]. This is the fold beneath the breast and the relation of the nipple to the level of this fold is very important is determining what is the best surgical procedure. Grade I ptosis occurs when the nipple is at the level of the IMF. Breast augmentation alone will lift the breast and provide increased volume. In Grade II ptosis the nipple is below the level of the IMF and some type of breast lift with or without augmentation will be indicated. Grade III ptosis is even more severe with the nipple pointing down and mastopexy is always indicated. The type of mastopexy and incisions will vary with the amount of ptosis and other factors including breast volume and quality of the skin envelope. More on this at another time.

Contact us for a consultation to determine the appropriate procedure for you.

Frequently patients present for body contouring surgery with multiple requests. Patients may desire a flatter abdomen and waist contour and alteration of the size and shape of their breasts. This is a wonderful combination of surgical techniques as it allows me to balance a woman's figure with the shape of her abdomen and breasts. Tummy tuck and breast augmentation and or lift can easily be combined in one procedure. Overall surgery time, recovery and costs are decreased. Visit my online gallery to see many examples of before and after photos combining these techniques.

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If you are looking for a way to rejuvenate your facial appearance without a surgical solution, skin restoration procedures like BOTOX, Restylane, and Radiesse may help you turn back the clock without going under the knife.

Surgery to reverse the signs of aging can be very effective. For instance, the facelift procedure has helped millions of men and women look years younger. But facial fillers offer a safe, low-commitment way to get subtle facial enhancements without the cost or healing period of invasive procedures. There's little discomfort, and only minor swelling in most cases.

Here's how injectables work:

Your cosmetic surgeon helps you choose from a variety of nontoxic injectable solutions. Here are just a few available in practices today:

• BOTOX Cosmetic (Botulinum toxin)
• Radiesse (Calcium Hydroxylapatite)
• Restylane/Juvederm/Hylaform (Hyaluronic acid-based fillers)
• Sculptra (Synthetic Poly-L-Lactic Acid)
• CosmoDerm/CosmoPlast/Cymetra (Human-based collagen)
• Zyderm/Zyplast (Bovine-based collagen)

Then, the injectable is inserted under the skin with a fine syringe into specific areas of the face to smooth, enhance and rejuvenate. Popular filler areas include the lips, around the eyes, crow's feet, nasal grooves, grown lines, the forehead, and others. Injectable results can last from just a few months to much longer, depending on the type of filler you choose.

To learn more about your injectable cosmetic enhancement options, please contact our office today to schedule your initial consultation.