Wednesday, 15 June 2011

• Plastic Surgery

  This is a guest post from OneSheTwoShe.
  
  A little bit about me: I am a semi-crazy stay at home mom who happens to also be a Registered Nurse. I have been married to my Matt for 5 1/2 years and still can't believe he picked me! I have a 4 year old little girl, a two year old little boy, and a baby girl on the way! I have the wonderful opportunity to work a couple of hours here and there with a fantastic plastic surgeon, administering sedation for many of his surgeries.
  
  Whenever someone finds this out, I am usually bombarded with questions; how much, recovery times, what would I have done, etc. I am, however, no expert on the subject, so I asked someone who was! Dr. York Yates, the physician I work with has been gracious enough to share all he knows with you all!
  
  I will try and hit on all the questions that are generally asked about plastic surgery, and post a link about each subject for those who are dying to know more! (There are a LOT of links, but heck, there's a whole lot of questions and info!) I asked some good friends what questions they personally had about the subject, and Dr. Yates answered them...
  
  (Note: the following two paragraphs are completely plagerized, with permission, of course, from his website. I personally found the info fascinating, and copied it because I couldn't have said it better myself!)
  

  Why is plastic surgery in Utah so popular?
  Plastic surgery in Utah is so common that Salt Lake City was voted the "vainest" city by Forbes magazine. Don't believe it? The study looked at the number of plastic surgeons per capita and compared the top 50 cities in the U.S. Salt Lake City has six plastic surgeons for every 100,000 people.
  
  New York City has four plastic surgeons per 100,000 residents and Los Angeles has 4.1 per 100,000 people. Miami claims 5.2 plastic surgeons per every 100,000.So the obvious question is why are there so many plastic surgeons in Salt Lake City, Utah anyway?

  
  

  Utah has some of the prettiest women in the U.S. and take care of themselves very well. So you have the perfect storm of young mothers, who are finished having babies at a young age. Childbirth and the associated stretch marks, loose and hanging skin have taken a toll on their tummies and breasts. They are generally attractive and care about their image and appearance.
  
  Having plastic surgery is a very socially acceptable thing in Utah, which may surprise outsiders with a Hollywood based opinion of Utah. A very large percentage of plastic surgery in Utah is body contour and breast surgery.
  
  Generally a "mommy makeover" includes various combinations of a breast lift, breast augmentation, tummy tuck and liposuction. These are relatively conservative women who want their bodies back. Of my cosmetic practice in Utah, I would estimate that 95% of my patients are female and 80% see me for one of these procedures.
  
  

  
  Over the past 5 years, I've seriously considered microdermabrasion on my face to get rid of my acne scars; botox injections to fill in my forehead, smile marks, and crows feet; and restylane injenctions in my non-existent upper lip to make it even w/my ginormous lower lip. If so, what are the risks, how much does it cost (and would insurance cover any of it), how long will it last (i.e., how often would I have to have it re-done), and what sort of anesthesia is involved?
  
  

  Microdermabrasion would not remove acne scars, this is more of a "facial freshining" procedure. Dermabrasion is a more aggressive surgery that improves acne scarring. Botox is great for forehead lines, smile lines and crows feet cost.
  
  Restylane is my favorite filler for lips and is around $650 for lip augmentation. Insurance would not cover any of these. Local anesthesia is used for all. Duration - botox 4-9 months, Restlane in the lip about 6 months, Dermabrasion permanent but depending on the depth of the scars may not give 100% elimination of acne scars just improvement.

  
  How do I know if I need a full tummy tuck or a "mini" tummy tuck after I'm done having kids? /I eventually will want to fix the collateral damage on my body from having kids - breast lift/implants to be perky again, and some lipo to get rid of my gutt. I think recovery time and expense is the biggest question I would have because as a mom you can't be out of commission for too long and the cost can't be too much.
  
  Tummy tuck - http://www.yorkyates.com/body-abdominoplasty.html about $3100 for a mini and $5500 for a full
  
  Mastopexy (breast lift) http://yorkyates.com/breast-lift.html about $3000 to $5000
  
  At the time of your consultation, your physician will help you determine which would be best for you. Generally, a min-abdominoplasty improves the lower abdomen whereas a full abdominoplasty improves the entire abdomen. A "new" belly button is created with a fulll abdominoplasty, whereas the original belly button remains after a mini-abdominoplasty.
  I've always wanted a nose job, but ultimately never dared because of the horror stories you always hear about people dying on the operating table!! How long is recovery time, assuming the operation is successful? How much would a nose job cost? Does insurance cover elective cosmetic surgery, and if not, would the surgeon code the surgery as necessary to repair a deviated septum or something?
  
  Could you tell my nose was messed with, or would it look completely natural - like I would just look 'well-rested' or like I just got my hair done - something's a little different (better) but I can't put my finger on it....!!
  
  Rhinoplasty http://www.yorkyates.com/face-rhinoplasty.html.
  
  There are risks with any surgery but the risk of death after rhinoplasty would be extrememly rare. Recovery is mostly cosmetic (time for swelling and bruising to decrease - about 2-3 weeks). Costs run from $3500-$6000.
  
  Insurance does not cover cosmetic surgery but may pay for functional (breathing issues) such as a deviated septum. Generally, a cosmetic rhinoplasty is quite different from a septum surgery and insurance wouldn't be involved. Hopefully the result would look great and quite natural. The amount of change would depend on the problem that needs to be addressed, subtle problems are best treated with subtle changes!
  
  

  Frequently asked questions about breast augmentation:
  
  

  Are implants Safe?
  
  In the early 1990's litigation and negative media led to the "silicone scare" that has had lasting negative effects. Silicone is an inert substance ubiquitous in the environment used in most implant able devices such as pacemakers, IV tubing, and prosthetic joints, to name a few.
  
  Several exhaustive studies and investigations have confirmed that no evidence exists that demonstrates silicone is associated with any systemic disease. There can, however, be local problems with silicone "bleed" that can lead to contracture, irregularity or displacement of the implant.
  
  There have been a number of refinements and improvements in implants in recent years to minimize these risks and enhance durability. Since 1992 silicone implants have been only available in situations of breast reconstruction and revision until recently. They were released in 2007 for primary augmentation in women at least 22 years of age.
  
  

  When can I return to work or the gym?
  
  

  Generally the patient can return to desk work within 3-6 days, may resume moderate lifting within three weeks and gym activities at approximately six weeks.

  Frequently asked questions about liposuction:
  
  

  Suction assisted lipoplasty or liposuction is performed to remove unwanted fat in defined regions of the body. Commonly treated areas include the thighs, hips, abdomen, neck and arms.
  
  The technique has evolved tremendously over the past thirty years and now ranks first among operative procedures in cosmetic surgery in the U.S. Advancements in technique include the use of blunt tipped cannulas as well as "tumescent" wetting solutions that are infiltrated before beginning the procedure to limit bleeding and swelling while allowing the procedure to be performed safely in an office operating room under local anesthetic.
  
  Liposuction can commonly be combined with other procedures such as abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) and can be performed under general anesthesia where indicated. The ideal candidate for liposuction is a patient at or near his or her ideal body weight with localized fatty depositions in unwanted areas. It is not a treatment for obesity, but best serves to contour the treated areas to eliminate fullness and create aesthetically pleasing lines and profiles.
  
  It is not a treatment for loose skin. Skin excisional methods such as thigh lift, abdominoplasty and brachioplasty are necessary to accomplish this.
  
  

  
  Does liposuction treat cellulite?
  
  Not really. Cellulite is caused from tethering of the underlying supporting tissues to the skin. The dimple is similar to a dimple caused by a button in a couch cushion or pillow. Although some cases of cellulite are improved by liposuction, it is important to understand that some cellulite can actually be accentuated by liposuction.
  
  What should I expect after surgery?
  
  You will recover in the recovery suite for as long as necessary (usually less than an hour). You will then be discharged to home and will be given antibiotics and pain medications. Pain following this procedure is generally moderate and lasts for a few days.
  
  The incisions may continue to leak some of the fluid that was administered during the procedure for a couple of days. You may resume showering when this drainage has stopped. You will be supplied with a compressive garment that is to be worn at all times for six weeks to limit swelling and speed recovery. You may choose to purchase a spare garment.
  

  As a parting note, there are two more issues that I believe should be addressed. One: the most important part of any plastic surgery procedure is to find a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon; not just someone who claims to be a "cosmetic surgeon."

  Any licensed physician can perform cosmetic surgeries. Personally I don't want an OBGYN or a Urologist who happened to take a weekend course in liposuction to touch me, but it is happening all over! It is completely legal, just not necessarily ethical.

  To further research finding someone qualified, click here. The other is to really research the physician/facility that you plan on visiting. Dr. Yates has a fantastic post on his blog dedicated to informing people about "medical spas" and what is and should and should not be going on there. Please, please read up on this subject, and become super informed!

  I hope that this post was informative! I figured that most of us, including myself, are full of questions, and so hopefully you learned something new!

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