The Advanced Surgical Institute is committed to excellence, with our physicians being some of the most-skilled in their respective fields. By employing the latest surgical procedures and utilizing today’s most advanced technology, our patients receive the highest level of patient care, satisfaction and completely natural aesthetic results.

Plastic Surgery Procedures

We provide a wide array of plastic surgery procedures, from cosmetic facial surgical procedures such as eyelid surgery, facial implants and lip augmentation to breast and body lift procedures.
The Advanced Surgical Institute employs minimally invasive surgical techniques, which provide a higher level of care by dramatically shortening recovery times, lessening discomfort, and reducing the risk of complications from surgery when compared to open surgical procedures and techniques.

Motherhood is one of the most beautiful things that women say they experience, but they also report the toll that it takes on their physique.

It is common for women to experience many changes to their bodies post-pregnancy including:

• Stretch Marks
• Vericose Veins
• Weight Gain
• Deflation or Sagging in the Breasts
• Saggy Stomach
• Cellulite

Many women want to restore their body to the way it looked before giving birth to their children and a Mommy Makeover is the way to do so.

What is a Mommy Makeover?

A Mommy Makeover is a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure or series of procedures that are used to restore and refresh a woman’s youthful appearance by reversing the signs of aging and pregnancy.
Common cosmetic procedures utilized for a Mommy Makeover include:

• Breast Lift or Breast Augmentation – After the process of giving birth and nursing your child, you may be experiencing a loss of fullness in your breasts or sagging. In order to address these sagging features you may want to undergo a breast lift procedure. In some cases to restore fullness you may also want to receive implants in a breast augmentation procedure.
• Liposuction – It is not uncommon for women to experience unexpected and unwanted body fat in certain areas of their body after pregnancy due to metabolic changes. Despite your best efforts at weight loss through diet and exercise you may still experience trouble areas that affect the contour of your body. Liposuction may be the perfect way to get rid of unwanted fat in the buttocks, hips, or thighs.
• Tummy Tuck- – As a result of a woman’s stomach becoming stretched during pregnancy, many women report the loss of elasticity of the skin in the stomach, resulting in saggy and loose skin around the stomach. With a tummy tuck you will be able to restore the stomach you had before or even achieve flat, toned muscles unlike those you had before.

Am I a Candidate for a Mommy Makeover?

While you may be encouraged to get these body contouring surgeries after childbirth, it is strongly suggested that you wait until you are done having children before undergoing these types of procedures. If you intend on continuing to grow your family it is advisable to wait as further pregnancies will affect the results of these plastic surgery procedures.

If you are experiencing weight gain that does not subside despite a healthy lifestyle of diet and exercise, if you feel that you look tired in the mirror, if you notice stubborn excess and sagging skin in your abdomen despite your healthy lifestyle, or if the size or shape of your breasts bother you than you are a candidate for a Mommy Makeover.

Breast augmentation is a method by which a patient can either increase the projection and fullness of their breasts or improve symmetry from one breast to the next. Whether you have a breast that is naturally small, a breast that has been reduced in volume due to pregnancy or weight loss, or you are looking for improved symmetry due to disproportionate breast sizes, augmentation mammoplasty may be the perfect cosmetic procedure for you.

Silicone and Saline Breast Implants

There are two different kinds of implants that are used for breast augmentation surgery, silicone and saline. Both types of implants utilize a silicone shell, but the difference between the two is in the material that is encased by the shell. Silicone implants use a silicone gel that mimics human fat, while saline implants use sterile salt water (saline).

There were initially concerns related to silicone breast implants, which resulted in a 14-year ban by the FDA, requiring surgeons to only provide saline implants for breast augmentation (though silicone implants were still used in cases of breast reconstruction). That ban was lifted in 2006, resulting in a significant shift from the majority of breast surgeries using saline to silicone. In 2006, only about 19% of procedures used silicone implants, while in 2012 roughly 72% of procedures within the United States used silicone.

Breast Augmentation Surgery

The surgery itself involves the insertion of the saline or silicone implant through an incision that is made in either the armpit, along the lower edge of the areola, or at the bottom crease of the breast. The implant is then either placed under the chest muscle or breast tissue. After insertion of the implant, the incision is then closed using stitches. The breasts are then wrapped using an elastic band or supported by a special bra.

Your plastic surgeon will discuss the methods they prefer for breast augmentation with you and which methods will be most beneficial for you.

Typically surgery will last between one and two hours and typically involves the use of general anesthesia, though in some cases local anesthesia or an epidural may be utilized.

Breast Augmentation Recovery

The most important thing to remember about post-operative recovery is that it will likely differ for each patient. This is a guide to typical recovery for most patients and is not necessarily expectations of recovery.

For the first several days of recovery it is common to experience a bit of bruising, soreness, or swelling in the breasts, and in some cases these effects can last several weeks. Your physician may prescribe you medication to help alleviate some of the discomfort.

Most women are able to resume normal, non-strenuous activities within several days of the procedure. A consultation with your physician will allow you to get a picture of when you might be able to resume more strenuous activity such as exercise or heavy lifting.

Scarring will occur, although breast augmentation procedures are designed to both hide scars in concealed areas and to minimize the result of scarring. When following the guidelines of your doctor it is common for fading of these scars to occur within several months

The Key to a Positive Experience

Having realistic expectations about your breast augmentation surgery, as well as finding a plastic surgeon that you trust, are the two keys to a positive experience with this procedure.
Get a consultation with an experienced plastic surgeon to find out if breast augmentation surgery is right for you.

What is a facelift?

A facelift can help to address sagging features in the face and includes a number of surgical procedures such as rhytidectomy (facelift surgery) and minimally-invasive, non-surgical techniques such as Botox and Restylane.

What a Facelift Does

A facelift, whether surgical or non-surgical, can help to address many issues associated with aging in the neck and face. Deep creases that occur below the eyelids or along the nose, displaced or fallen fat, muscle tone loss that has resulted in the creation of jowls, and instances of loose skin and fatty deposits are all issues that can be addressed with a facelift procedure.
In order to achieve the most aesthetically pleasing results it may be necessary to receive a combination of treatments that also includes a brow lift or eyelid surgery.

It is important to note that a facelift will not stop the process of aging and that it will not change your fundamental appearance.

Facelift surgery and non-surgical treatments will serve different purposes and will not achieve uniform results, so it is imperative that you understand the difference between these types of procedures and that you discuss them with a plastic surgeon to make sure you receive the procedure that will give you the desired results.

Types of Facelift Procedures

Surgical and non-surgical treatments may be utilized to combat the visible signs of aging. Understanding the differences between these methods will help to ensure that you achieve the desired results.

Facelift Surgery

Several different methods for facelift surgery (rhytidectomy) exist in order to address many of the aforementioned issues. Facelift surgery will provide longer Facelift lasting results than non-surgical treatments and can help to improve features that injection procedures do not. The methods that are provided for facelift surgery include:

• Traditional – The most commonly used method for facelift surgery is the traditional method, where an incision is made at the hair line near the temples and extends down to the lower scalp around the bottom of the ear. Fat and tissue is sculpted, redistributed, repositioned, and lifted depending on the desired results and needs. Once this has been completed, skin is then redraped or trimmed away and sutures or skin adhesives are utilized to close the incisions.
• Limited – The difference between the traditional and limited method is the type of incision that is made. Instead of a larger incision such as that made in the traditional method, the limited incision is made with a shorter incision at the temple and around the ear.
• SMAS Lift – This method involves resuspending and securing the Superficial Musculo Aponuerotic System, or the layer of ligaments that encase the fat of the cheek in order to rejuvenate the face.
• Thread Lift – This method is typically used for patients that are seeking only minor improvements and can be performed using local instead of general anesthesia. Barb sutures are used to keep the lift in effect.

Non-Surgical Treatment

There are also non-surgical facelift procedures that are available that can provide a temporary solution to facial issues. These methods include:

• Botox – Botox is an injectable treatment that can be used to reduce signs of aging such as horizontal creases in the forehead, frown lines, issues such as asymmetry or drooping of the brow, and more. While the length of this treatment’s effectiveness will vary from patient to patient it is common to see results last anywhere between 3 to 6 months. Those with stronger or more prominent muscles in the face may see results for 2 to 3 months.
• Restylane – Restylane is FDA-approved for use to add volume to skin or to correcet wrinkles and folds on the mouth in the areas of the nose and corners of the mouth. Additionally this treatment may be used to treat the areas in between the eyebrows. It is common for patients to see continued results for as long as 18 months with follow-up treatments every 5 to 9 months.
• Dysport – Another type of injectable solution that focuses on reducing wrinkles and relaxing facial muscles in the forehead. This treatment may allow for the use of a single injection instead of multiple injections as it can reach as far as 3cm from the injection point.

These non-surgical methods for facelift can typically be performed within an hour at an outpatient facility.

Consult a Plastic Surgeon

In order to achieve the results that you desire, make sure that you consult with a plastic surgeon that can discuss with you the best method of treatment and inform you of any potential risks and guide you through the process.

Weight Loss through Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) Surgery

If you are suffering from excess skin and fat in your abdominal region despite your best efforts to get rid of it through diet and exercise then abdominoplasty, also known as a tummy tuck, may be able to help you.

Tummy Tuck Procedure – Am I a Candidate?

Men and women who are in good health and are experiencing unwanted fat and skin in their midsection are eligible for a tummy tuck.

For women that have experienced a sagging of their belly due to multiple pregnancies or as a result of significant weight loss may also be eligible for this procedure.

If you plan on getting pregnant in the future, it is advisable that you wait until you have finished having children as the muscles that are tightened during an abdominoplasty can be separated during pregnancy. Additionally, if you intend to lose a significant amount of weight you should consider postponing the tummy tuck until after you have given your best effort to diet and exercise.

Complete Abdominoplasty vs. Partial Abdominoplasty (Mini tummy tuck)

There are two types of tummy tuck procedures that will be used by a plastic surgeon depending on your needs and goals.

A partial abdominoplasty (mini tummy tuck) is typically performed on patients when they have fat deposits that are located below the belly button. Those who may receive a mini tummy tuck often have too much fat or excess skin to be treated by liposuction alone, but not enough that it requires a complete or full abdominoplasty.

In a partial abdominoplasty procedure small incisions are made just above the pubic area and the skin is lifted in order to remove localized fat and to tighten muscles.

A complete abdominoplasty uses a larger incision than the partial procedure, with the incision just above the pubic area stretching from hip to hip. In this procedure it is common to reposition the navel after the excess fat and skin have been removed to provide a more aesthetically pleasing look.

Both procedures can be performed on an outpatient basis, lasting between two and five hours with a partial procedure requiring less time. Both procedures also utilize general anesthesia.

Tummy Tuck Preparation

Before your tummy tuck surgery you should make sure that you are eating healthy and balanced meals and that you do not attempt any kind of drastic diet before the surgery.

If you are a smoker your doctor will instruct you to quit smoking two weeks prior to the surgery and the two weeks after the procedure. Complete cessation from smoking is a must and it is not enough to merely cut back as smoking can cause complications during surgery and increase the amount of time it takes to heal properly.

Make sure that you inform your physician of any medications, supplements, or herbal remedies you may be taking and that you discuss any health issues you may have so that they can judge if the procedure is safe for you.

Prepare your home by making sure that you have the following items at your disposal for the recovery period:

• Comfortable and loose clothing
• Ice packs
• Petroleum jelly
• Bathroom chair and hand-held shower head

Make sure that you have set up a ride home for after the procedure as you will be unable to drive.

Recovering from Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck Recovery)

Your plastic surgeon will cover your recovery process with you after the procedure and it is imperative to both the effectiveness of your surgery and your health that you follow these directions strictly.

Rhinoplasty Procedure

Commonly referred to as a “nose job,” rhinoplasty is a plastic surgery procedure that involves reconstruction, restoration, or reduction of the nose. A plastic surgeon will utilize either open rhinoplasty or closed rhinoplasty to make your nose appear more appealing.

Candidates for Rhinoplasty

If you are an adult who has ever been self-conscious about the appearance of their nose then you may be the perfect candidate for rhinoplasty. Whether you are unhappy about the way your nose has aged, have suffered from deformities, or have never been pleased with the asymmetry or size of your nose, rhinoplasty may be the perfect procedure for you.

If you have ever experienced obstructed breathing due to the shape or size of your nose you may also be eligible for rhinoplasty.

For both men and women nose surgery is typically not performed until after the growth period has ended unless there are significant complications to health as a result of a congenital or acquired abnormality.

Open Rhinoplasty

Open rhinoplasty indicates that during the surgical procedure an incision is made externally in order for the surgeon to get access to the interior of the nose.

The benefit of this procedure is that it typically makes it easier to address any potential issues when the surgeon has full view of the nose. Some, however, are concerned with the external scar on the nose. While the incision typically heals extremely well for most patients, scarring is a factor that your plastic surgeon will discuss with you.

Closed Rhinoplasty

Incisions for closed rhinoplasty procedures are made in the nasal interior, posing less potential for scarring as well as requiring less time for the operation.

A plastic surgeon may use the open or closed procedure based on the type of surgery you require and the general appearance you are looking for. There is no right or wrong method when it comes to using the open or closed procedure and it may be due entirely to what suits your needs best or the method your surgeon prefers.

Rhinoplasty Recovery

Every patient wants the shortest recovery time possible after surgery, but having realistic expectations about how long it will take to recover and what you can expect is important.
Remember that recovery experiences vary for each patient, but you can realistically expect a convalescence period of roughly two weeks; external sutures removed within the first 4 to 5 days, the external cast removed after roughly one week, stent removal between 4 and 14 days, and bruising or swelling to be reduced within those two weeks.

Some tips that you can follow to help reduce recovery time include:

• Relaxation – Avoid strenuous workouts, sports, and swimming for the first two weeks, easing back into moderate exercise at your doctor’s discretion in the third or fourth week.
• Avoid Exposure to the Sun – Making sure that your skin is protected with sunscreen when you go into the sun will help significantly, especially in the first three months. Additionally, using coverings such as a hat or sun umbrella will help you limit unprotected exposure.
• Avoid Weight on Your Nose – In the event that you require eyeglasses it is advisable that you utilize your hard nasal splint to put on your nose before wearing your eyeglasses. You may want to consider contact lenses for a brief period as well. Avoiding the use of sunglasses can also help in recovery time.

Your physician will have you in for checkups during this recovery period and it is imperative that if you notice any complications that you contact them immediately. Your physician will also provide a detailed list of recovery “do’s” and “don’ts” after your procedure.

Rhinoplasty is a safe and effective method to improve the appearance of your nose.

Many men in the United States suffer from enlarged or over-developed breasts, which can greatly affect their personal perception of their appearance. Gynecomastia, or male breast reduction, can help to remove excess glandular tissue development, localized fat, or a combination thereof in order to reduce male breast size.

It is not uncommon for this condition to affect either both breasts or one breast (bilaterally or unilaterally).

Am I a Candidate for Male Breast Reduction Surgery?

If you are an adult male who is in good health, but you are self-conscious about your enlarged breasts, you may be the perfect candidate for male breast reduction.

Additionally, it is strongly suggested that you have reached an age that has resulted in the stabilization of your development. While male breast reduction can in some instances be performed on adolescents, it is most beneficial to wait until you have stopped developing.

Male breast reduction surgery may also be performed on men that are facing medical issues as a result of their enlarged breasts.

How Is Male Breast Reduction Performed?

Prior to surgery, you will consult with your plastic surgeon to go over how to properly prepare for your surgery. These steps will likely involve quitting smoking well in advance of the surgery, receiving a medical evaluation, and potentially altering the medication you take both prescribed and over-the-counter.

There are several methods that may be utilized in order to reduce the size of your breasts including:

• Liposuction – In cases where enlarged breasts are a result of excess fatty tissue, liposuction will often be utilized. Liposuction involves the loosening and removal of excess fat through the combination of vacuum suction and a thin, hollow tube known as a cannula.
• Excision – An excision procedure may be required in cases where excessive tissue or skin needs to be removed to provide a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. This type of procedure is also utilized when the areola needs to either be repositioned or resized.
• Combination – It may be necessary to employ both of these types of procedures to achieve the appropriate contour and appearance during your breast reduction surgery.

All of these types of procedures will require the use of incisions, though a skilled plastic surgeon will be able to minimize chances of permanent scarring.

Whether you have undergone major surgery or an injury, scars may often leave visible signs after healing. Scar revision will assist in minimizing the appearance of scars that are aesthetically unappealing.

Why Choose Scar Revision?

Wounds heal in different manners; healing is unpredictable and can result in a scar anywhere on your body that can be disfiguring, obvious, or unsightly and leaves you feeling self-conscious about your appearance.
Scar revision surgery will assist in minimizing the appearance of scars that have become unsightly as a result of becoming recessed or raised, or appear as a different texture or color than the rest of your skin. It is important to note that this surgery will not erase a scar that is formed, but will provide a more aesthetically pleasing appearance.

Types of Scars that Require Revision

There are multiple types of scars that patients may suffer from that can be addressed through scar revision surgery. Some of these types of scars include:

• Hypertropic Scars – When people imagine scars this is typically the type that they are referring to. These scars are scar tissue that occur at the site of the wound that present as being darker in color (hyperpigmented) or lighter in color (hypopigmented) and also appear as raised or recessed.
• Contractures – This type of scar is the result of significant loss of tissue and often restricts movement. These may be associated with extensive damage due to a burn or the fact that the wound occurred over a joint, causing restricted movement in the neck, elbows, fingers, or knees for example.

Irregular Surface Discoloration – Scars of this nature are often the result of acne, minor injury, or surgical incisions. There is typically no physical discomfort or impairment of functioning associated with this type of scar.

Types of Scar Revision Surgery

Depending on how extensive scarring may be, there are a number of methods that can be employed to perform surgical scar revision. The various types of treatment may include:

• Topical – In cases of minor scarring it may be possible to reduce the appearance of the offending scar by using treatments that are topical such as a gel, external compression, or tape. Additionally, these may be used in combination with other procedures to treat a scar.
• Injectables – Minimally invasive injection therapies may be used in the instance of scars that are depressed or concave. These steroidal-based compounds can additionally serve the purpose of altering the texture, appearance, and size of certain scars, though periodic maintenance may be required with results lasting anywhere from three months to several years.
• Surface – Multiple surface treatments can be used to treat scars. These methods may include dermabrasion (involving the polishing of the skin mechanically), chemical peel (softens irregularities through the penetration of the surface of the skin), laser therapy (alters the skin’s surface to allow health skin to grow over the site of the scar), and skin bleaching (the overall appearance of the skin is lightened in order to reduce the irregularities of the scar).
• Surgical – These methods may involve a skin graft, where healthy skin is grafted over the scar site, sub-dermal closure, or tissue expansion. Tissue expansion involves the implantation of an inflatable balloon sub-dermally close to the site of the scar. Through expansion of the balloon over time, new and healthy skin will grow and stretch and is then used to replace scar tissue. Tissue expansion often requires a series of procedures in order to achieve the desired results.

The benefit of utilizing surgical methods is that the results will be much longer lasting that injection therapy and more effective than topical therapy.

Make sure that during your consultation with a plastic surgeon make sure that you discuss the right scar revision surgery that is right for your needs.

Are you tired of stubborn fat pockets around your body that won’t go away? Lipoplasty, commonly known as liposuction, may be the surgical solution that can help you.

Am I a Candidate for Liposuction?

If you have tried to get rid of excess fat deposits in your body around the abdomen, arms, thighs, buttocks, chin, waist, hips or other areas through exercise and diet but have still been unable to do so then liposuction may be for you.

The candidates that are most ideal for liposuction include adults who have skin that is firm and elastic and are within 30% of an ideal weight, ex-smokers or non-smokers, and those that have realistic expectations and goals that they would like to achieve through their body contouring procedure.

How Does Liposuction Work?

During liposuction you will undergo either general anesthesia or intravenous sedation during the procedure.

After the anesthesia has been administered, small incisions will be made in the area that you are looking to contour. The liposuction will be performed through these incisions.

In order to ensure that the procedure is sterile, a liquid solution will be used in order to additionally reduce any trauma and bleeding, at which point a cannula (small, thin tube) will be inserted into the area of the incision in order to dislodge excess fat. A surgical syringe or vacuum will then be utilized in order to remove the fat that has been dislodged.

What Procedures Use Liposuction?

Liposuction is used in a long list of cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures including:

• Breast Reduction
• Weight Loss Surgery
• Tummy Tuck
• Mommy Makeover
• Arm Lift
• Butt or Thigh Lift

Your plastic surgeon may also employ different methods in these procedures, but often they may utilize liposuction.

Benefits of Liposuction

The recovery period will often last several weeks, but once the swelling goes down you will have long-lasting results and you will receive a look that is more contoured in order to enhance your self-image.

Are you experiencing breasts that are sagging as a result of age, weight loss, pregnancy, or heredity? A breast lift may be the perfect procedure to make your breasts firmer and provide you with a more youthful contour.

Candidates for Breast Lift Surgery

If you are happy with the size of your breasts but notice that they are pendulous, you may be a great candidate for breast lift surgery. Additionally, if you have noticed that one of your breasts has developed asymmetrically from the other or there are significant differences in shape between your breasts, you may be the perfect candidate for mastopexy.

It is strongly suggested that you wait until after the development stage (typically after the age of 18) to consider receiving this particular procedure. Many women choose to wait to have this surgical procedure until after they have had children as pregnancy may lead to a change in shape and size of the breast, although some women choose to have this surgery performed before they bear children.

A consultation with a physician at Advanced Surgical Institute will allow you to better gauge your candidacy for this cosmetic surgery.

How Does Breast Lift Surgery Work?

It is important to note that the size of the breast is not significantly changed by a breast lift, though breast lifts are often performed in conjunction with breast augmentation surgery.
Breast lift surgery is typically performed in an outpatient procedure that may last several hours. General anesthesia is typically used allowing you to sleep through the procedure.

In the most common method used for this surgical procedure incisions are made around the areola and beneath the breast in order to remove excess skin. The nipple and areola are then repositioned to sit in a more symmetrical and appealing way. In the case of a breast that sags, the surgeon may reduce the size of the areola as well, bringing down skin that was originally above the areola in order to reshape the entire breast.

There may be other alternate techniques your plastic surgeon may utilize depending on your needs and desired appearance.

What Can I Expect After Breast Lift Surgery?

Expectations after surgery regarding your recovery should be discussed in depth with your surgeon, but here are a few of the experiences that are most likely after your surgery.

You may be uncomfortable for several days after the procedure, experiencing some discomfort or pain. The surgeon will place bandages around your breasts immediately after the surgery and will remove them during your scheduled follow-up visit a day or two after your breast lift surgery.
Your doctor will commonly suggest that you wear either special dressing or a bra for several days in order to provide support to your breasts during the recovery period and may prescribe pain medication to handle any discomfort.

Two to three weeks after surgery the physician will remove your stitches. It is important to note that it will take time for the breasts to achieve their improved shape and that a touch-up procedure may be necessary in order to address any possibility of asymmetry.

Limited activity is strongly advised after surgery, as is reporting any potential side effects that you may be experiencing including:

• Allergic Reactions
• Swelling or Bruising
• Altered Sensations
• Itching

To schedule a consultation with the plastic surgeons at ASI call (800) 235-1234

If you are looking for a permanent way to increase certain features facial implants may be the cosmetic procedure for you. Whether you are a man looking to exude more self-confidence with the aid of a stronger chin or a woman who wants to augment your cheeks, facial implants can help give you a more desirable appearance with full features.

Chin Augmentation Implants

Chin augmentation implants are one method to balance disproportionate features and make a weak chin look stronger, but it also serves several other purposes as well. Many patients who desire a smaller nose may actually find that a chin implant is a more beneficial method to balance out their features instead of rhinoplasty. Chin implants can also specifically assist those whose natural chin and jaw features blend into the neck, leading to an appearance of facial imbalance.

Cheek Augmentation Implants

Some may find that cheek implants are a better method to emphasize their facial features. Women often desire fuller cheeks and while non-surgical methods such as facial injections with Restylane or soft tissue filler may augment these features for a shorter period of time, typically 6 to 12 months, implants will last significantly longer.

How Facial Implant Surgery Works

Facial implants utilize biocompatible materials that are specifically engineered to function along with living tissue. During your facial implant cosmetic surgery your surgeon will make external or intraoral incisions depending on the type of procedure you undergo.

• Chin/Jaw Implants– An intraoral incision is made along the crease that adjoins the gums and lips and the implant will be inserted. In some cases it may be preferable to make an external incision beneath the chin. For jaw implants incisions may be made further back on the jawline.
• Cheek Implants– Depending on where the implants will be located in the cheek will determine where incisions will be made, though it is typical for intraoral incisions to be made in the mouth or incisions will be made inside the lower eyelid or even within the hairline.

Sutures or stitches will be utilized to close the incisions and are typically removed 1 to 2 weeks after you have undergone your cosmetic procedure.

Lip augmentation is a great cosmetic procedure to help you make your lips look fuller by combating the drooping and thinning that occurs as we age. Modern techniques have made lip augmentation a simple and safe procedure for patients.

Candidates for Lip Augmentation

Whether you have noticed that your lips have becoming thinner with age or you have naturally thin lips, almost any adult who is under good health can reap the benefits of lip enhancement.

There is a wide variety of methods utilized to enhance lips, each with specific requirements for candidates. While a discussion of your medical history will be conducted with your plastic surgeon prospective candidates interested in injectable lip fillers should make sure to report any preexisting allergies, while those interested in surgical options for lip augmentation should make sure that they tell their surgeon of respiratory problems that could be exacerbated by anesthesia.

Non-Surgical Lip Augmentation

Dermal fillers are a common type of non-surgical lip augmentation, and these utilize hyaluronic acid fillers. Common hyaluronic acid filler products include Restylane, Perlane, and Juvederm, which all contain the local anesthetic lidocaine. The benefits of using these products include:

• Volume – The plastic surgeon will have greater control over the volume of your lips because the amount of filler is easily controlled through injection. This also means that the process can be more gradual until you achieve the results you desire.
• Less Potential for Allergic Reaction – Allergic reactions when using hyaluronic fillers are unlikely to cause an allergic reaction as they are primarily made of substances in the human body. The only real potential for an allergic reaction comes from the presence of lidocaine in the injections.
• Results Last Longer – Although they are not permanent, the results of these types of fillers last longer than with other dermal fillers. The results can be expected to last anywhere from six to twelve months.
  The procedure is usually brief as it can be performed in an office visit and requires little to no recovery time.

Surgical Lip Augmentation

Although these methods are less commonly performed due to the effectiveness of non-surgical lip enhancement, if you are interested in permanent lip augmentation you may want to consider a plastic surgery procedure.

Lip augmentation through surgical methods involves the implantation of dermal fat and alloderm to create long-lasting, pouty lips. Synthetic implants may also be utilized, as are fat grafts.

A common technique is the V-Y Advancement, which involves making incisions in the inside surface of the lip, which allows the surgeon to advance the lip outwards and increase projection of the lips.

Potential Side Effects

When using hyaluronic acid fillers, side effects are minimal and if they do occur they typically only last a few days. While each patient is different and may experience different side effects, the most common include mild swelling and bruising around the lips, redness around the injection site, or bleeding from the site of injection.

If you are tired of saggy lines and wrinkles on your forehead, brow lift surgery may be the perfect cosmetic procedure for you. A brow lift can help you look younger and more youthful by reducing or eliminating drooping muscles and lines in the forehead.

Am I a Candidate for Brow Lift Surgery?

Whether you are experiencing wrinkles and lines in your forehead due to genetics or age, and if you believe that these features are making you appear older or unhappy you may be the perfect candidate for brow lift surgery.

What Will Brow Lift Surgery Do For Me?

Brow lift surgery will give you a more youthful appearance by minimizing creases across the forehead and also those that occur between the eyes on the bridge of the nose. In addition to these improvements it will also assist in raising the eyebrows, re-positioning a sagging brow that hoods the upper eyelid and obstructs vision, and reduces vertical creases between the eyebrows.

To completely rejuvenate your facial appearance it may be beneficial to discuss additional procedures with your plastic surgeon including eyelid surgery, skin resurfacing, or a facelift.

Types of Brow Lift Surgery

There are several types of brow lift surgery that will assist you in achieving a more relaxed, youthful appearance. Procedures that may be suggested by your physician include the following:

• Endoscopic Brow Lift– Often referred to as a brow enhancement, this procedure is minimally invasive and involves several smaller incisions being made at the hairline. An endoscope is then utilized so that the surgeon can remove or reposition muscles in the forehead that result in frown lines.

  Recovery time is often shorter when utilizing the endoscopic method. In most cases your physician will provide you with general anesthesia or IV sedation during the procedure for your comfort.

• Coronal Brow Lift– While a subcutaneous brow lift will involve an incision in the hairline, the coronal brow lift will utilize an incision made across the forehead in the least visible area. After the incision has been made the surgeon will lift the forehead and remove excess tissue and skin. This is the most widely-used and popular method of brow lift among patients and surgeons alike.
• Subcutaneous Brow Lift– This type of brow lift surgery involves the removal of excess skin by making an incision in the hairline of the patient. By making the incision in the hairline it is possible better address deep horizontal creases of the forehead experienced by some patients.
  Recovery time is often shorter when utilizing the endoscopic method. In most cases your physician will provide you with general anesthesia or IV sedation during the procedure for your comfort.

What to Do Before a Brow Lift

Your plastic surgeon will discuss the methods you should use to prepare for your surgery, but you can typically expect to ask the following of you:

• Undergo testing from a lab and medical evaluation
• Quit smoking prior to and following your procedure
• Temporarily reduce or eliminate certain prescription or over-the-counter medications prior to surgery.

You will often have a brow lift on an outpatient procedure as it requires only a few hours to be completed, so make sure that you have arranged for someone to provide you with transportation after the surgery and to have someone accompany you during the first evening of your recovery.

Cleft Lip and Palate

The conditions known as cheiloschisis and palatoschisis, cleft lip and palate respectively, are common deformities that are often associated with defects during the development of the fetus. For a multitude of reasons, a cleft lip or cleft palate may present at birth and require reconstructive surgery to correct.

Causes of Cleft Lip and Palate

A cleft is the separation of the roof of the mouth (palate) or the upper lip. Typically this condition is a result of genetic abnormalities and birth defects that occur during fetal development. Beyond just the aesthetic issues, cleft lips and palates often result in difficulties with talking and feeding as well as issues that could present in tooth formation, hearing loss, and frequent infections.

In the United States roughly 7,000 children are born each year with either a cleft lip, cleft palate, or a combination of both, with cleft lips presenting more commonly than the cleft palate.
The CDC has isolated some risk factors that may contribute to a child being born with these defects, including:

• Diabetes – In some cases, women that have received a diagnosis of diabetes before pregnancy are at an increased risk of giving birth to a child that has orofacial clefts.
• Smoking – The risk of having a child with a cleft lip or palate are significantly increased if the mother smokes during her pregnancy.

The exact causes of these orofacial clefts are currently unknown, although the issues listed above could be contributing factors. It may be possible to have these issues diagnosed during an ultrasound, although most often they are diagnosed after birth.

Cleft Lip and Palate Reconstructive Surgery

It is commonly recommended that children receive reconstructive surgery for cleft lip and palate before they reach 18 months in order to maximize the benefits to hearing, speech, breathing, and language as well as appearance. In many cases this surgery may need to be performed within the first several months of life up to the child’s first birthday.

Cleft lip surgery is intended to close the separation of the lip and provide function, appearance, and structure that are normal. In order to do so a plastic reconstructive surgeon will make incisions at either side of the cleft and draw together the tissue with stitches.

Cleft palate surgery is performed by surgically repairing and repositioning the muscles and tissue of the hard and soft palate. This repair is achieved by making incisions on either side of the cleft in order to stitch closed the roof of the month and allow for improved functioning of feeding and speech.

Scarring is typically minimal and will be positioned along the natural contours of the lip and nose to limit any appearance of abnormality.

Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery Recovery

Recovery periods and expectations vary from patient to patient, but you can commonly anticipate a few things regarding recovery from cleft lip and palate surgery.

After surgery dressings and bandages will be applied to the surgery site. Pediatric pain medications may be required post-operatively and your physician will include a list of instructions on how to care for and feed your child after the surgery. During immediate post-surgical recovery it may be necessary for restraints to be placed on the child in order to prevent them from causing complications or damage to the surgical site. It will be imperative to provide sun protection in order to reduce the formation of irregular scars.

Cleft lip and palate surgery will help children in many areas of functioning and prevent complications later in life associated with these abnormalities.

Fat transfer, also known as autologous fat transplantation, is a common cosmetic surgery that can be utilized as an alternative to correct the process of aging. Fat transfer can be performed on an outpatient basis to serve multiple cosmetic purposes.

What is Fat Transfer Surgery?

Fat transfer surgery involves harvesting fat from areas of the body such as the abdomen or thighs to be utilized in the face to combat signs of aging. By using your own fat cells to improve issues such as sunken cheeks or frown lines, for example, you can ensure that you won’t have an allergic reaction as may be the case with other types of injections.

Fat transfer can be used to plump various areas of the body such as the lips, cheeks, and buttocks as well as areas that may have defects such as the hands or other areas of the skin.

Why Choose Fat Transfer?

A fat transfer procedure can provide many benefits. Not only is this method safe and natural, it is also non-allergenic due to the fact that your own fat is used.

The procedure can be used as an alternative to wrinkle treatments, can be used to re-contour the face, can assist in defining areas of the face such as the chin and cheeks, correct deformities, and combat aging in other areas.

It may also be possible to transfer fat from other areas of your body to improve the contour, shape, and size of the buttocks or breasts, though it will not provide the same results as implants in these areas.

Fat Transfer Procedure

This method is performed as an outpatient procedure that usually lasts a few hours and does not require any extensive surgery. It is common for the procedure to not require general anesthesia or to be performed with the use of local anesthetic.

Fat in the donor areas is removed with the use of a small needle that is attached to a syringe. The fat is then processed in order to remove any excess fluids and then injected into the area you are looking to improve beneath the skin. The process is then repeated until the desired effect has been achieved.

If you are undergoing other cosmetic procedures such as a tummy tuck and liposuction, fat transfer may be utilized in combination.

Fat Transfer Recovery and Risks

Recovery for fat transfer is typically minimal and there is a small risk of complications or infections. It is common for those who have undergone a fat transfer procedure to be able to resume normal activities within a few days.

As with any medical procedure there are risks that need to be factored into your decision and that you should discuss with a plastic surgeon before undergoing this cosmetic surgery.