Cosmetic surgery is performed to reshape normal structures of the body in order to enhance the patient's appearance and self-esteem. Our surgeons utilize the newest surgical techniques including minimally invasive, endoscopic, and short scar techniques.
- Facelift (Rhytidectomy)
A facelift is a purely cosmetic and elective procedure. The goals of surgery are to combat changes due to aging, gravity, sun exposure and weight gain/loss. A facelift mainly treats the lower face and neck by improving sagging facial and neck skin. Improvement is achieved by removing excess fat, tightening muscles, and re-draping skin. The goal is to create a natural result, that returns you to a more youthful you. In general, a younger patient will require less surgery, while an older patient may require more extensive surgery to achieve an excellent result. Skin quality and texture changes minimally unless combined with skin resurfacing techniques. To rejuvenate the entire face, additional procedures are performed in conjunction with the facelift, such as a forehead lift, mid-facelift, eyelid surgery, chin implant, or fat injections.
Sometimes done as an outpatient procedure. Often requires short inpatient stay, or overnight observation.
Length: Several hours
Anesthesia: Local with sedation, or general.
Common Side Effects: Temporary bruising, swelling, numbness and tenderness of skin; tight feeling, dry skin. For men, permanent need to shave behind ears, where beard-growing skin is repositioned.
Common Risks: Injury to the nerves that control facial muscles or feeling (usually temporary but may be permanent). Infection, bleeding. Poor healing, excessive scarring. Asymmetry or change in hairline.
Recovery: Back to work: 10 to 14 days.
More strenuous activity: 2 weeks or more.
Full recovery from bruising: 2 to 3 weeks. Must limit sun exposure for several months.
Duration of Results: Usually 5 to 10 years. - Forehead Lift (Brow lift)
A brow lift, or forehead lift, minimizes forehead wrinkles, hooding over the eyes, and frown lines between the eyebrows by altering muscles and tightening the forehead skin. This procedure may be performed using the traditional technique, with an incision across the top of the head within the hairline, or at the edge of the hairline; or the newer minimally invasive technique with the use of an endoscope, which requires 3 to 5 short incisions. Either incision type elevates the skin of the forehead and modifies the muscles that cause the wrinkling and frown lines. The goal of the procedure is to return the brow to an ideal youthful shape, and smooth the forehead and skin between the eyebrows. This procedure is commonly combined with eyelid surgery as well as with a facelift procedure.
Usually done as an outpatient procedure.
Length: 1 to 2 hours
Anesthesia: Local with sedation, or general.
Common Side Effects: Temporary swelling, numbness, headaches, bruising. Possible itching and hair loss.
Common Risks: Injury to facial nerve, causing loss of motion, muscle weakness, or asymmetrical look. Infection. Broad or excessive scarring.
Recovery: Back to work: 7 to 10 days, usually sooner with endoscopic forehead lift.
More strenuous activity: several weeks.
Full recovery from bruising: 2 to 3 weeks. Limit sun exposure for several months.
Duration of Results: Usually 5 to 10 years. - Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)
The upper eyelid surgery is performed using an incision that is hidden within the natural eyelid crease and extends beyond the corner of the eye in an existing skin crease. Using this incision, drooping eyelid skin and pouchy fat can be removed to rejuvenate the upper eyelid. The appearance of the upper eyelid can be exacerbated by redundant or hanging brow skin, and may require a browlift procedure for adequate improvement. To address bags of the lower eyelid, an incision is made just below the eyelashes to remove excess fat, skin, and muscle. Sometimes the fat is repositioned to eliminate puffiness and prevent a hollowed out look. If no skin or muscle needs to be removed, then the procedure can be performed via an incision on the inside of the lower eyelid, with skin rejuvenation being performed with a peel, laser treatment or skin care.
Usually an outpatient surgery.
Length: 1 to 3 hours.
Anesthesia: Local, local with sedation, or general.
Common Side Effects: Temporary discomfort, tightness of lids, swelling, bruising, temporary dryness, burning, itching of eyes. Excessive tearing, sensitivity to light for first few weeks.
Common Risks: Temporary blurred or double vision. Infection, bleeding. Swelling at the corners of the eyelids. Dry eyes. Formation of whiteheads. Slight asymmetry in healing or scarring. Difficulty in closing eyes completely (rarely permanent). Pulling down of the lower lids (may require further surgery). Blindness (extremely rare).
Recovery: Reading: 2 to 3 days. Back to work: 7 to 10 days. Contact lenses: 2 weeks or more.
More strenuous activities: about 3 weeks.
Full recovery from bruising: several weeks.
Duration of Results: Several years. Sometimes permanent. - Nasal Surgery (Rhinoplasty)before/after
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The goal of rhinoplasty surgery is to reshape your nose to create facial harmony, and maintain a look congruent with your ethnicity. Reshaping the nose includes reducing or increasing the overall size, removing a hump, straightening the bridge, changing shape of the tip or bridge, narrowing the span of the nostrils, or changing the angle between the nose and upper lip. Nasal surgery is often performed through an incision at the base of your nose. If you have breathing problems, these can often be treated at the same times as the cosmetic procedure. The functional repairs may be covered by insurance. Often a nasal reduction procedure is performed in conjunction with a chin implant to improve facial harmony.
Usually an outpatient procedure.
Length: 2 hours or more.
Anesthesia: Local with sedation, or general.
Common Side Effects: Temporary swelling, bruising around eyes, nose, and headaches. Some bleeding and stiffness.
Common Risks: Infection, scar. Small burst blood vessels resulting in tiny, permanent red sports. Incomplete improvement, requiring additional surgery.
Recovery: Back to work: 1 to 2 weeks. Avoid sunburn, jarring or bumping nose: 8 weeks. Final appearance: 1 year or more.
More strenuous activity: 2 to 3 weeks.
Duration of Results: Permanent. - Facial Implants
Common areas of facial augmentation include the chin, jawline, and cheekbones. Often, chin implantation is performed in conjunction with nasal reduction to create a more balanced facial result. Usually the chin is requires augmentation to strengthen the profile or widen and define the angle of the jawline. These implants are placed either through a small incision under the chin, or from inside the mouth. Also, as we age, the soft tissue slides downward on the face as well as reduces in volume, giving the cheeks a hollowed out appearance. The cheek can be augmented through a lower eyelid incision, or through an incision in the mouth.
Usually an outpatient procedure and occasionally requires an overnight hospital stay.
Length: 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Anesthesia: Local with sedation, or general.
Common Side Effects: Temporary discomfort, swelling, bruising, numbness and/or stiffness. In jaw surgery, inability to open mouth fully for several weeks.
Common Risks: Shifting or imprecise positioning of implant, or infection around it, requiring a second operation or removal. Excess tightening and hardening of scar tissue around an artificial implant (capsular contracture), causing unnatural shape.
Recovery: Back to work: about 1 week.
More strenuous activity: 2 to 3 weeks. Activity that could jar or bump face: 6 weeks or more.
Duration of Results: Permanent. - Laser Facial Resurfacing (CO2 Laser, Erbium Laser)
Smooth the face and smooth fine wrinkles using a carbon dioxide (CO2 erbium) laser device that treats layers of damaged skin. Softens lines around the eyes and mouth and minimizes facial scars and unevenly pigmented areas. Usually an outpatient procedure, unless combined with other surgical procedures that require hospitalization.
Length: 1 to 2 hours. May require more than 1 session.
Anesthesia: Local with sedation, or general.
Common Side Effects: Temporary swelling, discomfort. Lightening of treated skin. Acute sun sensitivity. Increased sensitivity to makeup. Pinkness or redness in skin that may persist for up to 6 months.
Common Risks: Burns or injuries caused by laser heat. Scarring. Abnormal changes in skin color. Flare-up or viral infections (cold sores) and other infections (rare).
Recovery: Back to work: 2 weeks. Complete fading of redness: 6 months or less. Return of pigmentation/light sun exposure: 6-12 months.
More strenuous activity: 4 to 6 weeks.
Duration of Results: Long-lasting, but does not stop aging. New wrinkles, expression lines may form as skin ages. - Dermabrasion
Mechanical scraping of the top layers skin using a high-speed rotary wheel. Softens sharp edges of surface irregular ties, including acne and other scars and fine wrinkles, especially around the mouth. Usually an outpatient procedure.
Length: A few minutes to 1 hour. May require more than 1 session.
Anesthesia: Local, numbing spray, or general.
Common Side Effects: Temporary tingling, burning, itching, swelling, redness. Lightening of treated skin. Acute sensitivity to sun; loss of ability to make pigment (tan).
Common Risks: Abnormal color changes (permanent). Tiny whiteheads (temporary); infection; scarring; flare-up of skin allergies, fever blisters, cold sores.
Recovery: Back to work: 2 weeks.
More strenuous activity: 4 to 6 weeks.
Return of pigmentation/sun exposure: 6 to 12 months.
Duration of Results: Permanent, although new wrinkles may form as skin ages. - BOTOX® (Botulinum injection)
BOTOX® Cosmetic is a simple, non-surgical, physician-administered treatment that can temporarily smooth moderate to severe frown lines between the brows in people from 18 to 65 years of age. It is the only treatment of its type approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
BOTOX® Cosmetic is a purified protein produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium, which reduces the activity of the muscles that cause those frown lines between the brows to form over time.
A million people have been treated with FDA-approved BOTOX® Cosmetic. There's only one BOTOX® Cosmetic. Talk to your doctor to see if BOTOX® Cosmetic is right for you!
For more information about Botox® please visit www.botoxcosmetic.com. - Restylane/filler injections
Restylane is a safe and natural cosmetic dermal filler made of non-animal-based Hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance that already exists in the human body and is used to provide volume and fullness to the skin. Usually used to plump up creased, furrowed facial skin; and/or add fullness to lips.
Today, many people are showing increasing interest in correcting wrinkles and folds, shaping facial contours and augmenting the lips. With RESTYLANE, you can offer your patients a complete solution for tissue-tailored facial augmentation - a natural beauty lift using the body's own material.
RESTYLANE is injected into the dermis in tiny amounts with a very fine needle. The result is instantaneous, producing a long-lasting, natural enhancement, gentle and safe to the skin. Since it was launched in 1996, RESTYLANE has undergone extensive histological and clinical studies with an increasing body of evidence relating to its ease of use, tolerability and effectiveness. Today, more than 1,500,000 treatments have been successfully carried out worldwide.
For more information about Restylane please visit www.restylane.com. - Breast Lift (Mastopexy)before/after
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Raise and reshape sagging breasts by removing excess skin and repositioning remaining tissue and nipples. Usually and outpatient procedure, although sometimes may be inpatient.
Length: 1 to 3 hours.
Anesthesia: Local with sedation, or general.
Common Side Effects: Temporary bruising, swelling, discomfort, numbness, dry breast skin. Permanent scars.
Common Risks: Thick, wide scars; skin loss; infection. Unevenly positioned nipples. Permanent loss of feeling in nipples or breast.
Recovery: Back to work: 1 week or more.
Strenuous activity: 1 month.
Fading of scars: several months to a year.
Duration of Results: Variable; gravity, pregnancy, aging, and weight changes may cause new sagging. Results may last longer or be enhanced when breast implants are inserted as part of the procedure. - Breast Enlargement (Augmentation Mammoplasty)before/after
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Enhance the size of breasts using inflatable implants filled with saline. Usually an outpatient procedure.
Length: 1 to 2 hours Anesthesia: Local with sedation, or general.
Common Side Effects: Temporary soreness, swelling, change in nipple sensation, bruising. Breast sensitive to stimulation for a few weeks.
Common Risks: Lack of implant permanence -- surgical removal or replacement of the implants may be required to treat problems, including: deflation; the formation of scar tissue around the implant (capsular contracture), which may cause the breast to feel tight or hard; bleeding or infection. Increase or decrease in sensitivity of nipples or breast skin, occasionally permanent. Mammography requires a special technique.
Recovery: Back to work: a few days.
Physical contact with breasts: 3 to 4 weeks.
Fading of scars: several months to a year or more.
Duration of Results: Variable. Implants may require removal or replacement. - Breast Lift and Breast Enlargementbefore/after
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Raise and reshape sagging breasts by removing excess skin and repositioning remaining tissue and nipples. Usually an outpatient procedure, although sometimes may be inpatient. As well as to enhance the size of breasts using implants.
Recovery: Back to work: a few days.
Physical contact with breasts: 3 to 4 weeks.
Fading of scars: several months to a year or more.
Duration of Results: Variable. Implants may require removal or replacement.
Length: 1 to 3 hours.
Anesthesia: Local with sedation, or general.
Common Side Effects: Temporary bruising, swelling, discomfort, numbness, dry breast skin. Permanent scars. Lack of implant permanence -- surgical removal or replacement of the implants may be required to treat problems, including: deflation; the formation of scar tissue around the implant (capsular contracture), which may cause the breast to feel tight or hard; bleeding or infection. Increase or decrease in sensitivity of nipples or breast skin, occasionally permanent. Mammography requires a special technique. Thick, wide scars; skin loss; unevenly positioned nipples.
Recovery: Back to work: 1 week or more.
Strenuous activity: 1 month.
Fading of scars: several months to a year.
Duration of Results: Variable; gravity, pregnancy, aging, and weight changes may cause new sagging. Results may last longer or be enhanced when breast implants are inserted as part of the procedure. - Candela Pulsed Dye Laser Treatment/Vbeam Laser
The Candela pulsed dye laser delivers an intense but gentle burst of yellow light to the skin. The light is specifically absorbed by the blood vessels in the dermis. These blood vessels are coagulated and then reabsorbed by the body during the natural healing process.What can Candela pulsed dye laser treat?
Rosacea
Facial Veins
Leg Veins
Scars
Periorbital Wrinkles
Port Wine Stains
Hemangiomas
Angiomas
Poililoderma of Civatte
Venous Lakes
For more information about Candela pulsed dye laser treatments please visit www.candelalaser.com.
Length: 5 to 30 minutes.
Anesthesia: None, topical, injection, or sedation.
Common Side Effects: Temporary tingling, burning itching, swelling, redness, lightening or darkening of skin.
Common Risks: Burns or injuries caused by laser heat, scarring, abnormal changes in skin color.
Recovery: Normal activity: immediately.
More strenuous activity: 2 to 3 days. - Liposuction(Suction-Assisted Lipectomy) / (Ultrasound-Assisted Lipectomy)before/after
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Improve body shape by removing exercise-resistant fat deposits with a tube and vacuum device. Can be performed using the tumescent technique, in which targeted fat cells are infused with saline containing solution with a local anesthetic before liposuction to reduce post-operative bruising and swelling. Common location for liposuction include chin, cheeks, neck, upper arms, above breasts, abdomen, buttocks, hips, thighs, knees, claves, ankles. For larger volumes of fat or for fibrous body areas, ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty (UAL) may be used. UAL is a new technique in which an ultrasound probe is inserted beneath the skin to liquefy the fat before it is suctioned. Usually an outpatient procedure. Extensive procedures may require short inpatient stay.
Length: 1 to 2 hours or more, depending on the amount of fat desired to be removed. UAL: 20%-40% longer than traditional liposuction.
Anesthesia: Local, epidural, or general.
Common Side Effects: Temporary bruising, swelling, numbness, soreness, burning sensation. Tumescent: Temporary fluid drainage from incision sites. UAL: Larger incisions for cannula.
Common Risks: Assymetry. Rippling or bagginess of skin. Pigmentation changes. Skin injury. Fluid retention. Excessive fluid loss leading to shock. Infection. UAL: thermal burn injury caused by the heat from the ultrasound device.
Recovery: Back to work: 1 to 2 weeks.
More strenuous activity: 2 to 4 weeks.
Full recovery from swelling and bruising: 1 to 6 months or more - Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)before/after
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Flatten abdomen by removing excess fat and skin and tightening muscles of abdominal wall. Can be either inpatient or outpatient, depending on individual circumstances and extent of surgery.
Length: 2 to 5 hours.
Anesthesia: Local with sedation, or general.
Common Side Effects: Temporary pain. Swelling, soreness, numbness of abdominal skin, bruising, tiredness for several weeks or months.
Common Risks: Blood cloths. Infection. Bleeding under the skin flap. Poor healing resulting in conspicuous scarring or skin loss. Need for a second operation.
Recovery: Back to work: 2 to 4 weeks.
More strenuous activity: 4 to 6 weeks or more.
Fading and flattening of scars: 3 months to 2 years. - GentleLASE® Laser System/Hair Removal Laser
Traditional hair removal techniques, such as shaving, plucking, waxing and depilatory creams provide only temporary relief. Until now, the only recognized way to remove hair permanently has been by electrolysis - which can be tedious, time consuming and uncomfortable. The GentleLASE System safely removes unwanted body hair without damaging the delicate pores and structure of the skin. Facial and bikini areas are usually completed in under ten minutes: Legs, backs and larger areas can take longer.
The number of treatments required depends upon your skin color, hair color and coarseness of the hair. Everyone will require 3 to 5 treatments as the process is only effective on hair during the early growing cycle. Repeat sessions will be necessary to treat these follicles when they re-enter the early growth phase. Grey/white or blonde hair is not treatable with GentleLASE®.
For more information about GentleLASE® please visit www.candelalaser.com.
Length: 5 to 30 minutes.
Anesthesia: None, topical, injection, or sedation.
Common Side Effects: Temporary tingling, burning itching, swelling, redness, lightening or darkening of skin.
Common Risks: Burns or injuries caused by laser heat, scarring, abnormal changes in skin color.
Recovery: Normal activity: immediately.
More strenuous activity: 2 to 3 days. - Spider Vein Removal/ Reduction
Laser ablation of existing or unwanted spider veins. Laser pulses (pulse dye) travel through skin destroying the small spider veins. Usually an outpatient procedure.
Length: 5 to 30 minutes.
Anesthesia: None, topical, injection, or sedation.
Common Side Effects: Temporary tingling, burning itching, swelling, redness, lightening or darkening of skin.
Common Risks: Burns or injuries caused by laser heat, scarring, abnormal changes in skin color.
Recovery: Normal activity: immediately.
More strenuous activity: 2 to 3 days.
Duration of Results: May require several treatments. Larger vericose veins may need injection (sleral therapy or stripping).