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 Facelift
What problems can a facelift correct?
A facelift can reduce signs of aging (wrinkles, lines, sagging skin, drooping brow) by removing excess fat, tightening the underlying muscles, and redraping the skin around the neck and face.
Can facelifts be combined with other procedures?
Facelifts can be done alone or in conjunction with a forehead lift, eyelid surgery, or nose reshaping.
I would like to improve the look of my neck, not my face. Do I need a facelift?
If your problem areas are limited to the neck, you may elect to undergo a more conservative procedure called a “necklift.”
When can I go back to work?
Most patients return to work about ten days to two weeks after surgery.
Will my scars be visible?
Scars are usually hidden by the hair or the natural creases of your face and ears. In addition, they will fade as time passes and should be scarcely visible.
Will I need another facelift in the future?
Patients sometimes repeat the procedure in five or ten years. But the effect of a single facelift is long-lasting; years after surgery, you will look better than if you had never had a facelift.
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 Browlift
What can a browlift do for me?
Browlifts can revitalize drooping or lined foreheads by tightening skin and muscles above the eyes, smoothing wrinkles and raising the eyebrows, helping you to look less angry, sad or tired.
What will I look like after surgery?
Try standing in front of a mirror and placing the palms of your hands to the sides of your eyes above the eyebrows. Then pull the skin back from the eyes, raising the forehead. This is approximately how the procedure will make you look.
Can a browlift be combined with other procedures?
The procedure is often combined with other operations such as blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) and facelifts to improve the look of the eyes and other areas of the face.
What’s the difference between traditional and endoscopic methods?
The main difference lies in the type of incision made. In a traditional browlift the surgeon makes a coronal (headphone-shaped) incision behind the hairline, stretching between the ears and across the top of the forehead. In a minimally invasive endoscopic browlift the surgeon makes three to five short incisions (less than an inch long) behind the hairline. The endoscope -- a slim instrument with a camera on the end -- is placed in one incision so the surgeon can see beneath the skin, while he or she lifts the skin and adjusts muscles through the other incisions.
When can I return to work?
Many patients return to work or school in 7-10 days or less.
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 Blepharoplasty
What are the advantages of blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery)?
By removing excess fat, skin and muscle from the upper and lower eyelids, blepharoplasty can rejuvenate puffy, sagging or tired-looking eyes. It is typically a cosmetic procedure but can also improve vision by lifting droopy eyelids out of the patient’s field of vision.
Can the procedure be combined with others?
Because blepharoplasty cannot be used to raise the eyebrows or reduce the appearance of wrinkles, crow’s feet or dark circles under the eyes, the procedure is often combined with others such as a facelift and Botox ® treatments.
How long does the procedure take?
Blepharoplasty can last 45 minutes to a few hours, depending on how much work is done.
Will I have visible scars?
Incisions are made along the eyelids in inconspicuous places (in the creases of the upper lids, and just below the lashes on the lower lids) to minimize scar visibility. If no skin needs to be removed during surgery, the surgeon will likely perform a transconjunctival blepharoplasty, where the incision is made inside the lower eyelid and there are no visible scars.
How soon after surgery can I wear my contact lenses?
Contact lenses may not be worn for two weeks. Glasses may be worn immediately.
Are results permanent?
The effects of blepharoplasty can last for a long time and are sometimes even permanent.
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 Rhinoplasty
What can rhinoplasty do for me?
Rhinoplasty can reshape, reduce or augment the nose, remove a hump, narrow nostril width, change the angle between the nose and the mouth, or correct injury, birth defects, or other problems that affect breathing.
Does insurance cover the procedure?
Insurance may cover rhinoplasty if it is done for reconstructive or medical reasons .
How long does the procedure take?
Rhinoplasty is usually an outpatient procedure performed under either local or general anesthesia and lasts one to two hours unless more extensive work needs to be done.
Can I wear glasses after nasal surgery?
Contact lenses can be worn immediately but glasses will have to be taped to your forehead or propped on your cheeks for up to seven weeks.
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 Breast Surgery
What are breast implants made of, and where are they placed?
Implants are silicone shells filled with either saline (salt water) or silicone gel (recently approved by the FDA). They are placed behind each breast, underneath either breast tissue or the chest wall muscle. Placement behind the chest wall muscle offers a few advantages over placement beneath the breast tissue only. These include reduced risk of capsular contracture (post-operative tightening around the implant) and less interference with mammogram examinations. Possible disadvantages include need for drainage tubes and elevated pain in the first few days following surgery.
Should women who are pregnant or plan to be pregnant wait before undergoing a breast lift or breast reduction?
Women planning to have children are advised to postpone surgery, since pregnancy and nursing can counteract its effects by stretching the skin. However, a breast lift should not affect your ability to breast-feed.
Breast reduction surgery may interfere with the ability to breast-feed after the procedure.
Is there much post-operative pain from a breast lift?
Breasts will probably be bruised, swollen, and uncomfortable for a few days but this will pass. Numbness in the breasts and nipples should lessen as swelling subsides, although occasionally it lasts for months or even permanently.
How long does recovery take?
Most patients feel tired and sore after surgery, but this usually passes in a day or two and many patients return to work within a week or two. Any post-operative pain, swelling and sensitivity will diminish over the first few weeks. You should avoid heavy lifting for three to four weeks and only gentle contact with the breasts should occur for six weeks.
Does breast surgery cause scarring?
Yes, although scars can be hidden with a bra, bathing suit or low-cut top. During surgery, incisions are made in inconspicuous places on the breast to minimize scar visibility (in the armpit, in the crease on the underside of the breast, or around the areola, the dark skin around the nipple). Scars do fade with time.
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 Liposuction
On what areas of the body can liposuction be performed?
Liposuction sculpting can remove undesirable fat from the abdomen, waist, hips, buttocks, thighs, knees, chin, cheeks, neck and upper arms.
Are there different techniques?
There are several different methods surgeons use when performing liposuction, including tumescent liposuction, the super-wet technique, and ultrasound-assisted liposuction (UAL). In all types a tiny incision is made in as inconspicuous a place as possible. A cannula (small tube) is inserted and moved back-and-forth beneath the skin, breaking up the fat layer and suctioning it out. Tumescent liposuction and super-wet liposuction use fluid injection, which facilitates fat removal, reduces blood loss, provides anesthesia during and after surgery, and helps to reduce the amount of bruising after surgery. UAL liquefies fat with ultrasonic energy and is highly precise.
What is the recovery like?
After surgery, compression garments are needed to facilitate the healing process. Patients are encouraged to walk as soon as they are able and many return to work within a few days, although strenuous activity should be avoided for about a month. Results are visible immediately, though improvement may continue as swelling subsides during the first three months. Scars are small and inconspicuous. Other irregularities in appearance are possible, such as asymmetric or "baggy" skin, numbness and pigmentation changes.
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 Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)
The best candidates are in good physical condition with pockets of fat or loose skin that haven’t responded well to diet and exercise. Older, slightly obese people whose skin has lost some of its elasticity can be helped. Abdominoplasty can also be useful for women with stretched skin and muscles from pregnancy, although results from the procedure will diminish if they continue to bear children. For this reason, women who plan to have children again are advised to delay abdominoplasty. Patients who intend to lose a lot of weight are also encouraged to wait before undergoing the procedure, since skin in that area typically loosens after substantial weight loss.
What is recovery like? Will there be scars?
Recovery time ranges from two weeks to a few months, but with a balanced diet and regular exercise results are long-lasting. Abdominoplasty will likely leave a permanent scar extending between the hipbones, although it should be low enough for even a bikini to conceal it. Patients who have had previous abdominal surgery should know that their old scars may be relocated, stretched or may need revision during the procedure.
What is a mini-tummy tuck (partial abdominoplasty)?
Partial abdominoplasty is similar to abdominoplasty except a shorter incision is made and the skin is only lifted to the navel, which does not have to be moved (although it may be pulled into a different shape as skin is stretched).
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