by KELLY A. GOFF
No longer reserved for movie stars
and pop idols, cosmetic surgery
isn’t what it used to be.
Advancements in techniques and technology
have lowered prices and pain to the point of
pure possibility for the general population.
It was a good year for cosmetic surgery
in 2006, according to the American Society
of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), with more than
11 million cosmetic surgery procedures
(both invasive and minimally invasive) performed
in the United States, up 7 percent
from 2005.
Surgical cosmetic procedures increased
2 percent, with more than 1.8 million invasive
procedures performed in 2006. For the
first time, breast augmentation is the most
popular surgical procedure since the ASPS
began collecting statistics in 1992.
The top five invasive
surgical
procedures
performed in 2006:
1. Breast augmentation (329,000)
2. Nose reshaping (307,000)
3. Liposuction (303,000)
4. Eyelid surgery (233,000)
5. Tummy tuck (146,000)
What’s new?
Silicone implants return — “Breast
augmentation has always been among the top
five surgical procedures, but until now has
never been No. 1,” says ASPS president
Roxanne Guy, M.D. “With the return of silicone
breast implants to the U.S. market, it is
likely the number of breast augmentations
will continue to increase. Some women prefer
the look and feel of silicone implants and were
waiting for the FDA to make its decision.”
Augment and go – With some principles
and techniques developed by Dallas
plastic surgeon John Tebbetts, author of
The Best Breast, local surgeon Michael
Decherd, M.D., of the San
Antonio Plastic Surgery
Institute, has had great success in
getting patients back to normal
activities within 24 hours of breast
augmentation surgery. Extensive
research led Dr. Tebbetts to recommend
major changes in all aspects of subpectoral
augmentation, including patient
education, preparation, operative planning,
implant selection, anesthesia and
surgical techniques, instrumentation
and postoperative care to reduce the
need for pain medication, increase
mobility and speed healing.
“One woman called me the
evening after she had surgery wondering
if she could go work out at the
gym the next day. She was on her way
to dinner at Paesanos!” says Dr.
Decherd. “Another patient called me
concerned that there wasn’t MORE pain.
People don’t have to hurt a lot after
breast augmentation.”
Fat zapping — Stubborn fat cells
that don’t disappear with diet or exercise
are common complaints among women
and men. Until recently, liposuction has
offered a solution. Now there’s a newer
technique called ultrasonic-assisted
lipoplasty (UAL). It is an enhancement to
the currently used tumescent liposuction
method. Lipoplasty uses high-frequency
sound waves to liquefy fat beneath the
skin’s surface before removing it with
gentle suction. Traditional liposuction
cannot liquefy fat cells, and this makes
the fat more difficult to remove. Early
results by a select group of plastic
surgeons have been encouraging.
However, further study is needed to
determine if lipoplasty will replace
existing liposuction techniques.
Mommy makeovers —
The trifecta of tune-up procedures — tummy tucks, breast
augmentations and breast-lifts — are on the rise among the maternal
crowd. More than 325,000 of these procedures
were performed on women ages 20-
39 in 2006. “In this day and age, women
are giving birth later, returning to their
careers sooner, and having busier schedules
than ever before. Many are finding
cosmetic plastic surgery to be the answer
to returning to a pre-pregnancy shape they
are comfortable with,” says Dr. Guy.
Local board-certified plastic surgeon
Dr. Mario Diana echoes this sentiment. “I
have many patients in their 30s who are
finished having children and wish to regain
a more youthful shape,” he says. “Breastlift
procedures are very effective in restoring
a more ‘perky’ appearance for those
who feel their breasts sag.” In addition, Dr.
Diana performs many breast augmentations,
explaining, “Gravity and pregnancy
can take their toll on breast shape and size.
Breast augmentation is a very successful
procedure designed to restore confidence
and improve self-image.”
Dr. Robert Young, the founder of
Aesthetic Enhancement Cosmetic Surgery
and Laser Center, has been in private practice
for over 15 years. He has also witnessed
a rise in mommy makeovers. “A
tummy tuck can improve areas where exercise
and diet fail,” says Dr. Young. “Many
women do dozens of crunches and abdominal
exercises every day, but simply cannot
get the attractive stomach they desire. The
tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, creates a
sleek, flatter stomach by eliminating
excessive loose skin and tightening the
muscles of the abdominal wall.”
“Mini” face-lift – Dr. Martha Wilson,
a local double-boarded plastic surgeon,
says there’s a state-of-the-art procedure
that provides an overall lift to the lower
region of the face and upper neck without
the typical pulled-back appearance associated
with other face-lift procedures. The
miniface-lift has lower risk of complications,
smaller incisions and a quicker
recovery when compared to a traditional
face-lift.
“The minilift is designed for men and
women between the ages of 40 and 65-plus
who want to stay ahead of the aging
process,” says Dr. Wilson. “Around this
age, most individuals lose elasticity in
their skin and develop looseness along the
jawline and under the chin. The minifacelift
can help excessive skin redundancy
while offering benefits that other face-lift
procedures cannot.”
Rhino imaging – Many surgeons are
using computer imaging. The technology
helps patients and doctors communicate
more clearly prior to surgery. The trend in
rhinoplasty, or “nose jobs,” has been
toward cartilage preservation and support
to prevent an overdone appearance a la
Michael Jackson. Computer imaging is
now available so doctors and patients can
communicate more clearly about potential
results. But it’s important to realize that a
computer image may not match reality and
represents no guarantee of outcome. No
computer can take into account a patient’s
skin elasticity, bone structure, blood supply
and healing ability.
Considering a
cosmetic procedure?
“Our surgical and nonsurgical options
for cosmetic improvement have never been
so abundant, widely available and increasingly
less expensive,” says Dr. Wilson. That
said, it’s not a decision to be taken lightly.
And when it comes to successful cosmetic
surgery results, they are often dependent on
the communication between you and your
surgeon. Above are some tips on finding a
surgeon that’s right for you.
