Start the New Year with Plastic Surgery in San Diego

A New Year, A New You

The coming of the New Year is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the idea of starting fresh and working to deepen my personal goals while continuing to refine my skills as a plastic surgeon. For San Diego residents, the New Year is also a time to set new benchmarks for their appearance and physical fitness levels. And that’s one place where your goals and my dedication can work together perfectly.

Letting Go of the Past

Sometimes, letting go is the hardest part of moving forward, whether it’s letting go of excess weight, poor health habits, or toxic relationships. Well, there’s no way to make room for the new without doing a little housecleaning first. There’s never a better time than now to move forward into the future and leave that baggage in the dust.

Moving Toward a New You

Did you lose a lot of weight this past year, like so many other San Diego tummy tuck residents who focus on fitness? A tummy tuck may be the perfect way to celebrate your new body and finally eliminate those last lingering folds of skin and tissue left behind after your weight loss.

Or, maybe this is the year you’ve decided to finally eliminate those love handles with liposuction, or you’re ready to boost your cleavage in 2013? Our practice would love to help you get a head start on your new look.

Right Here, Right Now

There’s no time like the present to start working toward becoming the best “you” that you possibly can. Whether you’re focusing on inner changes this year, or you’re ready to enhance the way you look, seize the moment and start your journey today.

Breast Augmentation Little Known Breast Facts

5 Breast Facts You Didn't Know

In San Diego, breast augmentation remains one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries around. With the focus on breasts and beauty in our culture, it's always interesting to learn more about breast anatomy and societal norms.

Leaning Left

According to a study that measured the breasts of hundreds of women, the left breast is statistically larger on average. While the size difference may be so slight as to be unnoticeable to the naked eye, natural breasts are rarely symmetrical.

Fortune Telling

The practice of reading your fortune by the shape of your breasts originated in Spain during the 18th century. Similar to reading lines on the palm, a sternomancy practitioner “reads” your breasts to tell your future and describe your personality.

Breasts Are Not Constant

The texture of breast tissue fluctuates along with hormonal changes throughout a woman’s monthly cycle. As women age, breast tissue naturally changes in size and composition. Smoking can change the breasts as well; cigarette smoke breaks down connective skin tissue like collagen and elastin, causing breasts to sag.

Gaining Cleavage

Your cleavage isn’t necessarily determined by breast size alone, but by the placement and shape of the breasts. Small-busted women whose breasts sit close together and are fuller in the middle can have better cleavage than women with larger breasts. That’s one reason why, at my practice in La Jolla, all our breast augmentations are performed with an eye toward producing cleavage while increasing cup size.

Amazing Augmentation

Fifteen years ago, the average breast size in the United States was 34B. Today, the average is 36C. Breast Augmentation has consistently ranked as a top three cosmetic surgery procedure for more than a decade, making this one of the most popular cosmetic procedures here in the U.S. and in the world.

Characteristics of a Top-Rated Plastic Surgeon in San Diego

Making the choice for plastic surgery should not be taken lightly, so it’s vital to find a trustworthy, reliable and skilled plastic surgeon. San Diego residents have a few different ways they can find a top-rated plastic surgeon in the area.

Extensive Training

The first place to check is with your state medical board. Your surgeon must have a valid, active medical license in your state. Also check on any disciplinary action or malpractice suits that have been filed against the doctor. 

Relevant Experience

Having the right credentials is important, but you also want to make sure your surgeon has experience performing the exact procedure you’re interested in. Even for a fairly straightforward procedure, a surgeon who has performed the surgery many times is preferable to one who has only done a few. 

Excellent Reputation

Above all, check for references from trusted sources, or family and friends who have had positive experiences. Professional excellence is essential, but so is finding a surgeon with an excellent bedside manner who you can really put your trust in. Sometimes the choice of a surgeon comes down to personal connection, and that means looking beyond framed diplomas and low complication rates. 

A top-notch plastic surgeon will have an eye for detail, and a tendency toward perfectionism. This combination will drive them to deliver the best possible results. Your surgeon should also be able to offer suggestions for how to obtain the look you want, yet without pressuring you into procedures you aren’t interested in, or are uncomfortable with. Open and supportive communication with your surgeon is another must; a good comfort level will help ensure a positive surgical experience.

3 Things to Look for in Patient Photos of Liposuction in San Diego

3 Things to Look for in Liposuction Patient Photos

When considering liposuction in the San Diego area, there are literally hundreds of doctors to choose from. While looking at before and after liposuction photos can help you make your provider choice, just what, exactly, should you be looking for?

1. Variety

The first thing to observe when comparing before and after photos of liposuction from San Diego practitioners is how many photos there are to look at. You want your surgeon to be experienced in performing the procedure. You should also be able to see a range of examples; an average surgeon might get lucky a few times and only post those few photos, leaving the not-so-hot results out of the lineup. 

2. Similarity

Although every patient responds to treatments differently, looking at those who have a “before” shape that is similar to your natural figure will give a much better idea of how your results may look in the end. Similar-looking patients are also a good indicator that your surgeon will have experience addressing the same problem spots that you would like treated. 

3. Improvements

Of course, the main quality to look for is a big improvement from “before” to “after.” Don’t be so overwhelmed by the major changes that you forget to examine the minor ones, however. Contours should definitely be slimmer, but note also any corrections in asymmetry. Skin irregularities or a wavy appearance following lipo should definitely be minimal...or better yet, entirely absent. 

Finally, when looking at before and after photos for any procedure, remember that in this day of simple digital image manipulation, not everything may be as it appears. A consultation with your surgeon should be included to get a feel for your provider before booking your appointment.

Breast Augmentation and Lift to Restore Your Pre-Baby Body

Pregnancy and nursing can have a big impact on women’s bodies. Our San Diego breast augmentation patients who have had children often choose to combine their procedure with a breast lift. The combination procedure can help restore your body back to its pre-baby look, or even better!

Breast Changes during Pregnancy

During pregnancy, the breasts often get larger. This rapid growth during such a short period causes the skin and tissue to stretch dramatically. Even if larger breasts aren’t experienced during the pregnancy itself, the nursing process will cause milk to fill the breasts. During nursing, the breasts fluctuate in size according to the milk levels within.

Restoring Your Breasts

For many moms in San Diego, breast augmentation combined with a breast lift is the perfect combination to restore lift and volume to breasts following pregnancy and nursing. While breasts may be fuller during that time period, they often lose resilience once the baby is weaned. The appearance of the breasts may be flatter, and the placement may fall as well.

A breast lift can restore your figure back to a youthful placement. Often, women may think augmentation is the answer after pregnancy, when in reality all the needed volume is there... it’s just in the wrong place. Other women may decide that it’s time to give a boost to their pre-pregnancy breast size with augmentation. Combining procedures is very common, and the perfect way to treat yourself to a full-profile makeover.

Raising kids is hard work, and you deserve to reward yourself, and your body, with procedures that will help you feel and look your very best.

Tummy Tucks in San Diego: Understanding the Risks

As with any surgical procedure, a tummy tuck procedure carries some risks of complications. And, since abdominoplasty is one of the more complex cosmetic procedures, it carries different risks than a less invasive surgery. Although we follow rigorous protocols to make tummy tucks at our San Diego practice as safe as possible, it’s still a good idea to familiarize yourself with the possible complications.

Possible Complications

• There is always the chance of an adverse reaction to anesthesia.

• The level of pain experienced following a tummy tuck for our San Diego patients varies depending on many factors, including the extent of surgery and an individual's pain tolerance. If muscles were re-tightened, pain can be significant for the first day or two.

• The surgical site may develop numbness, nerve damage or other changes in skin sensation.

• Unfavorable side effects, such as bleeding, infection and fluid accumulation, may occur.

• Internal blood clots may form after surgery.

• Results may be less than optimal, such as unattractive scarring, asymmetry, skin looseness or other suboptimal aesthetics. In this case, revisionary surgery may be necessary to correct these issues.

A Safer Surgery

It’s important to keep in mind that severe complications are relatively rare following abdominoplasty. Additionally, many of these potential risks are mitigated by following the pre- and post-surgical instructions of your surgeon, and taking any medical advice to heart. Although every surgery has the potential for complications, it’s important to weigh the risks against the desired outcome of your procedure to decide whether a tummy tuck is right for you.

Top Questions to Ask at Your San Diego Liposuction Consult

Before your San Diego Liposuction procedure, you should have a consultation with the surgeon to discuss your concerns and ideal outcome. Before this pre-op appointment, it’s a good idea to have several questions ready to ask your surgeon.

What type of board certifications do you hold?

Knowing your surgeon’s qualifications is a key element in determining training, experience and ability. Even more straightforward procedures such as liposuction will turn out better from a practitioner with more experience and a thorough background in plastic surgery.

How often do you perform this type of liposuction?

You definitely want a surgeon who has a lot of experience performing your specific procedure. It takes an experienced eye to know exactly how to sculpt the body in order to deliver the results you want.

Do you have any special instructions for me?

Our San Diego liposuction patients receive detailed pre- and post-operative instructions so they know how to prepare beforehand and what to expect after surgery. Be sure to ask ahead of time to get these resources from your surgeon.

What’s the bottom line, financially?

Ask up front what the total cost of your liposuction procedure will be. You should have an idea of the average cost in your area before asking this question in order to gauge whether the estimate is too low or too high.

Although these questions are among the most common and should help you get started, be sure to take some time to write down any more concerns you would like addressed prior to your procedure. Above all, you should feel comfortable and confident moving forward with your choice of surgeon and have a good idea of what to expect.