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Breast Augmentation
Breast Augmentation can enhance your appearance and help build your self-confidence and self esteem. The best candidates for breast augmentation are:
- Women who are looking for improvement in their figure and are bothered by feelings that their breasts are too small.
- Women who have small breasts or loss of breast volume following breast-feeding are typically good candidates for breast augmentation.
- Woman whose breasts have become smaller and lost their firmness after having children.
- Women who have one breast that is noticeably smaller than the other.
- Women whose weight loss has changed the shape and/or size of their breasts. You should be in good physical condition and have realistic expectations to be a good candidate for the procedure.
A breast implant is a silicone shell filled with a saltwater solution known as saline. If the implant leaks, the saline is absorbed into the body. This is the same as if the saline were given as an IV fluid. The method of inserting and positioning the implant depends upon factors based on the patient's anatomy that are discussed during the initial consultation with the attending physician.
The incision can be placed in a number of different locations. Every effort is made by your doctor to assure that the incision is placed so the resulting scars will be as inconspicuous as possible. After the incision is made, a pocket is created under the breast tissue or under the pectoralis muscle. This pocket is just large enough to accommodate the implant. The implant is then positioned to give the best cosmetic result.
Following surgery, detailed instructions are given to the patient as to postoperative care and activity. All information regarding implants is discussed with the patient at the time of surgery.
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Breast Lift
As time passes, pregnancy, nursing, excessive weight loss and gravity have adverse effects on women's breasts causing them to lose their elasticity, firmness, and shape. A breast lift is a procedure that corrects this condition using a combination of removing excess breast tissue and tightening the remaining skin. If desired, implants may be used to restore breasts to their natural shape and size.
The best candidates for a breast lift (Mastopexy) are healthy, emotionally stable women who are realistic about the result they would like to achieve. A breast lift can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence. The best results are achieved on women with small, sagging breasts due to loss of skin elasticity secondary to pregnancy and / or nursing, or weight loss. Those who plan to have more children may want to postpone surgery as the process of pregnancy and breast-feeding may change the final result of the surgery.
Possible complications of the surgery include bleeding and infection which may cause scars to widen, (poor healing and wider scars are common in smokers). The procedure can also leave you with differently positioned nipples or a change in feeling in the nipple or breast.
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Breast Reduction
Women with very large, sagging breasts tend to have neck, back and shoulder pain. Patients find breast reduction surgery to greatly benefit their life. Patients not only have relief from their symptoms, but also retain the ability to exercise more efficiently, wear more fitting clothing and maintain a brighter psychological outlook. Of all surgeries that plastic surgeons perform, breast reduction ranks among the highest in patient satisfaction. Patients of most any age may have breast reduction surgery, however, most surgeons recommend waiting until after breasts have fully developed. Breast reduction surgery is not recommended for those women who intend to breast-feed.
You may be a good candidate for breast reduction if you have any of the following problems:
- neck, back or shoulder pain
- shoulder notching / furrowing from your bra strap
- heavy, sagging breasts
- breasts that are too large for your body size
- irritation and rash beneath your breasts
- difficulty with exercise and physical activities due to large heavy breasts
- one breast that is larger than the other creating significant asymmetry
During Breast Reduction surgery, fatty tissue in the breast, along with glandular tissue and excess skin are removed. By removing these elements, the breast can be pulled tighter making them lighter, smaller and firmer. Breast Reduction surgery is generally performed under general anesthesia, and usually takes 2 to 4 hours to complete. After your surgery, you will be wrapped in an elastic bandage or surgical bra over gauze for 2-3 days. You may have a drain placed in to allow excess fluid and or blood to drain from the incision. You can expect a recovery period of about two weeks.
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Breast Reconstruction
A significant part of plastic surgery is dedicated to restoring patients to a more normal appearance following surgery for cancer, trauma, accidents, or birth defects.
While aesthetic surgery is aimed at improving the appearance of normal structures, reconstructive surgery focuses on rebuilding a normal structure after it has been damaged by an accident or following cancer removal. Dr. Cohen has trained under surgeons who developed many of these reconstructive procedures including the simplification of tissue transfers, microsurgery, and the extensive area of cranio-facial surgery that are now practiced worldwide.
Breast reconstruction is designed to restore a breast to its original appearance following a mastectomy for breast cancer. Although the procedure can be performed many years following breast cancer surgery, recent advancements encourage patients to undergo breast reconstruction at the time of mastectomy. Reconstructive surgery can be done using either breast implants or by transferring a patient's own tissue, most commonly from the lower abdomen or back. Dr. Cohen will help determine your best options.
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Liposuction
Exercise and diet will make you healthy, muscular and lean. It does not always remove those stubborn LFD's (localized fat deposits). Every individual's fat distribution and body shape is genetically determined. What this means is that often no amount of diet and exercise will remove these stubborn fat deposits. Liposuction removes fat and fat cells, thus sculpting the body and doing what diet and exercise alone cannot. Liposuction is one of the most common cosmetic procedures performed in the United States. Liposuction does not replace or serve as a substitute for proper diet and exercise.
Lipoplasty, commonly known as liposuction, is a common surgical procedure that removes deposits of excess fat from specific areas of the body, face or neck. Liposuction can be used to slim the hips, thighs, flatten the tummy, shape the calves and ankles or eliminate a double chin.
The best candidates for Liposuction are:
- Men and women of normal weight who mainly want to improve their body shape and contours.
- People with fat deposits that are "trouble areas," where exercise and diet seem to have little or no effect.
- People with good elasticity in their skin, so when the fat is removed, they will achieve a smooth appearance.
The areas that liposuction can have the greatest effect on are the abdomen and waist area, the arms, back, chin, neck, hips, buttocks, thigh, ankles, calves and inner knees.
Patients of any age can undergo the procedure, but those who have greater skin elasticity will achieve the smoothest end result.
Your doctor may use the tumescent technique, which is where the fat is pre injected with a solution of salt water, local anesthetic and small amounts of adrenaline. The other type of procedure is the Ultrasound assisted Lipoplasty. This is a two-step procedure that uses ultra sound waves for energy, liquefying the fat that is then suctioned out.
During the procedure one or more incisions are made near the area to be treated. When possible, the incisions are made within the fold or natural creases in skin. Your doctor will then insert a small hollow tube called a cannula through the incision where he will penetrate the underlying fat. The cannula is connected to a flexible tubing and suction pump. Your doctor then moves the cannula back and forth through the fat, vacuuming the fat out through the tube.
The Procedure is very common with thousands of patients undergoing the procedure each year with no major complications. In rare cases, the procedure has caused severe trauma, particularly when multiple or very extensive areas are suctioned at one time. Other possible complications include fluid accumulation and injury to the skin. Sometimes asymmetry or unevenness may require further treatment.
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Tummy Tuck
A tummy tuck is a major surgical procedure in which excess skin and fat are removed from the lower abdomen and the muscles of the abdomen wall are tightened. This procedure can drastically reduce the appearance of a protruding abdomen. The procedure is particularly helpful to women who, through multiple pregnancies, have stretched their abdomen so far that it does not return to its normal shape. Tummy tucks are often performed in conjunction with liposuction.
The best candidates for abdominoplasty are men or women in good health and relatively good shape, but, who are bothered by a large fat deposit or loose abdominal skin that won't respond to exercise.
Some risks of tummy tucks include infection and blood clots. These can be treated easily, and are rare. Tummy Tucks have been known to leave scarring. Some scarring may require a second operation.
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Facelift
The Facelift (rhytidectomy) is a surgical procedure used to smooth the loose skin on your face and neck, and to reduce the most apparent signs of aging in the facial area, giving you a more youthful appearance. The procedure involves reducing the creases from the nose and mouth, the slacking jaw line, sagging jowls and fat deposits around the neck by removing excess fat and tightening underlying muscles. The remaining skin is then redraped on the face and neck. Though the procedure cannot give you a completely new look, it can give you a younger, fresher look, and can also have a positive effect on your self-confidence.
The best candidates for a face-lift are those who have:
- Face and neck skin that has begun to sag, but still have skin elasticity and a strong well defined bone structure.
- Lost their well-defined jaw line.
- Deep wrinkles in their cheeks.
- Loose skin, wrinkles or excess fatty tissue in the neck.
A face-lift is generally performed by making an incision around the natural contour of the ear and around the earlobe along your hairline. This helps to keep scarring hidden. Any incision can be easily masked by make-up or hair. If a neck lift is performed, you may have a small incision under your chin. After surgery, you may have a drain tube to allow for excess fluid drainage from the incision. Your bandage will stay in place for 1 to 2 days, and you may see some increased swelling in the first 24 to 48 hours after surgery. Your stitches will remain until your 1-week office visit. Most bruising disappears in about 2 weeks.
During a face-lift, complications are infrequent and usually minor. Each individual will vary greatly in his or her anatomy, physical reactions and healing abilities, and thus outcomes are never 100% predictable. Some complications that may arise include hematoma (blood under the skin that must be removed by your doctor), injury to the nerves that control facial muscles (usually temporary) infection, and reactions to the anesthesia. Smokers are more likely to experience poor healing of the skin.
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Rhinoplasty
Surgery of the nose is one of the most common of all plastic surgery procedures. The best candidates for a rhinoplasty are those people who are looking for an improvement in the way they look, not those searching for perfection. This surgery can reduce or increase the overall size of your nose, change the shape of the tip or bridge and narrow or widen the nostrils.
Rhinoplasty usually takes an hour or two, though more complicated procedures may take longer. The surgery starts with the skin of the nose being separated from its supporting framework of the bone and cartilage, which is then sculpted to the desired shape. The skin is then redraped over the new framework. After the surgery is complete, a splint is applied to help the nose maintain its new shape. Nasal packs or soft splints may be placed in the nostrils to stabilize the septum; this is the dividing wall between the air passages.
After surgery, during the first 24 hours, the face will feel puffy, the nose may ache, and the patient may experience a dull headache. The patient should plan on resting with their head elevated for the first day. There will be swelling and bruising around the eyes, reaching a peak after two to three days. By the end of one week all packing, dressings, splints and stitches should be removed.
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Eyelid Lift
Blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery can enhance your appearance and self-confidence by eliminating droopy or sagging eyelids. As people age, the eyelid stretches and muscles weaken causing fat to accumulate around the eyes, causing "bags", or excess skin to become prominent. During your consultation with your doctor, they will assess which of the four eyelids (top and bottom for both eyes) require the procedure.
The best candidates for eyelid surgery are men and women who are physically healthy, psychologically stable, and realistic in their expectations. Generally patients for this procedure are 35 years or older. However, if sagging eyelids run in your family, it may be advisable to have eyelid surgery at a younger age.
Eyelid surgery is performed under general or local anesthesia. If your doctor chooses local anesthesia, he will numb the area around your eyes, along with giving you a mild oral or IV sedative. The actual surgery takes one to three hours. The incisions made during the surgery follow the natural lines of your eye.
As with any procedure there may be complications. These include infection, or a reaction to the anesthesia used. Minor complications that commonly follow eyelid surgery include double or blurred vision for a few days, which is caused by swelling at the corner of the eyelids, and slight asymmetry in healing or scarring. Following surgery, some patients may have difficulty closing their eyes when they sleep. Adhering to the physician's advice on pre and post op care will greatly reduce the risk of complications.
After your surgery, you will feel a tightness in your eyes. An ointment and a bandage will cover your eyes. A cold compress and elevation will help keep the swelling and bruising down. For the first few weeks following your surgery, you may experience excessive tearing, sensitivity to light, and temporary changes in your vision such as blurring or double vision. Your stitches will be removed 2 to 7 days after your surgery.
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