November 30th, 2009 admin
When you go for your plastic surgery consultation, here are the first five of 42 questions you might consider asking:
6. How many (insert Procedure here) have you performed?
7. How many revisions of your own work do you perform?
All surgeons perform revisions of their work. It just goes with the territory. Also ask if you will be charged for such work and how much.
8. Would you be willing to perform cosmetic surgery on a loved one?
In all honesty, some people would and some would never. I don’t think there is a correct answer for this question, but the reasons for or against may give you some insight in to your surgeon’s personality.
9. Why are you or are you not a good candidate for this procedure?
10. What are the complications of this procedure?
Very important question. There are complications for hang nail surgery. Your surgeon must absolutely must inform you of this as a matter of protocol. If he/she does not, find another surgeon.
Posted in Home, Plastic Surgery | Comments Off
November 7th, 2009 admin
Just a note for all prospective plastic surgery patients.
You should always inform your surgeon of all medications that you are taking. However, you should also be aware that herbs and herbal medications, including common ones like garlic, ginseng and echinacea, can cause severe bleeding and greatly compromise the results of the procedure. Not only is bleeding an issue, but also some herbs can interfere with heart function and anesthesia.
Therefore, before you go under the knife, make sure you tell your surgeon everything you’re taking in addition to your usual meds. It can make a huge difference.
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August 16th, 2009 admin
There is a great article in the New York Times about the “quickie” facelift. I confess I don’t know how it’s done or who the people are who do them, but I do know it took me nine years of surgical training and several more years in practice to learn how to do a good one. I also know that we never discuss “their” methods of performing a facelift at our annual meetings. And finally, I notice from this article that there are no plastic surgeons performing them at these centers. So what does it all mean?
I suppose it means that there is no free lunch. If what they were doing was so great we’d all be doing it. Conformity in plastic surgery is a beautiful thing. If everyone is doing it, then it probably works, if only a handful of people are doing it it probably doesn’t. As I said before, I am quite ignorant when it comes to the “quickie” facelift, and I intend to keep it that way.
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April 29th, 2009 Kenneth M. Rose MD
As I’ve already mentioned a few times, liposuction is not for the overweight or obese. That being said, what else can happen that during your liposuction procedure that may lead to a poor result.
In general liposuction is a great procedure for the right candidate. However, a common problem is uneven or wavy areas. These are usually the result of the surgeon misjudging the surgery as it goes along. It can happen to anyone. Correction requires a small repeat operation.
Another problem is fluid collection. This usually happens when a compression garment is not worn properly after surgery or the patient takes aspirin or similar drug. Besides stopping the medication immediately, the collection should be drained in the office and the compression garment worn as much as possible.
Still as I mentioned, liposuction is a great procedure. But like any surgery, be aware that nothing is guaranteed.
Posted in Home, Liposuction | 1 Comment »
December 28th, 2008 Kenneth M. Rose MD
Does your fourteen year old want a nose job? Does your seventeen year old want her thighs liposucked? Children present a special problem for plastic surgeons.
In general, anything besides a purely reconstructive procedure should be carefully considered by you, your child and your surgeon. It is not necessarily wrong to have a minor undergo a cosmetic procedure, but many are not emotionally equipped to deal with the physical changes, even if the result is surgically terrific, and even more are unable to with the complications should they arise. (In case you you didn’t know, all surgery does carry with it inherent complications.) I’m certainly not singling out the young in this regard. There are many older people, both men and women, who find it hard to deal with the physical changes cosmetic surgery brings. It can be extra difficult for those still finding their way in the world.
In addition, children’s bodies are always changing. Some “problems” may just disappear on their own if they are given enough time.
Finally, make sure that your child, and not you, wants the surgery. All too often I have mothers come in to the office with say that their sixteen year old “wants a breast reduction.” It’s clear that the poor girl has very large breasts, but it’s frequently the mother who wants the surgery rather than the patient. This is never a good situation and no surgeon should ever agree to operate under these conditions.
Cosmetic surgery in the young is a collaborative effort between the surgeon, the parents and the patient. It is a decision that should be made very carefully.
Posted in Children and Plastic Surgery, Home | Comments Off
December 25th, 2008 Kenneth M. Rose MD
A little known thought among patients considering nose jobs is the quality of their nasal skin. It is very important. If a patient has skin that is too thick (usually seen in men), the work done by the surgeon underneath will not show as well. The result is frequently a nose that looks the same as it did before surgery. On the other hand, a thin skinned nose (usually seen with women) may show too much of the rearranging underneath and make the nose look odd.
I would compare a thick skinned nose to someone lying on a bed under a thick quilt. You can’t see the outline of the body. A thin skinned nose is like someone that is lying under only a sheet-you can see everything. (Or maybe too much.)
So before you think about having a nose job, think about your skin. It makes a huge difference.
Posted in Home, Nose Jobs | 1 Comment »
December 22nd, 2008 Kenneth M. Rose MD
There was a great article in the New York Times today. It explains the concerns Plastic Surgeons have when choosing patients to operate on. In brief, if you’ve been in practice long enough, you’ve met all of these types. Read it to see life from our side of the exam table.
However, I wish discuss how patients should choose a surgeon. My best advise is to choose someone you feel comfortable with. We all hope your surgery goes well and usually it does. But remember, nothing is ever guaranteed. If something goes wrong your procedure you want someone who you think will help you through your tummy tuck complication with kindness and compassion. Of course there are other normal considerations: board certification, recommendations from friends or other patients, and the overall feeling you get from the office and staff. It is frequently a tough choice and I empathize, but try to understand, the doctor-patient relationship is a two way street. You need to trust us and we need to trust you.
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September 24th, 2008 Kenneth M. Rose MD
As patients begin to grow older and endure instances such as stress, many times, their true age may begin to be revealed through the eyes, causing patients to experience imperfections such as sagging skin, “bags,” drooping, and wrinkling throughout the upper and lower eyelids.
Eyelid surgery (“blepharoplasty”) can be a beneficial procedure to assist patients in achieving a more refreshed appearance.
Types of Eyelid Surgery
If needed on the upper eyelids, upper eyelid surgery can performed to help remove pockets of fat and excess skin through an incision located on the natural creases of the upper eyelids.
Commonly performed in conjunction with upper eyelid surgery, lower eyelid surgery can also be used to reduce excess fat from the inside of the lower eyelids through an incision hidden within the lower eyelashes.
Performed at our state-of-the-art surgical center, patients can look forward to receiving excellent care during their stay.
Dedicated to providing patients with optimal results, eyelid surgery could help you attain the refreshed, younger looking appearance you desire. With incisions carefully disguised on the upper and lower eyelids, patients will be able to enjoy long-lasting, natural-looking results.
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August 31st, 2008 Kenneth M. Rose MD
Many patients come to my office and want a breast lift. That’s OK, but if you are a big breasted women (I would say D cup or larger in this case), a breast lift may not be the correct procedure for you.
A breast lift is a skin only operation. Excess skin is removed to make the breast rise. Women with heavy breasts are not great candidates for this type of surgery. Of course it can be done, but the results will not last that long. How long will they last you ask? In general the bigger the breast the shorter the result will last. Perhaps only a few months. This is because heavy breasts will quickly stretch the tightened skin and the breasts will fall again. So, you may look pretty good for a few months, but after that you’ll be right back down again. Time and money wasted.
A breast reduction, on the other hand, is really the procedure of choice for the bigger breasted woman. It will give you the lift you seek as well as relieve the back, neck and shoulder pains associated with large breasts.
So you large breasted women may now ask, “what happens if I like my current breast size and just want a lift, not a reduction.” The answer is not to have surgery at all. The lift will not last and the reduction will make you smaller than you want to be.
In summary, breast lift is really a procedure for the smaller breasted woman. Otherwise consider a breast reduction-same result, plus less upper body pain.
Posted in Breast Lift, Breast Reduction, Home | 9 Comments »