Archive for the ‘Procedures’ Category

Injectable Fillers

Monday, May 19th, 2008

If you would like to restore facial contours, or reduce the appearance of lines and creases, injection therapy with soft tissue fillers may be right for you. Injectable fillers can:

  • Plump thin lips
  • Enhance shallow contours
  • Soften facial creases and wrinkles
  • Improve the appearance of recessed scars

Procedural steps: A pharmaceutical filler substance or your own fat is injected below the skin surface to fill hollow areas and creases, or plump the lips and back of the hands. Fat is typically taken from the inner thigh or abdomen.

Your results: Swelling should dissipate in 2-5 days, or 1-2 weeks with fat injections. This procedure produces temporary results, lasting a few months to several years or more, based on the filler used, treatment site and individual patient factors. Some products may be permanent.

Resource: American Society of Plastic Surgeons

Skin Resurfacing

Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

If you would like to improve the surface and appearance of your skin, reduce fine lines, surface irregularities such as scarring, uneven pigmentation and sun damage, then skin resurfacing may be right for you.

Procedural steps: A variety of lasers and intense pulsed light devices achieve a wide range of benefits.

Chemical solutions of varying types and concentrations are applied to peel the skin surface allowing new skin to form.

Mechanical resurfacing, dermabrasion or dermaplaning, uses a fine abrasive or scalpel to scrape the skin surface to a controlled depth; generally used to improve an irregular surface, such as acne scarring.

Your results: Any flaking or crusting should resolve in 5-10 days. Results may appear in 10-14 days. Skin is most likely pink or flush for 1-6 months.

Resource: American Society of Plastic Surgeons

Liposuction - Colorado Cosmetic Surgery

Sunday, April 13th, 2008

Despite good health and a reasonable level of fitness, some people may still have a body with disproportionate contours due to localized fat deposits. These areas may be due to family traits rather than a lack of weight control or fitness.

Liposuction slims and reshapes specific areas of the body by removing excess fat deposits, improving your body contours and proportion, and ultimately enhancing your self-image.

These techniques may be used to reduce localized fat deposits of the:

  • Thighs
  • Hips and buttocks
  • Abdomen and waist
  • Upper arms
  • Back
  • Inner knee
  • Chest area
  • Cheeks, chin and neck
  • Calves and ankles

Procedural techniques: There are three common variations to the procedure:

  • Traditional liposuction is surgical suctioning of excess fat deposits
  • The tumescent or super-wet technique requires an infusion of saline solution with adrenaline and possibly anesthetic prior to removal of excess fat
  • Ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty uses ultrasonic energy to liquefy excess fat prior to surgical suctioning

Your results: Swelling should subside, bruising should fade and initial results may appear in 2-4 weeks. Final results could appear in 2-6 months. Significant weight gain can cause recurrence of fatty deposits.

Resource: American Society of Plastic Surgeons

Natural Results From Your Colorado Facial Plastic Surgery

Friday, November 2nd, 2007

Our appearance plays an important role in our daily lives. The way we look has a dramatic effect on the way we act and perceive the way people are viewing us. That’s why choosing to have facial plastic surgery can be one of the most influential decisions a person will ever make.

A facial plastic surgeon is typically a board certified surgeon who specializes in addressing surgery of the head and neck. These surgeons perform the majority of these elective facial plastic surgery procedures, and perform a wide variety of procedures. These procedures include:

· Blepharoplasty, or surgery of the eyelids. This procedure can correct droopy eyelids that can make you look older and impair your vision.

· Facial scar revision. Facial scarring is caused by a wide variety of sources, including accidents, surgery, a burn or acne. Successful facial plastic surgery can reduce the signs of some facial scars.

Forehead lifts. Often the first signs of aging begin to appear in the brow and forehead area due to the effects of sun, wind and the pull of gravity. This facial plastic surgery procedure will tighten loose skin and remove the excess forehead wrinkling and drooping.
Mentoplasty, or surgery of the chin. A well-defined chin can have a dramatic effect on one’s profile, and is often combined with Rhinoplasty, or surgery of the nose, to create facial balance.

Otoplasty, or surgery of the ears. Redefining one’s ears can have a powerful effect on self-consciousness and self esteem. Both children and adults can benefit from this relatively straightforward facial plastic surgery technique.

Rhinoplasty, or surgery of the nose. One of the most common requests for facial plastic surgery starts with a request for the nose. Whether it’s being unhappy with the nose they were born with, aging or injury, nothing will have a greater impact on your overall appearance.
Rhytidectomy, or surgery of the face. Aging is inevitable. As the years go by, the effects of aging begin to appear on the face and neck, including crow’s feet near the corner of the eyes, forehead lines, and folds around the chin and front neck area. Both heredity and personal habits such as sun exposure have a huge impact. Having Rhytidectomy, or a face lift, can improve not only your looks, but also your self-confidence.

Wrinkle treatment, or botox injections. The gradual development of facial wrinkles, whether fine lines on the surface or deeper creases and folds, can be reduced by clear-cut procedures.

While results from just one facial plastic surgery procedure can have a dramatic effect on not only the way you look at yourself, but also the way you live your life, the best place to start is with more information. Visit with the staff at a reputable facial plastic surgery center and find out which procedures are right for you.

Preparing For Cosmetic Plastic Surgery

Thursday, September 27th, 2007

Congratulations – you’ve finally decided to take the next step and proceed with cosmetic plastic surgery. While this is an exciting time for you, we understand that you may also have some anxiety about the coming weeks.

To ensure your cosmetic plastic surgery experience is a safe and smooth surgery and recovery period, we’ve put together a few tips and strategies. From today until the morning of your surgery, use these tips to maximize your experience through careful planning.

Timing
Start by evaluating the amount of time you will need for your cosmetic plastic surgery procedure, and the amount of time you will need for recovery. Plan your surgery at a time when you social commitments are low, and you can take some time off of work. The key to a successful recovery from a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure is to take the needed time away, and relax as much as possible. Stress will only add more time for recovery.

The amount of time needed for each cosmetic plastic surgery procedure is different. Make sure you speak with your doctor before hand to understand the time for recovery. Share with him the type of activities you do in your normal routine, and any upcoming events that you may be preparing for.

Support
While most cosmetic plastic surgery procedures will not require bed rest, you may wish to have a few family members or friends that are willing to help out for the first week or so. Even though you are electing to have a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure, it is still real surgery, and you should plan accordingly.

Financing
Once you’ve decided on a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure, you must also decide how you will pay for it. Will you be obtaining financing, or have you had time to save for the procedure?

In addition to the cost of the surgery, you should also plan for small incidental expenses. If you don’t have adequate sick or vacation days stored at work, you may be required to take a few days without pay.

Being prepared will ensure your success with any cosmetic plastic surgery procedure you choose.

Park Meadows Cosmetic Surgery offers you two of today’s top doctors in the field of cosmetic plastic surgery. Dr Randolph C Robinson is double board-certified by the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. Dr Jeremy Z Williams completed extensive training in plastic surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD before returning to his native home, Colorado. Both are committed to providing you with top quality care, from your initial consultation to your full post-operative recovery.

7 Ways To Help Boost Your Self Esteem

Friday, August 10th, 2007

In today’s busy world, it’s sometimes difficult to find the time to do something for yourself. Yet spending just a little time everyday on yourself will boost your self esteem, ultimately allowing you to be a better person for yourself and your family. Try out these 7 ideas.

1. Do something you’ve been putting off.
From the simplest task of writing a letter, to something you’ve been contemplating for some time like a facelift, taking control and getting it done can have a huge impact on your self-esteem. It will make you feel good to finally be able to place a checkmark by that lingering goal.

2. Make time to do something you are good at.
Getting caught in the day-to-day chores of life can bring down anyone’s mood. Make sure you dedicate some time every week to do something you enjoy, and are good at. From painting, to dancing, to writing, or even golfing; whatever you choose make sure its something that requires your full attention.

3. Learn how to relax completely.
If you are feeling low or anxious about something, the first thing to do is to stop and relax. Feeling anxious or low is often accompanied by stress. When you concentrate on relaxing, your feelings will begin to disappear. Choose to learn a wonderful skill that will continue to help you throughout your life, such as meditation, yoga or Tai Chi.

4. Congratulate yourself on things you’ve already accomplished.
Look back at your life; what have you completed in your life? Don’t look for large items; instead, look for the little things in life. Passing a test, losing 5 pounds after the holidays, and or signing up for a new class are all reasons of celebration.

5. Establish goals you can realistically achieve.
What separates a doable goal from one that will never be achieved is the ability to see yourself accomplishing it. Looking like you did when you were 20 is not possible at the age of 50. But you can have a goal to lose 10 pounds, or to have a Botox treatment twice a year to reduce the fine lines around your eyes.

6. Rely on your own opinions.
Your goals and values have seen you through this far. Don’t do things based on the beliefs of others. Instead, choose things that will make you feel better about yourself, and have a more positive attitude towards life. If you’ve always wanted cosmetic surgery to fix the bump on your nose, then by all means do it. Taking charge will do wonders for your attitude.

7. Spend time with nurturing people.
Take a look at the people you spend time with. Do they have a positive outlook on life? Do they have a positive lifestyle? Spending time with positive people will motivate you to take charge of your life, and turn it into a happy, successful experience.

Boosting your self-esteem isn’t a once in awhile thing. Instead, it’s a process that should help you live a stronger, healthier lifestyle. Spend time every day taking care of yourself, and find things that will help you become a better you.

Park Meadows Cosmetic Surgery offers you two of today’s top doctors in the field of plastic surgery. Dr Randolph C Robinson is double board-certified by the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. Dr Jeremy Z Williams completed extensive training in plastic surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD before returning to his native home, Colorado. Both are committed to providing you with top quality care, from your initial consultation to your full post-operative recovery.

Please contact their Denver, Colorado office at 303-706-1100 to learn which type of breast plastic surgery is right for you.

Restylane

Wednesday, May 16th, 2007

Restylane –

New research is indicating that Restylane may actually provide long term results by stimulating the skin to produce more collagen. What this translates to for patients is a result that remains long after the Restylane is gone.

RESTYLANE is a crystal-clear, biodegradable, gel composed of NASHA (Non-Animal Stabilized Hyaluronic Acid) which is injected directly into the skin using a fine needle to treat fine lines and wrinkles. The results are nearly immediate with the gel smoothing and eliminating folds and wrinkles in the skin. Restylane has been extensively tested for safety and efficacy since its introduction to the market in 1996. Since that time over 1.5 million treatments have been administered to very satisfied patients. The advantages to Restylane over other soft tissue fillers is its soft, malleable nature and the ease of administration with predictable results. Until recently, the main disadvantage of Restylane was that it only last for 6-9 months. Other “permanent” fillers last longer, but often are more difficult to work with and less predictable.

New research published in the Archives of Dermatology this year is indicating that Restylane actually stimulates more collagen production. Some of the key findings of the study relate to special cells in the skin called fibroblasts. Fibroblasts are the cells in the skin that produce collagen. In young people, fibroblasts are stretched, leading to greater collagen production which yields the smooth appearance of skin defining “youthfulness”. As we grow older and age, the fibroblasts assume a more relaxed shape and do not stretch as easily. This leads to decreased collagen production and the development of fine lines and wrinkles that accelerate the process of facial aging. When Restylane is injected the relaxed fibroblasts (found in wrinkled skin) were re-stretched and behaved in the way they do in younger skin, producing more collagen.( Archives of Dermatology, Feb. 2007, Vol. 143, Issue 2, pp. 155-163, “In Vivo Stimulation of De Novo Collagen Production Caused by Cross-linked Hyaluronic Acid Dermal Filler Injections in Photodamaged Human Skin.”)

Newer techniques of injecting larger volumes of Restylane have also demonstrated the ability to “build up” areas of facial ageing. In areas such as the corners of the mouth, these techniques of Restylane administration can be used to gently correct the “down turned” appearance that develops with aging. Some surgeons feel that these techniques actually incite a response from the fibrobalsts that leads to longer lasting results.

Park Meadows Cosmetic Surgery offers you two of today’s top doctors in the field of plastic surgery. Dr Randolph C Robinson is double board-certified by the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. Dr Jeremy Z Williams completed extensive training in plastic surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD before returning to his native home, Colorado. Both are committed to providing you with top quality care, from your initial consultation to your full post-operative recovery. Please contact their Denver, Colorado office at 303-706-1100 to learn which type of plastic surgery is right for you.

Men Fill Face, Modify Midsection with Cosmetic Plastic Surgery

Saturday, March 24th, 2007

Results Revealed in ASPS Procedural Statistics Report
For Immediate Release: March 22, 2007

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Males had more than a million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in 2006 according to statistics released today by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Surprisingly, the overall number of male cosmetic plastic surgery procedures declined by 7 percent; however, there was growth in minimally invasive procedures that provide volume in the face and in surgical procedures for a more toned body.

“Although we’ve seen a slight dip in some of the traditional male plastic surgery procedures, the numbers reveal men are focused on adding volume to their face and reducing volume in the body,” said ASPS President Roxanne Guy, MD. “These are healthy men who want to look as good as they feel.”

Men looking to revitalize their aging face preferred procedures that were less invasive, less expensive and required less healing time. Soft tissue fillers experienced the largest growth between 2005 and 2006 with hyaluronic acid (Restylane®, Hylaform®) and polylactic acid fillers (Sculptra®) leading the charge, growing by 85 percent and 66 percent respectively. Botox® injections, microdermabrasion, and laser skin resurfacing increased by 202 percent, 112 percent and 49 percent since 2000.

In contrast to facial procedures, men increasingly turned to surgery to achieve a more toned body. Since 2005, thigh lifts increased by 39 percent, male breast reductions by 22 percent, and tummy tucks by 4 percent. Thigh lifts grew by 180 percent and tummy tucks by 165 percent since 2000. Although total procedures for pectoral implants and calf augmentations are relatively low, they climbed 99 percent and 49 percent respectively since 2005.

The ASPS website has statistics from the 2006 National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Report, information on procedures and referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons.

ASPS procedural statistics are collected through the first online national database for plastic surgery procedures, Tracking Operations and Outcomes for Plastic Surgeons (TOPS). This data, combined with the annual survey sent to American Board of Medical Specialties certified physicians most likely to perform plastic surgery, results in the most comprehensive census on plastic surgery procedures.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. With more than 6,000 members, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 90 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Park Meadows Cosmetic Surgery offers you two of today’s top doctors in the field of plastic surgery. Dr Randolph C Robinson is double board-certified by the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. Dr Jeremy Z Williams completed extensive training in plastic surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD before returning to his native home, Colorado. Both are committed to providing you with top quality care, from your initial consultation to your full post-operative recovery. Please contact their Denver, Colorado office at 303-706-1100 to learn which type of breast plastic surgery is right for you.

Cosmetic Plastic Surgery for Baby Boomers Shifts to Lifts

Thursday, March 22nd, 2007

ASPS Reports Significant Increases in Skin Removal and Lift Procedures
For Immediate Release: March 22, 2007

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - While cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures continue to see an increase among all age groups, baby boomers are adding skin and body lift procedures in increasing numbers, according to statistics released today by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

Since 2005 for people ages 40 to 54, thigh lifts increased 27 percent, lower body lifts increased 24 percent, upper arm lifts increased 23 percent, thread (face) lifts increased 22 percent, breast lifts increased 11 percent, and tummy tucks increased 7 percent. Similar increases in the same procedures since the previous year were also reported for the age group 55 and older. In fact, the combined age groups experienced a 12 percent increase in these cosmetic procedures from 2005 to 2006.

“Baby boomers are experiencing the unavoidable—loss of skin elasticity with age,” said Roxanne Guy, MD, ASPS president. “In thirty year-olds, the need for more invasive procedures can be delayed by using injectable fillers and lasers. Not so for treating the loose skin boomers are experiencing.”

A recent AC Neilsen survey found that baby boomers not only want to look younger, but also feel younger. The study showed the boomers perception reflects a new middle age in their sixties resulting from their forties being considered the new thirties. The desire to match their perception of age with how they look is important to baby boomers.

A Harris Interactive consumer survey conducted for ASPS in 2006 found similar results. For instance, the ASPS survey of 800 women ages 35 to 69 found that the majority would prefer their face to look 13 years younger. The survey also found women were most likely to be extremely or very concerned about wrinkles and sagging skin. The majority (81 percent) of respondents were 40 to 64 years old.

Close to 5 million total cosmetic procedures were performed on women and men ages 40 to 54 in 2006, who made up 45 percent of total patients. Patients ages 55 and older in 2006 made up 26 percent of total patients with 2.8 million total cosmetic procedures.

The ASPS website has statistics from the 2006 National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Report, information on procedures and referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons.

ASPS procedural statistics are collected through the first online national database for plastic surgery procedures, Tracking Operations and Outcomes for Plastic Surgeons (TOPS). This data, combined with an annual survey sent to American Board of Medical Specialties certified physicians most likely to perform plastic surgery, results in the most comprehensive census on plastic surgery procedures.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. With more than 6,000 members, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 90 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Park Meadows Cosmetic Surgery offers you two of today’s top doctors in the field of plastic surgery. Dr Randolph C Robinson is double board-certified by the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. Dr Jeremy Z Williams completed extensive training in plastic surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD before returning to his native home, Colorado. Both are committed to providing you with top quality care, from your initial consultation to your full post-operative recovery. Please contact their Denver, Colorado office at 303-706-1100 to learn which type of breast plastic surgery is right for you.

Botox - How often should I have it?

Tuesday, October 10th, 2006

Botox produces paralysis limited to specific facial muscles that are injected. The paralysis of specific muscles, in turn, eliminates or lessens the wrinkles that arise over top of the muscle. Botox works by blocking the nerve signal that stimulates muscle movement. This block usually takes full effect by approximately 36 hours after injection. Because the junction between nerves and muscles (neruomuscular junctions) are constantly turned over, muscular function gradually returns after approximately 3 months. These new neruomuscluar junctions prevent permanent paralysis of the treated muscle and necessitate re treatment every 3 months.