Plastic Surgery for Men

We have updated our YouTube channel.  We have added new plastic surgery videos and also taken advantage of the system’s ability to use higher quality images.  Check out all of our videos, including the ones on tummy tuck and plastic surgery for men.

Surgery in Egypt

This week I am headed to Egypt to do surgery.  I do a specialized nerve surgery with my dad, a neurosurgeon, that helps quadraplegic patients breathe without a ventilator.  Last year we did the procedure with success in Brazil.  I will give an update on our return.

Our Videos

One of the resources we are very proud of are our plastic surgery videos.  On these videos, we have patients describing their procedures — what they had done, why, and what the process was like.  Our Beverly Hills plastic surgeon also gives a tour of our facility and describes the steps of your procedure and recovery.  So as you are gathering information, please be sure to check out this resource!

Springtime and Plastic Surgery

Many people plan on having a procedure done by a Los Angeles plastic surgeon in the spring, so they look great for summer.  Certainly this is very common and it makes a lot of sense.  If you are going to do something to improve appearance, why not do it prior to getting out and about in the good weather?

One thing to consider in planning is for the recovery.  In most procedures, people do not see results immediately.  It can take a few weeks or even months to see the dramatic change one is looking for.  For liposuction, we like to have six weeks of recovery prior to even making initial judgments about the results.  This also holds for many skin procedures.

So if you are planning on that new look for the beach, it is best to do some careful planning about the timing of your procedure!  This way you are most likely to be delighted with the results.

Laser Procedures

As plastic surgeons, we often tend to dismiss noninvasive procedures as often only subtle benefits.  With current technology, nothing could be farther from the truth.  We see enormous improvements in appearance from such procedures as Beverly Hills Botox, laser treatments, and skin fillers.  Lasers are especially coming into their own lately.  Technology is advancing quickly, and one example is fractional laser treatments.  The difference in facial appearance, with freshing and tightening of the skin, removal of wrinkles and lines and other improvements can be truly amazing.  So plastic surgery is no longer just about surgery.  In many cases, we can create marked improvements without doing any cutting at all.  And this often means less recovery, shorter times off from work, and the elusive “lunchtime” procedures are really becoming reality.

Recovery from Rhinoplasty

Many people ask about recovery from plastic surgery.  And they are right to do so.  It is important to make plans for recovery prior to undergoing any procedure. For example, people should arrange for time off of work following rhinoplasty in Los Angeles. They should make plans for about a week off, in most cases. People should arrange to help them around the house, at least for the first day or two and certainly for the first night following this sort of California cosmetic surgery.  People may be antibiotics following the procedure, and they may have some discomfort which is eased by pain medicine.  It is best to get all prescriptions filled prior to surgery, as waiting in line in a pharmacy is just no fun following any procedure.  It is also important to realize that while some changes in appearance can be seen immediately, in most cases the full results of nose surgery take months to see.

Plastic Surgery During the Economic Downturn

A recent press release, reprinted below, notes that plastic surgery is on the rise in the UK even with the economic downturn.  We have seen some slight downward trends in cosmetic surgery but are remaining busy.  As a Los Angeles plastic surgeon, I’m finding that people are still interested in plastic surgery.  Below is a reprint of the press release—

People are still splashing out on looking good despite the economic downturn, according to new figures.

Data from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) showed a rise in the number of people going ahead with operations in 2008.

Men seemed particularly keen on some aspects of the surgery, with a 44% rise in the number having a breast reduction to correct their so-called “moobs”.

Male breast reduction moved into the top five procedures for men, rising from 224 procedures in 2007 to 323 in 2008.

In 2003, just 22 breast reductions were carried out on men.

There were 34,187 operations on men and women in 2008, up 5% on the 32,453 in 2007. that is more than triple the 2003 figure, when 10,700 plastic surgery operations were carried out.

All the data related to private clinics in the UK.

Women had 91% of all cosmetic procedures in 2008 (31,183, up from 29,572 in 2007).

The top five procedures in women were Breast augmentation, eyelid surgery, face/neck lift, tummy tucks and breast reduction.

The top five procedures for men were nose jobs, eyelid surgery, ear-pinning, liposuction and male breast reduction.

First Impressions

A recent study looked at the use of an injection to make a better first impression.  Here is a summary of the press release, which is interesting and amusing—

According to researchers, first impressions of a person are influenced by facial appearance and improved by cosmetic surgery. They wanted to determine whether or not the use of botulinum toxin A would contribute to a person receiving higher scores on a variety of first impression scales.

Photos were taken of the study participants before and after the treatment with the botulinum toxin A, then the photos were randomly divided into books with each subject represented only once per book. Blinded evaluators completed a survey rating their first impression on various measures of success for each photo in the book.  Findings were that use of the injection improved first impressions.

Plastic surgery does have positive effects on self image, with any procedure such as Los Angeles breast implants.  It may be that treated people simply feel more confident and give off this impression following their procedure.  We do find this with many procedures, including

A New Technique to Treat Breathing Disorders

I recently returned from Brazil, where my father and I performed a specialized surgery to help people who have breathing disorders. We inserted a phrenic nerve pacemaker on someone who is quadriplegic. My father, Dr. Abbott Krieger has developed an innovative surgical technique to reanimate the diaphram in severly injured patients, freeing them from a lifetime confined to a ventilator. The procedure provides phrenic nerve injury treatment.

The phrenic nerve pacemaker can be used for people who have a nonworking diaphragm. If the phrenic nerve was injured, the pacemaker stimulates it to in turn cause the diaphragm to pull air in the lungs. This is the “breathing circuit” that allows us to breathe on our own. The injury can come from previous surgery. It often comes from a spinal cord injury, resulting in paralysis. The phrenic nerve is always quiet, and never sends it signal to the body to breathe.

This was the case for the procedure we performed last week in Brazil. A man was shot in the neck, injuring his spinal cord. He could not breathe without a ventilator. The hope now is that with time the pacemaker will allow this man to breathe on his own, without a ventilator or a breathing tube.

The research behind the procedure and its development was done by Dr. Abbott Krieger, the father of Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery’s Medical Director. Dr. Abbott Krieger did basic research on the concepts for this revolutionary surgery. He then pioneered its use clinically. The procedure uses a nerve transfer technique to allow the phrenic nerves to once again stimulate the diaphragm to move air, allowing patients to breathe without the need for a ventilator.

This is obviously not the usual plastic surgery, such as a breast augmentation procedure. But plastic surgery also includes doing specialized procedures on nerves, and this is the case with this breathing surgery in which the treatment is performed for injury to the phrenic nerve.

Here is some more background on this sort of breathing surgery:

Breathing pacemakers are indicated for patients with diaphragm paralysis who would otherwise be completely or partially dependent on mechanical ventilation so long as the phrenic nerve(s) and diaphragm(s) are intact. Patients with diseases in which there is progressive demyelination of the phrenic nerves (such as ALS) or weakening of the diaphragm muscle (such as muscular dystrophy) are generally poor candidates for diaphragm pacing.

Careful preoperative evaluation (phrenic nerve conduction studies, pulmonary function tests, etc.) would be indicated in all cases. Benefits of diaphragm pacing for diaphragm paralysis include:

• Improved respiratory function since the inhaled air is drawn into the lungs by the diaphragm under negative pressure, rather than being forced into the chest under positive pressure.

• Lower infection rates due to the reduction in suctioning, elimination of external humidifier and ventilator circuits, and the potential removal of the tracheostomy tube.

• Improved mobility, normalized breathing and speech patterns, ease of eating and drinking.

How We Approach Ethnic Rhinoplasty

People of different ethnic groups often come to a plastic surgeon seeking to refine the appearance of their nose. Modern rhinoplasty techniques like those done at Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery stress preservation of ethnic appearance along with overall facial balance. The nose should match the rest of the face. Ethnic rhinoplasty or nose job works to achieve this while providing the improvements and enhancements sought in the nose.

Ethnic groups often tend to have certain characteristics to their noses, both in terms of their outer appearance and of their internal structures. For this reason, it is best to address the noses of various ethnic groups such as African Americans and Hispanics and Asians individually. “Cookie cutter” approaches to rhinoplasty rarely work well, and this is especially the case with non-caucasian nose surgery.

There are many examples of how this individualized approach offers the best outcome in ethnic rhinoplasty. For instance, many people of Asian and African and Latino descent have noses with wide bases and broad tips. They often also have thick skin at the tip of the nose. This can give the tip a rounded or “bulbous” appearance. Non-caucasian noses often also have a bump at the bridge, along with a wide and flat bridge.

Because of these anatomic tendencies, ethnic noses frequently require extensive work on their internal structures to create the desired appearance. This includes using plastic surgery to change the shape of the bone and cartilage inside the nose, while working to create little or no external scarring. Since this internal structural work is extensive, it can have important effects on the function as well as the appearance of the nose. For this reason, the Rodeo Drive Breathe Easy Rhinoplasty^TM technique — which works to improve both the appearance and the breathing function of the nose – is especially well-suited to providing good results in ethnic rhinoplasty.

Some rhinoplasty and plastic surgery techniques are commonly used for African American, Hispanic, and Asian noses. The flatter noses common in many ethnic people can be addressed by grafting cartilage from elsewhere in the body to shape the skin of the nose’s tip more finely, and provide it with a refined appearance. In some cases, the nostrils are noticeably wide and benefit from direct steps to narrow them during surgery.

Prior to your procedure, you will meet with your plastic surgeon to discuss your goals from rhinoplasty. It is important to have clear ideas of what you want to change about your nose so we can come up with the best plan for your nose surgery.

Rodeo Drive’s Specialized Patient Programs

At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, we believe that Los Angeles plastic surgery should be a smooth process – before, during, and after your actual procedure. In order to make this happen, we have created a series of unique patient programs. Each of these programs works to make the overall process of plastic surgery easy, so you can enjoy your result with minimal discomfort and downtime. Some of them focus on the unique needs of certain groups of patients. Others work to help you enhance the improved lifestyle we hope begins with your plastic surgery at our Beverly Hills Center.

While it is difficult to make any surgery completely pain free, we have succeeded in making our procedures very low pain. This allows patients to be comfortable from the moment the procedure is completed and our nurses take care of them in the recovery room, to when they continue their recuperation at home. Our goal is to make post-procedure pain something akin to the soreness that accompanies a very strenuous workout at the gym.

Below are descriptions of the patient programs we have developed with your needs and desires in mind. Most of our programs were developed after listening to the suggestions of our patients. So if you have any ideas of what we can do to help fulfill your needs, please let us know. Please click on the link at the start of each description to read more about each of these programs.

Minimal Pain Program: Many of our patients are concerned about discomfort following plastic surgery. This program works to minimize any discomfort, so you feel like yourself shortly after your procedure.

Back to the Gym Program: Some people really like working out, and don’t want to take too much time out from their exercise routine – even when they have plastic surgery. This program helps you get back to exercising as quickly as possible, while still guarding your safety and ensuring optimal results from surgery.

Patient Safety Program: Your safety is our number one priority during and after plastic surgery. This program formalizes the steps we take to maximize safety in every procedure we do.

Traveling for Plastic Surgery: Many of our patients come from out of town and often from out of the country. This program works to make visiting us for plastic surgery smooth and relaxing.

Scar Reduction Program:Nobody likes scars. This program includes pre-emptive steps to make your scars appear as minimal as possible.

Art Shows on Rodeo Drive: We hope that plastic surgery will be your first step to enhancing your overall lifestyle. Our art shows bring together our patients, local stylemakers, and other interesting members of the community to experience fine art at our offices.

Plastic Surgery for Hispanics: Many of our patients are Hispanic and this program works to meet their unique needs to assure the best possible results from plastic surgery.

Plastic Surgery for Men: Men need their own specialized approach to Los Angeles plastic surgery. Our approach to men ensures that their distinctive

Creating the Elusive “Lunchtime Facelift”

The “lunchtime facelift” has been the holy grail in plastic surgery for quite a while. The idea of providing facial rejuvenation with no downtime appeals to both plastic surgeons and patients. Get your treatment, look improved and freshened, and immediately go back to work, out on the town or, for some of our entertainment patients here in Beverly Hills, head over to the red carpet at an awards show. Who wouldn’t want to get their facial rejuvenation and then have no recovery?

Essentially all of the so called “no downtime facelifts” or “lunchtime facelifts” simply did not live up to their billing. As a plastic surgeon, I know that surgery involves recovery. It is just the way the body responds to a surgical procedure. Traditionally, if the body did not react to the procedure, nothing much was really done and few changes were visible when all was said and done.

But now we have many nonsurgical techniques that can create instant facial freshening — removing or smoothing wrinkles, plumping lips — with no recovery. Botox, Restylane, Juvederm, Radiesse, Sculptra and other new products provide facial rejuvenation and do not create scars or undue swelling. They can help achieve that elusive goal of improvements without downtime. This is perhaps the biggest revolution in plastic surgery in thirty years.

These products work very differently. When we do Los Angeles Botox we are using the medicine to paralyze some of the tiny muscles in the face. The twitching of these muscles creates a skin wrinkle on the skin that lies above it. If the muscles lay quietly, they do not tense and cause a wrinkle in the skin above. Botox is extremely safe, its results are predictable, and it can create fantastic improvements in facial appearance. My sister recently had it for the first time, and it dramatically improved and freshened the look of her face – just like I have seen it do for countless other of my patients.

The we use Los Angeles skin fillers skin fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm we work to provide bulk under the skin to fill in wrinkles from below. They are very effective for both small lines and larger ones, such as the nasolabial folds which run from the sides of the nose toward the outside edges of the side of the mouth and the so-called marionette lines that go along the side of the chin.

Each person’s face is different, so each person will do best with a different noninvasive treatment and nonsurgical skin rejuvenation. But the various procedures do provide fast changes with little or no recovery. Where in the past the “weekend facelift” was illusory, it is now possible to create dramatic changes without downtime.

New Web Site Provides Plastic Surgery Information

A new web site has been published that provides the facts about plastic surgery.  The goal of Plastic Surgery 101 is to provide people with detailed plastic surgery information so they can make informed decisions as they consider having cosmetic surgery.

Plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery are topics of growing interest. Television shows featuring Beverly Hills plastic surgeons and their patients are increasingly popular. More and more plastic surgery procedures are being performed every year. Once only for the wealthy, today people from all walks of life are having plastic surgery because of the great enhancements it can provide to quality of life.

New plastic surgery techniques are constantly being developed and introduced. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of clear information about plastic surgery easily available to consumers and potential patients. Confusion about the real facts of plastic surgery is very common.

About www.PlasticSurgery101.net
This web site provides educational information for people considering plastic surgery. It offers facts about specific plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery procedures so people can make informed decisions. The material on this site was compiled by a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon with the goal of providing clear and current Los Angeles plastic surgery information. The site includes details about the various procedures, recovery, expected results, and before and after pictures. It is a great resource for people seeking to gain understanding of plastic surgery options.  Some of the covered procedures include