Plastic Surgery Articles

Importance of Board Certification

A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Resource is dedicated to helping you find the highest level of plastic surgery care in your area. To help us achieve this goal, we select only those surgeons who hold the appropriate board certification from the American Board of Medical Specialties.

Why is board certification so important?

Board certification is important because it ensures that your surgeon has the training, qualifications, and experience necessary to perform plastic surgery procedures safely and skillfully.

By choosing a board certified plastic surgeon, you can be sure that your doctor has extensive experience in any procedure you are considering. A board certified plastic surgeon can also provide you with the guidance you need in order to make an informed decision.

Plastic Surgery Boards and Societies

• The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS)
• The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)
• The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)

In order to be considered appropriately qualified to perform plastic surgery, physicians should be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and hold membership in either the American Society of Plastic Surgery or the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

The American Board of Plastic Surgery certifies only physicians who have completed the following:

• Medical school
• A specialized residency in surgery, otolaryngology, or orthopedics
• A rigorous set of examinations

Once certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, plastic surgeons can apply for membership in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. To qualify for membership in the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, a surgeon must meet certain requirements for continuing education as well as possess a specific level of cosmetic surgery experience.

Check List for Breast Augmentation Before and After Photos

When viewing before and after photos of breast augmentation patients, its important to consider the following for a true comparison. Of course, the best comparative analysis can be drawn when visiting a plastic surgeon. This is because plastic surgeons are familiar with the patient photos theyve taken which enable the plastic surgeon to provide more information that is relevant to your particular situation.

Before and After Photos on the Internet:

• Illustrations of the plastic surgeons expertise
• Comparative sizes of breasts before and post up to 16 weeks of surgery
• Ability to see the difference between breast augmentation and breast lift

Items to keep in Mind for Before and After Photos:

View the width of the chest and length of mid-body to locate those that are comparative to you.
See similar height and weights for a better comparison.
Try to differentiate between swelling and no swelling since the photos may be taken anywhere between 4 and 12 weeks of surgery.

The Advantage for Photos at a Plastic Surgeons Office

• Plastic surgeons can review the type of incision that was used for their patients such as the belly button, under the arm or under the crease.
• Plastic surgeons can review the placement location for the breast implants under the muscle or above the muscle.
• Plastic surgeons can show photos of women with the same chest width.
• Plastic surgeons can tell you how long after the procedure that the photo was taken which can play a role in the final outcome of the procedure.
• Plastic surgeons can connect you to patients with similarities.

In the end, the investment in a consultation with one or more plastic surgeons can go a much longer way in making the right decision for breast augmentation when compared to viewing photos on the Internet.

Are you currently going through breast cancer? If so, contact one of our board certified surgeons to learn more about MammoSite brachytherapy and other treatments.

Breast Cancer Survivor Breakthrough: Zometa

At the recent Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago, Illinois, Zometa was a topic of discussion when the Austrian Breast (zoledronic acid).

The FDA approved Novartis’ Zometa in 2002 for the use of preventing cancer reoccurrence. To date, three clinical trials comprised of over 3,000 patients support the use of Zometa for post cancer patients. The pharmacology behind Zometa focuses on inhibiting bone resorption to prevent the re-occurrence of cancer.

This breakthrough is considered monumental for breast cancer survivors in light of cancer re-occurrence statistics. Of all early breast cancer patients, approximately one third will have a reoccurrence and most reoccurrences appear in other organs of the body. This statistic also represents breast cancer as the primary cause of death, involving 60% of the women within a five year period.

Most often, hormone therapy is used to prevent cancer reoccurrences. Breast cancer survivors can now receive Zometa to reduce the risk of disease-free survival events (which include death from any cause) by 36%, when compared to hormone therapy treatment alone. Zometa may be utilized to prevent other types of cancer reoccurrences, including: multiple myeloma, prostate cancer, lung cancer and select classes of tumors.

Interested in learning more about your options? Please contact us today to schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon near you.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, nearly 80 percent of aging skin is due to exposure to the elements. We can’t spend our lives hiding from the sun, but we can certainly take it into account every day instead of just on those recreational days outdoors. Read More…

Breast surgery is one of the leading plastic surgery procedures in the U.S. today. But, why? I guess it would seem obvious to assume it is because breasts are the part of the female body that make us feel feminine, “womanly” and beautiful — so having them altered to fit our aesthetic goals would raise our self esteem and make us feel better about ourselves. Even though that may seem like the obvious answer, until recently, that very question was never asked (on a large scale) so the answer has only been assumed. Read More…

The Costs of Breast Enlargement Surgery

January 7, 2009 -

The Costs of Breast Enlargement Surgery
Before a patient agrees to undergo a cosmetic surgery such as breast enlargement (also known as breast augmentation), it’s always wise to understand the total cost of the procedure. The price that is advertised is not necessarily “the bottom line,” and in these difficult economic times, it’s also possible that the cost of breast enlargement surgery may change.

“Average” Cost Varies Widely
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons recently provided a figure for the average cost of breast enlargement surgery in the U.S. - $3,816. However, this figure varies widely by geographic region, by the technique or procedure used, by the surgeon’s fee schedule, and in accord with each patient’s unique needs. In addition, this cost doesn’t include many factors that can add a significant amount to the total cost, such as:

• anesthesia fees - usually somewhere from $500 to $800
• operating room costs - these vary in accord with the location of the surgery; e.g., a hospital O.R., a surgical center or a surgeon’s facility
• the cost of the breast implants themselves - saline, silicone, and other material costs vary
• medications - post-surgery drugs and other products to ease your recovery
• post-surgery garments - some breast procedures necessitate the use of compression garments after surgery
• recovery center costs - some cosmetic surgeons require that patients stay at least one night in an affiliated recovery center for monitoring, especially if the patient is from out of town; such centers may cost $300-$800 per night

Discuss the Total Cost with a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon
It’s best to discuss the total costs of a breast augmentation procedure in depth with a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area. He or she will be able to tell you the complete details of what your individual case will involve, including:

• the appropriate procedure and implants
• what to expect (and do) during the recovery period, and
• the exact and total cost of your surgery

Financing Your Breast Surgery
Most cosmetic surgeons also provide information about services that enable patients to finance their procedures. Such financial services are also acutely aware of the total costs of breast and other surgeries; it’s part of their work to know how much a complete cosmetic surgery bill will be. They work with individuals to qualify them for installment payment plans.

(Source: http://californiasurgicalinstitute.com)

Interested in learning more about your options? Please contact us today to schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon near you.

Gynecomastia is the medical term for enlarged male breasts.  It is a common condition, according to some sources hitting as many as one in three males at some point in their lives.  Gynecomastia most often impacts males during adolescence and may not be related to obesity.  What usually occurs is a hormonal imbalance between testosterone and estrogen, resulting in the growth of enlarged breasts.  There are indications that this condition may also be a genetic inheritance. Read More…

One of the most controversial topics in plastic surgery surrounds the question as to whether injecting fat after breast reconstruction is safe. A study seeking to answer this question was presented at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) conference Oct. 31 – Nov. 5. Read More…

Cosmetic surgery has become a mainstream option for women in the United States and for too many of them the doctor’s office is a dream factory. The most important part of an interview between doctor and prospective patient covers the issue of expectations versus realities. It’s an important issue to the profession and also to the legions of patients who are devoting both financial resources and personal time to pursuit of an aesthetic goal. Read More…