Plastic Surgery Primer Part 2
By Susan Archer
We left off with liposuction and scarring, two of the most important topics around plastic surgery because of their prevalence. Now I want to move on to some of the lesser thought about but equally important hidden truths about plastic surgery.
Pain; An Incremental Approach
It is going to be somewhat painful to go through the experience of plastic surgery. All procedures will have some degree of pain and some amount of recovery time; these both can vary greatly between procedures. Discomfort and recovery time are also going to be highly dependent on how much work you get done. If you have only a moderate rhinoplasty (nose job) you will recover more quickly and likely with less pain than the woman who got the nose job, liposuction, a tuck and a face lift. More importantly though, it is much easier on your body and thus better for you on the whole to get only one or two procedures at a time.
This incremental approach has several benefits, first of all your recovery time is shortened and your experience of the procedure is improved because of less pain and time spent. You will also have the chance to evaluate the outcome of the procedure to ensure for yourself that what the doctor told you is true, that the doctor did good work and that your expectations were met. Finally, you will have time to appreciate the change that plastic surgery has made and decide whether you really need more or that perhaps you’re happy with where you are.
These are some of the most painful procedures according to Dr. Greene:
-Abdominoplasty – the Tummy Tuck
-Breast Augmentation (cut through pectorals to place implants)
-Full Face Laser (2nd degree burns over entire face)
-Thigh Lift
-Body Lift
Plastic Surgery Procedures to Avoid
Never ever get permanent lip enhancement insertions like silicone or Gore-Tex. These materials last forever but give you only temporary results meaning that they often lead to deformed lips with very hard areas in them. Fixing the problems caused by these procedures is costly and time consuming and often the patient is left with less than what they started with in terms of looks. When it comes to lip fullness stick with collagen injections.
Butt implants are another of the worst ideas in plastic surgery. This is a dynamic area of the body that is responsible for balance, support, and movement – you just don’t want to mess with it. Plus a firm butt developed by hard work, exercise and diet is going to last a lot longer than implants that will tend to move around and make you look oddly lumpy. Think about it you’d have to sit on your implants all the time – not a good idea. (This is not to imply that all implants are bad or have an alternative in exercise, for instance breast augmentation cannot be achieved be exercise at all and surgery is often the best choice.)
Finally, another idea that is hopefully on it’s way out of the plastic surgery field is removal of buccal (cheek) fat pads. This gives teens high, elegant looking cheekbones, but removes an important face and eye protector and is really irreplaceable. As these girls age their faces naturally thin somewhat producing a ghastly sunken look to their faces.
What about Plastic Surgeons Who Advertise?
This is usually a bad sign. Most of the good doctors will market themselves by means other than direct advertising. The more subtle marketing is often through referral networks of other doctors and health professionals. A recommendation from another doc is bound to be more compelling to you than a billboard.
How to Find the Right Plastic Surgeon?
First ask around. Ask your gynecologist and your regular doctor, they both probably know of the best surgeons in your area, also check with any friends who have had a cosmetic procedure or have friends who have, they will certainly have opinions about their own doctors and may have heard a thing or two about others. Friends who have had plastic surgery are also a great resource of information. They can tell you their story; you can see their results and how long the effects have lasted. You can also hear their tales of disappointment and success and thus have more realistic expectations for yourself.
After you get a list of names check with your state medical licensing board to ensure that they are board certified in Plastic Surgery. Now it is time to interview. I would pick at least 3 and not more than 5 surgeons to interview. Remember, they are providing you with a service and you want to be sure it is of the highest possible quality. Read the rest of this article and then write up a list of all the questions you have – don’t sensor yourself. The most important aspect of the interview is that you get comfortable with your surgeon, so you need to ask every question you have. If your surgeon acts like your question is stupid or a waste of time think about working with a different doctor.
Anesthesia – The Silent Killer
That might be a little overly dramatic, but in a way it’s true. Plastic surgery is a fairly non-invasive type of surgery to perform and thus the surgeon can do very little to put your life at risk. The most important person is the operating room when it comes to your safety is the anesthesiologist. They are responsible for putting you under, monitoring your vital signs during surgery, and bringing you back up in a safe way. This is critical because the amount of anesthesia to give to each patient is different depending on lots of factors like weight, metabolism, and body type. You want to be sure that your surgeon has worked with the anesthesiologist consistently for several years and that the anesthesiologist is board certified. If this checks out you are most likely in good hands.
The Longevity of Plastic Surgery - How Long Will it Last?
This is not an exact science, but we can say with surety that it won’t last forever. Again, this is a place for reasonable expectations. If your ideals are set too high you are sure to be disappointed so be sure that what you expect is what you will get. The longevity of each procedure varies from patient to patient, but what we hope is that even in 20 years we will look better than if we hadn’t had the procedure at all. Any reputable doctor will tell you right away if you are being unrealistic, it is in their best interest to keep you happy and that means being honest, even if it is initially disappointing. Again this is a great place to talk to friends and family who have had the same procedure done.
That concludes section two of my Plastic Surgery Primer. To recap we found that there are lots of bad procedures out their so look at them carefully and press your doctor about the long term effects of each procedure. Be sure to talk to lots of people who have experience with plastic surgery - other doctors who you have a relationship with, friends, and family are all great resources. Do some snooping, check up on your surgeon, and interview, interview, interview.
Coming up in Plastic Surgery Primer 3 – secrets of the industry, more tools for evaluating your plastic surgeon.