Gill Plastic Surgery November Newsletter via #constantcontact

Gill Plastic Surgery November Newsletter via #constantcontact

Gill Plastic Surgery October Newsletter via #constantcontact

Gill Plastic Surgery October Newsletter via #constantcontact

Liposuction Performed by non Plastic Surgeons

Novel techniques in liposuction are rampant amongst the cosmetic medicine community these days. I see several advertisements for office liposuction procedures under local anesthesia offering significant contour changes. As many family medicine doctors and gynecologists are transitioning into aesthetic surgery, these new liposuction techniques are being performed much more frequently. This draws concern to me as liposuction has a very specific and limited role in cosmetic surgery. By not seeing a trained plastic surgeon, you may not be given the correct options or alternatives to reach your expected goal. If all your physician has is a hammer, every patient is a nail. Many liposuction companies market that they can tighten skin significantly and improve contours with a tiny incision and local anesthesia in the office. This can be appealing to the non-plastic surgeon, since it comes across as a simple procedure that can be applied to all patients. In my experience, this is simply not true. Liposuction can remove fat and tighten mild skin laxity, but will not treat significant skin excess or muscle looseness. This is where a plastic surgeon can create a tailored procedure to meet your goals and deliver the ideal aesthetic outcome for your body type. It is important that your physician discuss procedures that offer consistent and reproducible results from patient to patient. This is what you as a patient deserve.

So the take home message is to take into consideration that training and expertise of your liposuction provider. I very rarely utilize liposuction alone to deliver my best aesthetic results. Please take time to inform yourself of all the options prior to proceeding with any procedure.

Wrinkle Reduction

As we age, our faces begin to show the effects of gravity, sun exposure and years of facial muscle movement such as smiling, chewing and squinting. The underlying tissues that keep our skin looking youthful and plump begin to break down, often leaving laugh lines, smile lines, crow's feet or facial creases over the areas where the muscle movement occurs.

Soft tissue fillers can help fill these lines and creases temporarily restoring a smoother, more youthful-looking appearance. When injected beneath the skin, these fillers plump up creased and sunken areas of the face. They can also add fullness to the lips and cheeks. Injectable fillers may be used alone or in conjunction with cosmetic procedures, such as laser treatment, facelift or browlift. Injectables alone cannot change facial contour the way surgery can.

The most important fact to remember about injectables is that the results are not permanent. The injectable filler is eventually metabolized by the body. You should not expect the same long lasting results that may be gained by cosmetic surgery.

Facial rejuvenation is very individualized. That's why it is important to discuss your hopes and expectations with a board certified plastic surgeon that has experience with many different types of surgical and non-surgical procedures.

Learn more about injectable fillers below.

Mommy Makeover - Get your pre-baby body back!

What does the mommy makeover include?

If you have experienced serious changes to your body since having children, there are options available. A “mommy makeover or mommy job” uses a variety of cosmetic procedures to help restore your pre-baby body.

Pregnancy takes its toll on your body, especially your breasts and abdominal areas. The mommy makeover consists of these procedures but varies per patient.

Breast Lift

Loss of elasticity, gravity, and other factors such as weight loss, pregnancy and breast feeding affect the shape and firmness of your breasts.  Some women are happy with the size of their breasts but wish they were back where they used to be pre-baby. In this case, a breast lift would reposition and add firmness to your breasts. 

Some women may have lost a significant amount of breast volume over time.  In this instance, placing breast implants in conjunction with a breast lift will increase size while also repositioning the breasts.   

Tummy Tuck

Pregnancy alters the abdominal skin and underlying musculature.  A tummy tuck helps to remove excess skin, tighten the abdominal muscles and give the abdomen a flatter, more attractive contour. Although, an incision is necessary it is hidden in your bikini line to allow for a natural appearing result. 

A mommy makeover has helped many moms gain a new lease on life, with more self confidence and a greater satisfaction with their personal appearances.

 

August Special of the Month

Our August Special of the Month:  $1000 off all Tummy Tuck Procedures!!!  Call 281-853-5308 for a complementary consultation!!!

ASPS Reports Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Down in 2009, Up 69% in First Decade of New Millennium

ASPS Reports Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Down in 2009, Up 69% in First Decade of New Millennium

Consumer Interest Continues to Rise According to RealSelf.com Study


ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Although it's been a sluggish year for plastic surgery due to the economy, the long-term outlook is more encouraging. According to statistics released today by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), 12.5 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in the United States in 2009, down 1 percent from 2008; up 69 percent since 2000. Nearly 5.2 million reconstructive plastic surgery procedures were performed last year.
"The industry has experienced some economic downturn during the later part of the decade due to the recession, but, overall, plastic surgery has seen growth in the first decade of the new millennium," said ASPS President Michael McGuire, MD. "The current economic climate will likely not have an impact on long-term growth. The largest contributor to the increase in procedures over the past decade has been the advent of injectable wrinkle fighters and other minimally-invasive procedures."
Cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures increased 1 percent, to nearly 11 million procedures in 2009. Minimally-invasive procedures are up 99 percent since 2000. The top five minimally-invasive procedures in 2009 were:
Botulinum toxin type A (4.8 million)
Soft tissue fillers (1.7 million)
Chemical peel (1.1 million)
Microdermabrasion (910,000)
Laser hair removal (893,000)
"Skin is in," said Dr. McGuire. "Chemical peels and soft tissue fillers like hyaluronic acid are up 9 percent, microdermabrasion is up 8 percent - these are the procedures that patients are opting for despite the economy."
Cosmetic surgical procedures decreased 9 percent, with more than 1.5 million procedures in 2009. Surgical procedures are down 20 percent since 2000. The top five surgical procedures in 2009 were:
Breast augmentation (289,000)
Nose reshaping (256,000)
Eyelid surgery (203,000)
Liposuction (198,000)
Tummy tuck (115,000)
"It would seem, as innovations in cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures increase, surgery will continue to decrease," added Dr. McGuire. "However, as the economy rebounds, more patients and Boomers will continue to seek surgical body contouring procedures (liposuction, tummy tuck), eyelid surgery and breast augmentations. In fact, breast augmentations are up 36 percent since 2000. Silicone implants are now used in 50 percent of all breast augmentations."Echoing Dr. McGuire's words, new consumer data from an online survey conducted in March by Harris Interactive® on behalf of RealSelf.com found America's interest in cosmetic procedures to be on the rise. According to the survey, more adults would choose to have "work done" if money was not an issue in the 1st quarter of 2010 (69%), as compared to 4th quarter 2009 (54%) - an increase of 15 percent. There is also high interest for "Mommy Makeover" type procedures: more than one in four (29%) of those who would get cosmetic work done if money were not an issue would have a tummy tuck, 23% liposuction, and 15% a breast lift. Eyelid surgery was the top procedure for those planning to have a cosmetic surgical procedure within the next 12 months (27%). Laser hair removal was the top procedure for those planning a minimally-invasive procedure within the next 12 months (23%).
Reconstructive plastic surgery, which improves function and appearance to abnormal structures, increased 5 percent in 2009. The top five reconstructive procedures in 2009 were:
Tumor removal (3.9 million)
Laceration repair (332,000)
Scar revision (171,000)
Hand surgery (110,000)
Maxillofacial surgery (90,000)
"Reconstructive plastic surgery is an important part of what we do," said Dr. McGuire. "We know that 70 percent of women eligible for breast reconstruction after cancer are not aware of their reconstructive options. We would like to see this change to the point that we can report this procedure is now among the top five reconstructive procedures."
ASPS procedural statistics are collected through the first online national database for plastic surgery procedures, Tracking Operations and Outcome for Plastic Surgeons (TOPS). This data, combined with the annual survey sent to American Board of Medical Specialties certified physicians most likely to perform these procedures, results in the most comprehensive census on plastic surgery.
To view the entire 2009 National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Statistics report, visit plasticsurgery.org. Visitors can also find information about procedures and referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons.