Top 5 Questions to Ask Before Breast Augmentation

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Beth Collins MD

Quite a few surgeons offer breast augmentation in New Haven. To achieve great results, you need to work with a surgeon who understands your concerns and goals for the surgery. Before choosing a surgeon, it’s a good idea to meet with several of them during consultations, so you can get a feel for the practice and make sure you’re comfortable with the doctor.

As you meet with plastic surgeons in New Haven for consultations, use this list as a guide to understanding each doctor’s qualifications and experience in cosmetic surgery.

1. Have you undergone training for breast augmentation? Do you have the skills required for multiple techniques?

Skills overlap in many surgical procedures, so you might find surgeons with different background and training doing the same procedures. But only plastic surgeons receive training for breast augmentation as a primary part of their residency. This specialized training gives them skills in a wider range of current breast augmentation techniques.

2. Who administers anesthesia for the surgery?

Anesthesia is considered safe with a trained practitioner, but in the wrong hands it can pose a significant risk. Whoever administers your anesthesia should be trained, prepared for unexpected problems, and focused on your safety.

3. Who will support me through surgery and recovery?

Your surgeon should be accessible and responsible for you, and the staff should also support you through the entire experience. They should oversee much of the procedure and guide you through the recovery process. Doing this is vital to both the success of the surgery.

4. Do you have hospital privileges?

To obtain privileges at any New Haven or Guilford hospital, surgeons have to prove or demonstrate a record of training for that type of surgery. Surgeons operating outside a hospital may be in an outpatient surgical suite or surgery center, in which case you should check their accreditation status.

5. Is this facility accredited and safe?

Breast augmentation can be performed in a hospital or outpatient surgery center. To receive proper accreditation in a private outpatient center, the practice needs to meet a wide range of safety standards as set by organizations like AAAHC (Accreditations Association for Ambulatory Health Care).

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What’s the Best Age for Eyelid Surgery?

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Beth Collins MD

before and after double eyelid surgery in New Haven

Drooping upper eyelids are a concern for people young and old. The cause is genetic for some individuals, and for others it’s a sign of advancing years. Restoring a more youthful and open upper eyelid, through blepharoplasty, can be a very rewarding experience.

We don’t age according to a timeline, nor do we all age in the same way. So we look at your individual concerns to determine the best age for eyelid surgery. Whether you’re 31 or 55, consider blepharoplasty if the appearance or function of your eyelids is bothering you. If you’re a younger patient, you get to enjoy the results for many years to come.

How Upper Eyelid Surgery Works

Before surgery, we administer a general anesthetic or local anesthetic with sedation. Within the natural contours of your skin, the upper eyelid incision is performed, which extends from the interior corner to slightly beyond the outside corner. Excess fat and skin are removed through the incision, and the skin is closed with fine sutures.

Recovery times is about 7-10 days, but some swelling will usually persist for up to 3 weeks. During recovery, you will need to be cautious and avoid straining your eyes. Our staff can advise you on makeup application and concealer during your recovery.

Blepharoplasty Alternatives

When you visit us for a consultation, we discuss your concerns and determine if eyelid surgery is the best procedure for achieving your goals. You may be surprised when alternative surgeries or treatments are recommended.

The upper eyelids are directly below the brow. If the brow begins to sag, it can contribute to the appearance of droopy upper eyelids, or eyelids that have redundant skin. Brow lift surgery is commonly performed to address these conditions, and it may be combined with blepharoplasty in certain cases.

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Who’s Fueling the Increase in Arm Lift Surgery?

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Beth Collins MD

Notable People Like Michelle Obama May Inspire Women to Get Brachioplasty.

Whether you realize it or not, you are affected by images of famous and beautiful people in the media. “Women have probably been affected in terms of of their perception of beauty or the aesthetics of the arms as much by our first lady Michelle Obama as anybody else,” says Dr. David Reath in this new ASPS video.

Celebrities, athletes and Mrs. Obama probably do inspire us to shape up, which may be part of the reason that arm lift surgery has increased so dramatically over the last 10 years. According to recent ASPS stats, the procedure has jumped 4,000 percent!

For many people, the way to shaping up the arms is through exercise. Weight training, kettle bells, and fitness machines are common. For others, especially when loose skin is the problem after weight loss, arm lift surgery (also known as brachioplasty) is necessary for achieving a trim appearance.

“It’s not for somebody who’s just got a little bit a looseness or a little bit of excess fat” explains Dr. Reath. It’s also not ideal for patients who expect a different outcome than the surgeon can provide. A motivated patient, who has realistic expectations, can get satisfying results from arm lift surgery.

What is Brachioplasty?

Brachioplasty is an outpatient procedure performed under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with intravenous sedation. The goal is to remove loose skin and fat from the upper arm, to create a slender and toned appearance.

An incision on the inner part of the arm helps conceal scars. The doctor surgically removes excess fat and loose skin. The skin is then stretched into a tighter, firmer position and excess skin is trimmed away. All incisions will be secured with sutures. For many patients, liposuction can achieve satisfactory results in the upper arm. If you have have drooping or flabby arms, an arm lift is the best procedure.

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Face Lift or Mini Lift?

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Beth Collins MD

A mini face lift is often marketed as a less expensive, less invasive, option for facial rejuvenation. If you want to look younger, this is an appealing proposition; why not opt for the less extensive procedure?

Mini Facelift for Minimal Signs of Aging

Mini facelifts are best for treating minimal signs of aging. They can treat sagging skin and jowls when these conditions are mild, which is common in younger patients.

For older patients who can benefit from tightening of the jawline and neck area, the doctor needs to augment, tighten and restructure the deep tissues to achieve satisfying results. These techniques aren’t part of a typical mini lift, even though the same surgical incisions are used.

face lift before after

During consultations, we create an individualized plan using one or more of these techniques:

  • Mini Lift: the mini lift is a short scar facelift. The procedure tightens the skin, but does not address significant sagging in the jowls, cheeks, and neck.
  • Face Lift: the traditional face lift works at the SMAS layer of the tissue, which allows the surgeon to elevate the jowls at a deeper level and provide a lasting and satisfying result.
  • Fat Grafting and Liquid Face Lifts: As you age, volume loss in the soft tissues becomes a real problem. The cheeks and lower face will often benefit from soft tissue augmentation, which involves treatments such as autologous fat grafting or dermal filler injection.
  • Laser Treatment: A CO2 laser can tighten the skin and remove surface irregularities that have accumulated over the years. While it cannot provide the same results as a face lift, a laser treatment can rejuvenate the skin, and today’s laser treatments require minimal downtime.

Setting aside specific treatment options, you should always work with a plastic surgeon who is familiar with all techniques and the range of conditions that different patients present. Face lifts have changed from a standard technique to a custom-tailored approach that incorporates several of the latest techniques in facial rejuvenation. Contact our office to set up a personal consultation, in which you can discuss the options available here at our New Haven plastic surgery practice.

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