By Mary Malik

After 28 years as a dental hygienist, Debbie Scaletta knows how important it is to take good care of yourself, and how your outward appearance can affect your self-confidence. With her 93-year-old mother still living on her own, and her grandmother living to 110, Debbie expects to be around for a long time—and she enjoys looking younger than most people her age.

“I take good care of myself and pay attention to issues before they become serious,” says Debbie. “Three years ago, I had surgery on my leg for a melanoma. The surgeon performed a skin graft, which turned out to be quite disfiguring. I was embarrassed to show my leg and lost confidence in my appearance.”

Losing confidence was especially problematic for Debbie’s second career, acting in movies filmed around Northeast Ohio.

“Seven years ago, one of my daughters talked me into going downtown and trying out as an extra in The Avengers movie being filmed here,” says Debbie.

“I was skeptical but went and stood in line for hours. Debbie didn’t give it a second thought until she got the call that she had been chosen to be in the film. “It was an incredible experience and gave me the bug to give acting a try,” says Debbie.

She has been amazingly successful, appearing in nearly 40 major films. But subsequent auditions soon made her realize the acting business required a thick skin to handle the scrutinization and rejection that comes with it. Beauty, poise and talent are important, but personal confidence is absolutely essential to retain the necessary perseverance.

Talking to a friend about her scar, Debbie learned about Dr. Paul Vanek, a double board-certified general and plastic surgeon at Vanek Plastic Surgery in Mentor. As a biochemist and physiology expert, Dr. Vanek knows how the human body responds to surgical procedures. He can manipulate its structures to produce aesthetically pleasing results for his patients, even if he didn’t perform the original surgery.

“It’s such a relief when a cancer is removed, but it can be difficult to live with that constant reminder in the form of an unsightly scar,” says Dr. Vanek. “As a result of a skin graft, Debbie was left with a large defect in her leg that concerned her. Working in planned stages, I reduced the scar size and also improved the contour of her skin, making it barely noticeable.”

Debbie knew from her first appointment that she was in the hands of the right surgeon. Dr. Vanek is not only an expert in his field, he also conveys his expertise without overwhelming his patients. Debbie appreciated the time he took to explain each session thoroughly and was comfortable throughout each process. Dr. Vanek performed various procedures to minimize her scar, giving her the confidence to wear dresses and skirts again.

“Things like that can definitely shake your confidence,” says Debbie. “The scar on my leg was holding me back. My relationship with Dr. Vanek and his entire staff has helped me to step even further out of my comfort zone and go after things I may not have tried in the past.”

Dr. Vanek’s treatment for Debbie’s leg included an intralesional excision procedure, Sciton ProFractional lasering of the scar, and an autologous fat transfer to fill the depression in her leg.

“The excision was done in two stages and allowed me to reduce the defect by more than 50 percent,” says Dr. Vanek. “Then I used advanced Sciton laser technology to improve the color match of the area to the rest of Debbie’s skin. Finally, autologous fat transfer, where Debbie’s own fat was removed from her abdomen and filled any puckering or depressions in the skin left by the previous surgery, improved the contour of her leg.”

“The same combination of procedures I performed on Debbie’s leg can improve contouring for breast reconstruction surgeries, tummy tucks and many other areas of the body,” says Dr. Vanek. “They are virtually pain-free procedures with very little downtime, if any.” Vanek Plastic Surgery also offers many non-invasive procedures like chemical peels, OxyGeneo facials and Hydrafacials, microneedling with RF, dermaplaning and microdermabrasion, as well as fillers and injectables.

“We have all the latest technological offerings, but you’re never just a procedure in my practice,” says Dr. Vanek. “I enjoy taking the time to talk with you and discuss your realistic goals. We form long-term relationships to achieve your goals together, taking your confidence to a whole new level.”

Because of her trust in Dr. Vanek, Debbie plans to take advantage of some of the other services his practice offers. “I’ve always felt that if there’s something that bothers you about how you look, get it fixed,” she says. “There are so many things, even simple, non-invasive procedures, that can help you feel better about yourself.”

Debbie is no longer using bandages to hide her scar, and she’s wearing dresses again. Just in time for her latest role as Dottie in “Song Of The Tree Frog,” which starts production this fall, she’s feeling more confident than ever.

Dr. Paul Vanek is double board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery, and is a Fellow of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. His offices are at 9485 Mentor Avenue, Suite 100, in Mentor. He offers various payment options. For more information, call 440-205-5750 or visit MentorPlasticSurgery.com or ThisCanBU.com, where all photos are of actual patients like Debbie, and not retouched.

New procedure can ease pain from radiation

This consequence can affect the breast and other parts of the body

A new American Society of Plastic Surgeons report reveals that over 1.3 million cosmetic procedures were performed on men last year, a 29% increase since 2000.

The largest increase was 22%, for breast reduction (gynecomastia) procedure. With more than 200,000 surgical procedures performed on men in 2018, rhinoplasty was the most popular with over 52,000 procedures. Eyelid surgery ranked second, primarily eye lifts to eliminate droopy eyelids and achieve a more youthful, toned appearance.

Similar to a “Mommy Makeover” for women, one of the fastest growing set of procedures is known as the “Daddy-Do-Over.” This consists of surgical and non-surgical body contouring and facial procedures performed in a single surgery. More and more men are considering this to enhance their confidence. In today’s competitive professional environment, men feel they need to improve their physical appearance to
advance their careers and compete in the workplace.

Although men don’t go through the same physical changes as women with pregnancy and post-pregnancy, their bodies and lifestyles change. Diet and exercise patterns fluctuate, and they don’t sleep as much. Many aging men struggle to lose stubborn fat, and ultimately realize they need help, especially in their chest and abdomen areas.

More men than ever before are also getting fillers and injectables, with about 600,000 of these procedures performed on men in 2018. If men go to an experienced and qualified plastic surgeon, they can come to the office during their lunch hour for various treatments, including body sculpting, and then return to work without anyone noticing they had a treatment. Please contact my office and we’ll talk about what is right for you.

Yes! My practice is one of the first in the country to offer Jeaveau NEWTOX. It was just introduced this Spring, and is rapidly becoming very popular in the facial injectable market. This is the number one aesthetic procedure in the U.S., at about $1.2 billion annually. Jeaveau
NEWTOX is injected into muscles for temporary improvement in appearance, especially of moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows (glabellar lines). This is the first new neurotoxin introduced in almost a decade, and the only one designed exclusively for aesthetic purposes. Most people are not aware that many of these products now used aesthetically were originally intended to provide therapeutic benefits in other areas.

I always do extensive research on any new product before I offer it, and Jeuveau NEWTOX is backed by studies with more than 2,100 patients. This includes two Phase III U.S. trials, which are solely done to answer one critical question, “Is it better than what’s already available?” Since Botox is considered the category leader, it was the largest head-to-head trial to study how NEWTOX performs versus Botox, and Jeuveau was thrilled with the results. Since patient safety is always my highest consideration, I also noted excellent results with two long-term safety studies. It is approved by the FDA.

At its core, Jeuveau NEWTOX utilizes the 900 kDa molecule, which is the gold standard in this category. But it is uniquely manufactured in a state-of-the-art facility using proprietary Hi-Pure technology for greater longevity in performance.

Please call my office or visit www.evolus.com for more information about this very exciting and promising new product.

By Mary Malik

“Don’t ever feel guilty about taking care of yourself.”

These are important words of advice that all of us need to hear. Victoria Sharp, a patient of Dr. Paul Vanek, of Vanek Plastic Surgery in Mentor, says this because she believes it, and because she wants all women to understand that taking care of yourself, both physically and emotionally, makes you better not only for yourself, but also for everyone in your life.

“I met Victoria and her daughter, Lillian, separately. I performed Lillian’s breast augmentation in 2014 and Victoria came to me for her breast lift this past April,” says Dr. Vanek.

“Whether it’s the size of your breasts, or their shape and positioning that you want to enhance or correct, I welcome your call and visit so we can talk about your personal goals.”

This is where Dr. Vanek is much more than your surgeon. He is your trusted confidant and a knowledgeable, highly skilled and experienced expert, all in one. Double board-certified both in general and plastic surgery, a biochemist and researcher, Dr. Vanek understands how to manipulate the body’s structures to reveal his patients’ true beauty.

“I always wanted larger breasts,” says Lillian. “I was always very small and never felt comfortable in clothes, or out of clothes. Luckily, I found Dr. Vanek. I could not be happier with my entire experience. I fell in love with his entire staff from the first phone call.”

After an introductory appointment and consultation, where Lillian and Dr. Vanek discussed size and shape of implants and details of the procedure and recovery, Lillian’s surgery took place on a Friday and she was back to work the following Monday.

“I was amazed at how good I felt and how very little pain I had,” says Lillian. “But the best part is how I was immediately thrilled with my results. I loved myself.”

Dr. Vanek describes Lillian’s recovery and response as typical and something most women can expect after breast augmentation.

“Breast augmentation is for the woman who isn’t happy with the volume of her breasts,” says Dr. Vanek. “Lillian had never been satisfied with her size and became even less so after breastfeeding her son. This is very common. Women can also lose volume after weight loss and want a more voluptuous look. I placed cohesive silicone implants underneath Lillian’s muscle for a natural appearance. The incisions are very small, resulting in very manageable pain.”

And after seeing her daughter Lillian’s results, Victoria was so impressed with her new look that for once, she started thinking about herself.

“I think it’s hard for women to think about themselves without experiencing some guilt,” says Victoria. “After raising my daughters, I felt I wanted to look and feel a little more feminine. I didn’t want larger breasts, but I just wanted to feel comfortable not wearing a bra under some of my pretty dresses and tops. For me, a breast lift was the answer.”

Dr. Vanek says a lift is for the woman who is happy with the volume of her breasts but not with the shape and positioning. A lift restores your breast shape and position without adding volume.

“I place incisions around the nipple, reposition the breast and then replace the nipple for a completely natural result,” says Dr. Vanek. “Victoria’s procedure had minimal pain and she was also back to work in a couple of days. I recommend that patients consider taking even more time off, but Victoria and Lillian were ready to get back to their lives.”

Many women like Victoria and Lillian are uncomfortable or embarrassed talking about their breasts or other parts of their body they aren’t pleased with. Victoria was pleasantly surprised with that part of her experience. “‘Kind’ is the best word to describe the staff here,” she shares. “I never felt judged or rushed in any way. And for such a sensitive topic to discuss with strangers, I was immediately put at ease. I love everyone here.”

Dr. Vanek totally understands this natural concern, and how it can sometimes prevent people from calling a plastic surgeon. “We really build strong relationships with our patients. That’s why so many of them even have their photos on my two websites,” says Dr. Vanek.

“We all try to make our patients feel at ease through the whole process,” he continues. “I’ve spent hours just talking through the options, risks and benefits. I want you to be totally thrilled with your result. I am walking this walk with you. After I make my recommendations based on a complete dimensional analysis of your body type and expectations, together we come up with the perfect plan for you.”

And don’t think that once you’re out of surgery Dr. Vanek is out of your life.

“I tell my patients from our first meeting that this is the beginning of a long-term relationship,” says Dr. Vanek. “Between yearly checkups and whatever treatments and procedures you may want in the future, you’re in my life for the rest of my career.”

And for this mother and daughter duo, Victoria and Lillian, that’s just fine.

Dr. Paul Vanek is double board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery, and a Fellow of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. His offices are at 9485 Mentor Avenue, Suite 100, in Mentor. He offers various payment options. For more information, call 440-205-5750or visit MentorPlasticSurgery.com or ThisCanBU.com, where all photos are of actual patients, and not retouched.

Since I don’t know which surgery you want to have, I cannot give you a specific answer. This is a very important conversation that I have with my patients because your recovery period is critical to obtaining optimum results. We custom tailor your instructions based upon your surgery, medical history, social and work requirements. This helps you plan best and provides you appropriate rule sets. Since your doctor cannot go home with you, you are solely responsible to precisely follow your post-surgery instructions.

These instructions could include various aspects, such as resting, not exercising, lifting or driving, taking or applying medication, wearing various garments, scheduled returns to the office, and other things essential to your best recovery and optimal results. I don’t recommend bed rest after surgery, but you may have certain restrictions for a short time after any procedure. After most surgeries I perform, you may climb stairs the same day and shower in 24 hours.

You probably should consider arranging for some assistance with your little ones, at least for a few days. It might help to have someone stay with you, or have your children stay with them.
Please don’t bend the rules during recovery or you could end up with an emergency bleed or other complications that could seriously impact your final results. Be patient with yourself. Remember that healing takes time and your ultimate results may not be evident for weeks, even months after surgery. Reviewing videos of patients at various stages of recovery may be helpful for you to see on my Facebook, Instagram and YouTube pages, and my website.

Modern board-certified Plastic Surgeons utilize tumescent fluid, which contains epinephrine (adrenaline) and a local anesthetic instilled into the fat layer. It is placed into each treatment area at the beginning of the procedure in a calibrated fashion, in proportion to the amount of fat the surgeon proposes to treat and remove. Your body absorbs the fluid during and post-surgery. Its purpose is to reduce bleeding, use less anesthetic agent, and let you wake up comfortably.

Next, areas you don’t like are treated with a method that removes the fat. I prefer to treat the fat selectively with Vaser ultrasound technology This allows me to make a 4 mm incision and place an ultrasound probe under the skin that pops the fat cell like a water balloon. It does not damage the lymphatics, collagen, blood vessels, or nerves. It selectively removes the fat, which is the tissue we want to treat. The ultrasound energy also stimulates the skin to “shrink wrap” around the smaller you!

Aging skin, post weight-loss changes, and sun damage rob the skin of its ability to have elastic recoil. I like to use Renuvion (J Plasma) to enhance the “shrink wrap” effect of skin tightening after liposuction during Vaser treatment. Helium plasma is created by radiofrequency (RF) stimulation of the helium gas atom. It creates a plasma beam that has been shown to make skin shrink substantially. Combining state of the art technologies allows for results that you will see the first day. You will have less swelling, tighter skin, and marvelous satisfaction with your new body!

I saved this question to answer on Memorial Day when we remember our loved ones lost in wars. Sir Harold Delf Gillies was an otolaryngologist and is widely considered the father of modern plastic surgery.

This 47-year old patient had breast reconstruction with Dr. Vanek’s single-stage mastectomy with prepectoral implant placement using Alloderm reinforcement after cancer was discovered on her right side.