Because board certified plastic surgeons typically have hospital privileges, they may simply utilize block scheduling to decide that if you want your surgery on such a such day, it is my hospital day versus my outpatient surgery center day.

Some surgeons do not have the plastic surgery residency training and privileges to perform cosmetic surgery in a hospital setting, because the peer credentialing process verifies that they indeed are not eligible to do plastic surgery. Those are the less trained surgeons that poo poo going to the hospital.

The standards and practices of multi-disciplinary outpatient surgery centers and hospitals are very comparable. The regulatory standards have different credentialing bodies, but in my practice I utilize board certified anesthesiologists in both sites. The infection rates and complication rates are monitored and state reportable in both.

Because I belong to a multidisciplinary outpatient surgical center as well as have hospital privileges, I usually decide on who needs the hospital resource based upon your medical history and social situation. Some patients want to be taken care of in the hospital overnight, as it unburdens their family members from having the responsibility for immediate after care. It delegates to me and my RN staff the task of stewarding you from start to finish. Though there is still healing to occur, the first 1-2 days after facial rejuvenation surgery can be emotionally trying.

That being said, patients that have more complex surgery can be perfectly happy with going home. Prior to having outpatient surgery from either a hospital setting or from the outpatient surgery center, my staff and I make sure that you and your support person is educated in a full pre-surgical consultation. This includes written materials and a review of what to expect for your particular surgery in the subsequent days and weeks after the procedure.

Finding the right procedure, setting, meeting expectations, surgeon skill and temperament, staff support, Operating room setting, location, and price are all in the mix. These factors and many others are reviewed carefully to help you decide the course of action that first and foremost serves your interests.

Yes! Botulinum toxin, best known by the brand name of Botox®, was approved by the FDA for treatment of chronic migraines back in 2010. According to a recent report in the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), there is a growing body of international evidence that supports the effectiveness of botulinum toxin to reduce the frequency of chronic migraine headaches.

Professor Benoit Chaput, MD, PhD, of University Hospital Rangueil in Toulouse, France, and his colleagues identified and analyzed data from 17 previous trials that compared Botulinum toxin with placebo for preventive treatment of migraine headaches. These studies included over 3,600 patients suffering from migraine headaches, with over 40% of these patients considered “chronic” sufferers of at least 15 headache
attacks per month for 3 months or more, and enduring migraine symptoms eight or more days per month.

Three months after receiving an injection, these patients had an average of 1.6 fewer migraine attacks per month, compared to those treated with inactive placebo. The pooled data also showed significant improvement in the patient’s quality of life, which was directly linked to a reduction in depressive symptoms. “It can be explained by the reduced impact of headaches and migraine-related disability, thus reducing symptoms
of depression and anxiety,” Professor Chaput and coauthors wrote. “Botulinum toxin is a safe and well-tolerated treatment that should be proposed to patients with migraines”

I currently treat patients who have a history of migraine headaches, and this can be an
extra benefit if you also want the aesthetic benefits that Botox® provides.

What is RF Microneedling?

Microneedling is a minimally invasive procedure that can stimulate the epidermis to remodel collagen and elastin. The innovation that has revolutionized this treatment has been the addition of radio frequency (RF) energy delivered through the skin. Hence, this is called RF Microneedling.

My team and I spent a lot of time and participated in clinical trials before recently determining that Vivace RF Microneedling is best for my patients.  It is the newest generation in radio frequency microneedling technology that offers the highest level of skincare benefits with no downtime.

The Vivace Fractional Microneedling device combines microneedling benefits with the skin tightening effects of radiofrequency (RF) and LED light therapy, to improve skin tone, texture and firmness. In addition to being the most comprehensive RF microneedling device on the market, the Vivace treats all skin types more precisely and deeply. No matter your race or ethnicity, you will have no negative effects on your skin from RF Microneedling. The LED energy acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and can also improve acne outbreaks. The 36-gold tipped needles are robotically controlled, minimizing discomfort, eliminating downtime and creating an ideal skin canvas to administer post-treatment technology serums that you are provided.

While The Vivace is often immediately effective for reducing wrinkles, eliminating acne scars and stretchmarks, and skin tightening, there is additional improvement over a three-month period as the process of collagen regeneration increases over time. I recommend that my patients undergo three treatments for optimal results. As an introductory offer, anyone purchasing a package of three face and neck Vivace treatments will have any scar treated at no cost.

Many people want to look their absolute best during the holidays. In fact, the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery says the demand for cosmetic enhancement procedures and surgeries jumps about 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

They also acknowledge that gifting yourself or loved ones with plastic surgery and aesthetic treatments is becoming a huge trend, from gift certificates for facial rejuvenation treatments to more significant surgical procedures or makeovers.

The short answer to your question is “yes,” but there are many considerations. First, I urge you to understand all of your options and not feel rushed to make a decision. Don’t allow yourself to be influenced by seeing a picture of yourself from holidays passed, or a celebrity who recently had plastic surgery. If you want to get more information, you should contact a plastic surgeon’s office and tell them you want the earliest consultation and surgical scheduling.

Successful practices like mine are especially busy during the holidays, so openings are more limited. Lastly, you should consider your own levels of activity and visibility during this busy season. While a vacation might allow personal healing time, other people may just be too busy to allow post-surgical healing to go unnoticed. In such cases, you may consider non-surgical treatments, such as injectables, skin resurfacing with lasers and peels, and lip, chin and cheek enhancement with fillers and fat transfer before the holidays. These will allow you to look better through the season, and then you can take your time to make final decisions.

To view all of our procedures, please click here

Thanksgiving Day just passed but hopefully we wake every morning with gratefulness in our
minds and hearts. Beyond concerns for my patients’ physical health and appearance, I also
care about their inner peace and purest beauty that comes from within. I would like to
dedicate my column today to a few favorite quotes that remind me of the true meaning of
being thankful.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not
to utter words, but to live by them. – John F. Kennedy

When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed. – Maya Angelou

Thanksgiving is a joyous invitation to shower the world with love and gratitude. –  Amy
Leigh Mercree

Not what we say about our blessing, but how we use them, is the true measure of our
Thanksgiving. – W.T. Purkiser

Thanks are the highest form of thought, and gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.
– G.K. Chesterton

Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse
to express that feeling. – Henry Van Dyke

We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count.
– Neal A. Maxwell

Best of all is it to preserve everything in a pure, still heart, and let there be for every
pulse a thanksgiving, and for every breath a song. – Konrad Von Gesner

The more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for.
– Norman Vincent Peale

For many reasons, general anesthesia allows the best management of patients by the medical team. The general anesthetic protects a patient’s airway during surgery so they have an adequate gas exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide from their blood through the anesthesia machine. It also abolishes patient movement and avoids distraction of the surgeon. When compared to patients who are awake, aware or under conscious-sedation drugs, the level of motion, especially around the eye area, is still a consideration for those having eye and face procedures.

Many patients also prefer it, because they like that they can emerge from a procedure with only the recollection of getting a little medicine in their vein. Most patients awaken from surgery very comfortable and feeling like only a few minutes have gone by. I choose to take the highest level of professional management by delegating anesthesia
considerations only to board-certified anesthesiologists who utilize very short-acting medications both through the vein and inhaled through the lungs. They monitor the surgery from start to finish to maintain beautiful level of sedation and anesthesia so that I can perform surgery with the best physiology parameters.

In the case of procedures that can be performed safely under local anesthesia in the office, I provide local anesthetic in order to “block” the area that is being worked upon that adds to your sense of well-being and comfort after the anesthesia wears off. Expert and effective anesthesia care will increase the patient’s safety and improve peri-operative outcomes in patient satisfaction.

Which is better, cool or hot body sculpting?

You probably know you’ve asked about one of the fastest growing non-invasive (non-surgical)
treatments for body-contouring troublesome areas. Most people have seen the ads and billboards for
cold sculpting procedures that supposedly work by freezing fat. These treatments are often given
without a doctor’s care, including at spas and salons.

Many patients have asked me why I don’t provide these freezing treatments, and it’s because I did not
see consistently positive results. In fact, I have treated patients who came to me disappointed with
their results after freezing treatments. Some even said they gained weight and inches.

After extensively researching available products, I offer a non-surgical solution providing excellent
results in short sessions, and without downtime or recovery. The product is called “truSculpt 3D,” and
it utilizes heat to target fat in body areas that are resistant to diet and exercise. In a heat application,
there is a sensation of warmth, but without pain. There is no pulling and pinching that is typical with
freezing procedures.

truSculpt 3D has been clinically proven to decrease circumference and diminish fat, which I believe is
the ultimate comparison factor. My research shows that it also gives more prominent and dramatic
results for a larger variety of body types. Recently cleared by the FDA, it is manufactured by Cutera, a
respected 20-year worldwide medical company. We were one of Northeast Ohio’s first facilities
offering truSculpt 3D.

I strongly recommend that body-contouring is only performed by and after consulting with an
experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon. Please call my office so we can discuss this further.

Learn more about truSculpt 3D by clicking here.