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When can I tan after surgery?

The real answer is you should really never get in a tan bed. The science is pretty solid behind the fact that tanning beds can increase your risk for skin cancer. So you are reading this and thinking “Ok, I am tired of hearing that, now answer my question!”.

If you are considering Plastic Surgery, here’s your answer.

From a post surgery standpoint the response is based on skin color changes. When we make a surgical incision we are wounding the skin. In response to this wounding, the cells that produce pigment, our melanocytes, are prone to over-produce pigment. This is what makes the skin on either side of some incisions turn dark. Well, sun exposure obviously is another cause for melanocytes to rev up their production. That is why we tan. So, you have cells that already are in an ‘excited’ state, ready to pump out pigment and then you expose them to a second strong stimulus to produce pigment, and voila, you end up with a hyperpigmented scar.

I recommend that you wait at least 6 weeks before exposing any fresh incision to a tan bed. If you are dark complected, a person who always gets a great tan without ever burning, I would wait a solid 3 months and the longer the better. But when in doubt, refer back to my opening statement.

Lee Corbett, MD

https://www.corbettcosmeticsurgery.com

502.721.0330

All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville, KY plastic surgeon Lee Corbett, MD.

I want Breast Implants, but I heard my nipples can be numb after!

Loss of nipple sensation is a risk of any breast surgery be it an augmentation, lift or reduction.

For breast augmentation, the stated risk for loss of nipple sensation can be as high as 10%. So yes, it is definitely a known, accepted complication and you need to consider this before you have surgery. Let me explain why.

First, permanent nipple sensory loss is NOT related to incision site. More often than not, implants are placed through an incision in the crease under the breast or one on the edge of the areola. You will have some transient numbness wherever I make the incision, but this will go away and is not what gives permanent numbness.

From the incision, we work straight down to the interface of the breast/muscle or under the muscle and make a space for the implant to live. The nerve that gives the central segment of your breast its’ feeling, including your nipple area, runs along your rib cage and comes into the side of your breast from under your arm. So, it is when we are developing the pocket to place your implant that the nerve is at risk. We take specific measures to protect the nerve but understand that most of the time we never see the nerve. It is within the breast tissue and can be stretched, pulled, cauterized, or cut as part of the process. Nerves are very sensitive and will short circuit with even the smallest amount of trauma. And, since we can’t see the nerve, it’s not really feasible to go back and repair the nerve.

Now, if you have surgery and in the first few weeks or months afterwards, your feeling is there but not normal, this will get better! If you are completely numb, we need to wait and see. Chances are it will improve. If you get to 1 year from surgery and you still have no feeling, you are probably one of the 10% statistic.

So think about his before you have surgery. For a lot of women nipple sensation is not a big issue, but if it is for you, it merits consideration before we decide to proceed with surgery.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

502.721.0330

All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville cosmetic breast surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett.

I want to lose weight before my surgery, how close should I get to my goal?

This is a good question that I discuss with prospective cosmetic surgery patients almost daily.

The answer depends on a few things and is highly dependent on your starting point. Let me explain.

First, if you are within 5 to 10 pounds of where you would like to ideally be, I think you are fine. There is no reason to delay your procedure. The reason is because when we lose weight we do it from fat stores all over our body. So it’s not as though you are going to lose all 5 pounds from your breasts or tummy or thighs or whatever we are working on. You will lose it from all over and so this amount of weight loss isn’t going to change the shape of one particular area that dramatically.

Now, if you think that you are going to loose 15 to 20 pounds you should probably wait. It is safe to have surgery at this point but 20 pounds of fat is a LOT of fat. Fat as a tissue is not very dense, so 20 pounds of fat is a lot of bulk. For instance, when I do tummy tucks and take off that hand full of skin and fat that lives from your belly button down to your pubic area, from hip to hip, that typically weighs 3 to 4 pounds, max! People are shocked to hear that, but it’s true. So, 20 pounds of fat coming off is like 5 of the lower tummy rolls being removed. That’s a lot, so folks in this category are better off dropping the weight. The weight loss probably won’t change the procedure we choose to do, it will change the specifics of what I do and you will look better after at a lower weight.

If you are 50-100 pounds overweight, we need to talk. Significant weight loss in this category is not common so you need to be honest with yourself as to whether you are really going to loose this weight or not. Weight loss of this magnatude requires a total change in how you eat, what you eat, and a regimented exercise routine. If that’s not realistic, we can proceed with surgery, if it is we need to wait.

If you are 100 pounds over weight Cosmetic Surgery is usually not an option. At this point, your risks for anesthetic and surgical complications start to really increase. In general, I think it is safer to delay until you are able to lower your body weight in order to maximize your safety and results.

Lee Corbett, MD

www. CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

502.721.0330

All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville, Kentucky body contouring surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett. Dr. Corbett specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery including facelifts, browlifts, blepharoplasy, Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, breast augmentation, breast lifts, breast reductions, body lifts, liposuction, and tummy tucks.

I just had a baby, how should I wait before I have by breasts ‘fixed’?

This is a good question and it applies to you whether you are contemplating an augmentation, lift, or reduction. The problem is that there is no hard and fast rules to answer this issue.

One obvious issue is if you are breast feeding. If you are breast feeding you cannot have surgery, period. So that is easy.

Now, once you stop feeding, or if you have decided to use formula, it gets a little trickier. Basically we need to wait until you think your breasts have plateaued. As you know, when the hormones of pregnancy kick in, your breast enlarge. After, when things settle down, most women find that their breasts are about the same size, but they have lost some of their upper fullness. Some women loose a fair amount of volume, especially if they breastfed, and some stay larger but this seems to be the minority of women. You need to wait until your breasts have stopped changing and that is the point where surgery becomes reasonable. For some women that time is as short as a month for smaller breasted women and as long as 6 months for others. In general though, if I had to give a number, I would recommend you wait about 3 months before you proceed.

Lee Corbett, MD
CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com
502.721.0330

All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville breast implant surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett.

I need to lose 30 pounds, will Liposuction work?

Unfortunately, no.

I see several new patients a year who are 50, 75 even 100 pounds over weight and were told Liposuction is their answer. This is just not true.

Don’t think of Liposuction as a way to loose weight. Liposuction is a sculpting tool. It is intended for those who are at or very close to their ideal body weight. The analogy I make when I meet with new patients is to compare Liposuction with a nail file. We use it much the same way you would use the file in that we are smoothing “rough” edges to give the area a better shape and to make the problem area blend better with the areas around it.

Let me give you more of an explanation though. A large volume liposuction would be the removal of 7 to 10 liters of fat. By the way, if you had this volume removed your surgeon would likley keep you over night in a hospital and monitor your fluid status. Now, understand that when we do liposuction, the first step in the process is to pump a saline/lidocaine/epinephrine solution into the area. Then we suction out a combination of fat and the solution. So if we take out 10 liters, a lot of this volume is the water we just put in. 10 liters weighs 20 pounds but remember that a lot of this weight is the water. So, you might actually lose say 7 0r 8 pounds of fat, max. Basically, we just can’t safely remove huge volumes of fat because of safety issues.

Another issue is skin laxity. If you are carrying an extra 50 pounds your skin has stretched to accomodate the weight. Liposuction results in some skin retraction, but it cannot tighten loose hanging skin. This problem has to be treated with direct excision, usually in the form of a tummy tuck or body lift.

So, while a Liposuction cannula is a great tool to help shape and smooth your curves, it is not a magic wand we can use to shrink you.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

502.721.0330

All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville liposuction surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett.

What are “Cosmeceuticals”?

“Cosmeceuticals” are prescription strength skin care products. A few of the more popular ones are Obagi, Glytone, and Skin Medica. These products are sold exclusively from a physician’s office, usually a Plastic Surgeon or a Dermatologist. In many ways these products are similar to what you are able to purchase at any upscale cosmetics counter. But, there are some very real and important differences.

First, most effective skin care lines contain some form of acid, be it glycolic, trichloractetic etc… The advantage of the products sold at your doctor’s office is that they are stronger. Basically, we can offer more concentrated products which will give you a more noticeable result. For instance, the max concentration of glycolic acid is 2.5% in an over the counter product. The Cosmeceutical lines start at 5% and go up to 12.5%.

Some components of prescription lines are simply not available over the counter. Hydroquinone and Retin-A are examples. Hydroquinone is a fade cream that is commonly used to fade sun spots and help blend and smooth your complexion. Retin-A is a vitamin A derivative that is used on the fine lines, especially around the eyes. It promotes a gentle exfoliation of the skin and a firming and tightening.

So, while they are more expensive, prescription grade skin care product lines are definitely more effective. Basically, like many things in life, you get what you pay for.

Lee Corbett, MD

https://www.corbettcosmeticsurgery.com/

502.721.0330

All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville skin care plastic surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett. Dr. Corbett specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery including facelifts, browlifts, blepharoplasy, Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, breast augmentation, breast lifts, breast reductions, body lifts, liposuction, and tummy tucks.

What is the new product to grow Eyelashes?

Latisse is the new product that improves the length and thickness of your lashes.

The active ingredient is actually a glaucoma drug. The lash benefits were noticed when those using the eye drops for their glaucoma started growing thicker, longer eyelashes.

Our hair, be it on your head, arm or eyelashes, are either in a grwoth phase, a dying phase, or a dormant phase. The Latisse works by lengthening the time the individual eyelash is in its growth phase and it increases the total number of lashes that are in the growth phase.

The product takes effect in about 12 weeks and must be used nightly. After the lashes have changed it is possible to cut back on the applications to 3 or 4 nights per week.

There are specific instructions for use and if you have any existing eye probems you will want to get clearance from your eye doctor before using this product.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville cosmetic plastic surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett. Dr. Corbett specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery including facelifts, browlifts, blepharoplasy, Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, breast augmentation, breast lifts, breast reductions, body lifts, liposuction, and tummy tucks.

I’ve had Weight Loss Surgery, will my insurance cover my Plastic Surgery procedures?

I see a lot of folks, both men and women, who have had gastric bypass or a lap band and experienced what we call ‘massive weight loss’. Typically this is a weight loss of over 100 pounds. Universally, if you are in this group of patients, you will have loose skin on your neck, upper arms, breasts, flanks, back, tummy and thighs and this picture probably looks pretty familiar . The loose skin can be a problem not only due to rashes and skin care issues, but because a lot of patients tell me they still feel heavy with all of the loose skin still there. Commonly performed treatments are skin reduction of the arms (brachioplasty), breasts (lifts and reductions), tummy tucks, and thigh lifts. In today’s times, these procedures are almost always considered “cosmetic”. This translates into no insurance coverage. Over the last 18 to 24 months, at least in my office, we have seen almost a 100% denial rate when we seek insurance pre-approval. If you are considering one of these procedures, my advice is to go into the process assuming you will have to cover the cost yourself. Now, that being said, the costs usually aren’t as high as most folks assume. I have people tell me all the time that they assumed the costs would be in the $20,000 to $30,000 range. The reality is that it is no where near that much. For instance, an arm procedure is about $5,000 total cost. A tummy, about $6,600 and financing options are available. Why no coverage? Well, loose skin removal is simply not considered “medically necessary” by third party payors. Period.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville weight loss surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett. Dr. Corbett specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery including body lifts, liposuction, and tummy tucks.

What are High Profile Breast Implants?

Both Allergan and Mentor, the two implant manufacturers in the U.S., offer high profile implants both in saline and silicone gel for Breast Augmentation in Lousiville, Kentucky.

When I see a woman considering implants, one of the most important issues I consider is the base width of her breast. In other words, how wide is the breast. A “normal” breast is 16 or 17 cm wide. That being said I see lots of women whose breast is more narrow than that, maybe 13-15 cm wide. Well, if we put a moderate profile implant in this woman, the implant may be wider than her natural breast which can leave her with too much breast out on the side. The only option is to downsize the implant volume but this may force you to choose an implant that is too small. So, a moderate profile implant may not work very well.

This is where high profile implants come into play. If you take two implants that are both 400cc’s, one high profile and one moderate and sit them side by side, you can see an obvious difference. The high profile implant will be more narrow but it projects more. The result is that it fits nicely behind a narrow breast but still gives a very nice, full appearance to the breasts because of the better projection.

The implants are all the same though in their construction, risks, benefits etc…so from a safety standpoint there is no difference between moderate and high profile for either the saline or gel implant lines.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

502.721.0330

All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville cosmetic breast surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett. Dr. Corbett specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery including breast augmentation, breast lifts, breast reductions.

How big of an Implant can I get?

This is a fairly common question I field when I meet with women considering a Louisville Breast Augmentation. The answer depends on a few issues. Skin quality, breast size, chest wall shape and size, and the breast base width are all important issues we need to consider.

The skin is my first consideration. No matter what the implant size, at the end of the day we are adding weight to the breast when the implants go in. So, if you have good thick skin without stretch marks that has withstood pregnancies, we can use more implant. On the other hand, if your breasts are covered with stretch marks and the breast droops we have to be a bit more careful to avoid the “rock in a sock” look.

Breast size and chest wall dimensions are next. The biggest issue here is to keep the implant from being too far under your arms. If you have a narrow chest or a smaller breast, you may want to consider a smaller implants. The reason why is that as the implant size increases so does the diameter of the implant. As the diameter gets larger there is more breast out laterally that your arm will bump into. A lot of women do not like this, especially those that exercise a lot.

Base diameter is also a key issue. You will want to choose an implant that fits within the starting dimensions of your breasts. If you choose an implant that is wider than your breasts you run the risk of having a “stacked ring” look where there is a stepoff because the implant base is wider than your breast width.

These are the issues I consider when we discuss size. Ultimately, you will decide on what you want to do, but I will defintely make recommendations based on the things I’ve described above.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

502.721.0330

All posts on this blog are authored by Southern Indiana cosmetic plastic surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett. Dr. Corbett specializes in breast augmentation, breast lifts, breast reductions.

When can I tan after surgery?

Monthly Archives: May 2009