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Posted on September 17, 2010 in Practice News, Press Release, Procedural Information
Ft. Lauderdale Plastic Surgery with Dr. Rothfield
A recent study conducted by the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) found that breast augmentation and breast reduction were in the top five procedures performed for women in 2009. However, what the study does not address is the number of procedures that were performed to correct breast asymmetry. Dr. Robert Rothfield, board-certified plastic surgeon in Ft. Lauderdale, recently discussed the process of addressing breast asymmetry to create a more balanced aesthetic for his patients.
Breast asymmetry is a common condition that naturally occurs in all women, though the difference between the breasts are often unnoticeable. However, some women experience a more pronounced dissimilarity, which can ultimately affect their self-confidence. Through a combination of procedures, including breast augmentation in Ft. Lauderdale, Dr. Rothfield says he can help his patients formulate realistic expectations and decide which procedures will provide the best plastic surgery results.
Posted on August 31, 2010 in Practice News, Procedural Information
Silicone gel breast implants are now mainstream and account for at least half of all breast augmentation surgeries. What is new, however, is a recently developed device that is used to insert silicone implants called the Keller Funnel. Until the development of this device, putting in a silicone implant was like trying to push a water balloon through a buttonhole… it could be done, but it was always a struggle putting in the prefilled silicone implant through a small incision. With the Keller Funnel, the implant can be placed through an even smaller incision with much less trauma to the surrounding tissue or to the implant. This gentler method of placing the implant also facilitates “the no touch technique,” which is believed to decrease the incidence of capsular contracture, the most common complication of breast augmentation surgery. I have been using the device for several months now and only wish I had come up with the idea myself!
Posted on July 19, 2010 in Procedural Information
The odds are that at some point, if you have breast implants, you will change them. Sometimes the change is simply to make the breasts larger by replacing the current implant with a larger implant. Or it may be to switch from an older saline implant to one of the newer MemoryGel silicone implants. Perhaps you have an implant that has leaked or developed a capsular contracture. Whatever the reason, the good news is that there is almost no discomfort and minimal recovery associated with replacing one implant for another. During pregnancy, the body slowly changes over nine months to accommodate a growing baby. With a breast augmentation, the body accommodates the new implant, in a space that previously didn’t exist, in less than an hour….and this is why the first breast surgery can be painful. When replacing an implant, the space is already there, and for this reason the recovery is so easy and there is little if any pain associated with the procedure.
Posted on March 25, 2010 in Procedural Information
What is the perfect size breast implant? This is one of the most common questions asked by women considering breast augmentation. The answer is… it depends. It depends on the cup size the patient thinks she wants, it depends on the particular anatomy and measurements of the patient, and it depends on the “look” she desires.
I measure all of my patients to record the specific dimensions of their breasts. This allows me to obtain quantifiable breast parameters to determine what sizes a patient can best accommodate. I then have each patient try on various sizer implants to give her an idea of what she will look like after breast augmentation and also to show me what she wants to look like. Then, by combining my aesthetic evaluation, the particular anatomy of the patient and the breast implant sizers, I am able to get close to that perfect size. The final step in this process occurs in the operating room. After the patient is asleep, I insert sterile sizer implants (based on the above) and then sit the patient up on the operating table. I then move to the foot of the bed and evaluate the shape and size of the breasts. Behind me is my assistant, the scrub nurse, the circulating nurse and the anesthesiologist. I then determine if the breast is exactly the size the patient has requested and will confirm that with my surgical team. Usually I will put in the same size implant that we had planned for, but occasionally it will be different… sometimes larger and sometimes smaller, whatever it takes to get the perfect size breast implant.
Posted on February 15, 2010 in FAQ's, Procedural Information
Nope. Unfortunately there are no creams or lotions that will get rid of, or even lessen, stretch marks. Nor are there any lasers that can do this either. If you have been told that this can be done and you want to try it, my advice is to get a money-back guarantee…you will need it! The only known effective method to eliminate the abdominal stretch marks that result from pregnancy is surgery. An abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) will completely remove all of the stretch marks from just above the belly button to just below the pubic region. If there are any stretch marks that are above the belly button prior to your abdominoplasty, after your surgery these remaining stretch marks will move down to the level of the pubic region and be hidden where the tummy tuck scar will be. The very best candidates for a tummy tuck are those women who have stretch marks below the belly button, because in this group of women, the stretch marks are completely eliminated. Not a miracle, just plastic surgery!
If you would like to learn more about the treatment of stretch marks please call us at 866-417-6996, or you can schedule a complimentary consultation online today.
Posted on December 7, 2009 in Procedural Information
Invisible scars unfortunately do not exist. Any break in the skin, whether from a fall against the pavement or from the surgeon’s scalpel will result in a permanent scar. The goal of plastic surgery is to make the scar as inconspicuous as possible. This is accomplished in two ways: (1) By making the scar as fine as possible and (2) by hiding the scar. Making the scar as fine as possible is accomplished by using meticulous technique, employing tension free closures, and using very fine suture. Yet, even a beautiful scar will always be visible to some extent. By hiding scars, we make them less visible.
The incisions we use in breast surgery illustrate the ways in which we can hide scars. By placing an incision in the axilla (armpit), the scar is hidden by virtue of the fact it is not on the breast. The down side, of course, is that the scar is readily visible when wearing something sleeveless. When the incision is placed in the breast crease, the scar is hidden by the natural ptosis (droopiness) of the breast. And when the incision is placed around the areola, it is placed at exactly the juncture of the areola skin and the breast skin. By placing the incision at the juncture of two different tissue textures, an optical illusion is created, making the scar less visible.
Posted on September 23, 2009 in Procedural Information
I am often asked by my patients if they should diet and lose weight before or after their cosmetic surgery. In general, you should be at your healthiest prior to any elective surgery. Regular exercise combined with a good diet and a stable weight is always the ideal. Of course, this is not always the case. If you are somebody whose weight fluctuates and you know you can take off the extra pounds when you want to, it is certainly best to do this prior to surgery. Think of your cosmetic surgery as a very expensive dress. You want it to fit perfectly. If you lose your weight first and then have your surgery, the results you will obtain will be optimized. Many of my patients find this as an excellent incentive to lose weight. A “carrot and stick” type of approach. On the other hand, there are some people that no matter how hard they try, they cannot lose weight, let alone get down to their “ideal” weight. In these cases, proceeding with their cosmetic surgery may be perfectly fine. Following their cosmetic surgery, these patients often not only feel better about themselves, but they are more comfortable going to the gym. And because they look and feel better, watching what they eat becomes easier. This combination of exercise and improved diet then leads to weight loss. Is this OK in light of the fact they had their cosmetic surgery first? Absolutely. These patients look and feel great. What is best for one person may not be best for another and vice versa. Only you, perhaps with a little advice from your plastic surgeon, can determine your best course of action.
Posted on September 8, 2009 in Procedural Information
SmartLipo has become one of the best known recent catchwords in plastic surgery. On the radio and on television, in magazines and on billboards it is advertised unabashedly. “It can even be done in the office under local anesthesia.” Sounds great. But what do you really know about it?
Here is what you should know:
SmartLipo was initially marketed to nonsurgeons… dermatologists, family practice doctors, etc… Why? Because since it was simply small volume liposuction using thin cannulas, it could be done under local anesthesia in an office. Those physicians who it was being marketed to were not allowed to do this type of procedure in a hospital operating room because they were not credentialed to do so (see my previous Blog). Adding a small laser to these cannulas, made this type of lipo “smart”. Especially smart for advertising. This laser is what supposedly distinguishes it from standard liposuction. And this is what some of the plastic surgery centers, the ones you hear on the radio 24/7, have embraced in their ads. Although it sounds good in an advertisement, there are no peer reviewed studies showing that SmartLipo has any advantages over traditional liposuction. And certainly, it is not nearly as powerful as ultrasonic liposuction.
Here is the question you should ask yourself. Who are the people doing SmartLipo? Are they the best of the best? The fact is, they are by and large, the non-surgeons, non-board certified plastic surgeons, and the centers that rely on advertising and not patient word of mouth. If SmartLipo were so good, most top notch board certified plastic surgeons would incorporate it into their practice. And they do not. Caveat Emptor.