How to Get Ready for Your Breast Explant Consultation
The first step for any woman who is contemplating removing her breast implants is to meet with a surgeon to discuss breast explant surgery. Whether you are concerned about a faulty implant leaking in the body, or just no longer care for the way the implants look in your body, a breast explant surgeon can walk you through the process so you can make an informed decision on whether the procedure is right or necessary for you. The experienced doctors at Aqua Plastic Surgery advise you to take the following steps ahead of a breast explant consultation:
1. Compile a List of Health Problems You Are Experiencing
If potential health problems are your main motivation for removing your breast implants, come prepared with a list of the symptoms you are experiencing, such as rashes, migraines, numbness, hair loss and chronic fatigue. Although you do not need to be certain that your implants are the cause of these symptoms, having a complete picture of your health will allow your doctor to make a more accurate diagnosis of the issues at hand. Once you know whether these symptoms are the consequence of breast implant illness (BII), you can make a surgical decision accordingly.
2. Read Up on Procedures Like Breast Lift or Fat Grafting
Simply removing breast implants will not always leave behind attractive results. After examining your body, your surgeon may recommend pairing breast explant surgery with another procedure to improve the appearance of the breasts. Potential options include breast lift, which involves elevating sagging breasts and nipples to a higher, more youthful position, and fat grafting, which takes unwanted fat from another part of the body and inserts it into the chest for an implant-free augmentation.
Ultimately, the decision to seek additional cosmetic surgery is entirely your own; it is completely valid to remove breast implants and take no further action. With that said, you may find it worthwhile to learn about these other procedures so that you can ask your surgeon about their suitability for your specific circumstances.
3. Research the Surgeon You Will Be Meeting With
While patients usually take the time to find a great surgeon to put their implants in, they do not always give the same amount of consideration in choosing a surgeon to take these implants out. That can be a mistake. Usually, the challenging part is not the physical act of removing the implants, but ensuring that the breasts look nice once the implants are removed. A skilled surgeon should be able to keep scarring to a minimum and ensure that your smaller breasts have attractive contours rather than looking deflated. Finding a surgeon who specializes in breast explant is your best bet for achieving great results.
Fortunately, Dr. David Rankin and Dr. Allyson Deziel are known for their superior breast explant technique. You can count on them to safely remove your implants and achieve a healthy, appealing outcome. To schedule a consultation with one of our plastic surgeons, please contact our office today.
Changes You Can Achieve with Rhinoplasty
While most plastic surgeries can be customized to suit the needs of a patient, perhaps no procedure is more personalized than rhinoplasty. Dr. Allyson Deziel of Aqua Plastic Surgery understands that every patient has different needs, and she strives to meet each patient’s aesthetic goals. Here, Dr. Deziel discusses some of the more common changes patients can achieve with nose job surgery.
Straightening the Nose
Crooked noses can be the result of injury or genetics. With research telling us that people perceive symmetrical faces to be the most attractive, it makes sense that people want to improve the alignment of their nose so that the left half mirrors the right.
Changing the Width of the Bridge
Some people complain that the bridge of their nose is too wide or too narrow. The most common approach for widening the bridge is cartilage grafts, which may improve your ability to breathe through your nose. Dr. Deziel can narrow the bridge by delicately reshaping the bones for a slighter appearance.
Removing a Bump
A protrusion on the nose, also known as a nasal or dorsal hump, is usually caused by excess cartilage or bone on the bridge of the nose. Although this trait is most often inherited, many people prefer a flatter appearance to their nose and have this hump removed surgically.
Changing the Projection of the Nasal Tip
On average, a man’s nasal tip points outward, creating a 90 degree angle with the skin above the lip, while a woman’s nose is likely to protrude slightly upward. As that is not the case for everyone, some patients, especially those whose noses point downward or are not in alignment with the angle of projection commonly associated with their sex, will request to change the projection of the tip to give the face a more masculine or feminine appearance.
Adjusting the Size of the Nostrils
Even the nostrils can be tweaked with some careful surgery. If your nostrils seem too big, Dr. Deziel can lift the edge of the nostril for more coverage or graft cartilage to fill in some of the space. To widen the nostrils, she can remove a small amount of nasal tissue.
No matter which issues you are looking for rhinoplasty to correct, Dr. Deziel at Aqua Plastic Surgery is here to help. To schedule a consultation with her, call our Jupiter office at (561) 776-2830.
Brazilian Butt Lift
Interested in a fuller, more voluptuous figure? Or maybe a boosted backside? How about just a smoother, softer bottom free of cellulite-driven dimples? Brazilian butt lift — also known as the BBL — is a popular option to achieve any of these results.
An alternative to the more invasive rear end surgery, silicone implants (which run similar surgical risks in addition to the possibility of allergic reactions to the silicone and displacement), the BBL involves the doctor shifting fat from one location on your body to your buttocks.
The Procedure
The surgeons of Aqua Plastic Surgery harvest fat from a donor area, possibly your belly or thighs, using liposuction. Once the extracted cells are purified, they are strategically injected to help you achieve the exact desired look. Our doctors focus on filling the upper quadrants to give your backside a perky lift. Both incision sites are stitched closed and compression is applied. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons suggests wearing the garment for eight weeks to help the harvest and incision sites heal.
Brazilian Butt Lift Recovery
Like other surgeries, Brazilian butt lift comes with soreness, swelling and lasting tenderness at the site of the incisions. Pain medications will help you manage these effects. Ensure continual use of your compression garments, and make sure to move around to prevent blood clots and constipation.
The hardest part of your BBL recovery will be abiding by the no sitting requirement. For a week to 10 days, you will not be able to apply any pressure to your buttocks at all. Besides avoiding a chair, you will need to sleep on your side. Applying any pressure to your rear will restrict blood flow, harming the new fat cells and therefore negatively affecting the potential of lasting results. And even after eight weeks, when you do sit, do so on a cushion, sit backwards in a chair or slide your butt almost off the chair so you’re supported mainly by your thighs. Also, avoid remaining seated for long stretches of time.
Consult for Your Brazilian Butt Lift in Our Jupiter Office
We invite anyone interested in Brazilian butt lift at Aqua Plastic Surgery to visit our Jupiter practice for a consultation. During this time, your doctor (Dr. Rankin or Dr. Deziel) will talk with you about the results you are looking to achieve and provide a physical examination to determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure. Please use our contact form or call us at (561) 776-2830.
Common Questions about Tummy Tuck
Abdominoplasty, often referred to as “tummy tuck,” is a common surgical procedure that smooths and slims patients’ midsections. Essentially, this plastic surgery results in a stronger, less-wrinkled belly, free of the marks excess weight or pregnancy may have left behind. Here the doctors of Aqua Plastic Surgery answer your questions about this popular procedure.
Who is a good candidate for tummy tuck?
Good tummy tuck candidates include women who have finished having children and men and women who have experienced significant weight loss and now have extra skin that hangs below their pubic area. In addition to being unwanted, this extra weight also may make it difficult to find properly-fitted clothes — and may cause hygiene problems because of the constant skin-on-skin connection.
Who should not consider a tummy tuck?
While tummy tuck is a straightforward procedure ideal for candidates for whom ab work is not making a difference and are within 20 percent of their perfect body weight, it is a serious operation for those with a high body mass index (BMI) or chronic health condition (e.g., heart disease), who smoke or have had a previous abdominal surgery.
What are the steps of the actual surgery?
The surgery takes about two hours to perform. Your doctor will begin with a horizontal incision (length will depend on the extremity of the correction) that will likely be able to be hidden by an underwear hem, and then a second incision around the navel to the target area. The doctor will go through the incisions to draw the abdominal muscles together to tighten and stitch them into place.
What are the benefits and drawbacks to having a tummy tuck?
Benefits of a tummy tuck are wide ranging, offering patients medical, physical and mental perks. They include:
Medical:
- Correcting a ventral hernia
- Reduces urinary incontinence
- Minimizes the risk of certain health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and sleep apnea
Physical:
- Improves posture and therefore reduces back pain
- Stronger abdomen
- Better fitting clothes
Mental:
- Boost in self-confidence
So long as you maintain your weight, a scar near the underwear line is the only memory you’ll have of the excess skin.
What is the recovery like from a tummy tuck?
Post-surgery, you will experience swelling and a bit of discomfort, for which you will receive medication. To support your newly strengthened belly and prevent fluid buildup, the doctor will give you a binder to wear for a few weeks. Further, you will need to be patient with your recovery as your movements need to be measured and overall lifestyle healthy. While some patients are able to resume work and most normal activities within two weeks, other patients take longer, so the actual duration of recovery time is personal to each patient.
Meet With Aqua Plastic Surgery
Our surgeons are excited to consult with you and answer any questions you may have regarding a potential tummy tuck. Please contact us to learn more, including next steps.
Choosing Breast Reduction
The aches and pains you’ve come to live with as a result of your larger breasts do not need to be lifelong conditions. The Jupiter plastic surgeons of Aqua Plastic Surgery perform breast reduction surgery, also known as mammoplasty, to offer patients lasting relief and renewed self-confidence.
Breast reduction surgery candidates have different reasons for requesting this surgery, including, but not limited to:
- Neck and back pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Skin conditions underneath the breasts (e.g., rashes)
- Lack of self-confidence
- Limited activity
- Difficulty finding properly-fitted clothes and bras
- Uncomfortable dents in the shoulders from bra straps
Other than experiencing any of the above issues as a result of large breasts, qualified breast reduction surgery candidates are in good health and do not smoke.
Procedures and Options
Mammoplasty procedures are wide ranging and can include operations that require overnight stays and multiple incision sites on the breasts. Aqua Plastic Surgery’s doctors, however, use an outpatient and single-incision procedure in which a single cut is made around the nipple and down toward the breast crease. The doctor will then go in through the incision to remove excess breast tissue and skin and shape the breast mound into a size more appropriate for your figure.
Recovery
Breast reduction surgery patients will likely experience pain and swelling the first few days post-operation, for which the Aqua Plastic Surgery doctors will prescribe medication. Our doctors suggest filling your Rx before surgery, so that your medicine is readily available to you when you return home from surgery. But, while the breast swelling, bruising and tenderness may last a few days, issues typically dissipate after one or two weeks.
Your doctor may also suggest that you wear a surgical bra immediately following your procedure and a wireless bra for a few months after that. And finally, while you may experience immediate relief in the neck, back and shoulder pain that your larger breasts created, your new and permanent breast size may take two to three months to settle. Maintaining a healthy weight and not having any more children will make the results of your surgery permanent.
Potential Risks
As noted, healthy, non-smokers are the best candidates for this surgery, as complications are rare. However, potential issues include clots, infection, possible asymmetry and scarring.
Schedule a Consultation with Aqua Plastic Surgery
Aqua Plastic Surgery is lucky to have two specialists on staff to consult with you about this life-changing procedure: Dr. David Rankin and Dr. Allyson Deziel. Schedule your consultation by contacting our office now.
Comparing Botox and Brow Lift
When brows sag with age, your expression may at times seem sad, anxious and even angry. Lines and wrinkles begin to form on the forehead and around the eyes. Brow lift is an effective surgical solution that restores an alert, engaged appearance to the upper face by smoothing out frown lines, creases and wrinkles.
While brow lift permanently tightens and lifts skin, many patients seek the same effect with Botox, a popular injectable with a long record of success. Below, South Florida plastic surgeons Dr. David Rankin and Dr. Allyson Deziel help you weigh the revitalizing options.
Neuromodulators
Botox is a controlled toxin that is injected into facial tissue to relax muscles that are forming or sustaining wrinkles. It is quick, convenient and avoids the potential complications of a surgical procedure; although it must be repeated on a regular basis to keep facial muscles relaxed and prevent lines and furrows from returning.
Botox targets the muscles that are pulling down on the brow area. Botox immediately relaxes these muscles, relieving the tension that created forehead wrinkles. This smooth, buoyant look will last for three to six months. Botox is the oldest and best-known injectable in a class known as neuromodulators, which includes newer varieties such as Dysport and Xeomin.
Surgical Options
A brow lift permanently raises the brow and smooths wrinkles by surgically tightening and lifting forehead tissues. The surgery is performed with either the conventional incision method or using an endoscope, which requires smaller incisions; this leads to less scarring and bruising, and is associated with faster recovery. Brow lift is often done in conjunction with hair transplants, facial fat transfers, eyelid surgery, or facelift.
Some patients who seek a more modest restoration choose a third option: eye lift, or blepharoplasty. An eye lift is a surgical procedure that improves the appearance of sagging eyelids by removing excess skin, fat and sometimes muscle between the eyebrow and eyelash, but does not change the position of the eyebrow. By tightening and eliminating loose skin, blepharoplasty restores the youthful look that may have been eclipsed by time, gravity or the daily stresses of life.
To find out more about Botox and brow lift, please contact Aqua Plastic Surgery by calling our Jupiter office at (561) 776-2830.
What Is Breast Ptosis?
Plastic surgeons assess the degree of ptosis, or sagging, when planning your breast lift, the proven solution for reclaiming a perky, youthful breast profile. Here, skilled South Florida plastic surgeons Dr. David Rankin and Dr. Allyson Deziel discuss ptosis, the causes of sagging, and the popular breast lift procedure.
Shape, Elevation, Degree
To determine the degree of breast droopiness, plastic surgeons look at the position of the nipple relative to the fold or crease at the base of the breast. With Grade 1 ptosis, the nipple and crease are at the same level. In Grade 2 cases, the nipple has dropped below the crease, but it is still higher than the breast gland area that projects over the fold. In Grade 3 ptosis, the nipple is the lowest part of the breast.
Breast lift is effective at reversing each type of sagging. By elevating the breasts on the chest, the procedure recreates the upper body profile you remember from your younger years, or before pregnancy. Breast lift can also help restore symmetry, when ligaments have relaxed to a greater extent in one breast compared to the other. In addition, the procedure can return low or downward-pointing nipples to a natural position and appearance.
Causes of Sagging
Sagging can occur as a result of pregnancy, changes in weight or simply the passage of time. Breastfeeding does not contribute to sagging of breasts, but it can seem that way when drooping appears once breastfeeding has stopped. In reality, it is the entire process of pregnancy that puts strain on the breasts. During this time, breasts naturally swell to a larger size. When this happens, the skin stretches. Once your infant is no longer breastfeeding, the milk-producing gland shrinks and the breasts return to their usual size. But because the skin may not be flexible enough to shrink back to a correspondingly smaller size, sagging can result.
After breast lift, you can expect long-term improvement in the appearance of your breasts. Dramatic changes in weight or a new pregnancy may result in a recurrence of sagging, however. The smaller the breast, the more likely it is that you will retain the shape, elevation and projection you achieved with breast lift. If in the future you find that your breasts have begun to sag, there is no risk to repeating the procedure.
To find out more about breast lift, please contact Aqua Plastic Surgery by calling our Jupiter office at (561) 776-2830 or use our easy contact form.
Facts About Breast Explant Surgery
A breast explant procedure involves removal of breast implants while maintaining a natural body profile. It is major surgery, and typically more complex than the original placement. That is because scar tissue forms after most surgical procedures.
Experienced plastic surgeon Dr. David Rankin has performed hundreds of breast explant surgeries for patients throughout South Florida. We are ready to help you achieve your aesthetic or medically necessary goals with precise implant removal.
Restoring a Natural Profile
When implants are removed, the pocket that held the implant must be refilled with natural tissue to restore an attractive profile. The technique used is similar to breast lift. When large implants are removed, the skin may have a stretched look; in addition, the breasts may appear to sag or have a deflated appearance.
Dr. Rankin is skilled in reshaping and lifting your breast tissue to ensure your look is as natural as before your initial surgery.
Preference and Necessity
There are many reasons women choose breast explant surgery. Sometimes it is a matter of preference: a patient simply does not like the look or feel of implants, or the goals she was hoping to achieve were not met. Occasionally patients have health conditions, such as autoimmune diseases, that may be aggravated by the presence of implants. Implants may have drifted or begun to affect the texture of the skin.
In some cases a condition such as capsular contracture develops. This happens when scar tissue forms around an implant. Patients feel pain and notice a hardening of breast tissue. Scarring from capsular contracture can actually cause an implant to rupture.
Recovery
If your explant surgery involved the removal of scar tissue, you may feel some discomfort, which will be managed with prescribed medication. Beyond that, your recovery will be very similar to that of your initial surgery. You will again experience soreness and swelling, and will need to limit activities for several days. It will actually take several months for the swelling to disappear.
To find out more about breast explant surgery, please contact Aqua Plastic Surgery by calling our Jupiter office at (561) 776-2830.
What Is the Difference Between Facelift and Mini Facelift?
Mini facelift is the middle ground between traditional facelift and dermal fillers, a quicker procedure that reverses moderate signs of aging along the jawline and adjacent facial areas. Patients experience the best satisfaction and success when skin and muscle laxity is not far advanced, and when their expectation is for subtle improvements in the lower face.
Here, skilled South Florida plastic surgeons Dr. David Rankin and Dr. Allyson Deziel of Aqua Plastic Surgery compare the two popular procedures, and suggest key variables to consider when choosing which facelift variation is right for you.
Full Facelift vs. Mini Facelift
Mini facelift is often an ideal choice for clients who want to refresh their facial appearance without significant downtime. Although mini facelift is surgery, it is usually done with local anesthetic supplemented by a mild sedative. The procedures takes about two hours and involves less extensive incisions. Recovery time is one to two weeks. Traditional facelift requires double the surgical time, is performed with general anesthesia, involves a longer recovery period and on average costs more.
Not surprisingly, a traditional facelift is more comprehensive in its approach — improving the brows, forehead, cheeks, jowls, chin and upper portions of the neck. Because a full facelift involves more extensive tightening of the skin and underlying muscles, patients can expect to look 10 to 15 years younger after the procedure, while mini facelift typically turns back the clock five to 10 years.
Comparing the Procedures
With a mini facelift, your surgeon makes a small incision along the contour of the ear and tightens the jawline by pulling tissue upward through the cheeks. A traditional facelift trims years from a patient’s appearance by tightening facial skin and muscles, while sometimes also removing skin and fat. Full facelift targets displaced fat and sagging tissue on the cheeks, creases beneath the lower eyelids, excess skin and fat along the jawline, and furrows between the nose and corners of the mouth.
Patients in their 40s and 50s often consider mini facelift as a way to address early signs of aging that have become progressively more noticeable. They seek moderate improvement in the lower face and upper neck, and are not concerned about forehead wrinkles, lines and sagging around the eyes, or tightening in areas above the jawline. These patients appreciate the shorter downtime and reduced complexity of the procedure. Many have benefited from dermal fillers, but now need a modest surgical intervention to complete their rejuvenated look.
To learn more about mini facelift or traditional facelift, reach Aqua Plastic Surgery by calling our Jupiter office at (561) 776-2830 or using our contact form.
Ways To Reduce Surgical Scarring
Our surgeons are skilled in choosing the particular surgical technique that will minimize scarring for your cosmetic procedure. Key to that is carefully planning how many incisions will need to be made, and where they will be located. The process requires artistry, experience and precision.
Home Care
Dr. David Rankin and Dr. Allyson Deziel will work closely with you to understand your preferences for placement and number of incisions. Once the surgery is over, there are things you yourself can do to speed the healing and ensure that any scars will be minimal in appearance. Your doctor will prescribe a topical medication that you will apply at home that will promote successful healing by keeping the area free of bacteria. The less energy your body devotes to defending against microbes, the more it can focus on healing.
Avoiding physical activity during recovery is another way you can help your body heal without stress or distraction. Vigorous exercise, reaching, lifting and straining can all pull at the skin and result in an irregular healing pattern. Your doctor will advise you when you may return to light activity such as walking, which is good for both your circulation and mood.
Lifestyle Choices
Smoking may seem like the type of behavior that, although damaging to your long-term health, wouldn’t have much of an effect on healing. In reality, smoking interferes with your body’s ability to supply ample oxygen to the cells, and oxygen is vital to the healing process. It is important not to smoke before your surgery and during recovery.
Finally, it is important that you minimize exposure to the sun’s powerful ultraviolet rays. It’s good advice on any day, but especially during the time your skin is working hard to close an incision. Sun exposure in the days after surgery can result in scars that are thicker and darker — and much more noticeable.
To find out more about surgical procedures, please contact Aqua Plastic Surgery by calling our Jupiter office at (561) 776-2830 or using our contact form.