By: Kenneth Westfield, MD

Some people think that eyelid surgery is fairly easy to perform, and as a result may underestimate the importance of being careful in their choice of a blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) doctor. The fact is that eyelid surgery requires skill and precision to achieve satisfying results, just like LASIK and other Las Vegas laser eye surgery procedures we perform at Westfield Eye Center. Here are a few tips to help you evaluate blepharoplasty surgeons:

1. Choose a surgeon with options as well as credentials. Most oculoplastic surgeons specialize in a few procedures, but keep in mind that there is an important difference between a surgeon who focuses on one procedure among other approaches, and one who recommends the same procedure in every situation. Skilled surgeons generally have the flexibility to perform a range of procedures very well; by contrast, a “one size fits all” approach to surgery typically means the surgeon has limited qualifications or is preoccupied with a “pet” procedure. Find a Las Vegas eye doctor whose training and surgical options indicate that they can make recommendations that are relevant and appropriate to your needs.
2. Pay attention to the examination process. Most blepharoplasty patients want to make functional changes (restoring a better field of vision) as well as aesthetic changes (correcting a “tired” appearance), so accurate assessments are extremely important. Cursory, 5-minute assessments by a doctor during the consultation are not enough.
3. Similarly, pay attention to how the surgeon or eye doctor explains your options. Someone who cares that you make the right choice and feel comfortable about your procedure will make sure you understand your options clearly.
4. Look for someone with a long-term perspective. Eyelid surgery, like Las Vegas laser eye surgery, ought to provide results that are designed to last for years and to adapt well to the ways your physiology changes over time. Your surgeon ought to be able to explain how they will work to prevent complications like “dry eyes” that occasionally result from these procedures. Your surgeon also should monitor your results closely afterward through follow-up consultations to make sure you heal well.

By: Jeffrey Wagner, MD

Everyone wants to avoid an “unnatural” looking breast augmentation or reduction, and healthy, reasonable goals are a key part of planning for results that look right. In this week’s post I’ll outline two steps to help you develop the goals you want to address in your consultation – and, hopefully, communicate with your surgeon more effectively.

1) Understand your own “ideal”

Sometimes, I think breast reduction and breast augmentation patients in Indianapolis can make the mistake of jumping into the “what” and “how” of their surgery before they take the time to think about their own standards for beauty and develop reasonable priorities for the changes they really care about.

Many patients find it helpful to talk with other women about what they like and dislike about their own breasts, so that they can understand their own priorities better, but you should also take some time to think carefully about your own “ideal.”

When you evaluate your breasts, consider:

• Roundness
• Projection (the distance the breast extends forward from your ribs)
• Position
• Volume
• Nipple and areola appearance (note the shape and position)
• Firmness and skin quality

Some procedures, like combined breast augmentation and breast lift in Indianapolis, tend to address all of these areas at the same time, but your consultation will accomplish more for you and your surgeon if you can describe your goals in specific terms.

2) Keep your expectations reasonable

It is normal for patients to rework their goals a bit when they meet with their surgeon and understand their procedure better, so the more receptive and focused you are, the better you will be able to set realistic goals and plan for results you will be happy about.

When you think about what you want your procedure to accomplish, a natural and more confident look is probably the top priority, but these characteristics are difficult to translate into milestones you can see and appreciate. Think about how you expect your new shape to influence:

• Everyday activities like wearing clothes you enjoy or feeling comfortable with how you look in a bikini
• Self-confidence in social situations, at work, or with your spouse
• Measurable, procedure-specific improvements like diminished back pain (from breast reduction in Indianapolis) or perkier breasts (from a breast lift)

By: Andrew Smith, MD

Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) for men involves all the same steps as the procedure for women, but men often have very different goals for this type of procedure than women do, so they require a specific approach. At my Orange County, California plastic surgery offices, I treat a number of male patients each year with treatments ranging from BOTOX® Cosmetic to liposuction, rhinoplasty, and surgery for the ears or the eyelids. Each of these procedures requires specific approaches for men, not only because men often have different reasons for undergoing plastic surgery, but also because the sense of balance for male features is entirely different from the aesthetic “ideal” for female features.

Abdominoplasty Goals:

Where most women are concerned with balancing and softening their natural curves, male abdominoplasty patients typically want to accomplish two things:

• Eliminate the “gut” that the loose abdominal muscles allow to hang out
• Create a more toned, chiseled look that compliments a more muscular frame

Abdominoplasty Basics:

Typically, belly flab is just loose fat above the abdominal muscles, but in some cases the abdominal muscles themselves have overstretched, becoming permanently loose and allowing the organs to press forward out of the small area where they would normally be contained.

When the muscles tear or overstretch this way, exercise cannot tighten them effectively or completely, so many men will choose to have a plastic surgeon stitch the muscles back where they belong. In an Irvine tummy tuck procedure, the surgeon simply tightens loose muscle strands with a line of stitched down the center of the abdomen and removes excess skin and fat from above the muscles, before closing and bandaging the incision site.

Important Differences for Men:

The basic abdominoplasty procedure involves the same steps for women as for men, but the surgeon needs to adjust these steps in order to create a result that accomplishes what men want it to:

• The upper abdomen is typically more of a concern. While women often undergo Irvine tummy tuck procedures to restore a smaller, firmer waist, men generally want to flatten and firm their upper as well as their lower abdomen. Men tend to develop excess flab above the belt line, so they will often need to remove fat from the fibrous area between the pectorals and the belly button, in addition to the typical lower-belly areas.
• Liposuction often plays a bigger role. While women will typically pair abdominoplasty with breast enhancement or liposuction of the lower body, men often focus much more on delineating muscle tone by eliminating excess fat in the pectoral muscles, abs, and back.

What to Look For in a Surgeon:

When you meet with your surgeon, you want to know that he or she can get great results for the male body, specifically. Find out:

• Whether they offer multiple liposuction options
• How many procedures they have performed for men, specifically
• Whether they can show before-and-after photos of male tummy tuck procedures