May » 2011 » Blog | David O. Smith, MD, FACS

Palin’s Jaw Surgery Creates Interest in Chin Augmentation

Monday, May 23rd, 2011 by Staff Writer

For Bristol Palin, what she called “corrective jaw surgery” actually gave her aesthetic improvements, as well, according to Us Weekly.

Though Palin said she underwent the procedure to help align her jaw and teeth, her appearance is now more streamlined. Palin said because of the surgery she looks more mature and has less of a “chubby little baby face.”

Women, as well as men, who wish to improve the projection of their chins actually have several cosmetic options. Though Palin said she chose surgery for medical reasons, the aesthetic improvements that can be made include permanent chin implants as well as more temporary options like fillers.

By augmenting the shape and projection of the chin, your facial features can be streamlined and harmony between your chin and other prominent facial features can be improved.

Chin augmentation with an implant can add projection to an underdeveloped chin. In this procedure, an alloplastic implant is placed in front of the jaw through an incision under the chin or inside the mouth.

For patients whose chin is only slightly underdeveloped, a dermal filler may be used to fill out its shape, though this is only a temporary solution.

In addition to these procedures to augment the chin, your other facial features can be modified surgically to improve facial harmony. These procedures may include other facial implants (like the cheeks or jaw), lip augmentation or rhinoplasty, to reshape the nose. Additionally, neck liposuction may create a more refined jawline and chin.

Tags: chin augmentation, Chin surgery, dermal fillers, facial implants, neck liposuction, nose surgery, rhinoplasty
Posted in Cosmetic Injections, Facial Surgery, Plastic Surgeon | Comments Off

Breast Cancer Survivor Finds Help in Fat Grafting

Monday, May 16th, 2011 by Staff Writer

Fat grafting is often recognized as a means to correct more superficial issues like wrinkles, but can be used successfully in reconstructive surgery, as well, according to WWLTV in New Orleans.

Two months after she underwent a type of mommy makeover, which included breast augmentation and a tummy tuck, Tina, a 46-year-old mother of three learned she had breast cancer, unrelated to the surgeries.

After chemotherapy and radiation, part of her breast tissue was removed. In its place, a tissue expander was placed to keep the shape of the breast. As tissue expansion is only a step along the way to reconstructive procedures, it soon had to be replaced.

Tina’s plastic surgeon elected to use Tina’s own fat, which was removed from her lower body through liposuction to support the breast. In this process, the fat that was liposuctioned from Tina’s lower body was placed around the breast implant to cushion it and provide a natural appearance.

As she recovers and sees the benefits of her surgery, Tina says she now looks forward to an anniversary trip with her husband. They plan to renew their wedding vows in Hawaii.

In addition to this sort of life-altering use, the cosmetic applications of fat grafting are many. Most commonly, fat grafting is used on the face. Placement of this fat may fill depressions in the face like deep lines and wrinkles or scars and may be used to augment lips. It may also be used for some body procedures, like a buttocks lift.

Tags: breast augmentation, breast implant, breast reconstruction, butt lift, buttocks lift, Fat grafting, fat transfer, liposuction, Mommy makeover, Reconstructive Surgery, tissue expansion, tummy tuck
Posted in Body Surgery, Breast Surgery, Facial Surgery, Plastic Surgeon, Reconstructive Surgery | Comments Off

Tummy, Breast Surgeries Popular Among New Moms

Monday, May 9th, 2011 by Staff Writer

Regardless of what you may have gotten your own mother for Mother’s Day, it’s likely that a new mother you know may have been interested in a mommy makeover, according to the ASPS. The ASPS found that 62% of mothers would undergo a mommy makeover procedure if money was not a factor.

Dana Van Gray, 38, who underwent breast augmentation and a tummy tuck a year after having her last child said she felt the need to seize the opportunity and said the positive change in her body improved her attitude.

“I feel good so I can be a better mom to my kids,” Van Gray said.

A “mommy makeover” is not one procedure, but actually a variety of surgeries that help women regain their pre-pregnancy physiques. Breast augmentation helps restore volume to breasts that may have begun to sag after breastfeeding. Meanwhile, a tummy tuck removes excess skin and tissue that may hang around the midsection after childbirth. Also a part of many “mommy makeovers” is a breast lift, which removes sagging breast tissue to restore the breasts to a more youthful position. This procedure may include the placement of breast implants to replace lost volume. The ASPS recommends that new mothers wait six months to a year before undergoing any of these procedures and that they lose weight before surgery.

ASPS President Dr. Phillip Haeck said more and more, the women who are electing these procedures are not older women, but younger mothers like Dana. He attributes this to improving attitudes toward cosmetic surgery and an openness about the desire to change what diet and exercise may fail to.

We encourage you to learn more about the mommy makeover procedures like breast augmentation, tummy tuck and breast lift and to consult with your plastic surgeon about what surgery may help you achieve your aesthetic goals.

Tags: ASPS, breast augmentation, breast lift, Mommy makeover, tummy tuck
Posted in Body Surgery, Breast Surgery, Plastic Surgeon | Comments Off

Moderate Botox Users Experience Fewer Psychological Side Effects, Study Finds

Monday, May 2nd, 2011 by Staff Writer

Patients who receive excessive amounts of Botox or Dysport to minimize wrinkles may have more difficulty reading others emotions, found a  study in Social Psychological and Personality Science, according to WebMD.

Dr. David R. Neal, a psychology professor at the University of Southern California said that, “If you have a poker face because your facial muscles are paralyzed, you can’t read others emotions as well.”

Oftentimes, Neal said, we read the emotions of others by mimicking their facial expressions using a sort of “sixth sense.” Under the effect of too much botulinum toxin, the main component in Botox and Dysport, we lose that sense, he said.

Despite the decreased ability of some Botox users to read the facial expressions of others, Neal maintains that the effect is subtle and says patients need to weigh the aesthetic benefits with the possible psychological effects the treatments may have.

Conversely, the study found that patients who received treatments of the dermal filler Restylane did not experience a change in their ability to read facial expressions.

Tags: Botox, dermal filler, dysport, Restylane
Posted in Cosmetic Injections, Plastic Surgeon, Skin Care | Comments Off