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Mothers Love Mommy Makeovers

Mother’s Day is approaching soon and it is time to show love and honor the mothers in our lives. Last blog we talked about giving the gift of youthfulness to moms. For some, they’re satisfied with a day at the spa, for others, they’d like longer term youth enhancing effects of a Filler Facelift. And yet there’s another more entailed way to give the gift of rejuvenation to the mother in your life, and that’s with a cosmetic procedure.

Making the decision for plastic surgery is not an overnight decision nor something to just “pop up” with as a gift. However, there are mother’s who’ve been talking about wanting a procedure to help restore confidence and some youthfulness to their face or figure. These are the women who would be over the moon ecstatic if you said for Mother’s Day “go for it” on that surgery to help revitalize and restore her physically and in turn, emotionally.

The physical toll a mom has on her body manifests in different ways. Most often the act of bearing and breastfeeding children catalyze the most drastic changes any woman’s body will go through. More often than not, this miraculous act leaves some marks. These signs of motherhood are something many women are proud to bear, but others would rather see things looking back to an earlier time frame.

These procedures are particularly helpful for the body issues that moms deal with:

  1. Breast Augmentation and Breastlift restores and improves breasts that really can take a toll through the weight fluctuations of pregnancy and breastfeeding. Often breasts end up deflated and sagging after childbearing years, which can be a real bummer for moms who still are young.
  2. Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) addresses the issues from damaged abdomen muscles, residual stubborn adipose fat and stretched skin. Growing a baby requires extreme expanding and contracting of the abdomen, which leaves unwanted effects for many women. Tummy tuck restores confidence and a smooth abdomen.
  3. Liposuction eliminates those stubborn fat pockets that came with pregnancy and hormone changes that sometimes a healthy diet and exercise just don’t address. With liposuction, those undesirable bulges in on the abdomen, hips, and thighs can be streamlined and contoured for satisfaction with those body curves.
  4. Labiaplasty is a FemGen procedure that is gaining more popularity. Even after healing from a vaginal birth, that area can remain uncomfortable and not aesthetically preferable. Labiaplasty can help the nether regions feel normal again to restore confidence and comfort.

For those mothers who’ve already expressed an interest in surgery, giving the gift of a restored body for Mother’s Day could be the best way to honor and encourage them. It can say, “I love you how you are and appreciate the sacrifices you’ve made as a mother, but want you to love and feel confident in your motherhood and body, too.” To talk about how to go about supporting the mother in your life in this way, you can schedule a consultation to talk about any of these Mommy Makeover procedures at www.davinciplastic.com.

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Degree of Tummy Tuck

I customize an adaptation of the Tummy Tuck for each patient depending on the degree of loose skin, separated abdomen muscles, excess fat and other factors. However, for general understanding, there are terms that describe the degree of surgery, which involves how much of an area the Abdominoplasty is to address.

For example, while the names of the different degrees of Abdominoplasty wouldn’t be exactly the same thing for every patient, generally they would acknowledge how high on the abdomen or how far around the torso that the surgery would address. Here is a general definition of the types of Abdominoplasty and the differences between them:

  1. Mini Tummy Tuck addresses a smaller abdominal region, usually just a little pooch under the belly button. This is an area that, despite consistent healthy diet and exercise, just won’t go away. It can be a combination of any or all of excess skin from weight loss, stubborn adipose tissue, and the lower separation of the abdominal muscles due to pregnancy or injury. A mini Tummy Tuck only addresses the lower abdomen, so it doesn’t require moving the belly button. This option has a smaller incision and recovery is the fastest.
  2. Full, Complete or “Classic” Tummy Tuck addresses fat, muscle and skin from a larger region. It contours the full abdomen area from just below the breasts down to the pubic area. This is necessary for more extreme contouring scenarios were there is a pouch or skin flap above and below the belly button. Since the complete abdomen is being contoured, the reconstruction of the navel is possibly necessary. A naval area incision hidden within the belly button can address upper abdominal region and a lower incision from hip to hip (which can usually be hidden within the bikini line) will allow for full frontal contouring. This results in a smooth, flat abdomen with a beautiful, tight, anatomically correct belly button.
  3. Extended Tummy Tuck contours the abdomen and waist to address both belly and love handles. It addresses the frontal abdomen area with the Full Tummy Tuck, but extends the incision so that liposuction and skin tightening can occur further around the body to contour the flanks, as well.

As long as weight at the time of the surgery is maintained, the smooth, flattened abdomen results should be permanent. This is why its recommended for women to wait to have a Tummy Tuck until after their done having children. Some women combine Abdominoplasty with Breast Augmentation, Breast Lift or Liposuction to other areas for a complete body makeover.

 Having a smooth, flat abdomen is healthier, and looks great for both men and women. Feel great about you look in a swimsuit or form fitting clothes. Schedule your Tummy Tuck consultation today at www.davinciplastic.com.

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon

Mother’s Day Rejuvenation Gift

Mother’s Day is a month away and forward thinking husbands and family members are already putting their heads together about how they can honor the mothers in their lives. And rightly so. One thing for sure is that mothers work harder than most anyone I know. Their work is not only physical, but mental and emotional. They don’t get to clock out at the end of the work day or take many “vacation days,” especially in the early years of motherhood. Their job is ever evolving and lasts a lifetime. We should definitely be showing love to our mothers year round, but especially on Mother’s Day.

One thing that mother’s deserve is some pampering. For some women that means a day at the spa, a decadent brunch out with girlfriends or family, or for others they want to have lasting youthful effects from a variety of cosmetic treatments and procedures. While getting Botox injections as a gift isn’t the same kind of pampering as a day at the spa, many women prefer the enjoyment of waking up day after day to a younger looking face and demeanor. More and more women are being vocal about their desire to receive treatments like this as their gifts. This is how we at DAVinci Plastic Surgery can help.

This week we will talk about some of the quick “in and out” treatments that we offer for those mothers who would like a youth enhancing boost to last for months. Next week we will cover some options for Mommy Makeovers that involve surgeries that address moms most requested areas of help.

  • Botox is known as a wrinkle eraser because it inhibits the muscle action that causes the wrinkles. This is especially useful for allowing forehead furrows to relax and smoothing out crows feet or wrinkles between the eyebrows.
  • Juvederm fills in creases and wrinkles with water attracting hyaluronic acid. The cells plulp up like a sponge sucking up water so that those “parenthesis” around the mouth or nasolabial folds are filled in. It is also wonderful for plumping up lost volume to areas of the face, especially the lips.
  • Radiesse immediately stimulates the body to produce collagen to replace volume for youth enhancing effects
  • Sculptra may not necessarily be considered a “quick fix” because the effects build over time, but the results last twice as long as hyaluronic fillers.

Each of these treatments successfully gives the appearance of turning back the clock of time to reveal more youthful facial features. This effect is rejuvenating and confidence boosting. In combination with each other, they can have the effect called a Filler Facelift. While this doesn’t compare to the full effects of a Facelift, it’s as close as you can get without going under the knife. We will custom tailor a combination treatment to address a variety of concerns, such as to:

  • Lift up sagging brows
  • Brighten up the eyes by adding volume to hollowed temples and sunken eye sockets or tear troughs
  • Erase forehead lines
  • Lusciously fill those lips
  • Lighten the lines around the mouth
  • Plump the cheeks restore youthfulness and gently lift the midface
  • Smooth and contour the chin

You can give these as a gift certificate to allow the mother in your life to choose what she’d like or designate the gift for a specific treatment that you know she’s mentioned that she wants. Visit www.davinciplastic.com today to pamper the mother in your life this Mother’s Day.

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon

Breast Implant Malposition Explored

Coming out of Breast Augmentation, there is much care taken for you to have the best results possible. A lot of complications can be avoided by putting yourself in expert hands. I’m triple board certified and specialize in Breast Augmentation, revision and reconstruction. You have the best chances for the best outcome with us.

One of the complications of Breast Augmentation that we strive to avoid is breast implant malposition. This is when the implants move out of their correct position, either immediately or over time. It isn’t extremely common, but when it does happen, there are usually a few reasons and options for correction. If you’re aware of them, you can help avoid or identify them as early as possible for correction with Breast Revision surgery.

Here is a guide for the possible reasons for implant malposition:

  1. Not allowing yourself to properly heal. With the pressures to return to work and daily activities, especially for mothers, you’re faced with the difficulty of allowing your body enough time to heal. Everyone heals at different rates. This can take from 3 to 6 months, up to a year to completely recover. Taking proper care of yourself during healing and wearing the correct bra support is crucial. Usually breast implants are positioned high with the intention of them dropping, or “settling” into the proper place as they heal. Wearing underwire or push up bras during this time can prevent them from doing this properly and they could stay unnaturally high. This “riding high” malposition is usually a tell tale sign of Breast Augmentation and can also cause nipples to appear irregularly low or pointed downward.
  2. Your body shape, particularly if the ribs are more prominent or uneven, they could push the implant into a different position even if the implant pocket is positioned correctly. Ribcage prominence and scoliosis are some things surgeon should take note of and make accommodations for in surgery.
  3. If breast tissue is not strong, implant size can sometimes contribute to a low malposition where the implant seems to be falling out of the breast pocket. This isn’t the only reason low malposition occurs, but there is a higher risk of this with larger implants because the extra pressure can thin out the bottom of the breast pocket. The inferior position or “bottoming out” of an implant empties out the top of the breast of any fullness and often points the nipple too high.
  4. Capsular contracture is the most common reason for implant malposition. This occurs when the tissue surrounding the pocket containing the breast implant hardens. This constricts the implant and pushes it into a variety of ways that can look abnormal and be uncomfortable:
    1. This could be one of the reasons the implant would be pushed upward.
    2. Implants squeezed laterally into the armpits will look unusually far apart.
    3. When implants are pushed inwardly toward the center of the body this is called synmastia. The breast could be positioned inward or the implant could slide out of the pocket and bubble under the skin to look like a “uniboob.”
    4. Capsular contracture could also squeeze the implant into an irregular shape with unnatural curves or indentions.

If you are experiencing any of these unfortunate malpositions, in the correct expert hands, Breast Revision surgery can restore your hope, confidence and your breasts to a beautiful, natural appearance. Let’s talk about how I can help you. Visit www.davinciplastic.com to schedule a consultation.

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Reasons for Breast Revision Surgery

These days my patients are quite informed about the procedures they are requesting from me. They’re reliant on my professional advice on the details and implementation of their goals, but most Breast Augmentation patients have an idea about what the procedure entails. The lesser known sister of Breast Augmentation is Breast Revision surgery. There are a variety of reasons someone might need this “surgery after the surgery,” and I’ll cover those here.

Breast Revision surgery is for someone who’s already had a Breast Augmentation and needs a change that requires another surgery to the breast area at any point in time near or distant from the original Breast Augmentation. The majority of women love their new breasts with no complications and often experience satisfaction for many years.

However, a Breast Revision surgery is a great option for a variety of reasons, such as:

  1. Address the natural effects of aging and gravity on the breasts. The breasts with the implant still will sag over time and so a Breast Lift could help restore perkiness and placement.
  2. Breasts change as a result of pregnancy, weight loss or gain. If the Breast Augmentation occurred before these events, a Revision can be intended to restore your breasts to their former stature.
  3. Change the implant size with a Breast Implant Exchange to go smaller or larger. Fortunately, the Breast Implant Exchange is less intense of a surgery than the original augmentation. The space or pocket for the implant has already been created so there’s not the stretching discomfort experienced during the initial surgery. Also, the recovery time is usually shorter.
  4. Repair breast implant malposition. The implant didn’t settle where it should be and has caused the breasts to look unnatural.
  5. Correct capsular contracture where the tissue surrounding the implant contracts and squeezes the implant into an awkward and uncomfortable position. In this case, the constricting tissue would be removed and the implant replaced.
  6. Change the implant type. Some women who got saline implants and experience rippling or wrinkling, prefer to exchange them for the consistency of a silicone gel. This is particularly common for women who got a Breast Augmentation when the silicone option was off the market from 1993 to 2006.
  7. Breast Implant Exchange for prevention or in the case of leakage. Implants do not have a lifetime guarantee to not leak. It is recommended to exchange for a new implant every 10 years. If a saline implant is leaking, it’s easy to detect because the breast will appear deflated. However, in most cases, a silicone implant leak would require an MRI to detect leakage, so regular checks are recommended.
  8. Breast cancer treatments may require the implant to be removed. This is a decision that should be made along with your medical support team.

In conjunction with considering the need for a Breast Revision surgery, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of choosing an experienced plastic surgeon to perform it. Maintaining aesthetics of the breasts while navigating prior surgery effects is an art that requires much technical skill and expertise. To discuss the possibility of putting yourself in the hands of a triple board certified surgeon, such as myself, you can schedule a consultation at www.davinciplastic.com.

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

 

Schedule Your Consultation With Dr. Davison

The initial consultation with your surgeon is critical! It should always be face to face with your surgeon during which time he/she listens closely to your concerns. Dr. Davison believes this time spent with you is critical to both you and to him. It is during the consultation that he comes to fully understand your concerns, evaluates them correctly and is then able to make the recommendations and develop the treatment plan thats right for you. Dr. Davison invests the time to sit down and talk to you face-to-face.

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3301 New Mexico Ave. Suite 236

Washington D.C.

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