CosmeticSurg blog: Expert insights from Dr. Ricardo L. Rodriguez

Very often a patient will ask me ” How much fat do you take out during Liposuction?”. The answer is dependent on two things: 1. liposuction area 2. patient height and weight Therefore, to answer the question, I will give my answers for a body frame type that I see most frequently. We’ll use as an example a woman of average height (5’3”-5’6”) who weighs about 150 pounds.

Following a Liposuction or Tummy Tuck procedure, the wearing of a compression garment should be a mandatory part of your post operative instructions. A medical grade compression garment will not only help give you smooth surgical results, but it can also eliminate the need for drains following a Liposuction procedure.

What type of scar will you get with a Breast lift procedure? This is a very common question, and an important question that all patients should discuss with their plastic surgeon prior to having surgery. Any procedure that lifts the breast will require the surgeon to make an incision and that incision will leave a scar on your breast. In most cases, the scar will eventually fade and the positive aesthetic outcome of the ‘lifted’ breast will far surpass the remnants of a scar.

Which types of liposuction require massage post operatively?

• If the surgeon uses 5mm cannulas or laser/ultrasonic liposuction, you will need post operative massage
• If the surgeon uses thin 3mm cannulas with post operative compression garments, you should not need massage

The most common question we get about Tummy Tuck recovery in my Baltimore practice is ‘How much time off work do I need?’ The answer is 2-3 weeks. If you have an office job, you can resume WFH computer type work in week 3. You can go into work in week 3, but no driving until the end of week 3. 

Lip enhancements, whether through implants, lifts, or fillers, are about harmonizing the procedures with your unique features. It’s not just about knowing what you want, or what bothers you; it’s about effective communication to help you achieve the aesthetic you envision.

In my previous blog post about postoperative Tummy tuck swelling I talked about how the blood supply is disrupted to different degrees using the two different types of Tummy tuck techniques (standard vs. Lockwood). In summary, the more skin that is elevated and separated from the muscle layer, the more blood supply disruption you have. On this post we will address swelling of the tissues after Tummy tuck and why compression garments following surgery are important to reduce swelling. The body is made mostly of water, and there is a constant fluid leakage from the tissues balanced by reuptake of fluid into the lymphatic drainage system. When the lymphatic system is impaired, we get fluid accumulations. The fluid can accumulate between the tissues as interstitial fluid (like a soaked sponge), or outside of the tissues as a seroma (like a sac of fluid). It can also accumulate at some distance from the operative site, usually the upper thighs or legs. The drawing illustrates the various types of fluid accumulation following surgery. As you move from left to right on the illustration you have increasing swelling to result in these conditions:

A lot of patients who come in for a Breast augmentation or a Breast lift with implants consult will usually make a comment about cleavage. Some patients don’t want “that fake look,” yet others specifically ask for “a lot of cleavage.” It helps when patients bring in pictures, because cleavage is one of those words that, like “natural look,” can have different meanings to different people. In this post I will talk about cleavage, and how it is related to surgical technique and patient anatomy.The word cleavage is derived from the word cleft. According to the Merriam Webster online dictionary… cleft : usually V-shaped indented formation : a hollow between ridges or protuberances The misunderstanding between plastic surgeon and patient comes from knowing which end of the “V” we are talking about. Does the patient want upper pole fullness, which is prominent at the upper part of the breasts? Does the patient want medial cleavage, which is breasts that are close together at the midline? Or is it both upper pole fullness and medial cleavage? The surgeon has two surgical methods to improve cleavage with breast implants.

Patients who call our office looking for Breast augmentation information are usually also gathering total surgical cost prices as well as financing information. This week, our office did a little bit of secret shopping to find out what the average cost of a Breast augmentation procedure costs in Baltimore. Remember that Breast augmentation total costs depend on whether you select silicone or saline Implants. We compared costs of both.

A woman’s body goes through so many changes during and after pregnancy. Many of my patients have children and came to me looking for information about Breast augmentation. Did your breasts appear deflated after pregnancy? Did you like the look of your breasts during pregnancy? Are you wanting them to look fuller, perkier, or both? What are your options for breast augmentation after pregnancy?

In my last blog post, I went over briefly how the silicone implant moratorium came about. This week I’ll tell you why it is such a good thing that silicone implants are back as a choice for all breast augmentation patients. Remember, silicon implants weren’t really banned, as we have been using silicone implants for cancer patients, those with congenital defects, and patients needing a breast lift. Over the past 14 years they were just not available for cosmetic surgery patients. However, now all patients will have the choice to use saline or silicone implants.

Silicone breast implants are back! The truth always comes out in the end. In the case of silicone breast implants, it took 14 years! How can it be that implants are supposed to be so bad yet they’re back in the market? Well, because silicone breast implants were never really ‘bad.’

High profile breast Implants have a smaller base diameter so it preserves the appearance of a narrower chest, and you get more anterior projection from the same 400cc volume. High profile implants have a more up front look.

Most Breast augmentation patients are very focused on breast implant size. While that is important, it is only one of the 8 decisions you need to make before having a Breast augmentation procedure. I think that the choice of implant incision location is a very important decision that you should discuss with your plastic surgeon in your pre-operative appointment. In my own Baltimore practice, I always discuss the choice of incision location with patients before the procedure. The incision location is where the breast implant is inserted. Therefore, it is the location where you will have a small scar. In most cases, the scar is barely noticeable, but in any event you should KNOW where your implants will be inserted.

Many times during a breast augmentation consult a patient will say to me: “I want to look proportionate.” In other words, the patient wants to make sure that a particular implant size will look right on her. The right proportion is determined by several factors. A good proportion is not only determined by the size…