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

I get many patients who come into my Baltimore office requesting a Tummy tuck. The Tummy tuck will give a much flatter tummy, and if they get liposuction around the love handle area, a drastic reshaping of the entire midsection. But the biggest drawback is the scar. It goes most of the time from hip bone to hip bone. Invariably, I get the question, can we do a Mini Tummy tuck? The patient is hoping to get most of what she needs with a smaller scar and a less involved surgery. What is the difference between the Tummy tuck and the Mini Tummy tuck?

“Can I have another procedure at the same time as the Brazilian butt lift?” The answer is yes and no. A Tummy tuck can be safely combined with the Brazilian butt lift to give a great result. However, combining the butt lift with breast aug is usually not advisable. Watch this video by Dr. Ricardo Rodriguez, a Yale trained Plastic Surgeon.

In this video I discuss the difference between two types of liposuction: tumescent (suction) liposuction with suction assisted cannulas vs. laser/ultrasonic assisted liposuction. Both of these techniques remove fat, but they differ in technique and results.

There are two ways to enhance the appearance of the buttocks that include the usage of Liposuction techniques. They are the Brazilian butt lift and the B’more butt lift. The B’more butt lift is a refined version of Lipo 360. The Brazilian Butt Lift involves liposuction of your entire torso and then injection of the fat into the buttocks. Both procedures will improve the shape of the buttocks. 

Five levels of anesthesia used in Cosmetic Surgery are:

• local anesthesia only
• local anesthesia with valium
• IV sedation moderate, also known as Twilight Anesthesia
• IV sedation with propofol- deep sedation
• General Anesthesia with a ventilator

Discover how the Skinny BBL is transforming curves for slimmer patients. With advanced fat grafting techniques, Dr. Rodriguez in Baltimore delivers natural, proportional results tailored to thin body frames. Learn about the process, recovery, and why his 20+ years of expertise make him the go-to surgeon for subtle enhancements.

The cost of a body lift can vary significantly based on the scope of the procedure and additional expenses. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the average cost of a lower body lift surgery is $9,449, but that only covers the surgeon’s fee. It doesn’t include things like anesthesia, operating room, and other associated costs. Meanwhile, RealSelf reports an average cost of $16,425 for a body lift, with patient reviews indicating a range from $10,300 with insurance to as much as $40,000 out of pocket.

Dr. Ricardo Rodriguez explains why the recovery period for the Brazilian butt lift is 3 weeks. If you sit sooner than that it can prevent some of the fat grafts from surviving. Sitting during the recovery period is harmful to the new fat grafts because it exerts a tremendous crushing pressure, up to 400 pounds per square inch in some areas, on these tender cells and tissues. Even the areas that are not crushed are under such pressure that blood flow is shut off.

Patients routinely get fat grafts to the face, breast, and buttocks. However, some patients do not get the result they wanted because the fat graft did not ‘take.’  So, what happened? Why do fat grafts sometimes die or fail to take? In this post, I will explain one of the most important factors in creating a long-lasting fat graft. When the recipient tissue is normal, there really should be no need for a touch-up, or revision. Plastic surgeons have all of the tools they need to create a good fat graft on the first try!

Your BMI, or Body Mass Index, plays a big role in surgical complication risk assessment. All cosmetic surgery patients should have a BMI assessment prior to surgery. The BMI is a number that compares your weight to your height. High BMI’s create higher surgical risks.

Patients with a BMI less than 35 are typically good candidates for the Tummy Tuck and BBL. However, every surgeon has a different guideline for what is the acceptable BMI for an elective surgery.

Discover the benefits of an extended tummy tuck with top Baltimore Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Ricardo Rodriguez.  The Extended Tummy Tuck extracts loose skin not only in the abdomen, but also around the flanks and backside.

(originally published August 13, 2012) It’s been over two months since I updated my database of Adipose Stem Cell Clinical Trials. I am tracking registered Clinical Trials in the ClinicalTrials.gov database. A lot has happened in only two months! Eight new Clinical Trials have been registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov database since June 1, 2012. This brings the all time total of Adipose Stem Cell Clinical Trials to 62.

(originally published July 3, 2012)

Spain…soccer world superstar. But what about stem cells?! If there was a world cup for stem cells, Spain would get that too! While Spain is the world leader of Soccer, they are also the dominant player in a new arena of stem cell research. According to information publicly available at ClinicalTrials.gov, Spain is the leader in clinical trials using adipose stem cells. And just like Soccer, compared to other countries, it’s not even close! adipose stem cell clinical trial leaders As of early June 2012, Spain has registered at least 18 different clinical trial locations using adipose stem cells. Mexico and Korea are next with 11 and 10 trials respectively. And what of the great USA, the hot bed of medical innovation? We have a grand total of 3 trials. We pose the question: Has any U.S. money gone to funding these overseas trials?

This week I will focus on whether each of the 54 existing adipose stem cell trials used autologous or allogeneic stem cells. This analysis therefore includes all adipose clinical trials, regardless of recruitment status. Why is knowing whether a clinical trial used autologous or allogeneic adipose stem cells important? It is important because each category represents a different sector of the health care industry. Thus, it gives a hint as to whether Pharma, Device Makers, or Personalized Medicine are leading the new era of Regenerative Medicine.

Anyone who reads this blog knows that we are passionate about the future of adipose stem cells, the stem cells that are derived from your own fat. Many people know about their ability to enhance fat grafts for Breast reconstruction, but we hear very little in the general media about their ability to cure and treat many diseases. Unless you are a biotech investor hanging out in Cytori message boards, you may not know that many Phase I clinical trials with adipose stem cells have even been completed.