Curriculum Vitae

Basic questions occur to everyone thinking about having cosmetic surgery. Prospective patients often ask the best age to have cosmetic surgery. Our response is generally when you decide the time is right. As will be explained later in this book, surgically correcting a feature, such as protruding ears, can be successfully done in children. Correcting an unattractive nose is often done in 15- or 16-year olds. These alterations tend to be permanent and further surgery generally need not be contemplated. Reversing the effects of aging can be done when your face begins to bother you. Most of our patients are in their forties, fifties and even sixties; however, some people seek a `face and neck rejuvenation' at an earlier age.

Another frequently expressed concern is how long will the improvement last, and should one expect to need more surgery down the road. The response to the first query is, "For as long as you live!", for even in the case of face-brow-and eyelid lifts, you will always look younger than if you had never had anything done. But the clock never stops, and the older you get, the aging process intensifies...whether you've had cosmetic surgery or not! And, many patients will return for more work, often for lesser procedures such as smoothing out new wrinkles. Others will seek a repeat of the initial procedure, such as a second face-lift.

Some patients think that they need a full face and brow lift to revitalize their face. Depending on the specific case, lesser procedures may give the desired results, postponing the need for a full face- or brow-lift for several years. During your initial consultation, your surgeon will discuss alternatives with you if they are appropriate.

Almost every patient wonders where their surgery will take place. Although hospitalization may be required, especially in cases where multiple procedures are to be performed, the majority of patients have outpatient surgery in the fully equipped operating suite located in our office. This keeps costs down and, quite frankly, reduces the occurrence of post-operative infection, always a concern in any type of surgery. You may go home the same day, possibly after an observation period of several hours with very strict postsurgical care instructions and an office visit scheduled for the next day or so. It will be necessary for you to arrange for someone to drive you home and be available to assist you in the first days after surgery.

Probably the first question that comes into a prospective patient's mind is "Will I be asleep or awake during my surgery?" Again, depending on the individual case and the extent of surgical intervention, most patients are administered a local anesthetic usually with moderate or heavy sedation. Patients are comfortable, pain-free and drowsy as opposed to general anesthesia where patients are deeply asleep and unaware. Local anesthesia with (or without) sedation reduces the (rare but possible) chance of an adverse response to the drug or substance that produces the deeper anesthetized state.

Patients with obligations are particularly concerned about length of recovery time. This will, of course, depend on the nature and extent of the surgery and the individual's own constitution. And returning to a normal activity level, including work, depends on what activities are involved particularly where long, sutured incisions can be compromised thru physical exertion. Recovery time is discussed with each procedure described further in this website. This information and what you learn from your surgeon should help a patient schedule surgery when social and professional obligations are at a minimum and when enough time can be carved out to allow for sufficient healing. There will usually be discomfort, bruising and swelling which, if on the face or neck, can usually be hidden with makeup within two weeks. Most patients are immediately prescribed medication which will successfully control any pain. Depending on what procedure has been done, the swelling plus the bruising can be initially shocking to the patient. (Some people say you look worse before you look better!) While most of the swelling is down within a week or two, it may take up to six months for all to subside and the incisional scars to fade. While many incisions can be made in skin folds or creases, some can't be so hidden. And, healing incisions often appear red, raised and `angry' before becoming flat and faded. A patient may become discouraged and disconcerted during a particularly long healing period. Some experience depression for a few weeks following surgery. This mood shift can be a manifestation of a drug reaction or due to a patient's perception of lack of improvement in appearance. These are normal responses, and my staff and I are very sensitive to and understanding of each patient's needs during the recovery experience.