Spring is here and summer is on its way.  This is the busiest time of year for plastic surgery.  People are getting alert for summer and want to look their best.  They go now for plastic surgery they may have been considering for a long time as they prepare for the beach and summer vacation and weddings, among other July and August events and rituals. 

The procedures we do the most at this time of year are the classic body surgery procedures — liposuction and breast augmentation.  These procedures make very visible changes in people’s body shape.  They also have fairly brief recovery periods, so people who have these procedures in May and June are very alert for bathing suits (with their new body shapes) by July.  At this time of year, because we are so busy, we add on extra surgery days to accomodate our spring rush for plastic surgery.

We also do other plastic surgery in the springtime.  We do a awesome discount of Botox, as people get alert for various events and want to smooth out lines and wrinkles on their face.   But overall we do the greatest number of liposuction and breast augmentation procedures at this time of year.

Liposuction has the advantage of getting rid of unwanted fat with minimal downtime and scarring.  If people have nagging areas of excess fat, the procedure is quite effective in removing them.   The results can be dramatic.  We do a lot of chin liposuction and neck liposuction in both men and women.  For women we do a lot of lipo in the abdomen or tummy and the inner and outer thighs.  For men, we do it frequently in the chest and the love handles or flanks.

With breast augmentation, the approval of silicone breast implants has created more options for women seeking breast enlargement.  While we still do most of our breast augmentation procedures with saline implant, we likely will be using more silicone implants in the future.

People often focus their beauty ideals onto their stomachs instead of their faces, and it can be frustrating when a bulging belly ignores your active and healthy lifestyle. Although weight loss can be healthy, it will not necessarily lead to a smooth firm stomach. In fact, weight loss or recovery from multiple pregnancies will leave you with stretched skin that hangs and bulges.

If you are in this situation and truly want to attain a smoother contour for your abdomen, then tummy tuck surgery is worth considering. Abdominoplasty, better known by its cuter name the tummy tuck, is a major surgery that carries with it the normal risks associated with surgery. Serious complications are rare, however, and the results are generally pleasing and impressive.

<b>What Happens During Tummy Tuck Surgery</b>

A complete abdominoplasty takes about two to four hours to perform. The time range is so wide because body sizes and shapes vary and this determines how much time the procedure will take. To begin, the plastic surgeon will make a long incision along your lower abdomen from hip to hip. Every effort is made to place this incision in a place where the future scar will be hidden by underwear or bathing suits.

Next the plastic surgeon separates your abdominal skin from the underlying tissue and lifts it all the way up to your ribs. This action reveals the muscles underneath. The plastic surgeon will pull the muscles closer together and stitch them in order to create a firmer and flatter stomach. At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, when we do our California tummy tuck we contour these muscles to create a nicer looking waist.

Once the muscles have been adjusted and securuddy into their new contour, your skin flap will be stretched over them. A new navel will also be created in the proper location and stitched into place. At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, we use this step to create our specialized Rodeo Drive Belly Button. Excess skin will be removed, which ends the problem of loose hanging skin and lessens bulging. Finally, the incision is stitched and dressed. If necessary, small tubes will be used for drainage.

The procedure is often done as an outpatient, and you can return home several hours following the tummy tuck surgery. It is very important that you get up and walk acircular following the surgery. This helps to alleviate swelling and lower your risk of blood clots. Typically, in the first days, you will not be able to stand entirely straight up, but this is temporary.

As you continue your recovery, you will be able to resume all normal daily activities wilean a few days. A supportive post-surgical garment will likely replace your dressings after a few days. Once a week or so goes by, your plastic surgeon will see you again, remove drains if they have been placed, and you will find you can do essentially all normal physical activities. The only remaining restriction will be no heavy lifting. Your surgeon may advise you not to do heavy lifting for six weeks or so following your tummy tuck.

If you are a good candidate, you may find that a tummy tuck in Los Angeles greatly improves your quality of life.

Breast implants can provide genuine improvements to body image and self esteem.  But it is important that women with breast implants keep in mind that like the majority of medical devices, breast implants are not designed to last a lifetime.  Body shapes change with time, as do tastes and preferences.  Therefore, is should be said that California breast augmentation does not last forever.

In most cases, women with implants may need to have at minimum one or more surgeries for routine implant replacement. Often times women will come up with additional reasons for having revision surgery other than just to replace the breast implants.  They might be seeking other plastic surgery in Los Angeles and select to revise their breast augmentation at this time.
Leakage is a common reason why women may need more surgery, which can occur in both saline and silicone devices. With saline implants it may be easier to notice a leak as the breast becomes softer and smaller. Silicone gel implants may not be as apparent as with saline implants. Leaks in silicone implants are generally self-contained and leak out in the capsule or pocket of the implant. It is highly recommended to have a mammogram or possibly an ultrasound to help detect any possible leakage.  Your California plastic surgeon can advise you about these issues.