The success of a cosmetic surgery procedure depends not just on the skill of the surgeon, but also on the openness of communication between the patient and the physician. Before your plastic surgery consultation, create a list of questions to ask your surgeon about the procedure. Make sure you include these on the list of questions to ask your doctor.
Cost, Facilities, and Accreditation
Are you board certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery?
Do you have hospital privileges?
What experience do you have in plastic surgery?
Will the surgery take place at an accredited ambulatory surgery center?
What is the cost of the procedure? What additional fees can I expect?
What payment options are available?
Will insurance cover any of my plastic surgery costs?
Surgical Procedure
What surgery or surgeries do you recommend based on my needs?
Am I a good candidate for the procedure?
Do you have before/after images I can view?
How does the procedure work?
What are the risks involved with this plastic surgery procedure?
How long is the recovery period? Will a friend or relative need to care for me during my recovery?
Will there be prolonged discomfort after the procedure?
Will I have visible scars after my surgery?
What are my options if I require additional surgery?
Preparing for Surgery
Which foods and medications should I avoid leading up to my surgery?
How long before/after the procedure should I quit smoking?
What sort of clothes should I wear or bring to my surgery?
How long will the surgery take? Do I need a family member to stay with me?
When do I need to schedule a follow-up appointment?
How often should I take medication during my recovery?
Dr. Brantner will likely answer all these questions and more during a surgical consultation, but preparation helps patients feel comfortable about their plastic surgery choices. Make sure you ask your surgeon about your procedure, costs, recovery, and results before scheduling a cosmetic procedure.
Once a patient chooses to have a breast augmentation, it might feel like the decisions are over. Planning plastic surgery is a personal choice that each woman must make based on her physical ideal and emotional satisfaction. However easy or difficult it is for a patient to choose a breast augmentation, she also needs to consider several factors in getting the results she wants.
Choosing the Right Implant
During a cosmetic surgery consultation, Dr. Brantner will discuss the medical procedure, educate the patient about physical limitations before and after surgery, and ask about the patient’s implant choices. Many women find it beneficial to consider their preferences beforehand. Patients must make four major decisions about their breast augmentation surgery. We will discuss size/type today and positioning/scarring next week.
Size of implant. Before scheduling your surgical consultation, research your desired bust size. Dr. Brantner can make suggestions based on a patient’s height and body type, but only you know exactly what aesthetic you want. Find photos of celebrities with your desired breast size whose proportions are similar to yours. Knowing your desired cup size is also beneficial, but keep in mind that the lingerie industry has inconsistent sizing. What is a B cup at one store may be a D cup at another.
Type of breast implant. In order to create a natural, beautiful look, you need to decide what type of implants you want. Saline breast plants are filled with sterile saltwater. If the implant were to burst, the body would absorb the saline from the implant. Saline implants create subtle ripples beneath the skin, which some women find unappealing. The gel in silicone implants feels more like natural breast tissue. If the implant leaks the gel will stay in the implant shell or trickle into the implant pocket, but silicone implants rarely collapse entirely. Women with silicone implants should visit their doctor regularly to ensure their implants are functioning properly. For more information about the shape and texture of breast implants, schedule a consultation.
The goal of a breast augmentation is to give women larger breasts without the stretched, plastic-looking roundness of poorly placed implants. At a breast augmentation consultation, Dr. Brantner will discuss the size of implant desired by the patient, the pros and cons of saline and silicone breast implants, and details of the surgical process. Two other factors he determines with his patients are the location of the scar and the position of the implant.
Choosing a Scar Location
The incision during a breast augmentation is typically small, around an inch long. During a consultation, Dr. Brantner and his patients discuss the location of the scar. The goal is to find the least visible location for the scar. Other factors include body type, the type of the implant, and the desired size of the breasts. Dr. Brantner generally recommends a transaxillary incision (an incision along the armpit) or an incision around the nipple area, although inframammary incisions (incisions beneath the breasts) are also common incisions in breast augmentation procedures.
Breast Implant Position
When patients choose breast implants, they must choose the size, type, and location of their new breast material. Placing the implant beneath the pectoral muscle gives a more natural slope to the breast. When a woman has little natural breast tissue, placing the implant on top of the muscle can create stiff, overly round looking breasts. The same unnatural look is often created by using implants that are too large. By implanting the new breast material beneath the muscle, Dr. Brantner can create a natural, gentle slope that lacks the fake look of many celebrity breast implants. In a few special cases, Dr. Brantner recommends placing the implant over the muscle tissue. Over-the-muscle implants generally work best for competitive body builders or select women starting with at least a B-cup.
Summer might have a reputation as the season for lounging by the pool and taking leisurely road trips, but “organized chaos” is probably closer to the truth. During the summer months mothers and professionals in Johnson City have their hands full. If you’re looking for a quick aesthetic boost before your next vacation, but don’t have time for a full surgical recovery, a non-surgical procedure could be your busy-season solution.
Chemical Peels
Dermatologists have made chemical peels famous for rejuvenating the skin, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, and smoothing blemishes on the face. Chemical peels are a quick, easy procedure with little downtime. TCA peels may result in some redness, puffy skin, or mild peeling for up to a week. The recovery time for a microdermabrasion or glycolic acid peel is much milder, and rarely lasts longer than 48 hours. Our experienced technician will carefully remove the rough outer layer of skin to remove blemishes and reveal the smooth, youthful skin below. Chemical peels are a simple procedure with minimal discomfort. A patient can undergo a glycolic acid or microdermabrasion treatment on their lunch break and return to work that afternoon, or stop by for a chemical peel during travel preparations and head off to the beach several days later.
Injectable Fillers and Botox
Botox, Juvederm, and fat injections are the cosmetic procedure of choice for non-surgical improvement of wrinkles and creases around the face. Botox is popular among both male and female patients for its subtlety and effective results. Botox treatments involve injecting a prescription medication into the muscle to smooth the skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Juvederm is an injectable filler used plump the lips and treat wrinkles and creases around the mouth and chin. The results of Botox last several months; Juvederm treatments last around a year. During a fat injection treatment Dr. Brantner will remove fat from the patient’s stomach area to inject into their face. Fat injections are used to treat loose skin, facial depressions, and wrinkles or creases in the face. The effects are usually permanent, and have lower risk of complications because the injectable material came from the patient’s own tissue.
Non-surgical cosmetic treatments are an easy way to see fast results. Chemical peels, injectable fillers, and Botox treatments have minimal procedure and recovery time, making them minimally disruptive to a patient’s busy schedule. To schedule a procedure, contact Dr. Brantner’s scheduling coordinator.
After a patient decides to have cosmetic surgery, she must find the right physician. Research board certified plastic surgeons in Johnson City, TN before scheduling a cosmetic surgery consultation.
Plastic Surgery Credentials
When a patient decides to undergo cosmetic surgery, finding a qualified plastic surgeon is crucial. A board certified surgeon has the skill and experience to address potential complications during surgery or infections during healing. Make sure your plastic surgeon:
Is board certified in plastic surgery. Plastic surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery are highly skilled physicians uniquely qualified to provide unbeatable patient care with minimal surgical complications. Choose a surgeon certified by the ABPS or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Has a good record. Contact your state’s medical board to verify your physician’s license and surgical history.
Has hospital privileges for the procedure. Hospitals perform extensive background checks before allowing a plastic surgeon to operate within their facilities. Most hospitals require their cosmetic surgeons to be board certified in plastic surgery.
Makes you feel comfortable. Before scheduling a cosmetic procedure, make sure your physician makes you feel comfortable and well-informed. Bring a list of questions about your procedure to your consultation and make sure your physician answers them to your satisfaction.
Cosmetic Surgeon vs Plastic Surgeon
Although cosmetic surgeons often oversell their expertise, there is a clear cut difference between a plastic surgeon and a cosmetic surgeon. A plastic surgeon is required to have five years of surgical training for both facial and body procedures, and at least two years of specialized medical training in plastic surgery. Cosmetic surgeons do not necessarily receive surgical training during medical school or residencies; they often train themselves in cosmetic surgery while on the job. An American Board of Plastic Surgery certified physician must pass extensive qualifying exams in plastic and cosmetic surgery. A cosmetic surgeon could be certified in anything from Dermatology to ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat), but may not be professionally trained in plastic surgery. Because plastic surgeons have accredited training, they are equipped to handle complications and medical emergencies that non-specialized cosmetic surgeons can not.
Dr. Brantner has been certified in plastic and reconstructive surgery by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons since 1985. To learn more about Dr. Brantner’s qualifications, contact his plastic surgery office.
The success of a cosmetic surgery procedure depends not just on the skill of the surgeon, but also on the openness of communication between the patient and the physician. Before your plastic surgery consultation, create a list of questions to ask your surgeon about the procedure. Make sure you include these on the list of questions to ask your doctor.
