No two surgeries are exactly alike, and Dr. Brantner tailors each procedure to the health, history, and desired outcome of each patient. Dr. Brantner consults with each patient prior to surgery to determine how to give them the best results. But good results rely on more than finding a skilled, experienced plastic surgeon. They rely on the patient too. Want to get amazing plastic surgery results? Avoid these bad habits.
5 Ways Patients Can Ruin Their Results
Withhold information. You may not think a previous procedure is relevant, but leaving it off your medical history form could seriously impact your surgery and recovery. Past procedures and health complications may affect the safety of your surgery, or they may change how Dr. Brantner approaches the procedure. It’s always safer to give too much information instead of too little.
Forget about current medications. When filling out their current medications form, many patients only consider prescription meds. But aspirin, vitamins, and over-the-counter medications can seriously impact your procedure and recovery. Notify your doctor’s office about all your current medications and supplements, even if you take them infrequently.
Lay out in the sun. Sun exposure lead to complications with non-surgical procedures like laser hair removal and chemical peels. The sun also makes scars more noticeable. Avoid sun exposure after a procedure, and always protect your skin by covering up with sunscreen, sunglasses, and a sun hat.
Smoke. Smoking affects the skin’s ability to heal, leading to a longer recovery. It also increases the risk of infection, scarring, and other complications. For the sake of your health, we recommend you never smoke, but if you’re intent on keeping the habit, you should quit at least 2 weeks prior to surgery and refrain from smoking during recovery.
Decide the rules don’t apply. Your doctor gives instructions based on knowledge and experience. His goal is to give each patient the best possible results, as well as protecting their overall health. Ignoring your surgeon’s treatment plan, recovery instructions, or prescribed medications is the fastest way to ruin your results.
For more information on plastic surgery in Johnson City, TN, call Dr. Brantner’s office.
With the 4th of July only a few days away, your family probably has plans to spend the weekend basking under the summer sun. Cookouts, pool parties, and fireworks displays are on everyone’s holiday to-do lists. We fully support those plans, but we have a new #1 for you: skin protection.
How to Protect Your Skin from the Sun
Whether your goal is to protect your family from melanoma or keep your skin healthy and glowing, we know you’ve heard the #1 rule of skin care: use sunscreen. But it’s not enough to simply slather on last year’s leftovers. Are you doing enough to protect your skin?
After 3 years, most sunscreens begin to lose their potency. If you’re not sure when you bought the bottle, check for an expiration date.
Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before you leave the house. Not only does this give UV protection enough time to sink in before sun exposure, you’re also less likely to miss spots at home.
Read the bottle. You may think that reapplying once is enough, but you can’t always see sun damage on your skin. It’s always better to follow the instructions on how often to reapply.
Towel off before reapplying sunscreen. If you’re at the beach, brush off any sand prior to breaking out that bottle of SPF 30.
Does sunscreen make your face breakout (or worse, burn)? Buy a sunscreen specially formulated for the face, which is more sensitive than other parts of your body.
Make sure your lip balm has sunscreen.
Layer up. Hats, cover ups, and sunglasses provide added protection against UV rays.
Soothe your skin when you get home. Cleaning and moisturizing after sun exposure rehydrates your skin, helping it remain elastic and smooth.
Keep an eye out for melanoma. Cancerous spots on your skin may look irregular in shape or color or may change over time.
Sun damage causes a multitude of skin problems, from premature aging to skin cancer. To treat sun damaged skin, call Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Which area of your body would you most like to change? For many men and women in the US, the answer to that question is changing. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons released their annual cosmetic surgery report for 2015, which shows a rising diversity in which areas of the body patients choose to address. Breast lifts, lower body lifts, and arm lifts showed considerable growth this year, as did the number of men choosing breast reduction surgery. The overall trends in cosmetic surgery and minimally-invasive procedures, however, has stayed fairly consistent with data from previous years.
Most Popular Cosmetic Surgery in 2015
The number of breast augmentations may have decreased 2% in 2015, but it’s still the most popular cosmetic surgery by over 50,000 procedures.
Liposuction procedures are up 5% from 2014, but they’re 37% less popular than they were in 2000.
Nose reshaping hasn’t changed in popularity since 2014. In 2015, it was still the 3rd most popular cosmetic procedure in America.
Eyelid surgery, such as lower and upper eye lifts, decreased 1% in popularity in 2015.
Tummy tucks replaced facelifts as the 5th most popular cosmetic procedure in 2015. Tummy tucks increased 9% in popularity over the last year and 104% since 2000.
Most Popular Non-Surgical Procedures in 2015
Non-surgical procedures have grown in popularity over the last several years, attracting patients who want facial rejuvenation without the permanence of surgery. The top minimally-invasive procedures in 2015 were:
Botulinum Toxin Type A
Soft Tissue Fillers
Chemical Peel
Laser Hair Removal
Microdermabrasion
Every patient’s surgical journey is wholly unique. If you’re considering a surgical or minimally-invasive cosmetic procedure, call to schedule a consultation with Dr. Brantner.
Many patients feel anxious in the days leading up to their procedure, especially if they’ve never had major surgery before. To help you feel confident the day of your procedure, we’ve put together a list of what to expect the day of your surgery.
What to Expect Before Surgery
Check-in. Go to the registration desk when you arrive. A receptionist will answer questions about the preoperative process, review the information in your file, and give you any remaining consent forms to sign. You will receive your ID bracelet and be directed to the waiting room.
Holding area. A nurse will arrive to take you from the waiting room to a private area where you can change into your hospital gown. The RN will verify your medical history, conditions, and medications. He or she may also perform final testing prior to surgery. Your nurse will escort you to the pre-surgical holding area where you will meet your surgical team.
Anesthesiologist interview. Prior to surgery, you will meet with your anesthesiologist, who will ask questions that determine the type and dosage of anesthesia administered. Tell your anesthesiologist if you have experienced nausea due to anesthesia in the past. You will be asked to sign an anesthesia consent form. Your anesthesiologist will monitor you during the procedure to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Final discussion with Dr. Brantner. Before surgery, you will meet with Dr. Brantner. He will confirm your procedure and mark you for surgery. If you have not already done so, you will be asked to sign a surgical consent form.
Surgery. The anesthesiologist will administer the anesthesia, and you will be taken to a clean, equipped room for surgery. The medical team will monitor you closely throughout the procedure. After surgery, you will be taken to a Post Anesthesia Care Unit where nurses will monitor you until you are fully awake. The friend who accompanied you for surgery will pick you up in post-op, receive any final care instructions from the medical team, and take you home.
Have questions about your cosmetic procedure? Call Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery or ask Dr. Brantner during your cosmetic consultation.
Elective or not, many patients feel nervous before going under the knife. Dr. Brantner and his staff are here to answer your questions and discuss your concerns before cosmetic surgery. To ensure things run smoothly on Op Day, remember these pre-op instructions.
Patient Instructions for Day of Surgery
Don’t eat anything solid after midnight the night before your surgery. Avoid colored liquids like broths.
Do not drink anything for four hours pre-op.
Ask your doctor about taking daily medications with small amounts of water the morning of your surgery. He may adjust your dosage.
Let your doctor know if you’ve neglected any of his instructions, including eating before surgery or taking fish oil or ibuprofen in the two weeks before your operation. This could affect surgery, and your doctor may need to make adjustments or postpone surgery for your safety.
You may brush your teeth the morning of surgery.
Shower and wash your hair prior to surgery. Use gentle products that do not contain fragrance. Do not apply lotion or deodorant after your shower.
Remove all nail polish, makeup, and jewelry, and removal aides like dentures, hearing aids, glasses or contact lenses, or partial plates.
Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing.
Arrive at least 2 hours before your scheduled surgery.
Bring a trusted adult to accompany you home after surgery. He or she may discuss post-op instructions with Dr. Brantner or one of his nurses.
Family and friends are not permitted in patient areas. They may accompany you to the registration area and wait in the Family Waiting Area. Your surgeon will contact them when your procedure is done. (Parents or guardians may accompany their children into the surgical holding area. Please do not bring children to the Family Waiting Area, as the wait may be difficult).
The first step in a successful cosmetic procedure is a successful consultation. A consultation gives both you and Dr. Brantner all the information you need to get the best possible results. A consultation may include paperwork, basic medical tests, and time to discuss the procedure with Dr. Brantner.
Paperwork
When you arrive at Dr. Brantner’s office, his reception staff will have forms for you to fill out before your consultation. They include consent forms, medical history questions, and insurance information. Please fill each out thoroughly and accurately. These forms give Dr. Brantner and his staff the information necessary to determine the best possible procedures, safely perform plastic surgery, and help you through the recovery process. Please arrive 15-20 minutes before your scheduled appointment to fill out paperwork. If you have any questions about what to include on the medications sheet, medical history sheet, etc, feel free to ask the receptionist.
*To save time, you can print these forms, fill them out at home, and bring them to your appointment.
Check In and Consultation
After you’ve completed the paperwork, a nurse will take you to an examination room. She may ask questions about your medical history, perform basic tests, and ensure your comfort before Dr. Brantner arrives. The doctor will arrive a few minutes later. He will ask questions about your desired results, perform a physical examination, and discuss the details of the procedure with you. This may include:
Concerns he has about your health
His professional opinion about how to get the best results for your body type or face shape
Details about the surgery and recovery
Orders about pre-op health habits (no smoking, stop taking certain medications, etc)
Time to answer your questions about the procedure
Check Out
After your consultation with Dr. Brantner, you may decide to move forward with the surgery. You can schedule your procedure before you leave. The scheduling coordinator will give you any information you need about payment, blood tests, and other pre-operative details. Most blood work and surgical procedures are scheduled at ETASC on MedTech Parkway. Post-op appointments will take place at Dr. Brantner’s office.
Call Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery to schedule a cosmetic consultation.
Smoke. Smoking affects the skin’s ability to heal, leading to a longer recovery. It also increases the risk of infection, scarring, and other complications. For the sake of your health, we recommend you never smoke, but if you’re intent on keeping the habit, you should quit at least 2 weeks prior to surgery and refrain from smoking during recovery.
Anesthesiologist interview
