Rhinoplasty/Septoplasty

Q.I have trouble breathing out of one side of my nose. Can anything be done to correct this? Can I change the shape of my nose at the same time?

A. Difficulty breathing out of one side of the nose is most commonly caused by a deviated nasal septum. The septum is the structure in the middle of the nose that if deviated will block the air flow through the nostril. This condition can be corrected by surgically moving the septum back to the middle so that air flow is improved on both sides. It is possible to change the shape of the nose at the same time.

Q. How much time off do I need from work to recover from nose surgery?

A. Most patients are ready to return to work within a week.

Laser Resurfacing

Q.What options are available to improve the facial scars caused by acne?

A. There are a number of options to improve the facial scars caused by acne, it should be noted that although the scars can be improved, they cannot be completely removed. Dermabrasion is one of the oldest techniques, but this procedure is relatively crude and uncontrolled as well as being very bloody. I rarely use this technique today. Next would be the use of chemical peels. These can help; however, if the scarring is quite severe and requires a very deep peel, the margin of safety is not as good as the use of the laser. The ultrapulsed CO2 laser is the treatment of choice as the laser is very precise. This precision allows the operating surgeon to have a much greater margin of safety. In addition, the laser allows the surgeon to perform what I like to call microsculpting of the acne scarring.

Q. How long does it generally take to recover from laser resurfacing?

A. There will be some oozing of the treated areas for 5 to 7 days, at the end of which time your facial skin will be very soft, very smooth, and quite red. This redness lasts for anywhere from three weeks to three months. Of course, during this time the redness can be hidden with makeup.

Q. Does laser resurfacing hurt?

A. The actual procedure is painful and requires either local anesthesia or general anesthesia during the procedure. The post-op period is relatively pain free; however, every person’s pain threshold is quite different, so we give every patient plenty of pain medication.

Today, there is no reason for anyone to experience pain, as we know that patients who do not have pain heal much faster than patients who have pain.

Liposuction

Q. How long does it take to heal after liposuction?

A. This largely depends on how much liposuction is being done. On average, however, most patients are up and about on the day of surgery, but it is several weeks before normal exercise can be resumed.

Most post-operative swelling takes between 3 to 8 weeks to disappear. There will continue to be small changes for up to 6 months after surgery.

Q. Do I have to wear anything special after liposuction? For how long?

A. Plastic surgeons have found that the healing process is speeded up with the use of compression garments. We encourage patients to wear these unobtrusive garments for as long as 8 weeks.

Breast Augmentation

Q. Are there risks with having implants placed?

A. As with any surgical procedure, there are some risks associated with this surgery. However, of all the surgical procedures that we perform in plastic surgery, this procedure has one of the lowest incidents of complications.

Q. Can I breast feed my baby if I have an implant?

A. It is conceivable that breast feeding may be difficult after breast augmentation, and all patients are warned about this. In my 20 years of practice, I have had many patients go on to breast feed and have not had any patients (to the best of my knowledge) who have had problems breast feeding.

Q. Is there an increased risk for breast cancer with an implant?

A. No.

Q. Is the implant placed over the muscle or under the muscle? Where are the scars after augmentation?

A. The implants can be placed over the muscle or under the muscle. This is a decision that is best made following an examination of the breast. As for the scars they can be placed in a variety of different places depending on the size and shape of the patient’s breast. It is best if these questions are discussed in detail and in person with Dr. Brown.