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   There is not one “right way” to perform breast augmentation.  The plastic surgeon and patient have a number of options to consider: Where to place the incision. Where to place the implant. What type of implant to use. A recent survey of plastic surgeons across the country was just published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, the official publication of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery:

•  65% of the plastic surgeons used saline implants all or more than 75% of the time.
•  15% of the plastic surgeons used silicone implants all of the time.
•  64% preferred the breast crease (inframammary) incision.
•  25% preferred the periareolar (around the nipple area) incision.
•  87% preferred placing the breast implant under the pectoral muscle (submuscular or dual plane positioning).

   Knoxville breast augmentation patients that Dr. Lazarus consults with most often request saline implants placed under the muscle through a breast crease incision. However, in some patients the periareolar incision may be preferable. Doctor Lazarus has experience with both saline and silicone implants. During the detailed consultation, the breast augmentation procedure, options, and potential risks will be discussed in detail.

  “You look tired.  Are you feeling OK?”

   Have you heard that lately? If so, maybe you have been working too hard or … your upper eyelid skin is becoming droopy. Upper eyelid cosmetic plastic surgery is the easiest of the four basic plastic surgery procedures for the aging face: forehead lift, upper eyelid surgery (upper blepharoplasty), lower eyelid surgery (lower blepharoplasty), and facelift (neck, jawline, cheek lift).

   Upper eyelid surgery alone can make a remarkable, positive difference in restoring a more youthful and rested look to the face. Although lower lid surgery can be performed at the same time, patients may opt for upper lid surgery only because of the speedier recovery.

   For most upper eyelid surgery patients, bruising and swelling are minimal. Sutures are removed within 3 to five days. Post-operative discomfort is minimal. To discuss this procedure and potential risks in detail, please call for a complimentary consultation.

   Regardless of the plastic surgery procedure you’re considering, Dr. Stephen Lazarus and his staff will provide you with a comprehensive consultation.  The breast augmentation consultation is no exception. In fact, for such a “simple” operation, it requires a very detailed consultation. Although the experience and technical skill of the plastic surgeon is extremely important for a successful outcome,  equally important is management of patient expectations.

   Once you have decided to have the breast augmentation procedure, the next “big” decision is “how large to go”. There is no simple answer, which is why Dr. Lazarus and his certified plastic surgery nurse, Cyndi Zoladz, will spend lots of time with you while you try on “sizers” of various sizes and review a wide selection of before and after pictures of previous patients (with permission and no faces) in your height and weight range and of similar breast shape (all important factors in your size selection).

   Do we always get it right?  No matter how skilled the surgeon, there will always be patients who think they are not big enough after surgery and (uncommonly) those who think they are too big. But our patient satisfaction rate is very  high due to the time we devote to patient education. The many factors to be considered in breast implant size selection include: Height, weight, breast shape, breast position on the chest, breast diameter, nipple position, symmetry, and breast tissue thickness. There is also the unpredictability of how the breast tissue (especially for those who have never had children) will respond to the breast enlargement. And that is just the short list of things to be considered and discussed!!!

  For patients who are still a bit shy about coming to the office for a breast augmentation consultation, Allergan, the supplier of the Natrelle brand breast implant (saline and silicone), has introduced a “pre-consultation kit” ( http://Natrelle.com) that allows you to try on different breast sizes in the privacy of your home.

   Dr. Stephen Lazarus and the staff of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Associates,PA would like to thank all of you who participated in our 1st (Annual?) cosmetic surgery and procedure event in Knoxville, Tennessee. No surgery or injection procedures were done, just lots of food, drink and special pricing opportunities even better than our usual monthly specials.

   First, a special thanks to our established patients who brought their friends to meet us; thanks to the representatives who assisted in answering questions about nonsurgical plastic surgery options; and, of course, thank you very much to the APSA,PA staff who are well known throughout Knoxville and surrounding area for their caring professionalism. Thanks to all!

   Dr. Stephen Lazarus and the staff of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Associates, PA are pleased to report that April was a very busy month for cosmetic plastic surgery at our office in Knoxville, Tennessee. Are we bragging? No. We remain forever humble and appreciative of all our patients. But…

     Our report is one bit of good news in the overall picture for the economy. Knoxville cosmetic plastic surgery volume is directly proportional to consumer confidence. If consumer confidence is positive, then folks are willing to participate in discretionary spending in all categories, not just plastic surgery.

    For Dr. Stephen Lazarus, augmentation mammoplasty (breast enlargement) was the most popular procedure for the month of April.  Although we see patients for breast augmentation throughout the year, February through June are particularly busy months for this procedure. Face-lift, upper eyelid surgery, and abdominoplasty were other procedures performed in our Tennessee State Certified Level III office based surgery facility for the month of April.

Dr. Lazarus and his surgery staff perform plastic surgery in the office Monday through Friday to minimize your waiting time for a procedure date. If you have any questions about Plastic Surgery, please check out the rest of our plasticsurgerymd.com web site or call us for a complimentary consultation.

If you haven’t already, check out the “Spring Fling Event” with Dr. Stephen Lazarus and his staff. The details are in the “News and Specials” section of our Web Site that you’re now visiting, “plasticsurgerymd.com”. It’s a casual, open house affair where you’ll meet Dr. Lazarus and his staff. You’ll have a chance to see the office and enjoy a light fare (No, we’re not trying to increase our liposuction business! )of food and drink. No procedures will be performed that evening, but pre-purchase of injectable, laser, and skin care services will be offered at special prices. Please  call for reservations, as space is limited.

   The following is from the Saturday/Sunday, May 2-3, 2009 edition of “The Wall Street Journal”:

   The FDA is strengthening warnings on Allergan’s Botox about the possibility of breathing and swallowing problems. The safety review was done based on some problems when the product was used for unapproved, off-label use. The article notes that the most serious problems were seen in children treated for cerebral palsy -associated limb spasticity. “The agency hasn’t seen any serious issues with approved cosmetic uses of Botox, where lower doses are used.” (End of article excerpt)

   Dr. Stephen Lazarus and his staff of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Associates,PA in Knoxville, Tennessee use only Botox Cosmetic in the recommended doses. We have a very large Botox Cosmetic injection practice and have never had a serious complication. As with all of our plastic surgery procedures and non-surgical cosmetic procedures, we review potential risks as well as expected benefits.