Our Blog
Do I need to change my breast implants after 10 years?
Posted on:
April 16th, 2020
By:
Jeffrey Nelson
What should I do if my saline implant deflates? Should I deflate my intact implant?
Posted on:
February 16th, 2020
By:
Jeffrey Nelson
What Filler should I use?
Posted on:
February 27th, 2019
By:
Jeffrey Nelson
What is a Mommy Makeover?
Posted on:
February 27th, 2018
By:
Jeffrey Nelson
Mommy Makeover: The term “mommy makeover” doesn’t represent anyone procedure, but encompasses a number of potential operations to correct the body changes that come with childbirth. In general, the term “mommy makeover” applies to surgeries that address both the breast and body contouring at the same time. Having children often changes the volume, skin laxity, and contours of the breast. Pregnancy also stretches the natural tissue laxity of the abdominal skin and structural support of the abdomen. The “mommy makeover” will address the breast changes with a breast augmentation, breast lift, or lift with an augmentation at the same setting as body contouring. Body contouring may only be liposuction to address stubborn fat deposits that won’t go away after having kids, or it may involve doing some form of tummy tuck to get rid of loose skin and stretch marks as well as allow tightening of the underlying muscles and fascia of the abdomen to regain the youthful contours.
Tummy tucks themselves are a constellation of procedures that begin with the mini-tummy tuck, but can also be extended all the way around the abdomen and back which is a circumferential tummy tuck. The circumferential variety of tummy tuck is more frequently done in the setting of major weight loss, but on occasion, someone might have had enough body changes from pregnancies to make the circumferential indicated. As patients can imagine the more the body changed with the pregnancies the more might have to be done. If someone might have only a little breast atrophy needing only a breast augmentation then we don’t use the term “mommy makeover” for only one thing needed correction, but it still fixed a “mommy” problem from having children. In the same vein if a patient only needs a tummy tuck and no breast surgery we don’t call that a mommy makeover. Mommy makeover is just a term to simplify the education process to patients. It’s usually best to be done having children before proceeding with a mommy makeover for the patient can lose some of the benefits the surgery provided if they get pregnant again. Feel free to contact the office for a consult if you wish to discuss which mix of options would serve your desires the best.
Ear lobe, and gage hole repair in Tucson, AZ
Posted on:
April 25th, 2016
By:
Jeffrey Nelson
There are several reasons patients desire ear lobe surgery. Occasionally patients just have larger then normal dangling ear lobes that they wish to have reduced in size. For some they have an ear lobe that has torn from the long term weight of heavy ear rings; others a trauma like a child pulling an ear ring caused the tear. Since gages have become much more common, some people wish to have the gage hole removed as they seek out new employment options. The armed services, many fire departments or police departments require gage holes be closed before enlisting or starting training for public service jobs.
The up side of all these reasons for ear lobe surgery is that except in young children the surgery is easily performed under local anesthesia in the office with numbing injections. The ear lobe is a very easy structure to numb up with simple injections from a tiny needle, and can stay numb for 4 to 6 hours. This always proves to be a much smaller deal then the patients think as they chat with the doctor or just relax for a few minutes while they get a new ear lobe.
Once nice and comfortable ear lobes that have tears or most gage hole repairs have a pie wedge of the torn edges or sides of the gage holes excised and the front and back of the ear lobes sewn back together so it looks like an ear lobe before any piercings. A small tape dressing is applied and a week or so later the sutures are removed. Contact sports and swimming should be avoided for a few weeks to be sure no damage happens shortly after the procedure.
Patients having ear lobe reductions may have slightly different designs to the location of the incisions depending on the natural shape and size of the ear lobe, but the procedure and recovery is very similar to the other repairs. Ear lobe repairs is a very commonly performed procedure in Dr. Nelson’s office. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us for an evaluation.
Am I a candidate for Kybella or neck liposuction?
Posted on:
October 15th, 2015
By:
Jeffrey Nelson
First and foremost the best individual to determine if it’s better to do Kybella or neck liposuction is the plastic surgeon who routinely does liposuction and injectables. The plastic surgeon has seen the anatomy from the inside and outside and knows what results can be obtained with each procedural option.
Kybella is the newest non-invasive option to get rid of the fat pad under your chin. While Kybella is a great product to have available to offer our patients it’s important that we cover the differences and similarities between Kybella and a simple localized neck liposuction. Kybella is “Deoxycholic acid” which is a chemical term that means it’s actually something made by your liver and found in your bile. Your body naturally uses Deoxycholic acid to help dissolve fats in your body. The term acid seems scary to some people, but remember our body makes this same acid and stores it in our gall bladders to use when we eat food. The purified form of Deoxycholic acid ” is what Kybella is”, and it can be injected into submental fat under our chin to dissolve away fat in a controlled way. Normally about 20 separate small injection sites are mapped out under your chin for the Kybella. Mild fat deposits would require two separate sets of injections usually six weeks apart, more fat deposits require three or four separate sets of injections. Large fat pads would need more injections to have the patient feel they really got the result they were after. Kybella does have to be placed in a very specific local area under your chin about 2/3rd’s the size of your palm. If injected outside the safe zone Kybella may injure nerves or tissues we don’t want Kybella near.
So Kybella is an excellent product that is well researched with relatively straight forward indications; so why even consider neck liposuction? This is where the plastic surgeon really can guide you toward the best choice for you. Almost all patients in my practice interested in neck liposuction are done in the office with numbing medicine using small specialized liposuction equipment made for the face and neck. This is a very low impact non stressful procedure that takes between 45 minutes to and hour and patients love the result. Neck liposuction in the office is much less expensive than doing three or four separate Kybella injection sets each 6 weeks apart. Also liposuction allows us to treat a much broader area than Kybella since we don’t have to worry about the chemical getting into places we don’t want it. Neck liposuction can go more laterally in the neck and lower in the neck, and can safely be done in the jowl area where Kybella is not to be placed. The other upside of the neck liposuction is you do the one treatment and you’re done an once some swelling or mild bruising goes down you can see lots of improvement. Kybella will take many more months to get to your goal. People shouldn’t think of neck liposuction as some big deal procedure, it is not. Neck liposuction is surprisingly minimally invasive as a procedure. So neck liposuction is less expensive than multiple Kybella treatments, is relatively non-invasive, and can get you from point “A” to point “B” quicker than Kybella, that does not mean Kybella isn’t awesome. If the patient has milder fat deposits and especially if they only need two sets of Kybella injections then Kybella would definitely be a great way to go. The key here is to see a plastic surgeon about this so they can guide you in the best direction for they can do the minimal surgery or the injections and can help you decide which works best for you, rather then someone who might only do injections so can’t even appropriately address surgical options. We’re delighted to have Kybella on the scene as a new option and we hope this helps explain why different patients may choose different options.
Melting submental Fat with Kybella
Posted on:
June 9th, 2015
By:
Jeffrey Nelson
The Kythera company is creating a buzz with their new product Kybella. Kybella is an injectable agent made of Deoxycholic acid that can break down fat deposits under the chin. Kybella currently is only approved by the FDA for use in the submental region to shrink down fat deposits there. Kybella’s nitch will be as a non-surgical option to decrease the fullness patients have under the chin. Kybella will require numerous injections into the fatty deposits (10 to 20 injections) under the chin and most patients will need several treatments separated by a month or so to get adequate results. Patients with much larger thicker fat deposits will need more injections obviously.
Deoxycholic acid is a natural product made by bacteria when the metabolize cholic acid a type of bile acid. Our livers make bile acids to help us break down and absorb fats we eat in food. We naturally produce cholic acid and bacteria in our digestive systems modify cholic acid to Deoxycholic acid. Deoxycholic acid and other bile acids emulsify fats and break them down. Our own fat cells have fats in the cell membranes so injections of Kybella (Deoxycholic acid) will break down and destroy the fat cells and our body’s natural mechanisms will remove the damaged fat cells and fat released by those cells. This is how Kybella shrinks down the area of fats where it is injected. It is important to make sure the Kybella isn’t injected into non fatty tissues for it can injure nerves, vessels, or glands if injected into or next to those important structures. Kybella is a new kid on the block and will be a great addition to the other options we have to help shrink and tighten the area under the neck so people can improve those double chins.
Can Exercise Improve my skin?
Posted on:
February 12th, 2015
By:
Jeffrey Nelson
It’s amazing how often patients suggest… “If I exercise more my loose skin will get tighter right?” Boy don’t we all wish it was as simple as that. Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. Without getting to scientific about it all let’s discuss skin changes with weight, child birth, sun damage, and other aspects of mother nature.
Exercise is a great thing, most of us could use more of it and it’s great in assisting weight control, muscle tone, maintaining bone density, and keeping our heart strong and our blood pressure down. Exercise cannot tone your skin your skin however. Good muscle tone will show nicely “under the skin” but the skin itself doesn’t change as much as we’d like with fitness alone; some just not much.
In fact, if your fitness means being outside swimming, hiking, biking, running, gardening, playing tennis, or golfing the fact is the Arizona sun may be aging your skin significantly while you’re getting more fit everywhere else.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m an Arizona boy and I love my time outdoors in the sun. It is why we all choose to live here. Just make sure you are vigilant with quality sunblock, consistent with hydration and try to do the outdoor activity when the sun isn’t beating you down with noontime intensity. Quality sunscreen contains ingredients that are physical blockers i.e.; titanium dioxide and or zinc oxide.
Moderate exercise does improve blood flow to tissues balances our blood sugar lowers our blood pressure and can smooth out our hormone/endocrine physiology. Some of these physiologic parameters are good for the skin physiology, but again watch the sun damage. A significant component of skin aging is genetically driven and exercise can’t compensate for your genes. Excessive exercise is not necessarily good for you either. Remember your parent’s adage “everything in moderation.” Excessive exercise can lead to low grade inflammation in the body, the joints, the organ systems and that’s not a good thing. So be smart and be consistent with steady moderate exercise and in the long run you’ll be better for it.
Unfortunately if there is stretching of the skin from pregnancy, weight changes, whatever the cause you may need the tricks of our trade with surgery, lasers, truSculpt or other skin tightening procedures to accomplish your goal. Don’t stop exercising; jsu don’t think you can exercise your “skin” back to youth.
Tubular Breast Deformity (Tuberous Breast)
Posted on:
January 2nd, 2015
By:
Jeffrey Nelson
If breasts are narrow at the bottom and protruding out like snoopy’s nose they are what is classified as Tuberous breasts. This type of breast shape is reported in 5% of patients but the exact incidence isn’t known. Tubular breast deformity can occur in men and women. Originally classified in three grades of severity a few typical characteristics are present. First like the name states the breast has elongated tubular appearance. Most often this is due to a shortage and tightness to the tissues only the lower half of the breast. This is why tubular breasts are also called “constricted” breast for the tighter lower portion of the breast narrows to the base of the breast. This constriction tends to make for a higher inframammary crease which is where the breast joins the chest wall. Typically the distance from the nipple to the inframammary crease (IMC) is shorter than normal. Also, this constriction of breast tissue leaves a wider than normal spacing between the two breasts. The patients Areola and nipple may look like its being pushed out from the breast and frequently it may a bit large relative to the rest of the breast. Patients with constricted breast deformities may have a lower chance to breast feed than the general population, but this has not been formally studied.
So what can be done to assist the patient in managing the tubular breast? Breast Augmentation with tissue scarring is the mainstay of addressing tubular breast deformity. Tissue “scarring” means the surgeon will make some cuts into the breast tissue to allow it to relax and stretch quicker with the breast augmentation. How much “scarring” depends on the tightness of the native breast.
As mentioned earlier tuberous/tubular breasts can have an enlarged areola that is pushing out from the breast. To create a better contour to the breast a “donut” mastopexy might be needed as well as the breast tissue scarring. A donut mastopexy or some variant means we remove a donut shape of the extra areola skin to make it an appropriate size. Also, releasing the breast from the overlying skin permits I to push the herniating breast/areola tissue back in so it doesn’t look like snoopy’s nose anymore. If the tubular deformity is mild it might be suggested to hold off on the mastopexy to see if after augmentation is even needed. Frequently a donut mastopexy can be done under local anesthesia down the road if needed.
Occasionally a patient might have a severe enough deformity that a tissue expander could be suggested. Tissue expanders allow the surgeon to stretch out your breast tissue over time by adding salt water (saline) solution into a type of breast implant expander made for this purpose. Tissue expanders are commonly used in breast cancer reconstruction. The need for the expander is rare for tuberous breast issues. There are expandable implants that can serve as your expander and a final implant. However in my opinion, in the very rare patient that an expander is utilized the end result is better & the expander is changed out for a more standard implant after the expansion process is finished. We hope this sheds some light on tuberous/tubular breast deformity. Feel free to contact us at 520-575-8400 for an appointment for a personal assessment.
Breast Augmentation: Why do some people get hardening of the breast(Capsular Contracture)
Posted on:
August 19th, 2014
By:
Jeffrey Nelson
First let’s define what Capsular Contracture (C.C.) is vs. simply a capsule around a breast implant. Anyone who gets a breast implant will form a capsule of natural tissue around that implant. A capsule is your body laying down a thin layer of collagen and cells around the object. Any medical device placed in the body will get this capsule made around it. Pacemakers have capsules, joint replacements have some capsule, and internal insulin pumps have capsules. The formation of thin scar tissue around the scar around the implanted object is pretty normal. So every patient with an implant has a capsule, but most patients don’t have a “Capsular Contracture”(C.C.). The contracture part of the equation is the piece we wish to avoid. Contracture means the capsule is getting stiffer, thicker or hard enough to distort the breast. Years ago Dr. Baker gave a simple grading scale on how to access how firm a capsular contracture (C.C.) was. Baker’s Class goes form I to IV. A Baker’s class I means a soft normal feeling breast without evidence of C.C. A class II looks normal, but on palpitation the surgeon or patient can tell the breast is firmer than normal. Class III typically has more hardening and perhaps some visual distortion of the breast. Baker’s class IV has even more hardening, distortion and possibly even pain in the breast or pain with palpitation. This classification scheme is not very detailed or scientific, but it is a standard way to follow and grade the degree of C.C. a patient has.
So what causes capsular contracture? Why do some people get it and some people don’t. Also why does it happen to one breast and not the other? The reality is we don’t have definitive proof of one single cause, there appears to be several potential culprits leading to capsular contracture. The underlying process that leads to C.C. is anything that increases inflammatory reactions in the breast space around the implant. The likely contributors can be extra blood around the implant at time of surgery, any extra foreign body like surgical glove powder, cellular debris, serum, or bacteria in the space that generate inflammation, but not infection.
As surgeons have become more aware and sophisticated with our performance of breast augmentation the occurrence of C.C. has decreased over the years. First you want your surgeon to be very meticulous about the dissection decreasing the risk of extra blood or serum getting in the space around the implant. If there is extra blood the body has to generate more inflammation to clear it just like absorbing a bruise over time. More inflammation can lead to more capsular reaction and then contracture. Also extra blood or serum can act like culture medium if there are bacteria in the space around the implant. For the last 25 years better studies have been done looking at bacteria as a reason people might get a capsular contracture. Bacteria do live normally on our skin, there are bacteria in the air around us and even the most sterile environment can have a few bacteria hanging around. While a true implant infection is extremely rare in breast augmentation the chance of some bacteria getting on the implant is real. This risk of bacteria getting on an implant is one reason we prefer not to use incision around the areola as much as we used to. Breast tissue and glands have bacteria in them naturally, and there is the hypothetical chance of periareolar incisions causing more chance of bacteria coming in contact with implant. This is not a proven hard scientific fact, but it does make sense.
The position and surface style of an implant also changes the capsular contracture risks. Smooth implants above the muscle (subglandular placement) in most studies have a higher C.C. rate than if the implant was placed under the pectoral muscle (submuscular placement). However a textured (rough surface) implant placed above the muscle doesn’t have as much C.C. risk as the smooth implant. The belief is the textured surface can break up the alignment of scar tissue so it can’t organize in one direction to pull on the surface of the implant. The understanding of this is not precisely understood for both smooth and textured implants under the muscle have fairly low capsular contracture rates. Its implants placed above the muscle that seems to make a bigger difference here. Studies will be going on for many years before we have a better and more complete understanding of capsular contracture and how to prevent it. For now a key way I keep capsular contracture as low as possible is to not open an implant until right before it goes into the patient. The moment we open an implant it is immersed in antibiotic solution to make it hard for a bacteria to even land on the implant. My surgical gloves are changed to new gloves and washed with antibacterial solution. No one but me ever touches the implant to decrease chance of contamination. I irrigate the space for the implant with antibiotic solution also. These and other sterility maneuvers have been documented to have lower C.C. rates with breast augmentation.
Capsular Contracture will continue to be an area of active research and as of yet we don’t have all the answers, but we keep getting the incidence lower and lower so C.C. are much lower than several decades ago. If you wish greater details on this topic give us a call and set up an appointment to fill in any gaps in your understanding of this component of breast surgery.