Dr. Pickart's upcoming textbook, The Cosmetic Surgery Patient:
The Aesthetician's Role,
is packed with information
about all
the major
plastic surgery
procedures—
including
cosmetic
surgery
and
reconstructive
surgery. Each
chapter includes
answers to
all of the
usual questions such as…
- Procedure techniques
- Lengths of procedures
- Anesthesia for surgeries
- Side effects
- Risks
- Recovery
- Duration of results
Look for Dr. Pickart's book this winter in medical bookstores and at Amazon.com.
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Could It Be True?
Frequently Asked Questions about Plastic Surgery
Does plastic surgery really work?
How long will my surgery take?
Do I have to stay in the hospital?
How long should I expect for recovery?
What are the common side effects?
How will I be able to afford my operation?
More questions about plastic surgery? Contact us.
[a]
Does plastic surgery really work?
Yes. Most studies show that 80-90% of plastic surgery patients are very satisfied with their facial rejuvenation, breast enhancement, or body contouring.
Breast reductions, in particular, have one of the highest satisfaction rates of any surgery—including cancer operations, heart surgeries, orthopedic procedures…everything!
[b]
How long do the results last?
For injectables, it depends upon the agent used…
- Botox®: 3-6 months
- Non-Animal Stabilized Hyaluronic Acids, such as Restylane® and Juvéderm®: 6-9 months
- Poly-L-Lactic Acid, also known as Sculptra®: >2 years
- Calcium Hydroxylapatite, also known as Radiesse®: 1-3 years
- Polymethylmethacrylate, also known as Artefill®: permanent!
- Fat: Approximately 50% will be lost within a few months; the other half may be permanent.
For surgery, permanently—but...
- Diet and exercise become progressively more important for maintaining the attractive results of body contouring.
- All man-made materials will eventually need to be replaced—whether they are the tires on your car or the implants under your breasts.
- Gravity and aging continue to take their toll.
Liposuction
Fat that is removed by liposuction cannot grow back. We all are born
with a fixed number of fat cells, and our body cannot make new ones. However,
over-eating can certainly stimulate the remaining fat cells to grow bigger;
fat would then be deposited in new and unexpected patterns. For example,
those "saddlebags" that were liposuctioned will never grow back,
but extra scoops of ice cream may create "love handles" that
you never had before.
Breast Implants
Breast implants will provide permanently increased breast volume. However,
most implants will not last the rest of a young woman's life. While
modern implants are very safe, after decades, they can leak, which might
be evident on a mammogram. While leaking will not lead to disease,
it would certainly warrant removal of the old implants and exchange for a
new pair.
Lifting
Lifting surgery—whether of the face, neck, brows, or breasts—will
permanently turn back the clock by 10, 20, or 30 years. But nobody
can stop time or gravity! If a 45-year-old woman has a successful breast
lift that produces the perky chest of a 20-year-old, then it is likely that
her breasts will always appear decades younger. However, beginning
right after the surgery, gravity will begin to pull the breasts down again. When
the patient is 60 years old, her breasts might look 35 or 40—still
relatively youthful but certainly not as perky as 15 years before. That
darn gravity!
[c]
How long will my surgery take?
Different types of surgeries take different lengths of time. Some patients demonstrate trickier anatomy than others. Here are some guidelines:
- Botox®: 15 minutes
- Fillers: 30-45 minutes
- Browlift: 2-3 hours
- Upper Blepharoplasty: 1-2 hours
- Lower Blepharoplasty: 1 ½ - 2 ½ hours
- Face/Neck Lift: 4-5 hours
- Rhinoplasty: 2-4 hours
- Breast Augmentation: 2 hours
- Breast Lift: 1-4 hours. Simple "tucks" to lift just the nipple-areola complexes may only require an hour; however, lifting the entire breast mounds with "anchor"-shaped incisions may take 4 hours.
- Breast Augmentation + Lift: 3-6 hours
- Abdominoplasty: 3-4 hours
- Circumferential lower body lift: 7-8 hours
- Liposuction of a single region: 1-2 hours
[d]
Do I have to stay in the hospital?
Usually, no. However, there are certain indications for performing surgery in a hospital operating room (rather than in an outpatient surgery center), followed by monitoring overnight…
- Combining procedures, when the total length of surgery runs greater than 6 hours
- Unusually extensive procedures, such as…
- circumferential lower body lifts
- liposuction of more than 10 pounds of fat
- Questionable medical condition of the patient
[e]
How long should I expect for recovery?
Different types of surgeries require different recovery times. Some patients bounce back more quickly than others. Patients with very physical occupations (such as construction workers) will obviously need a longer convalescence than patients whose jobs are more sedentary (such as secretaries). Here are some guidelines:
- Botox®: no recovery time necessary; just take it easy for 4-5 hours
- Fillers: expect more swelling than with Botox®, but virtually no downtime
- Browlift: back to work in 7-10 days
- Blepharoplasties: back to work in a week
- Face/Neck Lift: plan on 1-2 weeks off
- Rhinoplasty: back to work in 7-10 days
- Breast Enhancement: expect 1 week to recover
- Abdominoplasty or Circumferential lower body lift: the toughest recovery; plan on 2-4 weeks away from the job
- Liposuction of a single region: back to work in 1-2 weeks
Returning to the gym will likely take twice as long as the above guidelines. And feeling totally normal may require another 2-3 months. Full healing—for you to see the final result—usually requires patience: 6-9 months.
[f]
What are the common side effects?
Side effects of all surgeries include temporary swelling, bruising, and discomfort. Changes in sensation (such as numbness) are usually temporary. Scars along the incision sites are permanent, but will usually fade with time.
[g]
Is plastic surgery dangerous?
No more so than any other type of surgery. All surgeries carry risks, and, unfortunately, there is always going to be somebody who will be the "1 in 10,000" who suffers a severe complication, even after a minor procedure. However, the risk profile of cosmetic plastic surgery is more favorable than for most other common surgeries, such as C-sections, gall bladder removals, knee replacements, appendectomies, or tonsillectomies. Dr. Pickart's cosmetic surgery patients have never had a life-threatening complication.
[h]
How will I be able to afford my operation?
For reconstructive operations, your insurance company may cover
at least a portion of the costs of surgery. Most insurers
will, for example, pay for breast reductions designed to relieve pain,
and will cover breast reconstruction for breast cancer victims.
For cosmetic surgery, financing is available. Pickart
Plastic Surgery, Inc., has teamed with CareCredit and with Capital One to make
financing easy and affordable.
Please contact Pickart Plastic Surgery to set up an appointment to speak with Dr. Pickart. Bring your list of questions, and he would be happy to discuss them with you—one on one.