Category Archives: Tummy Tuck

New Pain Control System Lessens Need for Opioids

We are happy to announce that we are now offering Exparel as an option for postoperative pain control to our patients. Exparel is a long acting numbing medicine that is injected at the time of surgery.

Using an innovative drug-delivery technology, the numbing medicine is slowly released over the course of three to four days. Studies have shown that Exparel is effective at reducing or even eliminating the need for opioids for the first three days after surgery. Less opioids means less nausea, less constipation, increased safety, and less mental fog.

After Exparel, patients have noticed less pain, improved mobility, and overall improved experience after surgery.

Typical cases that Exparel is great for are tummy tucks and breast cases.

If you have any questions or would like to add Exparel to your scheduled surgery, please call us at (360) 823-0860 at your earliest convenience.

SCPS Uses Technique Called “SAFELipo” for Liposuction

While liposuction remains one of the most common cosmetic procedures performed in the United States, many people are confused about how the surgery is done and which technique is best.

There really isn’t general agreement, even among plastic surgeons, and one will see many different approaches discussed in the media or on the internet.

At SCPS, we have used standard liposuction techniques for many years but have also participated in a trial of both external and internal ultrasound assisted liposuction. We also participated in a study looking at using radio-frequency waves for external (non-invasive) fat reduction.

Two years ago, I began using a technique called “SAFELipo,” a surgical fat reduction procedure pioneered by Dr. Simeon Wall, a well-respected plastic surgeon in Louisiana. This method does not depend upon laser or ultrasound energy to break up the fat prior to removal, but rather uses specially designed cannulas (hollow tubes) to loosen the fat prior to standard suctioning, and then again at the end of the procedure to smooth the remaining tissues.

We perform the SAFELipo surgery in our operating room under general anesthesia to ensure patient comfort. This technique has proven very straightforward to do, and has resulted in a much nicer contour of the treated areas with less risk of residual lumps or bumps. The patients really like the results they are seeing with this approach and I have been delighted with the safety of the operation.

Please let us know if you are interested in learning more!

When is the best time of year to undergo a cosmetic surgical procedure?

People often think about plastic surgery as the weather starts to warm up (sometime around July here in the Northwest!).  We tend to be very busy with consultations in the summer for this reason, but the warmer months may not actually be the best time for some patients to have certain procedures done.

Woman-by-FireWhy is that, you ask?  Well, in one word, the answer would be bruising.  (In three words it would be bruising and swelling.)  Every procedure we perform, whether smaller like laser spider vein removal, or larger like a tummy tuck or breast reduction, has some component of wound healing as part of the recovery process.

For most people, this means that the body area will be swollen and bruised for varying lengths of time. With botox or filler injections into the face, the bruises generally appear quite small and are typically hidden with makeup. Liposuction on the other hand, can result in much larger areas of bruising and swelling which will take several weeks to improve.

Thus, the long pants and long sleeves worn at this time of year come in very handy for camouflage purposes.

Additionally, we recommend that people limit sun exposure to skin that shows bruising as this can very occasionally discolor the skin.

Because bruising and swelling are the body’s normal response to any wound, patients will need to minimize other activities during the healing process, something that is normal during the winter months.

So if you’ve been thinking about a procedure, now is a great time to consider it. You can recover while bundled up by the fire and quite possibly be ready when the summer months beckon. Don’t wait to call us for a free consultation.

Why I Hate the Term “Mommy Makeover”

bio-greenSeveral years ago, we had run a reasonably tasteful ad in the newspaper promoting our body contouring surgeries using the term “mommy makeover.” This phrase is used commonly by our patients and the media to describe procedures such as abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) and breast lift or breast reduction. Prospective patients often call to ask if we do “mommy makeovers.”

One Sunday soon after we had run the ad, I was approached after church by a woman I knew from the parish. (This happened to be Mother’s Day by the way.) She was very upset that I had used that phrase in the advertisement, calling it demeaning to women and an insult to the perfection that is motherhood. I must admit to being somewhat shaken up after this encounter. After all, intentionally demeaning women was obviously the furthest thing from my mind (in addition to being a fairly awful business plan for a plastic surgeon).

The verbal dressing down did start me thinking though about how I could better communicate with my patients. Using the words “mommy makeover” to describe a certain procedure or procedures could make a non-medical person think that she wouldn’t be having real surgery, or that there wouldn’t be any significant recovery time. Patients might think that the television show Extreme Makeover had even a small basis in reality, and that people really do get back into the gym three days after a tummy tuck (they don’t). This kind of makeover requires a bit more down time than a mani/pedi. Most patients don’t seem to like the doctor to get too clinical or speak medicalese to them, but there has to be a better term we can come up with than “mommy makeover.”

tummy_tuck3aI would be happy to talk to anybody, at any time, about abdominoplasty, breast lift or breast reduction. In actual fact, these are some of the most satisfying procedures we do, both from the patient’s point of view and from the doctor’s perspective as well. You can learn more about these procedures, watch a video and see some before and after photos on our mommy makeover page. (Yes, we have to call it that so people will find it.) In the meantime, let me know if you can think of a more appropriate term to describe these procedures!

The Moderate Abdominoplasty: an Easy Tummy Tuck

tummy5Dr. Green and Dr. Huang at Salmon Creek Plastic Surgery perform a moderate abdominoplasty for people who don’t need the muscle tightened, removing fat and excess skin. The board-certified surgeons review your abdomen and determine if the standard tummy tuck with muscle tightening or a moderate tummy tuck without muscle tightening will provide the best result.

A moderate tummy tuck is still a formal abdominoplasty performed in our ASC. The muscle is not surgically altered, making it an ideal procedure for people who need to quickly get back to work or caring for children.

Call our office at 360-823-0860 to schedule your complimentary consultation appointment today.