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December 2009 Q & A with Dr. Levens
(Dr. Levens’ monthly column is carried by the Coral
Springs Forum newspaper.)
Dear Dr. Levens: What have your male
patients had to say about the reaction they received afterwards from friends
and co-workers? I’d like to have a facelift but don’t want
to be kidded about it afterwards. ---RL
Dear RL: The number of men having plastic
surgery increases every year. Many say they decided to have
surgery because they want to remain competitive by presenting a more
youthful, refreshed look at work, particularly if they have a job
which involves a lot of interaction with customers and clients. The
goal with facelifts today is to produce that desired “refreshed” look
in a manner that is so natural, many people will never suspect the
patient has had surgery. I don’t recall any patient, male
or female, telling me they were teased about having a facelift.
Dear Dr. Levens: If I want a facelift
and also eyelid surgery, do you advise having them both done at the
same time or separately? ---MP
Dear MP: These two surgeries are commonly
combined, which can save some money and also eliminates the need for
two separate recovery periods. The combined surgeries can take
5-6 hours to perform.
Dear Dr. Levens: My oversized nose is sort
of a family trait and I am afraid my parents will be hurt
if I have it made smaller and straighter. Any advice on how
to handle this?
---LO
Dear LO: Actually, this situation is not that
uncommon. It can be very helpful to bring parents in for a consultation
with the plastic surgeon who can explain exactly how the procedure
works, what the risks are, what the recovery period will be like. They
can review before/after photos of other patients. In virtually all
cases, they will see that nasal reshaping does not radically change
the character of person’s face. It does create better
facial balance, produce a more attractive profile and generally, make
the nose less a focal point of the person’s overall appearance.
The goal is to create a change so subtle and natural that friends
often can’t quite pinpoint what’s different. The
days of surgically exchanging a large Roman nose for a tiny uplifted
one are long gone because the result is far too artificial.
Dear Dr. Levens: How long does it take to
recover from liposuction on the hips and upper
thighs?--HS
Dear HS: The typical schedule of recovery
for liposuction is: Bruising and swelling, 7-21 days; return
to work & social activity, 2-3 days; aerobic or strenuous
activity, 14 days. We encourage patients to return to
normal activity as soon as you can, but to avoid strenuous activity
that would push the pulse over 100 for about two to three weeks. Any
aerobic activity that increases your pulse over 100 also increases
your blood pressure, and could make you bleed. You will be asked to
wear an elastic garment for about 3 weeks or more after surgery to
minimize fluid collection and swelling.
You will see an immediate contour change, but it can take
3 months to see maximum improvement.
Dr. Levens is a Board-certified plastic surgeon.
He has served as Vice Chief of Staff and
Chief of Surgery at Coral SpringsMedicalCenter. His
column appears monthly. Send questions to Cosmetic
Surgery Today, 1725 University Dr., Suite 440, Coral
Springs Florida, 33071 or email info@DrLevens.com.
Interested in seeing past questions? Please
see our archived Q
& A section.
Dr. Levens has been providing plastic, cosmetic
and reconstructive surgery procedures for patients in Boca Raton,
Boynton Beach, Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, Davie, Delray Beach,
Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood, Lauderhill, Margate, Miami, North Lauderdale,
Parkland, Plantation, Sunrise, Tamarac, West Palm Beach, Wellington,
Weston and throughout South Florida since 1989. |
