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March 2010 Archived Q & A with Dr. Levens

(Dr. Levens’ monthly column is carried by the Coral Springs Forum newspaper.)

Dear Dr. Levens: I was born with two webbed toes that my parents thought were precious and therefore didn’t have corrected.  I’m 28 now and I never wear sandals because the toes look freaky. What would be involved to get this fixed at my age?  --MH

Dear MH:  The condition is called syndactyly.  While it is easiest to correct in childhood, it can be done at any age.  A surgeon will make an incision to separate the tissue (and sometimes bone which is more complicated) that connects the two toes.  Skin grafts may be needed to close the skin.  You’ll have to stay off your feet for at least one or two weeks.  You can always spend the time shopping for sandals online.

Dear Dr. Levens: I overheard a woman talking about having to have a breast implant replaced.  What could make a replacement necessary? ---MO

Dear MO:  “Implant failure” occurs when the implant ruptures or gradually leaks.  This does not cause a health hazard, but often will make the affected breast look smaller and/or asymmetrical.  Implant replacement is a fairly routine procedure since breast implants, like most medical devices are not considered lifetime devices and may require replacement generally after 10-15 years if a problem is noted.

Dear Dr. Levens:  If I have a facelift, how long before I can go back to my treadmill and weights?  I don’t want to lose muscle tone.  ---WR

Dear WR:  After a facelift, you can return to work and social activity within 10 to 21 days, but 
aerobic or strenuous activity should definitely be avoided for 14-21 days. Any aerobic activity that significantly increases your pulse or blood pressure, could cause bleeding or more swelling if this activity is resumed too soon after surgery.  You may gradually resume your exercising, but build up slowly and after your doctor’s OK.

Dear Dr. Levens:  Is there any way to get rid of those awful “hanging wings” on my upper arms without being left with long, ugly scars? --TB

Dear TB:  If the amount of skin to be removed is very minimal, the incision can be hidden in the armpit.  If there is considerable excess skin (usually the case if the hanging skin has been caused by massive weight loss or aging), long incisions on the upper arms can’t be avoided. Although the scars can be quite long, they can be made less conspicuous with careful attention to the location and repair of the incision.   There are also excellent scar reduction treatments which, if used as directed, can substantially improve the look of a scar.

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.