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    Introduction

    Introduction

    For those people that are uninformed about what plastic surgery is or what it is used for, this resource section is going to be a great way for them to find out all of their answers and get quality information on all different subjects pertaining to plastic surgery. Starting off from the basics we will begin to talk about plastic surgery in general and then delve farther in to more specific topics as the blog grows. This will be the best way for everyone to learn as much as they can from an informative source that actually help them along in their search for the answers to their questions.

    This blog is being written in the hopes that visitors to the blog and site will be able to learn a bit about plastic surgery and get all of the uncertainties and questions out of their minds. There is always going to be more information and news coming out on the subject of plastic surgery and this blog will be catching as much information as it can and presenting it to the readers. That means that this blog and resource section is going to be the best place to go in order to find out the most recent news about plastic surgery and related fields.

    Hopefully readers will continue to find this blog informative and be able to look to it for future reference about anything related to plastic surgery and the subcategories that it entails. Things like breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, liposuction, tummy tucks, breast lifts, eyelid surgery, breast reduction, facelifts, browlifts, gynecomastia, breast reductions, collagen injections, facial implants, and laser surgery and some of the topics that will be covered.

    Thank you for reading and, as always, enjoy!

    Dr. Kim is a plastic surgeon providing his expertise to the Beverly Hills area. For more information please visit Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery.

    What Is Plastic Surgery?

    The first thing that should be addressed is, ’What is plastic surgery? Where/When did it originate?’ Although these two questions seem like they could be answered in a quick fashion, the reality of it is that there will most like be enough to make two posts out of it, one for each question, so as to not confuse. We can begin to answer the first question, ’What is plastic surgery?’ Plastic surgery is a medical specialty that uses a number of surgical and nonsurgical techniques to change the appearance and function of a person’s body.* Plastic surgery procedures include both cosmetic enhancements as well as functionally reconstructive operations. For most people the first example is also known as ’cosmetic surgery’.*

    Cosmetic surgery is another small branch of plastic surgery that only deals with the enhancement of appearance through surgical techniques. Most people use cosmetic surgery in order to restore or maintain normal appearance.

    *Most people wonder why plastic surgery is deemed so and it is a simple answer. The word plastic comes from the Greek word plastikos meaning to mold or to shape; this can then be directly related to the procedures that plastic surgeons perform. The molding, shaping, and reshaping of bone, fat, muscle, cartilage, and skin is what a plastic surgeon specializes in.* Plastic surgeons are available all over the nation and the entire world. All of these plastic surgeons have been highly trained in their respective field and should be able to present their credentials if asked.

    *The information within the asteriskswas taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_sur gery

    Dr. Kim is a plastic surgeon providing his expertise to the Beverly Hills area. For more information please visit Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery.

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    Serving Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Orange County, Southern California and surrounding areas.

    History Of Plastic Surgery

    The history of plastic surgery is complex and therefore is a lot to take in at one time. Hopefully this post will be a brief overview of the history of plastic surgery and supply readers with a general knowledge on the subject.* Plastic surgery reaches back to the 700’s BCE. Physicians in ancient India were using skin graft techniques as early as the 8th century BC. In accounts of plastic surgery during these times there are descriptions and mentions of rhinoplasty and otoplasty. This knowledge of plastic surgery existed in India up to the late 18th century.

    The Romans were another group that used plastic surgery to perform simple techniques such as repairing damaged ears from around the 1st century BC. In the mid-15th century Europe, Heinrich von Pfolspeundt described a process ’to makes a new nose for one who lack it entirely’ by removing skin from the back of the arm and suturing it in place. It was not until the 19th and 20th centuries that this type of surgery became common because of the dangers that were associated with the process. At the time there was no anesthesia and all surgery on these healthy tissues involved great pain. Infection was also another problem that occurred occasionally that has become much less of a bother since disinfectants and sterile techniques were introduced.

    The U.S.’s plastic surgeon was Dr. John Peter Mettauer, who, in 1827, performed to first cleft palate operation with instruments that he designed himself. Plastic surgery as a specialty evolved tremendously during the 20th century in the U.S. Dr. Vilray Blair was the first chief of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Washington University and taught many surgeons who became leaders in the field of plastic surgery.*

    This small little snippet of the history of plastic surgery doesn’t tell all the details and mention all the names that are completely included in the full history. It is a brief overview so as to get a good feel for this branch of medicine.

    *The information included within the asterisks was taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_surgery

    Dr. Kim is a plastic surgeon providing his expertise to the Beverly Hills area. For more information please visit Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery.

    Cosmetic Surgery

    Cosmetic surgery is a large branch off of plastic surgery that is centered on the enhancement of appearance through surgical and medical techniques. Cosmetic surgery has become extremely common in this day and age and is used quite frequently by people of all ages and genders. Cosmetic surgery is mostly used for those people that are looking to maintain a ’normal’ appearance or enhancing it beyond the normal level. There are a lot of different procedures that are available that fall under the cosmetic surgery category.

    The most prevalent cosmetic procedures are tummy tucks, eyelid surgery, breast augmentation, breast reduction, breast lifts, buttock augmentation, chemical peels, labiaplasty, rhinoplasty, otoplasty, face lifts, liposuction, and laser skin resurfacing, just to name a few. Although all of these procedures are readily available to anyone there has been a lot of people that have opted for doctors outside of the U.S. to perform their surgeries because they are looking for a cheaper solution. Although having cheaper surgery is appealing there are risks involved with accepting surgery that is unusually cheap. Their techniques and sterilization processes are not the same and can cause problems if the procedure isn’t done correctly.

    Make sure that you take the correct precautions and read up about the cosmetic procedure that you are thinking about having done. This way you aren’t completely in the dark when you go in to see a cosmetic surgeon on the subject. Having a reliable doctor that you can trust is one of the most important aspects when you are considering cosmetic surgery.

    Dr. Kim is a plastic surgeon providing his expertise to the Beverly Hills area. For more information please visit Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery.

    Reconstructive Surgery

    There are two types of plastic surgery and many different sub-specialties that are associated under these main categories. Cosmetic surgery is one of these and reconstructive plastic surgery is the other. This post will be centered on the reconstructive side of plastic surgery and explaining what it is used for and common procedures.

    Reconstructive plastic surgery is used to mainly repair functional impairments and secondly to try and restore some normalcy to that person’s appearance. There are a few common procedures that are done quite frequently and they include breast reconstruction, cleft lip and palate surgery, contracture surgery, and creating a new outer ear when one is absent. Although there are many other procedures than can and have been done these are just a few of the most performed.

    There are many situations in where reconstructive plastic surgery is necessary. Any functional impairment that is caused by burns, traumatic injuries, congenital abnormalities, infection or disease, or removal of cancers or tumors. All of these things warrant reconstructive plastic surgery to take place and this surgery can positively affect the outcome of the person’s lifestyle. This type of plastic surgery is performed all time on those victims of the situations above.

    Dr. Kim is a plastic surgeon providing his expertise to the Beverly Hills area. For more information please visit Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery.

    Breast Augmentation

    In 2006, 329,000 breast augmentation procedures were performed in the U.S. Think about this number; that is a lot of women having plastic surgery/cosmetic surgery done. With the feeling that knowing as much as you can about something that you are interested in undergoing, this post is dedicated to breast augmentation procedures and teaching readers a few facts about it.

    Breast augmentation can be done with two different types of implants; saline and silicone. The main difference between the two is the solutions they are filled with and how this affects the incision that is made as well as the entire procedure. Saline-filled implants are placed within the body before being filled with salt water. You can imagine the size of the incision is much smaller than the implant itself and much smaller than those for silicone implants. Silicone implants on the other hand are filled with silicone before insertion in the breast and therefore have a larger incision than saline implants. Although this is the case, silicone implants are less noticeable to the eye and touch and are overall better for those women who are without very much breast tissue.

    If you are thinking about having breast augmentation done you should consider your two options and talk to a plastic surgeon about the choices and what is better for you.

    Dr. Kim is a plastic surgeon providing his expertise to the Beverly Hills area. For more information please visit Plastic Surgery Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery.

    Rhinoplasty

    Plastic surgery covers many different procedures. Also because there are two areas of plastic surgery the procedures can be divided into cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery. Rhinoplasty can fall under both but in most cases is performed as a cosmetic surgery more often than not. Rhinoplasty is the surgical procedure performed to improve the appearance of the nose. If you are someone who is unhappy with the look of your nose and looking to have it reshaped it be more aesthetically pleasing than rhinoplasty is going to be the best procedure for you in order to correct and abnormalities.

    There is a lot that goes into the procedure of rhinoplasty and yet it is still considered a fairly simple surgery. In most cases, and depending on the type of surgery that you have, patients are only out of work for a week and can only expect a small amount of bruising and swelling for that entire week. The surgery itself is not a particularly painful procedure and thus is the reason that there are so many people opting to have it done. In fact, if you are an avid reader of most celebrity magazines you will notice how many actors, models, and singers are having the rhinoplasty procedure done.

    There are varying costs between surgeons for this procedure and if the procedure is done as a form of reconstructive surgery it can be covered by many health insurance plans. This procedure is very common and is offered at most, if not all, cosmetic surgeons’ offices. If you have any questions about rhinoplasty and the rhinoplasty procedure you can contact a cosmetic surgeon near you at any time.

    Dr. Kim is a plastic surgeon providing his expertise to the Beverly Hills area. For more information please visit Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery.

    Recovery

    When patients go into a plastic surgeon there are a few questions that always are asked, one of which is ’Does it hurt?/Will it hurt?’ This question is on everyone’s mind, and rightfully so, it makes sense to worry about oneself when considering to let a surgeon have control over your body and appearance. There is one thing that should be taken into consideration when asking this question and that is that every person tolerates pain in a different way. Medication is given to patients for post-op that are meant to help with pain and minimize discomfort.

    If you are looking for a scale of pain as far as different surgeries go a broad description is that *most facial cosmetic operations have minimal discomfort post- operatively. Liposuction is slightly more uncomfortable, and operations that require elevation or tightening of the muscles-such as an abdominoplasty or breast augmentation have discomfort equal to that of a C-section.*

    You should expect different things from different surgeries and procedures and your doctor should be able to tell you the specifics about the procedure that you are thinking about having performed. By having a consultation with a surgeon you can find out the exact answers to most of your questions about that particular procedure.

    *the information contained within the asterisks was taken from http://www.plasticsurgery.org/patients_consumers/ps_faqs/FAQ-What-is- recovery-from-plastic-surgery-like.cfm

    Dr. Kim is a plastic surgeon providing his expertise to the Beverly Hills area. For more information please visit Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery.

    Recuperation

    Recuperating from a surgery is never an easy task and can sometimes be quite painful. When you go to a plastic surgeon, finding out how long the recuperation period is, is an important fact that you are going to want to know. Not only for personal benefit but because it also factors into how long you are going to be away from work and when you can expect to be better. The following lengths of time are estimates only and can vary depending on special circumstances. In most cases patients will require assistance for the first two days but are then able to take care of themselves for the remainder of the recuperation period.

    *Eyelid Surgery – Usually can get around independently by the second day. With the use of sunglasses, may feel comfortable going to the store by day 3-4, and with makeup could return to work by 5-7 days.

    Facelift Surgery – Usually can get around independently by the second day. Usually do not feel comfortable going out in public for 5-7 days. Requires 10-14 days before returning to work if in the public eye.

    Breast Surgery – Usually can get around independently by the second day. May return to work at 5-7 days if not required to lift more than 15 pounds.

    Liposuction-Usually can get around independently by the second day, earlier if smaller number of areas treated. One can return to work and normal activities in 5-7 days.

    Abdominoplasty – Patients may take between 2-4 days before getting around independently. The recovery is almost identical to C-section. One can return to a desk job at 5-7 days, other jobs 10-14 days.*

    Once again, the times above are merely estimates and averages based on completed procedures around the country.

    *the information contained within the asterisks was taken from http://www.plasticsurgery.org/patients_consumers/ps_faqs/FAQ-What-is-recovery-from- plastic-surgery-like.cfm

    Dr. Kim is a plastic surgeon providing his expertise to the Beverly Hills area. For more information please visit Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery.

    Safety

    What should you know about the safety of outpatient plastic surgery?

    When considering plastic surgery, it’s natural to focus more on the expected result than on the surgical process. However, to be fully informed, it’s important to learn about the safety of the procedure as well as the expected outcome. Although thousands of people have plastic surgery every year without complications, no surgical procedure is risk-free. To maximize safety, ensure that:

    • Your physician is an ASPS Member Surgeon – which ensures at least five years of surgical training – with a minimum of two years specifically in plastic surgery, and is by the American Board of Plastic Surgery;

    • The facility where your surgery will be performed conforms to strict safety standards – ASPS Member Surgeons only operate in accredited facilities;

    • Your surgeon is informed of any drugs you are taking and your full medical history, especially if you have had any circulation disorders, heart or lung ailments or problems with blood clots;

    • The surgical facility will use skilled, licensed personnel to administer and monitor your anesthesia and your recovery immediately following the procedure

    • Extra safety measures are taken if you are having a more extensive liposuction procedure.

    The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), an organization of plastic surgeons who are dedicated to the highest standards of patient care, has prepared this document to help you get the safety information you need. It contains recommendations developed by the society’s expert task forces, whose members have consulted the most recent research available. If you have questions about these guidelines or any specific concerns not covered in this document, talk with your plastic surgeon. Only ASPS members are entitled to display the logo above.

    How can I be sure that my surgeon has adequate training?

    Good credentials can’t guarantee a successful outcome; however, they can significantly increase the likelihood of it. Patients are advised to find a doctor who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), the only board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties to certify a surgeon in plastic surgery of the face and of the entire body. Certification by the ABPS is ’the gold standard’ for plastic surgeons because it signifies that the surgeon has had formal training in an accredited plastic surgery residency program. If your surgeon is ABPS-certified, you can be assured that your doctor:

    • Has completed at least five years of surgical residency training after medical school, including at least two years in plastic surgery

    • Has passed comprehensive cosmetic and reconstructive surgery exams

    • Is qualified to perform cosmetic and reconstructive procedures – everything from liposuction and facelifts to intricate wound repair.

    To verify a surgeon’s certification status, contact the American Board of Plastic Surgery at 215-587-9322 or visit the board’s web site at www.abplsurg.org or the American Board of Medical Specialties at www.abms.org or by phoning 1-800-776-2378

    *This article was taken from http://www.plasticsurgery.org/patients_consumers/ps_faqs/FAQ-What-You-Should-Know- About-the-Safety-of-Outpatient-Plastic-Surgery.cfm

    Dr. Kim is a plastic surgeon providing his expertise to the Beverly Hills area. For more information please visit Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery.