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Many journalists are talking about it, large groups of plastic surgeons have spoken out against it, but what do the patients think?

Since last week when the proposed tax on cosmetic procedures was unveiled in the health care reform bill, we’ve heard many arguments for and against the tax.  However, the patients will be paying for it.  So, what do they think?

If you have undergone an elective plastic surgery procedure, answer our online poll below.

The ASPS and ASAPS have responded to the proposed cosmetic surgery tax, calling it discriminatory, arbitrary, and ineffective.  Details of the bill are below:

”SEC. 5000B. IMPOSITION OF TAX ON ELECTIVE COSMETIC MEDICAL PROCEDURES.
”(a) IN GENERAL.-There is hereby imposed on any cosmetic surgery and medical procedure a tax equal to 5 percent of the amount paid for such procedure (determined without regard to this section), whether paid by insurance or otherwise.
”(b) COSMETIC SURGERY AND MEDICAL PROCEDURE.-For purposes of this section, the term ‘cosmetic surgery and medical procedure’ means any cosmetic surgery (as defined in section 213(d)(9)(B)) or other similar procedure which-
”(1) is performed by a licensed medical professional, and
”(2) is not necessary to ameliorate a deformity arising from, or directly related to, a congenital abnormality, a personal injury resulting from an accident or trauma, or disfiguring disease.

Because 86 percent of cosmetic surgeries are purchased by women, many of which are middle class working people, the society has argued that it would be discriminatory.

The bill also imposes the burden of making clear distinctions between procedures that are “medically necessary” and simply elective.  Who should be making these distinctions?  Should it be a tax auditor?  Dr. Jennifer Walden appeared on Fox news last night to discuss such problems.

In a way, it’s like a job interview; a plastic surgery consultation represents an opportunity to develop a professional relationship.  Likewise, there are better and worse ways to go about it.  Follow these 2 steps to ensure that your consultation is productive.

1. Prepare Yourself: have questions and know your general goals

The consultation offers the perfect opportunity to discuss specific information related to your procedure that can’t be easily found online.  Just bring a list of questions or topics that you think are really important.

Being prepared also means knowing what you want to achieve with plastic surgery.  Some patients know exactly what they want, while some are just curious about cosmetic surgery.  Both are fine, but it’s best to think about your general goals before the consultation.

2. Be open and communicate well

Good communication is crucial through our entire process.  Feel free to utilize whatever tools you think are necessary to help accomplish that; whether it is our before & after photos or some other visual aid you find appealing.

Also, don’t hide important information that may allow Dr. Dreyfuss or Dr. Gelman to serve you more effectively.  Information such as past medical history, past procedures, and your motivations to have surgery all fall into that category.

I’m 23 and single.  Dr. Gelman did my tummy tuck 4 months ago.  I thought about it for nearly 2 years because I had a lot of extra baggy skin in my abdominal area and I hated it.  I was heavy when I was younger and a few years ago I managed to lose 75 pounds and keep it off. That’s the good news.  The bad news is that the weight loss left me with loose sagging skin and I felt so self-conscious about it.  I had a 23 year old body and an old woman’s belly.  Not good!  I had to do something about it because I was so sick of worrying and thinking about it, scared of exposing that part of my body and always trying to cover up.

Researching the procedure

I went online almost every day and read what other women had to say about tummy tucks and what their experiences were like.  That’s how I found Dr. Gelman.  I looked at before-and-after pictures of women around my age and told myself, “I could look like this or like that if I get a tummy tuck.”  There’s no way exercise can tighten up stretched out skin and that got clear to me after I tried so hard and it didn’t work.

Making a Choice

I decided to go with Dr. Gelman because he has so much experience doing tummy tucks, he made me feel comfortable and he was very honest with me.  Like, he told me to stop smoking, while two other doctors said it was ok if I continued to smoke even if I was getting ready to have cosmetic surgery.  Dr. Gelman made it clear that I needed to take care of myself and he didn’t make me feel bad about myself.  That meant something to me.

I also felt good about my decision because friends of mine have had tummy tucks, liposuction, mommy makeovers and I know women who have had breast reductions, too.  I see that they have gotten the bodies they want to have and I wanted to feel that way about my body, too.  The funny thing is that after my consult with Dr. Gelman, I found out my aunt had gone to him for cosmetic surgery a few years ago.  She looks fantastic since she had her facelift, but I didn’t know which doctor she had gone to.  She was thrilled that I was going to have him do my tummy tuck because she got a good result and friends of hers who’ve gone to him have, too.

You’re paying how much?!

A few of my friends questioned the price but had to admit that if they had the money, they’d fix what bothered them.  I knew it would cost between $5000 and $6000 and I had $10,000.  I saved up the money and it was worth it.  Anyway, I scheduled the procedure and it went well.  I wasn’t sure what to expect afterwards, but even during the first few days after surgery I have to say I was feeling much happier about my body.  Once I was up and back to my normal routine, I also found out how much fun shopping can be! [laughter]  I can wear things I would never even let myself look at before – form fitting tops, skinny belts, low rise jeans…clothes that show off my new flat belly.

Patience Through Recovery

Recovering from a tummy tuck does take patience.  It takes a couple of months to fully heal, and I thought I’d be up and doing everything within a week or two because I’m young and healthy.  I had to get my expectations in line with reality.  Once I did that, it became exciting to see the positive changes in my body and to know that soon I would be looking the way I’ve wanted to look for so many years.  I want to tell other women or men who are considering cosmetic surgery that Dr. Gelman and his staff were really good to me.  For instance, Laura (the patient coordinator who watched over me before, during, and after surgery) gave me a big hug before I went into surgery.  That meant a lot to me.  Everyone in the office was nice and I got the impression that they know it’s a big deal for each patient even though Dr. Gelman does these procedures all the time.  Somehow they seem to remember that for each patient, it’s the first time.  They go out of their way to put you at ease.

Did it change your life?

My lifestyle changed after the procedure.  My eating habits have changed for the better.  I’m more careful about what I eat now and I’m motivated to work out because I like my new body and want to keep it looking as good as possible.  Overall, I’m just living a more healthy life.

Advice for Patients

I hope my story makes it easier for others to go ahead and fix what they can’t fix on their own with diet and exercise.  My advice to them is to really pick a doctor carefully.  Don’t just settle for the first one you see or the one whose prices are the lowest.  It’s your body you’re talking about!  And take someone with you to your consult if you feel comfortable doing that so you can discuss it afterwards.  Pick a doctor who listens to you and who gives you time to ask your questions…in other words, someone who treats you like you matter.  For me, that made all the difference.

Cohera Medical of Pennsylvania announced the beginning of clinical trials for their new surgical adhesive, TissuGlu®, set to begin in Germany this November.

Company reps say they’re investigating whether the safety and efficacy of cosmetic surgeries like the tummy tuck might be improved with the use of their product.  By bonding together sections of tissue separated during surgery, the adhesive could reduce post operative fluid accumulation and make drains unnecessary.

“This unique product will ultimately help surgeons address a critical need and improve patient care” says CEO Patrick Daly.

As many as 40 patients are expected to be enrolled in clinical trials to investigate TissuGlu’s  safety and efficacy.

About abdominoplasty

The tummy tuck is a common cosmetic procedure designed to reduce the appearance of a protruding abdomen, whether it is due to weight fluctuations, pregnancy, or aging.  To learn more about how the Plastic Surgery Experts – Dreyfuss and Gelman – perform tummy tuck surgery in Chicago, click here.

A study published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, based on patient input, revealed 6 aspects of breast surgery that made a profound impact on satisfaction and quality of life.

1. Breast Characteristics
Clearly the main goal of cosmetic breast surgery – participants of the study commented about improvements in breast shape and the clothing options that were now available to them as a result.  One patient with breast implants reports, “Some things are much more fun to put on, and the stuff that I used to wear looks way better–I am sure they looked good before, too–but I just fill in a bit more, look a bit more busty in them.”

2. Physical Well-Being
Breast reduction patients can get relief from back and neck pain, which often allows increased activity and better health.

3. Psychosocial Well-Being
Patients in the study shared the positive changes in self perception and experiences in social settings. Increased confidence and feeling as if you fit the perceived “norm” of the female body are said to be a common benefits of breast surgery.

4. Sexual Well Being
When people feel more attractive, they generally experience more sexual pleasure.  If breast implants or another surgery improve a woman’s perception of her self and her body, sexual well being can consequently improve.

5.  Surgeon-Patient Relationship
Women who experienced a good surgeon-patient relationship – with open, honest communication – expressed more satisfaction with breast surgery.  Patients who had an adverse relationship with the surgeon or staff reported being fearful, uncomfortable, and less satisfied.

6. Overall Satisfaction
Researchers also included the simple category of general satisfaction.  Would you undergo the surgery again?  One breast augmentation patient responds, “there is not one day that goes by that I am not so pleased that I did it.”

You can access a similar article by the same researchers for free at BioMed Central.

Millions of body-conscious Americans try to slim down every year, and many succeed with diet and exercise.  However, most people still exhibit a few problem areas of stubborn fat.  These days, getting the body you want often requires more than just sweating to the oldies at the YMCA; it requires some smart technology and a good surgeon.

The problem is, a shift occurs at a certain age that affects weight fluctuations and it doesn’t seem to matter what we do – those stubborn saddlebags won’t go away.  Fortunately, liposuction can slim down fat deposits in many areas such as the back, thighs, buttocks, tummy, and elsewhere.

There are many new liposuction devices on the market that may or may not be as effective as advertised, from laser assisted lipolysis, to ultrasonic, soundwave assisted liposuction.  Whatever the case, tumescent liposuction is still considered the gold standard for many surgeons.

If you want to learn more about slimming down with liposuction, contact Doctors Dreyfuss and Gelman.  Also, see our liposuction before and after photos to get an idea of the results that can be achieved.

Professionals with The American Society of Plastic surgeons have been getting recognition this week for authoring a study about migraine headaches.  The headache-curing surgical procedure they’ve documented is apparently very similar to the forehead lift we perform right here in Illinois.

In a clinical trial, surgeons operated on 49 patients to ‘deactivate’ their migraines at their respective ‘migraine trigger sites.’  26 patients in a “sham surgery group” received what was basically a placebo.

One year later, 57 percent of the patients in the actual surgery group reported complete elimination of migraine headaches, compared with only 4 percent in the sham surgery group. Furthermore, 83 percent of the actual surgery group observed at least a 50 percent reduction in migraines.

Author of the study, Bahman Guyuron MD calls the procedure a “meaningful addition to the field of reconstructive plastic surgery” and we definitely agree.  Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is the official journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. You can read the official press release here at plasticsurgery.org.

If your eyes appear puffy morning and night and people constantly ask if you’re tired or stressed out, perhaps it is time to make a change.  When treatments are so readily available, nobody should have to live with such conditions.

Dr. Dreyfuss and Gelman are a board certified plastic surgeons who can recommend treatment options like as the following:
•    Upper and/or lower eyelid surgery
•    A brow/forehead lift
•    Injection with Botox cosmetic
•    Injection of a dermal filler to add volume to sunken eye troughs

In some cases, patients benefit from a combination of the above options.  Many choose to combine eyelid surgery with a brow lift.  Choosing to undergo surgery (or even a non-surgical procedure) is a significant decision, so try to gather as much information as possible.  View before and after photos of patients like you, or speak to former patients and ask them questions like these:

• How was the procedure beneficial for you?
• Were you comfortable with your surgeon?
• Would you do it again?
• Would you do anything differently?

The eyes are one of the first features on the face to which most of us respond. You deserve to have eyes that radiate, eyes that brighten your face and eyes that reflect how young and energetic you truly feel.

If you’re ready to discuss your options, contact the Plastic Surgery Experts in Illinois and Indiana today.

Experienced plastic surgeons know healthy patients – with a stable weight, who don’t smoke – have more successful surgery outcomes. That’s why they often decline to operate on a patient who engages in unhealthy habits. Such patients face greater risks and complications like delayed healing and scarring.

Those interested in cosmetic and facial plastic surgery should first go through a sort of ‘lifestyle makeover,’ modifying their habits until they have reached their goals. At Plastic Surgery Experts, we want our patients to have the best experience possible, so we ask them to focus on being healthy first. The ideal patient refrains from smoking or using illegal drugs, has a stable weight, and realistic expectations about cosmetic surgery.

Contact us for a free surgery consultation and we can provide more specific information on health and surgery outcomes.