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A Better Me in 2003
The kindest cut of all: A complete guide to personal renovation and restoration services
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Business New Haven
9/29/2003
By: Melissa Nicefaro
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A camera crew from Extreme Makeover may not come knocking on your door any time soon, so if you’re looking for self-improvement in the way of cosmetic surgery or other processes, you may be on your own.
More than 6.5 million people had cosmetic plastic surgery in 2002, a decrease of 12 percent from 2001, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The five most popular surgical procedures were nose reshaping, liposuction, breast augmentation, eyelid surgery and facelifts.
Botox took the lead as the most popular cosmetic surgery procedure, with more than 1.1 million people having the wrinkle-suppressing injections.
According to the ASPS, plastic surgery encompasses both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Cosmetic surgery is performed to reshape normal structures of the body in order to improve the patient’s appearance and self-esteem. Cosmetic surgery is usually not covered by health insurance because it is elective, the ASPS says.
Reconstructive surgery, on the other hand, is performed on abnormal structures of the body, caused by congenital defects, developmental abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors or disease. It is generally performed to improve functions, but may also be done to approximate a normal appearance. The ASPS says reconstructive surgery is generally covered by most health insurance policies, although coverage for specific procedures and levels of coverage may vary greatly.
Cosmetic Surgery Options
Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)
Procedure: Flatten abdomen by removing excess fat and skin and tightening muscles of abdominal wall.
Length of Procedure: 2 to 5 hours, performed as either in-patient or out-patient.
Side Effects: Temporary pain. Swelling, soreness, numbness of abdominal skin, bruising, tiredness for several weeks or months.
Recovery: Back to work: 2 to 4 weeks. More strenuous activity: 4 to 6 weeks or more. Fading and flattening of scars: 3 months to 2 years.
Breast Enlargement (Augmentation Mammaplasty)
Procedure: Enhance the size of breasts using inflatable implants filled with saline.
Length: 1 to 2 hours, usually outpatient
Side Effects: Temporary soreness, swelling, change in nipple sensation, bruising. Breast sensitive to stimulation for a few weeks.
Recovery: Back to work: a few days. Physical contact with breasts: 3 to 4 weeks. Fading of scars: several months to a year or more.
Breast Lift (Mastopexy)
Procedure: Raise and reshape sagging breasts by removing excess skin and repositioning remaining tissue and nipples.
Length: 1 to 3 hours, usually outpatient.
Side Effects: Temporary bruising, swelling, discomfort, numbness, dry breast skin. Permanent scars.
Recovery: Back to work: 1 week or more. Strenuous activities: 1 month. Fading of scars: several months to a year.
Chemical Peel (Phenol and trichloroacetic acid [TCA])
Procedure: Restore wrinkled, blemished, unevenly pigmented, or sun-damaged facial skin, using a chemical solution to peel away skin’s top layers. Works best on fair, thin skin with superficial wrinkles.
Length: 1 to 2 hours for full face. Usually as outpatient. Full-face phenol peel may require admission for 1 to 2 days.
Side Effects: Both: Temporary throbbing, tingling, swelling, redness; acute sensitivity to sun. Phenol: Permanent lightening of treated skin; permanent loss of ability to tan.
Recovery: Phenol: Formation of new skin: 7 to 21 days. Normal activities: 2 to 4 weeks. Full healing and fading of redness: 3 to 6 months. TCA: New skin within 5 to 10 days.
Collagen/Fat Injections
Procedure: Plump up creased, furrowed or sunken facial skin; add fullness to lips and backs of hands. Works best on thin, dry, light-colored skin.
Length: 15 minutes to 1 hour per session, outpatient.
Side Effects: Temporary stinging, throbbing, or burning sensation. Faint redness, swelling, excess fullness.
Dermabrasion
Procedure: Mechanical scraping of the top layers of skin using a high-speed rotary wheel. Softens sharp edges of surface irregularities, including acne and other scars and fine wrinkles, especially around the mouth.
Length: A few minutes to 1 hour. May require more than 1 session, usually outpatient.
Side Effects: Temporary tingling, burning, itching, swelling, redness. Lightening of treated skin. Acute sensitivity to sun; loss of ability to make pigment (tan).
Recovery: Back to work: 2 weeks. More strenuous activities: 4 to 6 weeks. Fading of redness: about 3 months. Return of pigmentation/sun exposure: 6 to 12 months.
Ear Surgery (Otoplasty)
Procedure: Set prominent ears back closer to the head, or reduce the size of large ears. Most often done on children between the ages of 4 and 14 years.
Length: 2 to 3 hours, usually outpatient.
Side Effects: Temporary throbbing, aching, swelling, redness, numbness.
Recovery: Back to work or school: 5 to 7 days. Strenuous activity, contact sports: 1 to 2 months.
Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)
Procedure: Correct drooping upper eyelids and puffy bags below the eyes by removing excess fat, skin, and muscle. (Upper-eyelid surgery may be covered by insurance if used to correct visual field defects)
Length: 1 to 3 hours
Side Effects: Temporary discomfort, tightness of lids, swelling, bruising. Temporary dryness, burning, itching of eyes. Excessive tearing, sensitivity to light for first few weeks.
Recovery: Reading: 2 or 3 days. Back to work: 7 to 10 days. Contact lenses: two weeks or more. Strenuous activities and alcohol: about 3 weeks. Bruising and swelling gone: several weeks.
Facelift (Rhytidectomy)
Procedure: Improving sagging facial skin, jowls, and loose neck skin by removing excess fat, tightening muscles, re-draping skin. Most often done on men and women over 40.
Length: Several hours, usually outpatient. Some patients may require a short inpatient stay.
Side Effects: Temporary bruising, swelling, numbness and tenderness of skin; tight feeling, dry skin. For men, permanent need to shave behind ears, where beard-growing skin is repositioned.
Recovery: Back to work: 10 to 14 days. More strenuous activity: 2 weeks or more. Bruising: 2 to 3 weeks. Must limit exposure to sun for several months.
Facial Implants
Procedure: Change the basic shape and balance of the face using carefully shaped implants to build up a receding chin, add prominence to cheekbones, or reshape the jaw line.
Length: 30 minutes to 2 hours, usually outpatient.
Side Effects: Temporary discomfort, swelling, bruising, numbness and/or stiffness. In jaw surgery, inability to open mouth fully for several weeks.
Recovery: Back to work: about 1 week. Normal appearance: 2 to 4 weeks. Activity that could jar or bump face: 6 weeks or more.
Forehead Lift (Browlift)
Procedure: Minimize forehead creases, drooping eyebrows, hooding over eyes, furrowed forehead and frown lines by removing excess tissue, altering muscles and tightening the forehead skin. May be done using the traditional technique, with an incision across the top of the head just behind the hairline; or with the use of an endoscope, which requires 3 to 5 short incisions. Most often done on people over 40.
Length: 1 to 2 hours.
Side Effects: Temporary swelling, numbness, headaches, bruising. Traditional method: Possible itching and hair loss.
Recovery: Back to work: 7 to 10 days, usually sooner for endoscopic forehead lift. More strenuous activity: several weeks. Full recovery from bruising: 2 to 3 weeks. Limit sun exposure for several months.
Hair Replacement Surgery
Procedure: Fill in balding areas with a patient’s own hair using a variety of techniques including scalp reduction, tissue expansion, strip grafts, scalp flaps, or clusters of punch grafts (plugs, miniplugs and microplugs). Works best on men with male pattern baldness after hair loss has stopped.
Length: 1 to 3 hours. Some techniques may require multiple procedures over 18 months or more. Usually done as outpatient surgery.
Side Effects: Temporary achy, tight scalp. Unnatural look in early stages.
Recovery: Back to work: usually 2 to 5 days. More strenuous activities: 10 days to 3 weeks. Final look: may be 18 months or more, depending on procedure.
Laser Facial Resurfacing
Procedure: Smooth the face and smooth fine wrinkles using a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser device that treats layers of damaged skin. Softens lines around the eyes and mouth and minimizes facial scars and unevenly pigmented areas.
Length: A few minutes to 1 hour. May require more than 1 session.
Side Effects: Temporary swelling, discomfort. Lightening of treated skin. Acute sun sensitivity. Increased sensitivity to makeup. Pinkness or redness in skin that may persist for up to 6 months.
Recovery: Back to work: 2 weeks. More strenuous activities: 4-6 weeks. Complete fading of redness: 6 months or less. Return of pigmentation/light sun exposure: 6-12 months.
Liposuction (Suction-Assisted Lipectomy)
Procedure: Improve body shape by removing exercise-resistant fat deposits with a tube and vacuum device. Can be performed using the tumescent technique, in which targeted fat cells are infused with saline containing solution with a local anesthetic before liposuction to reduce post-operative bruising and swelling. Common locations for liposuction include chin, cheeks, neck, upper arms, above breasts, abdomen, buttocks, hips, thighs, knees, calves, ankles.
For larger volumes of fat or for fibrous body areas, ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty (UAL) may be used. UAL is a new technique in which a ultrasound probe is inserted beneath the skin to "liquify" the fat before it is suctioned.
Length: 1 to 2 hours or more. UAL: 20-40 percent longer than traditional liposuction.
Side Effects: Temporary bruising, swelling, numbness, soreness, burning sensation. Tumescent: Temporary fluid drainage from incision sites. UAL: Larger incisions for cannula.
Recovery: Back to work: 1 to 2 weeks. More strenuous activity: 2 to 4 weeks. Full recovery from swelling and bruising: 1 to 6 months or more. Use of tumescent technique or UAL may decrease post-operative bruising and swelling.
Male Breast Reduction (Gynecomastia)
Procedure: Reduce enlarged, female-like breast in men using liposuction and/or cutting out excess glandular tissue. (Sometimes covered by medical insurance.)
Length: 1 hour or more, usually outpatient.
Side Effects: Temporary bruising, swelling, numbness, soreness, burning sensation.
Recovery: Back to work: 3 to 7 days. More strenuous activity: 2 to 3 weeks. Swelling and bruising: 3 to 6 months.
Nose Surgery (Rhinoplasty)
Procedure: Reshape nose by reducing or increasing size, removing hump, changing shape of tip or bridge, narrowing span of nostrils, or changing angle between nose and upper lip. May also relieve some breathing problems. (May be covered by insurance.)
Length: 1 to 3 hours or more, usually outpatient.
Side Effects: Temporary swelling, bruising around eyes, nose and headaches. Some bleeding and stiffness.
Recovery: Back to work: 1 to 2 weeks. More strenuous activities: 2 to 3 weeks. Avoid hitting nose or sunburn: 8 weeks. Final appearance: 1 year or more.
Local Doctors Who Perform Cosmetic Surgery
Stephan Ariyan, M.D.
60 Temple Street, Unit 7C
New Haven
Phone: 203-786-3000
Specialties: Liposuction, tummy tuck, breast augmentation or lift, male breast reduction surgery or male implants, chin surgery, ear pinning, eyelid, facelift, forehead lift or nose surgery, cleft-lip and palate repair, ear deformity surgery, general reconstruction, hand surgery, head/neck cancer reconstruction, microsurgery, skin cancer reconstruction and skull/facial bone reconstruction.
Plastic Surgery Center Inc.
Bruce E. Burnham, M.D.
131 New London Turnpike, Suite 322
Glastonbury
Phone: 860-659-1318
www.plasticsurgerycenterct.com
Specialties: Liposuction, body contouring for excess skin removal, weight loss program, tummy tuck, gynecomastia (male breast reduction), face lift, mini-facelift, neck and chin surgery, nose job, otoplasty (ear surgery), Botox and collagen.
Advanced Concepts in Cosmetic Surgery and Skin Care
Steven Brown, M.D.
1000 Asylum Avenue
Hartford
Phone: 860-249-0083
www.drstevebrown.com
Specialties: Liposuction, abdominal skin tuck, tummy tuck, breast augmentation, breast lift, breast reduction, face lift and neck lift, forehead and eyebrow lift, eyelid surgery, nasal surgery, ear surgery, microdermabrasion, micro-peel, Botox, chemical peel, collagen, permanent makeup and eye contouring.
Zeno Chicarilli, M.D.
Temple Medical Center
40 Temple Street, Suite 7E
New Haven
Phone: 203-782-9720
Specialties: Face lift, brow lift, breast augmentation, eyelid surgery, liposuction, tummy tuck, otoplasty, nasal surgery, laser surgery, Botox and collagen.
Julian Henley, M.D.
330 Orchard Street, Suite 211
New Haven
Phone: 203-787-4647
www.plasticsurgeon4u.com
Specialties: Face lift, neck and chin lift, nasal surgery, eyelid re-contouring, lip enhancement, chin and cheek implants, body liposculpture, skin peels, dermabrasion, laser surgery, collagen, Botox and wrinkle reducer.
DiStefano Hair Restoration Center
1080 Elm Street
Rocky Hill
Phone: 860-529-8925
www.drdistefano.com
Services: Hair transplant surgery.
Hospital of Saint Raphael
1450 Chapel Street
New Haven
203-789-3603
www.srhs.org/obesity_surgery.asp
Specialties: The Roux-en-y procedure, or stomach stapling, which involves a small portion of the stomach being surgically sectioned off to create a small pouch that will only hold about an ounce of food. It is a non-reversible procedure that requires a patient stay several days in the hospital and several weeks recuperation at home.
A "vertical banded gastroplasty" involves insertion of a silicone band around the upper stomach. The band is adjusted every six to eight weeks to continuously limit the amount of food the patient takes in.
Jeffrey C. Hoos, D.M.D., Johna D. Zitnay, D.M.D.
4949 Main Street
Stratford
203-378-9500www.bettersmile.com
Specialties: Bleaching, cracked tooth syndrome, dental implants and veneers.
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