Why Saline Implants?
April 15, 2013 - Rhys Branman, MD
Some women prefer saline breast implants. Saline breast implants are made by the Mentor company in the United States, and they have a great track record, I might add. The implants are filled with a sterile saltwater solution. Our bodies are made of over 60 percent saltwater, about 50 quarts of saltwater. Obviously a natural substance, the saline implant is the very safest implant you can get. This is one reason some women prefer saline implants. Now silicone implants are safe; this is why the FDA allowed them back on the market in 2006; however, some women are still a... 
You may have heard of VASER assisted liposuction. VASER stands for Vibration Amplification of Sound Energy at Resonance: ultrasound. This type of liposuction uses ultrasound in order to liquefy the fat that is to be removed during liposuction. Patients often ask why one would prefer tumescent liposuction to VASER liposuction, or the reverse for that matter. There is evidence that VASER assisted liposuction can result in less injury to the surrounding tissue, quicker healing time, and better skin contraction. However, it is important to understand that VASER assisted liposuction is not for everyone. Patients are assessed as appropriate candidates on... 
Is abdominoplasty associated with permanent long-term weight reduction? This is a question researchers have been trying to find out. What had been discovered was that many tummy tuck patients had lost more weight than explained by the removal of fat and skin during their abdominoplasty! A new pilot study showed evidence that in patients with a body mass index greater than 54 percent body fat the answer might be "Yes." With the rate of obesity continuing to climb in the United States, many people are turning to cosmetic surgery, including abdominoplasty and liposuction. However, these are not ideal ways to... 
The curve and shape of the neck is a large part of facial aesthetics. The relationship of the neck to the lower third of the face is a basic factor in planning surgical rejuvenation. Most patients do not know the technical name of a neck lift. One technique is called a platysmaplasty. The platysmaplasty involves removing a small part of the muscle that extends from your collarbone to the angle of your jaw. This procedure removes that "turkey waddle" or double chin that many of us accrue as we get older. Platysmaplasty is only effective when the platysma muscle is... 
Cosmetic surgeons are always talking about realistic expectations. What exactly does that mean, you might ask. Here is an interesting term that may help explain. The "range of believability" is the concept. What do you believe can be achieved? When a person first seriously considers seeking cosmetic surgery, it may feel as if new potentially liberating options have opened up. On the other hand, it may feel scary. These feelings describe a range of expectation, or belief about what is possible. Just from that range of possible feelings, you can see that cosmetic surgery is an emotional issue. It's easy... 
We all know that researching your cosmetic surgeon is critical for the outcome of your procedure and safety. Elective surgery involves some risk, just as any other surgery does. Of course you want the best outcome as well. One thing you should do is ask how often and how recently your surgeon has performed the procedure you are seeking. Another thing you will want to do is to look at his or her portfolio, the before and after pictures of patients he has operated on. But how do you know what to look for in these pictures? First of all,... 
Lip augmentation is a deceptively complex subject. Most patients would love to have a permanent solution to full sensuous lips, but the lips are a very sensitive area. Most often it is simpler to use injectable fillers for better results. So although there are many choices, I prefer injectable hyaluronic acid or Silikon 1000. The hyaluronic fillers I prefer are Juvéderm® or Restylane®. For a more permanent solution, I prefer Silikon 1000 to lip implants. One would think lip implants would be an easy solution for lip augmentation, however lip implants can be a bit hard and stiff, and patients... 