Brachioplasty, also known as an arm lift, is an elective outpatient surgery designed to remove excess skin and fat along the arms. This treatment has become more and more popular over the years and offers both women and men an effective way to give the upper arms a more youthful and firm appearance. As with any surgery, there will be scarring after an arm lift procedure. The degree of scarring will vary between patients. Some of the factors that can contribute to the extent of visibility of your scars are:  Skin tone  A history of raised scars or keloids  Sun exposure  The precise location of the scars  The incision for a brachioplasty will be made from the elbow to the… Continue Reading

The buildup of excess fat and/or inelastic skin in the upper neck and under the chin is a very common (and frustrating) condition. It can happen to anyone, even people who are in excellent health and tip-top physical shape. Fortunately, there are numerous treatments available that can effectively address signs of a “double-chin” and create a more defined profile and beautiful new contours in this area. The board-certified plastic surgeons at Florida Plastic Surgery Group offer several treatments to reduce the appearance of a double-chin, including a non-surgical option that can reduce excess fat with a simple injectable procedure. During your initial consultation, our doctor will evaluate your concerns and determine whether a surgical or non-surgical procedure is the most… Continue Reading

You may have heard of a new product available called the Tummy Tuck® Miracle Slimming System, also known as the Tummy Tuck® Belt. The makers of this product claim that you can slim belly fat by using the Tummy Tuck® Belt system at home for just 10 minutes, twice each day. The Tummy Tuck® Belt complete system involves the application of a “fat burning” cream, which is supposed to help activate a fat burning effect while you do two minutes of standing “Tummy Tightener” exercises, then go about your day as normal for the last eight minutes. After the 10 minutes is up, you can take off the belt, and the fat burning effect should continue for hours afterward. While… Continue Reading

Sagging or inelastic skin that causes the breasts to develop a “drooping” appearance is a common concern among women. Breast ptosis—the medical term for this condition—often results from the natural aging process; however, pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight fluctuations, and other factors can lead to signs of sagging breasts, as well. For many individuals, the most ideal and effective way to successfully address breast ptosis and give the breasts a firmer, more youthful appearance and projection is a surgical breast lift procedure. While you are likely to find numerous articles and opinions online claiming that certain types of exercise can provide the breasts with a “natural lift”; the fact is that exercise—no matter how rigorous—cannot eliminate inelastic, excess skin, which is typically… Continue Reading

Any surgical recovery covers a spectrum and it will largely depend on the individual and how prepared they are physically/mentally entering surgery. Overall, we say DIEP flap breast reconstruction recovery is 6-8 weeks. This does not mean that you necessarily need to take that much time off work. Typically around week 3-4 patients are feeling much more like themselves and are beginning to incorporate physical activity back into their lives. During your hospital stay physical therapy will be seeing you daily and this may be arranged following your discharge from the hospital to expedite your recovery. You will need to wear the support bra and abdominal binder for approximately 1 month following surgery as your body recovers and heals. You… Continue Reading

A bilateral (both breasts) DIEP flap surgery on average takes 6-8 hours to perform from start to finish. Following surgery the patient is moved to the PACU (post-anesthesia care unit) briefly prior to being transferred to the ICU overnight. Overnight you will remain in the ICU for close monitoring of the DIEP flap hourly. The following day you will begin physical therapy and your journey to recovery. Typically DIEP flap breast reconstruction patients are staying 2-3 nights in the hospital before being released home. Prior to discharge from the hospital, we will ensure your pain is managed with the pain medications your will take at home and that you feel safe/stable when walking. You will have several JP drains that… Continue Reading

The DIEP flap breast reconstruction is an excellent option for those patients that desire to use their own tissue to reconstruct their breasts following a mastectomy. The incision across the abdomen resembles an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) incision. However, the breast incision pattern will vary from patient to patient. Most often the biggest determining factor is if the patient has had prior radiation to the chest and the degree of radiation damage. Typically, the more severe the radiation damage is there is a higher likelihood of having a larger skin paddle (abdominal skin) exposed. The most common breast incision patterns with DIEP flap breast reconstruction are a “buried” flap (the entire abdominal tissue is under the mastectomy skin), mastopexy (breast lift)… Continue Reading

A mastectomy or breast cancer diagnosis can be traumatic for both the patient and their loved ones. Fortunately, for many people they have the opportunity to reconstruct their breasts. There are several options for breast reconstruction, but we will be focusing on DIEP flap breast reconstruction at this time. DIEP stands for ‘deep inferior epigastric perforator’, which describes the blood vessels used to keep the flap/tissue alive when it is transferred from the abdomen to the breast. The lower abdomen tissue is obtained via an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) incision and the tissue is transferred to the breast/chest to reconstruct the breast. It is similar to its predecessor the TRAM flap, however the DIEP flap preserves the abdominal muscles allowing for… Continue Reading