A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in Scottsdale
Posts by Dr. Aldo
Review: What is a Mommy Makeover Type 1.
11 year ago
Scottsdale – To make it easy for all to understand, we have classified the mommy makeovers into 4 major types. These are:
- Type I Involving a tummy tuck with a breast augmentation. This can include using saline breast implants or silicone breast implants.
- Type II Involving a tummy tuck with any breast lift. This can performed with or without breast implants.
- Type III Involving a tummy tuck with a breast reduction.
- Type IV Involving a tummy tuck with liposuction and buttock fat injections, the so-called Brazilian Butt Lift.
Today, we will review the mommy makeover type I. The procedure begins with surgery performed in a certified outpatient surgery center or a specialty hospital. Most patients in my practice who undergo tummy tuck like the specialty hospital stay because of comfort and convenience. Staying overnight after your tummy tuck is what I recommend most often, although many our our patients stay several nights.
The breast augmentation procedure is performed first. We always use preoperative antibiotics, antibiotic irrigation, and a no-touch technique when placing the breast implants. When placing silicone gel breast implants, I often recommend the use of the Keller Funnel for ease and convenience to the patient. the Keller Funnel allows for a less traumatic delivery of the silicone breast implant and this leads to less pain and a faster recovery for most patients.
Once the breast enhancement has been completed, we begin the tummy tuck operation. There are 3 major steps and these involve the removal of excess skin, including stretch marks, removal of fat tissue and muscle repair. I use a technique in which I employ only one drain or no drain, depending on operative factors. Patients are all given a pain-reducing pump, which “numbs” up the tummy before they leave the operating room.
That very first night, all patients walk and get out of bed several times. With the excellent nursing care at the plastic surgery specialty hospital, this is easier than doing it at home. Complete healing for the average cosmetic surgery patient having a mommy makeover does not occur until 1 year from surgery. In summary, a mommy makeover type I involves a tummy tuck in combination with a breast augmentation. Many patients also choose to add a little lipo of the hips to reduce the waistline and may even fit into the old “skinny jeans”.
For additional information, be sure to sign up for the Scottsdale Mommy Makeover Seminar – on Wednesday, March 2nd 2011. It is being held at 8765 E. Bell Road, Suite 104, Scottsdale, AZ 85260. The seminar starts at 6 PM. Call 480-970-2580 for reservations.
Maintenance of Certification in Plastic Surgery.
01 year ago
Scottsdale – I have participated in the Maintenance of Certification process from the American Board of Plastic Surgery since the inception of the program. What exactly is maintenance of certification?
Well, according to the American board of Medical Specialties, the measure of physician specialists is not merely that they are certified, but how well they keep current in their specialty. It turns out that in the past a physician would become certified once in their lifetime. What about all the new technologies and discoveries in medicine since then? I think you get the point, that most medical specialties are changing quickly and incorporating new techniques and ideas in the every day practice faster than ever before. Therefore, as the specialty evolves, then the certification process has evolved to keep up with the changes!
In 2000, the 24 Member Boards of ABMS agreed to evolve the re-certification programs to one of continuous professional development program. This is what we now know as Maintenance of Certification Program! Just about all specialties are requiring maintenance from their diplomats.
For plastic surgery re-certification there is a fairly rigorous process required each year. All plastic surgeons re required to re-certify at 10 years, unless they are “grandfathered” by having certified way in the past. I am due to re-certify in 2013, but have decided to take the examinations a year earlier, as the plastic surgery specialty is evolving a quicker pace than most other specialties.
Mommy Makeover Seminar is Next!
11 year ago
by Dr. Aldo
in Body Plastic Surgery
Scottsdale – Our Plastic Surgery After Major Weight Loss Seminar was a great success, last week. Now, we are starting to get ready for the Mommy Makeover Seminar held on March 2, 2011 at 6 PM.
The Mommy Makeover Seminar is always the most popular seminar we give at our office. We are excited to let interested folks know that we have updated the program with newer and more impressive results than before.
As usual, we the plastic surgery operations we plan to discuss:
- Breast Augmentation with Saline and Silicone Breast Implants.
- Breast Lift with and without Breast Implants.
- Tummy Tuck with Breast Surgery.
- Brazilian Butt Lift and Tummy Tuck.
Combination plastic surgery operations are more popular than ever! Every single cosmetic surgery patient should consider carefully whether the additional risks of performing combined surgery in a single operation is in their best interest. We believe that great education about the operations desired and a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon are the only way to be sure you are making the right decision about under going a mommy makeover.
Gluteus Maximus and Brazilian Butt Lift.
01 year ago
by Dr. Aldo
in Brazilian Butt Lift
Scottsdale – A key principle to understand about fat injections to the buttocks, involves the location the fat is injected. A common recommendation is to inject the fat into the body of the gluteus maximus muscle. Fat cells which are injected into an area always do better in an oxygen-rich environment. The more oxygen and nutrition, the more fat cells will survive.
The gluteus muscles have the best blood supply when compared to the fat and skin layer of the buttocks area. Therefore, most of the fat grafting should be performed into the muscles. Buttock fat injections into the muscles will create volume and contouring. The buttock will grow and the shape will change into a more attractive one.
A limitation can occur in plastic surgery patients who have small gluteal muscles. When this happens, there is less area to inject and less of the fat grafting cells make it. The results of such buttock plastic surgery, may therefore be considered less than optimal. I recommend that patients who normally do not work out the gluteals do so before cosmetic surgery of the gluteals.
Several exercises have been designed with the buttock muscles in mind!
The best gluteal exercise focus on the SQUAT exercise. I recommend you talk to your medical doctor and consider getting a personal trainer before performing these exercise. If your doctor says you are healthy enough for these exercise and you perform these correctly – then, over time, your gluteus maximus – will grow.
Remember, the bigger your muscle, the bigger the area gets where we can inject the fat and create a beautiful Brazilian Butt Lift result. The more fat that is injected, usually the better the results.
Have Plastic Surgery Questions?
01 year ago
by Dr. Aldo
in Facial Surgery
Scottsdale – You have questions about plastic surgery? I will answer!
That’s right, there is a way to ask me and other board certified plastic surgeons questions about plastic surgery. In fact, as it stands now, there is two ways to ask me and my plastic surgery colleagues about plastic surgery!
In the first, you can go to the American Society for Aesthetic plastic Surgery Website and then go on to the Ask-A-Surgeon page. You can create your questions there and, if you would like, you can keep it anonymous. It’s easy!
The second way is for you to go on to the website, makemeheal.com and then click into the Ask-an-Expert section. Once there, it is easy to generate your questions about breast augmentation, liposuction and other topics.
So, don’t hold back and let us help you by answering your questions!
A review on High Fructose Corn Syrup: Part I.
0Scottsdale – High fructose corn syrup was touted once as a noble substitute for white sugars. It has now been implicated as a potential cause of diabetes, insulin resistance, high cholesterol and an increase in body fat. In particular, increases in intra-abdominal fat, a type of fat that plastic surgeons are unable to treat, can increase the risks of heart disease.
There is controversy about the actual effects of high fructose corn syrup. Use of it, by itself, does not account fort all the additional energy consumption in the United States since it was introduced. If someone wants to lose weight, however, avoiding high fructose corn syrup products is a must. Here are some common fructose containing foods:
Breakfast Cereals and Fructose.
Most prepackaged breakfast cereals have very high levels of fructose in every serving. Popular brands like Raisin Bran, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Golden Puffs, Corn Flakes, Post Grape-Nuts, Apple Jacks and Cocoa Krispies. To give you and idea of what we are talking about, note that Kellogg’s Raisin Bran has 9,584 mg of fructose per 200-calorie serving. Fruit Loops comes in relatively low at only 46 mg of fructose per 200-calorie serving.
High level of Fructose in Snack Foods.
Snack foods are notorious for having very high levels of fructose. Power Bars, granola bars and Snickers Marathon Energy Bars are all supposed to be ” healthy” alternatives. A Power Bar wallops a charge of 8,794 mg of fructose for every 200-calorie serving. Granola bars and Marathon bars do a bit better, coming in at 962 mg and 249 mg, respectively, for every 200-calorie serving. Other high-fructose snacks include tortilla chips, corn-based chips and potato chips.
Fast Foods and Shockingly high levels of Fructose.
The levels of fructose found in commercially manufactured fast food products are shocking. The average fast-food hamburger has approximately 1,453 mg per 200-calorie serving. You should also keep in perspective that the average hamburger is 400 to 800 calories, and in some cases, not much higher. A single serving of honey from McDonald’s has 21,590 mg of fructose per 200-calorie serving. Sauces, salad dressings and yogurt parfaits are all high in fructose as well.
The Fat Inside your Abdomen and Plastic Surgery.
A plastic surgeon cannot access the fat that lives inside the abdomen. The only solution to reduce this fat volume is through diet and exercise or, in some cases, bariatric surgery. High fat volume inside the abdomen increases the risks of heart disease and other metabolic problems, like diabetes. For additional information on fructose and the potential risks it poses, I refer you Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong Website.
Plastic Surgery Seminar is Filling UP!
0Scottsdale – Our exciting Plastic Surgery after Major Weight Loss seminar is filling up quickly. I wanted to remind all of those interested that room for the seminar is running out….
This year, we have updated our before and after photos for the presentation and additional details of the lower bodylift technique will be described – for your benefit. We want you to have an enjoyable experience, but also feel like you are really learning at our seminar.
Yes, we will discuss bodylift and belt lipectomy, but will also discuss thigh lift, arm lift, upper body lift, breast lift and facelift and how these procedures relate to patients after major weight loss.
I suggest you call and reserve your seat before we run out of space! Please contact Alexa at the AB Guerra Plastic Surgery Center, 480-970-2580. The seminar is being held at 8765 E. Bell Road, Suite 104, Scottsdale, Arizona on Wednesday February 2nd, 2011 at 6 PM. Click here for Directions.
Only 4 days left to get your seat reserved!
Other Web Places you might see my Plastic Surgery Work.
01 year ago
by Dr. Aldo
in Art & Science
Scottsdale – As a board certified plastic surgeon, I am fully committed to my practice. My practice now includes only plastic surgery operations which enhance a person’s appearance. This is also known as cosmetic surgery or aesthetic plastic surgery.
What is Aesthetic Plastic Surgery?
Aesthetic surgery is a branch of medicine that requires great dedication to be successful. To become a surgeon of this type requires a great detail of training and certification. Today, I most commonly perform breast augmentation, tummy tuck, liposuction, facelift, lower body lift, and other similar procedures.
Started out as a Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon.
While I always had a great interest in this type of surgery, I didn’t start out as a cosmetic surgeon. In fact, I was more of a reconstructive surgeon. I worked on the reconstruction of complicated wounds and injuries for many years. The vast majority of this work was done at a major university and many of the surgeons I used to work with, at that time, have also moved on into private practice.
Remembering past Plastic Surgery Experiences.
Sometimes, it is good to reminisce and think back to those days where creativity was at a premium. In fact, in many cases portions of this work is still out there. Everyone that is a fan of my blog is also familiar with my current website and how this demonstrates the type of high quality cosmetic surgery work we perform. I found a few other places on the web, where my previous work in reconstruction is featured and shows that high quality reconstructive work was done in that past, as well.
Options for choosing a Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon.
I have posted some of those links for those who might be interested. Since I no longer perform many of these reconstructive operations, I would refer you to those websites to find the best plastic surgeons performing reconstruction with perforators flaps, in particular.
Website Updates: Thigh Lift Surgery Photos.
01 year ago
by Dr. Aldo
in Thigh Lift
Scottsdale – In preparation for our first seminar of the year, we have updated our website photos for the inner thigh lift.
That’s right! We have added 3 additional before and after photos sets of inner thigh lift surgery. Most of the additional photos were performed on patients after major weight loss.
We did it a little differently this time! We added more information about body mass index.
We mention on the description section of the before and after photos, the maximum body mass index and the body mass index on the day of surgery. I believe this will be very helpful for patients contemplating thigh lift to know about these numbers.
Of course, the general rule is the greater the difference in the body mass numbers, the greater the change in the body, and the more dramatic the change after thigh lift surgery.
Click on the link above to see our new photos. For additional information on thigh lift, go to our website here.
Don’t forget, the next Plastic Surgery after Major Weight Loss Seminar is scheduled for February 2nd, 2011. Please contact our office at (480) 970-2580 to reserve your seat.
Smoking causes Immediate DNA Damage.
0Scottsdale – According to Discovery, new research shows those first few puffs on a cigarette can, within minutes, cause genetic damage linked to cancer.
The researchers said the “effect is so fast that it’s equivalent to injecting the substance directly into the bloodstream,” in describing their findings.
The study involved a small number, using only 12 volunteer smokers. The scientists tracked pollutants called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that are carried in tobacco smoke. These are also found in coal-burning plants and in charred barbecue food.
The researchers followed one particular type of carcinogen — phenanthrene — which is found in cigarette smoke — through the blood. Accordingly, this toxic substance is known to “trash DNA, causing mutations that can cause cancer,” the study said.
“The smokers developed maximum levels of the substance in a time frame that surprised even the researchers: just 15-30 minutes after the volunteers finished smoking,” the study said.
Lead scientist Stephen Hecht, said the study is unique because it examines the effects of inhaling cigarette smoke, without interference from other sources of harm such as pollution or a poor diet. The study is also the first on humans to track substances in tobacco which cause DNA damage.
“The results reported here should serve as a stark warning to those who are considering starting to smoke cigarettes,” Hecht said.
Lung cancer kills about 3,000 people around the world each day. Ninety percent of those deaths are attributable to cigarette smoking. The research was funded by the National Cancer Institute. The article appears in the peer-reviewed journal Chemical Research in Toxicology.
We tell all patients that smoking and plastic surgery do not mix! Now we know that smoking causes DNA damage, and quickly, which another unfortunate fact that does not help wound healing in cosmetic surgery.
