Dr. Mele discusses Rhinoplasty (aka: Nasal Surgery, Nose Surgery or the Nose Job) on the San Francisco Bay Area's News Station, KRON4.
Nasal Surgery (Rhinoplasty) Video – Part 2
Below is a nasal surgery (rhinoplasty) video from a recent appearance on KRON, channel 4. The show is Body Beautiful with host, Vicki Liviakis. What follows is part 2 of a 4 part special presentation on cosmetic nasal surgery (nose jobs). Rhinoplasty before and after pictures are included and a closely related procedure, chin augmentation (chin implants) is also discussed.
If you have questions about nose surgery, please give me a call at (925) 943-6353, or use the contact form on the left. Additional information and links are also available at the end of this post. The 800 number in this nasal surgery video was only for viewers to call in during the live show.
Sushruta, the Original Nose Job and Ancient Plastic Surgery
Sushruta - The Father of Indian Surgery and Plastic Surgery
While many consider plastic surgery a relatively new discipline, its origins are documented more than 4000 years ago by the Indus River Civilization of India. In Sushruta’s Compendium (around 1000 BC – 600 BC), Sushruta documents ancient medicine, surgery and midwifery 150 years before Hippocrates.
The Nose Job is one of procedures which defines early Plastic Surgery, and Sushruta is credited as the first to describe the details of rhinoplasty. His compendium shows clearly that surgery and cosmetic plastic surgery have always been linked. Sushruta’s techniques spread from India to Persia, Arabia, Egypt and eventually Europe, and some methods are still used today.
In the next part of this series Rhinoplasty (Nasal Surgery) San Francisco Bay Area (Cosmetic Nose Job) Part 3 of 4) we will jump forward a few thousand years to Gaspare Tagliacozzi, the Father of “Modern” Plastic Surgery.
Nose Job Video on KRON4′s Body Beautiful
Rhinoplasty (Nasal Surgery) Questions
This Rhinoplasty (Nasal Surgery) Video includes:
Nasal Septal injuries
Methods used to build up the dorsum of the nose?
Asian Rhinoplasty techniques
Septal cartilage grafts
Ear cartilage grafts
Rib (costal) cartilage grafts
Nasal Implants
Weir excisions – to reduce the width of the base of the nose.
Rhinoplasty before and after pictures with and without chin augmentation (chin implants)
Dorsum hump reduction with nasal tip-plasty and nasal tip reduction
Dorsum reduction with chin implant
Before and after pictures – chin implant alone
What is the role of Computer Imaging for planning cosmetic surgery of the nose and chin?
Types of chin implants
Silicone chin implant
Medpore chin implant
Comparing proportions to size of nose?
Non-surgical rhinoplasty, building up the nose with HA fillers:
Restylane
Juvederm
Perlane
The form of the nose vs. the function of the nose
The treatment of Nasal Obstruction
Additional Information on Nasal Surgery, Rhinoplasty and Nose Jobs
This is part 2 of 4 in a video series on Rhinoplasty (Nasal Surgery) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Additional segments can be found here:
Lafayette Hillside Memorial Crosses (Click for High Res Image)
Thank You Veterans
Tomorrow is Memorial Day. While it is the unofficial first weekend of summer, it is also our chance to celebrate those who have died in the service of our country. Memorial Day was originally celebrated as Decoration Day on April 25, 1866, in Columbus, Mississippi, to honor Confederate soldiers killed at the Battle of Shiloh. In 1868, Decoration Day was observed at Arlington Cemetery with flowers and small American flags placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers. Since then, the honor has been extended to all those who died defending the United States, and Freedom, during World Wars I & II, The Korean Conflict, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the world.
Lafayette Hillside Memorial
The picture above is a section of the Lafayette Hillside Memorial. The memorial was established in 2006 for soldiers who gave their lives in the Iraq War. A vigil we be held in their honor tomorrow night at 7 PM.
Memorial Day Observances
If you are looking for someplace to observe Memorial Day and give your thanks, here is a listing of some of the activities that are happening in our area:
Antioch – VFW program, Oak View Memorial Park, 2500 E. 18th St., Antioch, 11:00 AM
Brentwood – VFW local 10789 program, Brentwood Union Cemetery District, 11545 Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, 10:00 AM
Clayton – Annual Memorial Day Program by VFW Post 1525, Downtown Clayton Flagpole, Main and Oak Street, Clayton, 10:00 AM
Martinez – All Veterans Memorial – Corner of Alhambra Ave and Berrellesa St, Martinez, 10:00 AM
Pinole – VFW, Fernandez Park, 595 Tennent Ave. Pinole, 10:00 AM
Pittsburg – Pittsburg Veterans Memorial, Harbor Street, Pittsburg, 10:00 AM
Walnut Creek — Gazebo at Walnut Creek Civic Center, Corner of Civic Drive and North Broadway, Walnut Creek, 10:00 AM
Danville – Vietnam Veterans of Diablo Valley , Memorial Day Ceremony, Oak Hill Park, 3005 Stone Valley Road, Danville, 10:30 AM
Pleasant Hill – Contra Costa Veterans Monument, Corner of Boyd and Contra Costa, Pleasant Hill, 1:00 PM
Lafayette – Lafayette Crosses (pictured above), Corner of Deer Hill and Oak Hill Road, Lafayette, Across from Lafayette BART station, Vigil at 7:00 PM
Dr. Mele discusses Rhinoplasty (aka: Nasal Surgery, Nose Surgery or the Nose Job) on the San Francisco Bay Area's News Station, KRON4.
Nasal surgery is one of the most personalized and one of the most demanding of all the cosmetic plastic procedures in which I specialize. Rhinoplasty is one of the few surgeries where a millimeter of change can make a big difference.
Nasal Surgery (Rhinoplasty) Computer Imaging
With the advent of computer imaging, communicating what is possible has become a little easier. And it works both ways, in that it also makes it easier to figure out what my patients are asking me to do.
There is another benefit of computer simulation, a reduced need for revision surgery caused by miscommunication. Undo is a simple command on the computer, and it allows for a no risk exploration of all the possibilities. This way, when it is time for your nose job, the plan has been clearly communicated. Revision surgery is not unusual for rhinoplasty; however, it is more likely to be for fine tuning rather than for completely redoing when the plan is clear from the onset.
Nasal Surgery (Rhinoplasty) Video
Below is a nasal surgery (rhinoplasty) video from a recent appearance on KRON, channel 4. The show is Body Beautiful with host, Vicki Liviakis. What follows is part 1 of a 4 part special presentation on cosmetic nasal surgery (nose jobs). The 800 number in this nasal surgery video was only for the live show so viewers could call in with their questions. If you have questions about nose surgery, please give me a call at (925) 943-6353, or use the contact form on the left. Additional information and links are available at the end of this post.
Nose Job Video on KRON4′s Body Beautiful
Rhinoplasty (Nasal Surgery) Questions
This Rhinoplasty (Nasal Surgery) Video includes:
How did rhinoplasty get it’s name?
How popular is the nose job?
How have Rhinoplasty techniques advanced?
What are the latest techniques for Nasal Surgery?
What is the role of Computer Imaging for planning cosmetic surgery of the nose?
Can my nose be improved, but still be mine?
How have Skoog and Sheen shaped how we shape noses?
What role do cartilage grafts play in rhinoplasty
Septal cartilage grafts
Ear cartilage grafts
Rib (costal) cartilage grafts
Additional Information on Nasal Surgery, Rhinoplasty and Nose Jobs
This is part 1 of 4 in a video series on Rhinoplasty (Nasal Surgery) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Additional segments can be found here:
Stem Cells Facelifts, Stem Cell Breast Augmentation, Stem Cells in Plastic Surgery - Marketing Hype or Next Big Thing?
Stem Cells seem to be everywhere today: Stem Cell Breast Augmentation, Stem Cell Facelifts, Stem Cell Facial Creams, but what is it really worth? Does the marketing hype live up to the objective evidence? Are Stem Cells the panacea? First a little background.
The idea of a Stem Cell is exciting: a cell that has the potential to change into any cell type you would want, placed where you want it. Sounds too good to be true, but science is marching towards exactly that. Currently, these types of results are reproducible under laboratory conditions, but are currently not as predictable in the patient.
Stem Cells Grafts and Stem Cell Injections
The original “Stem Cell” grafts were done for years, without doctors realizing that’s what they where doing. San Francisco Plastic Surgeons have been removing fat and transplanting it into patients’ wrinkles to reduce folds long before there was Restylane®, Juvederm®, Perlane®, Radiesse® or any other currently available prepackaged wrinkle filler. Fat grafting predates even the Bay Area’s own contribution to fewer wrinkles and larger lips, Collagen, and it turns out that fat grafts also contain stem cells.
Fat has More Stem Cells than Bone Marrow
I remember attending a presentation at the California Society of Plastic Surgery in Napa in 1995, during which the discovery of numerous and varying stem cells in liposuction aspirate was being discussed. It was at that time, we plastic surgeons began to realize that fat transplants contain more than just fat cells. Whether the fat is surgically removed and replaced as fat grafts, or is removed with liposuction and injected, stem cells are present.
Stem Cell Breast Augmentation
The first documented breast augmentation was done with fat in 1895. Surgeon Vincenz Czerny used a benign lumbar lipoma (fatty growth), to repair the breast asymmetry caused by removing a tumor. Larger volumes of fat could be used for primary breast augmentation; however, then as today, larger transplantations can be problematic:
The volume of fat that lives can be variable leading to unpredictable amounts of augmentation.
The area grafted can become lumpy and irregular.
Nodules can develop.
Calcifications can develop making it difficult to properly screen for cancer on a mammogram.
As the patients ages and gains weight, so too do the grafts.
Stem Cell Facelifts
Part of the reason the face ages is that the fat on the face atrophies (goes away). Healthy babies have big fat round faces, and youthful faces maintain this padding. As we age, we lose the fat that adds volume to, and supports the skin. The result is a longer, narrower face, and skin that sags. Replacing this lost volume is one of the holy grails of plastic surgery. Facial implants, fillers, fat injections all have there place, and each can be helpful. Most stem cell facelifts are simply fat grafting to the face. While expensive machines are available to concentrate the stem cells in the graft, most practitioners do not use them, and there is simply no evidence that concentrating stem cells helps. This is one of the questions that the Stem Cell Task Form considered, and the answer still remains unclear.
ASPS and ASAPS Joint Stem Cell Task Force 2011
I was in Boston this week for the annual ASAPS meeting, and on Monday, the ASPS and ASAPS joint position paper on Stem Cells and Fat Grafting was released. While the data looks promising, there is nothing currently in the literature to support the marketing claims you are currently hearing, and there is concern that these unsubstantiated claims will harm patients and tarnish the reputation of Plastic Surgery. The following is from the above referenced paper:
Terms such as “stem cell therapy” or “stem cell procedure” should be reserved to describe those treatments or techniques where the collection, concentration, manipulation, and therapeutic action of the stem cells is the primary goal, rather than a passive result, of the treatment. For example, standard fat grafting procedures that do transfer some stem cells naturally present within the tissue should be described as fat grafting procedures, not stem cell procedures.
The marketing and promotion of stem cell procedures in aesthetic surgery is not adequately supported by clinical evidence at this time.
While stem cell therapies have the potential to be beneficial for a variety of medical applications, a substantial body of clinical data to assess plastic surgery applications still needs to be collected. Until further evidence is available, stem cell therapies in aesthetic and reconstructive surgery should be conducted within clinical studies under Institutional Review Board approval, including compliance with all guidelines for human medical studies.
The collection and reporting of data on outcomes and safety by any physician performing stem cell therapies is strongly encouraged in order to advance the knowledge and science of stem cells.
Stem cell based procedures should be performed in compliance with FDA regulatory guidelines. If devices are employed that are subject to regulation by the FDA, surgeons should use these devices with appropriate approval in place, especially when used for investigational purposes.
Patients are advised to seek consultation for aesthetic procedures by a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. These physicians are able to properly evaluate a patient’s concerns and offer a wide range of safe solutions. Extreme caution should be exercised when a physician is promising results from any treatment that sound too good to be true.
Buyer Beware
I continue to follow the debate, and as much as I want stem cells to be the next greatest thing, I also don’t want my hopes to cloud my judgement. Even among the tight knit aesthetic plastic surgery community, there is vigorous disagreement about the methods, safety and efficacy of fat grafting and the use of stem cells. At least a frame work for discussion has been defined, and the research is under way.
For now, buyer beware is still the best advice I can give. We all know that when something sounds too good to be true, it is probably not true, but we want to believe. Just because something claims to be new, it does not mean it is new, and being new has nothing to do with being better. We all want the greatest improvement with the least down time and no scars; however, there is something to be said for the tried and true. The older the procedure is, the longer it has survived, the more it has stood the test of time as a safe and reliable option.
Dr. Mele discusses Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tucks, Mini Tummy Tucks and Liposuction) on the Bay Area's News Station, KRON4.
San Francisco Bay Area Tummy Tuck patients learned the latest in body contouring on Body Beautiful with host Vicki Liviakis. My recent KRON 4 appearance reveals how Tummy Tucks can help after weight loss and childbirth. By removing disproportionate fat and repairing loose abdominal skin and muscle laxity, you can have a rejuvenated belly. This is part four of the video series; however, links to all four parts are available at the bottom of this post. Watch the show on the San Francisco Plastic Surgery Blog, and learn about the latest techniques of Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck), Mini Abdominoplasty (Mini Tummy Tucks) and Liposuction.
Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) Video
This is the final of four video segments about procedures for tightening your tummy. The video includes more viewer questions from the live broadcast. If you didn’t have a chance to call in during the broadcast, but you have questions, feel free to call my office directly at (925) 943-6353, or use the contact form at the bottom of the left column. The (415) phone number in the video was for the live broadcast only.
Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Video Part 4
Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Information
This Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Video includes:
How much does a Tummy Tuck cost?
Does insurance cover Abdominoplasty costs?
What type of Tummy Tuck is best for you?
Modifications of Abdominoplasty (Fleur-de-Lis Tummy Tuck) for skin tightening after massive weight loss and after bariatric surgery?
How long is the Tummy Tuck recovery?
Can an Abdominoplasty be performed safely with Diabetes?
Finding the Right Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) Surgeon
If you are considering cosmetic plastic surgery to improve the appearance of your tummy, or any body part, be certain to review the benefits, and the risks, with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon like myself, as part of your personalized consultation appointment.
Additional Information on Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)
This is part 4 of 4 in a video series on Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Additional segments can be found here:
Additional information on Abdominoplasty, Tummy Tucks, Mini Abdominoplasty, Mini Tummy Tucks, Liposuction and many other procedures is available on my main Walnut Creek Plastic Surgery website and information on breast implants and breast augmentation is available on my specialty breast site: San Francisco Breast. Information on procedures frequently combined with Tummy Tuck procedures, like Breast Augmentation or Liposuction, with a Tummy Tuck is also available. The combination of Tummy Tuck and Breast Enhancement (Breast Augmentation, Breast Lift, etc…) is often called a Mommy Makeover.
Dr. Mele discusses Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tucks, Mini Tummy Tucks and Liposuction) on the Bay Area's News Station, KRON4.
San Francisco Bay Area Tummy Tuck patients learned what’s new in body contouring on my recent KRON 4 Body Beautiful appearance with host Vicki Liviakis. Tummy Tucks can help after lost weight, childbirth and other causes of abdominal laxity. You can watch the show, in its entirety, on the San Francisco Plastic Surgery Blog, and learn about the latest techniques of Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck), Mini Abdominoplasty (Mini Tummy Tucks) and Liposuction.
Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) Video
This is the third of four video segments about abdominal rejuvenation. This video includes viewer questions from the live broadcast. The combination of liposuction and abdominoplasty is reviewed. If you have questions, feel free to call my office directly at (925) 943-6353, or use the contact form at the bottom of the left column. The (415) phone number in the video was for the live broadcast only.
Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Video Part 3
Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Information
This Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Video includes:
Should you lose weight before Abdominoplasty surgery?
Does having more fat mean more Tummy Tuck costs?
Can a Tummy Tuck be performed after a C-section?
Will Abdominoplasty interfere with my gym work-outs?
Can I have more children after a Tummy Tuck? Is it a good idea?
Does age matter?
Can I combine other procedures, like Breast Augmentation or Liposuction, with a Tummy Tuck? (Breast Augmentation with Tummy Tuck is often called a Mommy Makeover)
What are the alternatives to Abdominoplasty?
What exactly does a Tummy Tuck repair?
Loose Skin?
Loose Muscle?
Excess Fat?
Stretch Marks?
Finding the Right Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) Surgeon
If you are considering cosmetic plastic surgery to improve the appearance of your tummy, or any body part, be certain to review the benefits, and the risks, with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon like myself, as part of your personalized consultation appointment.
Additional Information on Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)
This is part 3 of 4 in a video series on Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Additional segments can be found here:
Abdominoplasty San Francisco Bay Area (Tummy Tuck) – Part 4 of 4 (Coming Soon)
Additional information on Abdominoplasty, Tummy Tucks, Mini Abdominoplasty, Mini Tummy Tucks, Liposuction and many other procedures is available on my main Walnut Creek Plastic Surgery website and information on breast implants and breast augmentation is available on my specialty breast site: San Francisco Breast.
