What is a facelift:
A facelift is a plastic surgery procedure that eliminates extra fat and tightens the muscles around the face, giving the patient a more youthful appearance. When we age, the skin around our face becomes less elastic and the skin around the jaw line and neck can become loose and sag. A facelift smooths and tightens the sagging facial skin which can improve jowls, double chins, and the loose skin – thus reshaping the lower portion of the face.  The popularity of the facelift surgery has been on the rise with both men and women. Today, the average facelift patient is around 40 years old. If you are bothered by signs of aging in your face, a facelift surgery may be right for you.

How to Minimize the Risk of Plastic Surgery:
Although serious complications with facelift surgery are rare, there are risks involved. At Strax Rejuvenation, we take these risks very seriously. The best way to minimize the risk of surgery is to have the surgery done by a certified surgeon. Strax Rejuvenation is a highly professional plastic surgery facility that has extensive experience in facelift surgeries. The surgeons at Strax Rejuvenation are highly qualified and professional with years of experience.

Risks of Plastic Surgery:
Before you consider doing any plastic surgery you have to be prepared for all the risks involved. Some complications that can arise after a facelift surgery are:

• Allergic Reactions: Facelift plastic surgery involves the usage of anaesthesia which has some effects including nausea. The side effects of anaesthesia will subside within a short period of time. Medications are usually prescribed for patients who have had facelift surgery in order to accelerate a patient’s recovery. It is important to let your physician know of any allergic reactions you have. Although your physician is careful when prescribing medication, sometimes both you and your doctor can find out at the worst time about an allergic reactions. You must see your physician immediately if you have any allergic reaction to prescribed medication.
• Swelling/Scars- A plastic surgery operation will have some amount of swelling, scarring and bruising. These are just temporary while your body is healing.
• Facial Nerves-During a facelift surgery, when excessive skin is removed, nerve endings are severed. This can lead to damaged facial nerves resulting in numbness and weakness of the facial muscles. This is most likely temporary as the nerves will  regenerate and feeling will return to the face.
• Haematoma-This is bleeding under the skin causing swelling. Haematoma happens within a day of the surgery and is serious enough to warrant a second surgery to stop the bleeding by removing the clot.

Your doctor will inform you of all the potential complications that may arise after a surgery. You should also inform your doctor of your medical history; including allergies and other medical conditions. Based on your personal needs and circumstances, a plastic surgeon can make suitable recommendation on what your best options are for facelift surgery.

At Strax Rejuvenation and Aesthetics Institute, patient care and safety is our top priority. Strax Rejuvenation is fully licensed by the state of Florida and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading plastic surgery and wellness centers. Strax Rejuvenation has successfully performed over 30,000 surgeries since 2004 and unlike many other facilities; Strax has board certified surgeons and a full staff of registered nurses and physician’s assistants to guarantee you the very best possible care. Strax Rejuvenation and Aesthetics Institute offers Lap Band® surgery, breast augmentation, Liposuction, Facelifts, Neck Lifts, Hair Grafts, Eyelid Surgery, and Vaginal Rejuvenation. Non-surgical procedures include Dysport, Restylane, Juvederm, and much more.

To learn more, visit: http://www.straxrejuvenation.com. You can also connect with Strax on Facebook and see other patients’ comments and feedback. Visit: http://www.Facebook.com/straxre

What is Breast Augmentation?
Breast Augmentation is the insertion of a silicone bag (prosthesis) under the breast and chest muscle and then the bag is filled with saline. The silicone bag expands giving the breast a better shape or contour as well as giving fuller cleavage. Breast augmentation is also known as augmentation mammaplasty.

Why do women go for Breast Augmentation?
Breast Augmentation is the most popular plastic surgery in the United States. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast surgeries have been on the rise since 1992. Though liposuction is very popular, it can’t match the immense popularity of breast augmentation. In 2008, out of 10.2 million cosmetic procedures performed in the United States, more than 355,000 procedures were breast augmentations. On average, women between 30-39 years old are the most likely to consider breast augmentation.

Some of the main reasons women go for breast augmentation are:
• To improve low self-esteem.
• To improve breasts firmness due to nursing and child bearing.
• To improve breasts size and shape after major weight loss.
• To improve the look when one breast is smaller than the other.

What are the choices for implants?
There are two types of breast implants that are approved for use in the United States; Saline filled and silicone gel filled. Both breast implants have an outer silicone shell and vary in sizes, thickness and shape.

Saline implants have a silicone outer shell comprising of sterile saltwater. The FDA approved saline implants for women 18 years and older for breast reconstruction surgery. Saline implants can also be used in surgery to improve an original surgery.

Silicone gel implants have an outer shell filled with silicone gel. They are available in various sizes and have refined contours. Silicone gel implants can be used for breast augmentation in women 22 years and older. Silicone gel implants can also be used in breast reconstruction surgery and revision surgeries.

What is the risk of Breast Augmentation?
Before you consider doing any plastic surgery you have to be prepared for all the risks involved. Some complications that can rise after a breast augmentation are:

• Breast pain.
• Changes in nipple and breast sensation.
• Rupturing of the implants (Saline and/or Silicone implants)
• Possibility of additional surgery.
• Scar tissues may form around the implant.

Ensure you consult a good plastic surgeon. Strax Rejuvenation has highly qualified and certified plastic surgeons who believe in giving quality services to their patients.

Your doctor will inform you of all the potential complications that may arise after a surgery. You should also inform your doctor of your medical history; including allergies and other medical conditions. Based on your personal needs and circumstances, a plastic surgeon can make suitable recommendation on what your best options are for breast augmentation.

At Strax Rejuvenation and Aesthetics Institute, patient care and safety is our top priority. Strax Rejuvenation is fully licensed by the state of Florida and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading plastic surgery and wellness centers. Strax Rejuvenation has successfully performed over 30,000 surgeries since 2004 and unlike many other facilities; Strax has board certified surgeons and a full staff of registered nurses and physician’s assistants to guarantee you the very best possible care. Strax Rejuvenation and Aesthetics Institute offers Lap Band® surgery, breast augmentation, Liposuction, Facelifts, Neck Lifts, Hair Grafts, Eyelid Surgery, and Vaginal Rejuvenation. Non-surgical procedures include Dysport, Restylane, Juvederm, and much more.

To learn more, visit: http://www.straxrejuvenation.com. You can also connect with Strax on Facebook and see other patients’ comments and feedback. Visit: http://www.Facebook.com/straxre

However, a recent development in the field of cosmetic medicine will allow you to achieve greater benefits without the undesired side effects of liposuction like high cost, considerable pain and significant down time.

Lipo-Ex is a quick and painless non-surgical solution that literally melts fat and cellulite away in less than an hour, while tightening sagging skin – with zero downtime afterward.

While this sounds too good to be true, Lipo-Ex, like all cosmetic procedures, should never be undertaken without understanding all of the risks and rewards involved.

For this reason, Strax Rejuvenation always recommends an in-office consultation so you can discuss your specific questions and concerns with one of our seasoned doctors, but we hope the information below provides a strong foundation.

What Specifically is Lipo-Ex at Strax?

Instead of using tubes and syringes as liposuction does, Lipo-Ex, a completely non-surgical cosmetic procedure, uses a hand piece that emits deep penetrating radio waves that will shrink the fat cells in your body, allowing fatty substances to drain out.

This may sound like a scene out of a science-fiction film, but the body actually secretes this fatty substance through the lymphatic draining system already over time, so it’s perfectly natural.

How Else is Lipo-Ex Different From Liposuction at Strax?

A better question would be, what do they have in common? The only similarity between traditional liposuction and Lipo-Ex is that they both are cosmetic procedures designed to remove fat from certain areas of the body.

That’s it.

Overall, Lipo-Ex is a more effective, less painful, and less expensive alternative to traditional liposuction, but we will discuss specific differences below:

Strax Lipo-Ex Involves No Surgery

Since traditional liposuction is a surgical procedure it requires general anesthesia prior to the procedure, which Lipo-Ex does not, because it is entirely surgery free. Also, no surgery means that Lipo-Ex won’t leave you with any undesired scars.

Traditional liposuction can also be traumatizing to the body because surgeons have to break up the cells inside the body before they can begin sucking the fat out. In fact, this often can create a rough, bumpy look afterward since there is usually some level of unevenness in how cells are broken down before they are suctioned out.

On the other hand, Lipo-Ex involves absolutely no trauma because the radio waves entering the body heat the fat cells naturally throughout the entire desired area. As such, there is no chance of human error because the heat associated with Lipo-Ex is always evenly distributed; always resulting in a smooth look.

Lipo-Ex Removes Both Subcutaneous Fat and Visceral Fat

Another major benefit of Lipo-Ex is that it not only diminishes subcutaneous fat, the fat found just beneath the skin, but also visceral fat, the fat that covers organs and poses the most health risks – which standard liposuction can’t touch.

This is an important differentiation because excess visceral fat leads to higher risks of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Therefore, while Lipo-Ex will improve your physical appearance to your desired results, it will also greatly increase your general health and well-being.

Lipo-Ex Tightens Skin

Since Lipo-Ex stimulates collagen levels within the skin, some cosmetic surgeons are also using the procedure as a finishing step to give their traditional liposuction patients a firmer overall look.

Lipo-Ex is growing in popularity because of this universal appeal. Not only can it get rid of fat in much safer and healthier ways, it also reduces cellulite, tightens skin and increases collagen production.

Strax Lipo-Ex is Less Expensive Than Liposuction

Amazingly, Lipo-Ex possesses all of these benefits and the procedure still costs much less than traditional liposuction at Strax.

How can this be? Most doctors will charge at least two or three times more for standard liposuction because of factors like the costs of anesthesia, time and out-patient procedures. As you know now, Lipo-Ex requires none of these extra expenditures.

This sounds amazing, but am I a good candidate for Lipo-Ex at Strax?

If you meet the following criteria Lipo-Ex is an excellent alternative for you over traditional liposuction:

• You’ve tried dieting and exercise but still have excess fat in specific areas, including the buttocks, thighs, abdomen, arms, cheeks, waist and chest
• You don’t want to undergo invasive surgery
• You have a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30

I understand that Lipo-Ex is painless, but what does it feel like?

Some people feel little to no sensation at all, while others feel a tingling sensation under the electrodes that attach to the skin. This feeling usually decreases and eventually will disappear after a few hours once you get used to the sensation.

Many patients at Strax have actually fallen asleep during the treatment because it feels much like a thermal therapeutic massage as it shapes and slims the body.

How many procedures will it take to get my desired results?

This number will depend on your specific needs and the amount of fat that you would like to get rid of. The only way to know for certain is through an in-office consultation at Strax Rejuvenation, but on average, patients lose about 10 pounds (after five sessions) in three weeks.

One Lipo-Ex treatment takes less time than your lunch break – only about 45 to 50 minutes – and two sessions a week is usually recommended until you achieve your desired results.

Is there any chance that fat may return after my Lipo-Ex procedures?

Like all fat removal treatments, including traditional liposuction, Lipo-Ex does not guarantee that fat will not return unless patients control their fitness levels and eating habits.

Furthermore, Lipo-Ex does not destroy or remove fat cells, so fat can return to the same area where it was removed, instead of being distributed elsewhere.

This sounds too good to be true. There has to be risks, right?

There’s always risks in any cosmetic procedure, but one reason Strax Rejuvenation specializes in Lipo-Ex is because it does not have the risks and side effects of traditional liposuction, including excessive bleeding, asymmetry, fat clots, cardiac and pulmonary complications, and damage to nerves, blood vessels, muscles and organs.

The procedure doesn’t take long, but what will my recovery time look like?

Along with all of its benefits, Lipo-Ex doesn’t require any healing time or recovery period. You can go back to your daily life and routine immediately after treatment.

Strax Rejuvenation is here to help you as you decide which weight loss procedure is right for you, so please contact Strax with any questions and concerns that you may have regarding Lipo-Ex.

About Strax

Founded in 2004, Strax Rejuvenation & Aesthetics Institute is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading plastic surgery and wellness centers. Strax has successfully performed over 30,000 surgeries since 2004. To guarantee patient safety and care, all surgeons at Strax must be board certified and credentialed by independent risk managers. All surgeons’ prior medical performance histories are closely scrutinized before they are permitted to perform surgery at Strax’ facility. Supported by a full staff of MD Anesthesiologists registered nurses and physician’s assistants, patients are guaranteed to receive the very best possible experience in a warm, friendly and nurturing environment. Strax Rejuvenation offers Lap Band®® Surgery, Breast Augmentation, Liposuction, Facelifts, Neck Lifts, Hair Grafts, Eyelid Surgery, and Vaginal Rejuvenation. Non-surgical procedures include Fraxel Laser and Lipo X Treatment, Dysport, Restylane, Juvederm, and many more

To learn more, visit: http://www.straxrejuvenation.com. You can also connect with Strax on Facebook and see other patients’ comments and feedback.

Visit: http://www.Facebook.com/straxre

In the last year alone, plastic surgeons performed 296,203 breast augmentations, a 2 percent increase over 2009. In fact, breast augmentation has been the top plastic surgery procedure since 2006.

While women increasingly turn to breast augmentation surgery, no form of plastic surgery should be undertaken lightly. For this reason Strax Rejuvenation, which has completed thousands of breast augmentation surgeries, wants you to be fully prepared and understand all of the risks that may be involved.

An in-office consultation with Strax is the best way to start this journey, but we hope that the basic information below gives you a strong foundation to begin the process.

Whether you’re considering breast augmentation to add volume to underdeveloped breasts, or you want to restore breast appearance after child bearing or weight loss, there are many factors to consider, including size, filler (saline or silicone), shape, profile and surface (smooth or textured).

Breast Implant Size

For many patients, breast implant size is the most difficult phase of breast augmentation plastic surgery because there are many different implants to choose from.

While breast implant volume ultimately determines final cup size, the following are important factors as well: the amount of breast tissue available before surgery; the desired end point; the elasticity of breast skin; and the size of the pectoralis, the muscles that the implants are placed behind or above.

Considering before and after pictures online is a great way to determine your desired cup size, and we recommend that you bring these pictures to Strax Rejuvenation during your consultation to serve as a guide.

Some patients even use the “rice test,” filling plastic bags with rice and wearing them inside a well-fitting sports bra, to experiment with desired cup sizes. Once you are happy with their look and feel, you can bring the bags to Strax, which we can also use as a useful guide during the process.

Fillers for Breast Augmentation at Strax

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently approves two types of breast implants: silicone-filled and saline (salt water)-filled. Both types are safe and effective fillers, and both have a silicone shell, which is stable, solid and tolerated well by the body.

The difference between silicone and saline implants is their center, and understanding this distinction will help you determine which filler is best for you.

Saline-Filled Breast Implants at Strax

Saline implants are usually inserted into the breast empty and then filled with the desired volume of saline during surgery.

Advantages of Saline Breast Augmentation

• Requires smaller incisions than other implants, typically only three centimeters
• Easily detect leaks – no MRI is needed because the implant will noticeably deflate. As such, they’re easier to replace if they deflate.
• The human body is composed of saline, so the body handles and adjusts to the implants very well
• Higher projection – Saline implants are stiffer, so they push the breasts out further, if this is the desired result

Disadvantages of Saline Breast Augmentation

• Increased risk of rippling, a problem seen more in women with insufficient soft tissue coverage and thin skin.
• Slightly higher leakage rate; however, as stated earlier, salt water is easily absorbed by the body.
• Easier to feel
• Firmer compared to silicone, an issue if this is not a desired result

Silicone-Filled Breast Implants at Strax

Unlike saline implants, silicone implants do not have a built-in valve, so they come sealed and pre-filled.

Advantages of Silicone Breast Augmentation

• Softer result, especially in women with thin breast tissue.
• Decreased rippling.
• Better movement with position changes.
• Softer shell.
• Slightly lower leakage rate.
• More shapes are available.

Disadvantages of Silicone Breast Augmentation

• It can be difficult to detect leaks in cohesive gel implants. In fact, the FDA recommends an MRI three years after surgery, and then every two years thereafter.
• Silicone is not absorbed by the body and requires surgery to be removed.
• Can cost more than saline implants.
• Requires a longer incision, typically five centimeters for cohesive gel and seven for highly cohesive.
• Slightly higher risk of capsular contracture, the most common complication of breast augmentation surgery, which makes implants feel hard and distorts breast appearance.

Shape of Breast Implants

While the first breast implants sold in the United States were teardrop shaped, the most commonly use implants today are smooth and round.

Round Breast Implants

Since most breasts are fuller at the bottom naturally, a rounder implant will still provide a more natural, teardrop shaped result. By placing the implant behind the muscle, this enhances the natural breast’s definition for all implants, saline or silicone.

Teardrop Shaped Breast Implants

This shape is available for saline and silicone filled implants, but since they are liquid filled, the shape is not stable. However, form-stable implants, often referred to as gummy bear implants, will keep their shape. Form-stable implants are filled with a soft solid substance (like Jello-O), which helps the implant keep its shape, and are textured to prevent rotation.

Plastic Surgery Profiles/Projections

An implant will take on a more spherical shape as its profile increases. High profile implants are useful for patients with narrower chests who want larger cup sizes. For a fixed volume, a high profile breast implant will have a narrower base, while lower profile implants will have a larger diameter.

This is important to understand because matching the diameter of the breast and implant is vital for achieving a natural appearance. For example, if an implant is too wide, the breasts will push outwards towards the arms, while implants that are too narrow will increase the space between the breasts.

Surface Types at Strax

Textured Breast Implant

This refers to the surface of the breast implants’ outer shell. Like Velcro, texturing allows the capsule – the scar that naturally forms around an implant – to attach to the surface of the implant. For shaped implants, like the torpedo-shaped implants mentioned previously, this is extremely important in preventing rotation, while preserving the desired appearance of a teardrop shaped breast. When a shaped implant rotates, it typically produces an asymmetry that requires a second surgery to correct.

On the other hand, texturing typically creates a firmer feel, and any implant wrinkling is more likely to show on the surface of the skin. As such, rippling is seen more within patients who opt for textured implants. Deflation rates are also slightly higher with textured implants.

Smooth Breast Implant

Smooth breast implants provide a softer result since the implants are allowed to rotate. For this reason, only round implants are made smooth because there is no visible change in breast shape when this style rotates.

While this list is certainly not exhaustive – placement, incisions and post-operation activity are also important factors when considering breast augmentation plastic surgery – Strax Rejuvenation hopes that it has provided you with a strong foundation to move forward.

While conducting research is an important first step towards any form of plastic surgery, please don’t hesitate to contact us regarding any questions and/or concerns that you may have. Strax plastic surgeons are here to educate you, boost your confident, and ensure satisfaction with your plastic surgery. We look forward to consulting with you and providing ease of mind during this important step in your life.

About Strax Plastic Surgery

Founded in 2004, Strax Rejuvenation & Aesthetics Institute is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading plastic surgery and wellness centers. Strax has successfully performed over 30,000 surgeries since 2004. To guarantee patient safety and care, all surgeons at Strax must be board certified and credentialed by independent risk managers. All surgeons’ prior medical performance histories are closely scrutinized before they are permitted to perform surgery at Strax’ facility. Supported by a full staff of MD Anesthesiologists registered nurses and physician’s assistants, patients are guaranteed to receive the very best possible experience in a warm, friendly and nurturing environment. Strax Rejuvenation offers Lap Band®® Surgery, Breast Augmentation, Liposuction, Facelifts, Neck Lifts, Hair Grafts, Eyelid Surgery, and Vaginal Rejuvenation. Non-surgical procedures include Fraxel Laser and Lipo X Treatment, Dysport, Restylane, Juvederm, and many more.

To learn more, visit: http://www.straxrejuvenation.com. You can also connect with Strax on Facebook and see other patients’ comments and feedback. Visit:http://www.Facebook.com/straxre

Smoking, sun bathing, and pollution can damage skin structure. However, these maturity marks are inevitable because of muscle deterioration and the stretching of skin from our every day smiles, frowns and squints.

Nobody can reverse the aging process permanently, but the Food and Drug Administration has approved injectable dermal fillers, such as Radiesse and Juvederm, so you can transform an aged face into a youthful, glowing face. And did you know? It only requires a quick visit to the office!

Used separately or together, dermal fillers offer a predictable, cost-effective way to fill in light and deep facial wrinkles or depressed areas; no surgery is necessary.

Nonetheless, Strax Rejuvenation, as with all forms of plastic surgery, wants you to deeply consider the risks and rewards of dermal fillers before you make a final decision to use them.

As such, we always recommend an in-office consultation so you can receive specific guidance from one of our trained, skilled professionals. We have also provided useful information below to serve as a foundation during this process.

Of course, if any questions and/or concerns arise, please don’t hesitate to contact Strax.

What is a Strax injectable dermal filler? I thought Botox is used to improve wrinkles and creases.

While Botox has received a lot of media exposure and is a well recognized name, it is not a dermal filler. Botox is used primary to relax the muscles that cause fine facial lines and undesired facial expressions, but it doesn’t’ fill any depressions.

However, Radiesse and Juvederm are fillers. They are used to plump or fill-in areas of the face that have lost their youthfulness and they can even reduce imperfections, like acne scars.

What is the difference between Radiesse and Juvederm at Strax?

Radiesse, which has been used for the safe treatment of wrinkles for more than 25 years, is a synthetic compound that consists of microspheres of calcium in a water-based gel.

In fact, Radiesse has been safely injected in more than 30,000 patients worldwide! Most injections produced no side-effects, though some minor complications have been reported by in large-volume lip augmentations. These complications have been resolved clinically.

Radiesse is commonly used for severe lines and wrinkles, for example the lines stretching from the nose to the corner of the mouth, which are referred to as the nasalobial fold.

Radiesse works particularly well in this area because its gel component fills out these deep lines, while its calcium element actually helps the body produce more collagen. Since Radiesse can provide both of these functions, the treatment lasts up to a year and sometimes even longer.

While Radiesse lasts longer than other fillers, it is not ideal for areas around the mouth, nose and eyes because it has a white color and the consistency of toothpaste, which can show through thin skin.

However, Juvederm is a clear, smooth gel-like substance that is great for these thin areas. It is primarily used to reduce and fill out small-to-medium lines and wrinkles, and even some types of scars.

It also replaces hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring hydrating substance produced by your body that is lost over time and creates folds and facial wrinkles. As such, Juvederm attracts additional water to the injected area, while maintaining a younger, smoother look for six months to one year.

What other types of dermal filler are available at Strax?

Like Juvederm, Restylane is made from hyaluronic acid, which is extremely important for counteracting the effects of time and increasing skin’s volume. Therefore, you can achieve a natural beauty lift using Restylane (while using the body’s own material!).

Restylane, a crystal-clear gel, is injected under the skin in tiny amounts with an extremely fine needle. You will see the results instantaneously and there is also no risk of any allergic reactions, since it is composed of hyaluronic acid. In fact, no previous skin test is needed, meaning you can have the 30-minute treatment immediately.

Perlane is also available. It is very similar to Restylane except it lasts a few months longer and is firmer. Perlane does not move through tissue like Restylane.

How do I choose which dermal filler to use? They all sound pretty similar at Strax, especially Radiesse and Restylane?

This is why an in-office consultation at Strax Rejuvenation is crucial because every patient is different. Each filler does have its own overall advantages and disadvantages, so the best dermal filler depends entirely on you!

Radiesse isn’t composed of hyaluronic acid like Restylane, which as we explained earlier is produced by the body. However, while Radiesse isn’t completely natural, it has proven continuously to be a completely safe and effective dermal filler.

Both Radiesse and Restylane can improve deep lines and wrinkles, but Radiesse is thicker so it produces longer lasting, more appealing contours.

Radiesse usually loses half of its volume in six to nine months, but can keep the other half for up to two years. Restylane lasts for three to nine months and Perlane usually lasts a little longer, so both require more frequent touchups compared to Radiesse.

Choosing which dermal filler to use also is based on the specific area being treated. Radiesse is typically used to fill in all areas of the face that don’t have thin skin because it is the longest lasting and has the thickest consistency.

How long does a normal Strax dermal filler take?

One of the greatest aspects of using injectable dermal fillers is that treatments can be conducted right in your doctor’s office – no surgery necessary – with minimal side effects and recovery time.

Side effects are immediate, and can include bruising or redness at the injection site, but these are generally minimal. Your Strax doctor will also use a numbing agency when injecting fillers to help lessen any discomfort.

Redness could last for one to two days and it is usually recommended that you try to avoid excessive facial movement during the first six hours after treatment. You should also avoid strenuous exercise, consuming alcoholic beverages, and extended exposure to the sun for at least 24-hours after the procedure.

Please don’t hesitate to contact Strax Rejuvenation with any additional questions and/or concerns that you may have regarding dermal filler treatments. We look forward to helping you during your decision process!

About Strax

Founded in 2004, Strax Rejuvenation & Aesthetics Institute is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading plastic surgery and wellness centers. Strax has successfully performed over 30,000 surgeries since 2004. To guarantee patient safety and care, all surgeons at Strax must be board certified and credentialed by independent risk managers. All surgeons’ prior medical performance histories are closely scrutinized before they are permitted to perform surgery at Strax’ facility. Supported by a full staff of MD Anesthesiologists registered nurses and physician’s assistants, patients are guaranteed to receive the very best possible experience in a warm, friendly and nurturing environment. Strax Rejuvenation offers Lap Band®® Surgery, Breast Augmentation, Liposuction, Facelifts, Neck Lifts, Hair Grafts, Eyelid Surgery, and Vaginal Rejuvenation. Non-surgical procedures include Fraxel Laser and Lipo X Treatment, Dysport, Restylane, Juvederm, and many more.

To learn more, visit: http://www.straxrejuvenation.com. You can also connect with Strax on Facebook and see other patients’ comments and feedback. Visit:http://www.Facebook.com/straxre

Read what our patients have to say about Strax plastic surgeons and Strax procedures, including breast augmentation, lipo, and tummy tuck. These testimonials come directly from Strax patients – unedited and unbiased.

Strax is a miracle worker! Loved my plastic surgeon!

“I had a Gastric Bypass surgery performed in May2005. I lost 135 pounds and was very happy with all the weight I had lost and also that my medical condition was finally under control. However, I wasnt happy with the way my body looked. This is when my Sister in Law recommended that I visited Strax Rejuvenation since she had a breast augmentation performed there and was very pleased with the results and the service they had provided. She really looked amazing. Well, I made the decision and finally went on December 2007. This has been the best decision of my life. There I met my ?Miracle Worker?, Dr. Osak Omulepu. During January 2008 through May 2008, I had a Breast lift, Tummy Tuck, Arm Lift, Lipo and Breast Augmentation. My life changed for the better, not only for me but also for my Husband and everyone around me because I’m a happier person now. I?m so pleased with all the results from my surgeries. The people at Strax are absolutely wonderful. The Nurses are extremely caring. Not to mention Dr. Omulepu, who is extremely knowledgeable, great listener, shares his recommendations in an understandable way, very professional, perfectionist (to my advantage) and most important, caring. I recommend Strax Rejuvenation without any doubts that you will walk out of there completely happy, satisfied and a new better person.”

-Verie

Best Plastic Surgeon and Staff at Strax

“I strongly recommend Strax Rejuvenation!!

They have very professional, friendly and pleasant staff. Recently had a few procedures done (tummy tuck, lipo, Breast lift and Breast Augmentation) with Doctor Jeffrey Hamm and am extremely satisfied with the results! Dr. Hamm is very professional and pays attention to small details.

Highly recommended!!!”

-Yani S.

I LOVE STRAX!! PERFECT BREAST AUGMENTATION

“I had the best experience with Strax. I was nervous about getting my Breast Augmentation because this place has been described by Nay-sayers as a flea market of plastic surgeons. FAR FROM! The staff is professional. The virtual imaging provided on my consultation allowed me to choose the perfect breast size for my actual body, not just feel a sample of implants. My consult was thorough and with the Dr. who would perform my procedure. He clearly explained exactly what the procedure entailed and what I should expect before and after. I love Dr. Gordon and his team! And highly recommend him. The only CON is that they’re so good, so aggressively priced, that they book up surgery slots fast. I was so at sure about Strax after my Thursday afternoon consult that I booked a surgery for 6AM Saturday morning. Tammy in finance/patient coordinator made processing my payment and getting my pre-op don’t swift and easy. Go to Strax. I’ve consulted at other plastic surgeons in deciding to do my breast augmentation — they didn’t deserve $6,000. Strax is nearly 1/2 the price and more value. And by the way, I LOVE my new perfect 34Cs (from 34As)! GO TO STRAX!”

-P. J.

About Strax

Founded in 2004, Strax Rejuvenation & Aesthetics Institute is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading plastic surgery and wellness centers. Strax has successfully performed over 30,000 surgeries since 2004. To guarantee patient safety and care, all surgeons at Strax must be board certified and credentialed by independent risk managers. All surgeons’ prior medical performance histories are closely scrutinized before they are permitted to perform surgery at Strax’ facility. Supported by a full staff of MD Anesthesiologists registered nurses and physician’s assistants, patients are guaranteed to receive the very best possible experience in a warm, friendly and nurturing environment. Strax Rejuvenation offers Lap Band®® Surgery, Breast Augmentation, Liposuction, Facelifts, Neck Lifts, Hair Grafts, Eyelid Surgery, and Vaginal Rejuvenation. Non-surgical procedures include Fraxel Laser and Lipo X Treatment, Dysport, Restylane, Juvederm, and many more.

To learn more, visit: http://www.straxrejuvenation.com. You can also connect with Strax on Facebook and see other patients’ comments and feedback. Visit:http://www.Facebook.com/straxre

Studies have shown that weight loss surgery is the only proven long-term method of weight loss for people more than 100 pounds overweight. In fact, patients maintain an average long-term weight reduction of 50 percent or more after surgery.

Many medical problems associated with obesity, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, and sleep apnea are improved or even cured in a majority of patients after weight loss plastic surgery.

While Lap-Band® may not be for everybody, Strax Rejuvenation offers this procedure for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, Strax offers Lap-Band® because it has proven to be a safe and effective method of surgical weight loss since its worldwide debut in the mid 1990’s. Furthermore, Lap-Band® has been FDA approved in the United States since 2001. At Strax Rejuvenation, patients’ safety is our number one concern.

In addition to safety, Lap-Band® has proven to achieve steady, healthy wegith loss for more than a decade in the U.S. and even longer worldwide. It helps patients keep weight off for a longer period of time in comparison to non-surgical treatments. Furthermore, Lap-Band® is as effective and safe as gastric bypass surgery.

What is the Strax Lap-Band®?

Unlike gastric bypass surgery, Lap-Band® is an easily reversible surgery procedure that involves placing an adjustable silicone band around the upper part of the stomach. This reduces the opening to the stomach, creating a small food pouch at the top while the larger portion of the stomach remains below the band.

The inner lining of the Lap-Band® is hollow and can be filled with saline, a sterile solution used during surgery, to adjust the size of the opening.

How will the Strax Lap-Band® help me lose weight, and more importantly, keep it off?

By binding the stomach, Lap-Band® surgery reduces hunger sensations and limits how much food can be eaten at any one time. The smaller food pouch also slows the digestion rate, making patients feel full sooner and for a longer period of time.

Lap-Band® is completely reversible and can be adjusted as needed, to allow more or less food into the stomach. This is a normal part of follow-up care.

How does Strax place the Lap-Band® in the body?

Another benefit of Lap-Band® surgery is that it is minimally invasive, requires short hospital stays, and less recovery time versus other weight loss procedures. In fact, most people who choose Lap-Band® typically return to work and other normal activities within a week. Gastric bypass surgery patients typically spend two to three weeks off work.

This is possible because Lap-Band® is performed using a modern surgical technique called laparoscopy, in which all operations within the abdomen are performed using small incisions.

After making these incisions, a Strax Rejuvenation surgeon would then use specially designed cameras and instruments to form and fasten the Lap-Band® into place around the stomach.

The advantages of laparoscopic techniques are less pain and minimal scarring, in additional to quicker recovery than traditional open surgery.

Are there major risks and side effects associated with Lap-Band® at Strax?

All forms of plastic surgery carry inherent risks. Some side effects reported by Lap-Band® users are heartburn, dehydration, constipation and difficulty swallowing.

While there are risks involved, Lap-Band® has become the worldwide best selling adjustable gastric band for weight loss because it offers a smaller chance of side effects compared to other weight loss procedures, particularly gastric bypass surgery.

In fact, the Lap-Band® system is the only FDA approved gastric banding system for people who are at least 30 pounds overweight, have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 30, or have one or more obesity related health conditions.

Above all, the mortality rate for Lap-Band® patients is ten times lower than the mortality rate for gastric bypass patients, according to the manufacturer of Lap-Band®, Allergen Inc.

Patients also have a lower risk of post-surgical nutritional deficiencies, hair loss, and other issues associated with gastric bypass. Furthermore, they are much less likely to experience “dumping syndrome,” a condition where food passes through the body too fast resulting in severe cramping and digestive disruption.

Of course, you should talk to your surgeon in detail about any risks and complications that might arise, so we recommend that you contact Strax Rejuvenation if you have any questions or concerns.

Lap-Band® sounds great, but is it right for all Strax patients?

You’re right, while Lap-Band® patients typically lose up to two pounds per week and 50 percent of excess weight within the first year, this form of surgery isn’t meant for everybody who is overweight.

At Strax Rejuvenation we want to provide patients with all of the information they need to make an informed decision. Please feel free to contact us at anytime if you have questions. The best candidates for Lap-Band® surgery typically have a BMI higher than 40 or a BMI greater than 30 combined with a health problem related to obesity.

The Lap-Band® may also be right for you if you meet the following criteria:

1. You are between the ages of 18 and 60.
2. You have been overweight for more than five years.
3. You have attempted to lose weight before, but have only found short-term success
4. You do not excessively drink alcohol
5. Most importantly, you are prepared to make major changes in your lifestyle and eating habits.

Medical studies have shown continually that it’s extremely unlikely to combat obesity and achieve significant long-term weight loss through diet and behavior changes alone. Therefore, Strax Rejuvenation champions Lap-Band® as a way for patients to take charge of their health and experience safe long-term weight loss.

If you think you may be a candidate for Lap-Band® surgery please contact us. We look forward to discussing your weight-loss goals, and any questions and/or concerns that you may have.

About Strax

Founded in 2004, Strax Rejuvenation & Aesthetics Institute is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading plastic surgery and wellness centers. Strax has successfully performed over 30,000 surgeries since 2004. To guarantee patient safety and care, all surgeons at Strax must be board certified and credentialed by independent risk managers. All surgeons’ prior medical performance histories are closely scrutinized before they are permitted to perform surgery at Strax’ facility. Supported by a full staff of MD Anesthesiologists registered nurses and physician’s assistants, patients are guaranteed to receive the very best possible experience in a warm, friendly and nurturing environment. Strax Rejuvenation offers Lap Band®® Surgery, Breast Augmentation, Liposuction, Facelifts, Neck Lifts, Hair Grafts, Eyelid Surgery, and Vaginal Rejuvenation. Non-surgical procedures include Fraxel Laser and Lipo X Treatment, Dysport, Restylane, Juvederm, and many more.

To learn more, visit: http://www.straxrejuvenation.com. You can also connect with Strax on Facebook and see other patients’ comments and feedback. Visit:http://www.Facebook.com/straxre

For many people – even those with normal body weight and proportion – diet and exercise alone are not enough to achieve a well-toned abdomen. A tummy tuck, the most effective plastic surgery option available for tightening your stomach area, will help you get the results you desire.

This procedure removes any extra fat and skin on your stomach, resulting in not only a flat abdomen but also tighter muscles in your abdominal wall.

According to a study published this year by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 116,352 tummy tucks were performed in 2010 – an 86 percent rise since 2000. However, this is major plastic surgery and should not be treated lightly.

At Strax Rejuvenation, we want all patients to educate themselves thoroughly before considering any form of plastic surgery. While an in-office consultation is the best venue for discussing any questions or concerns, we have provided information below to help serve as a basic foundation.

Is a Strax tummy tuck for me?

If you diet and exercise but can’t seem to achieve the flat stomach that you desire, a tummy tuck may be perfect for you, especially if you meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Loose or wrinkly skin and stretch marks, which can be a result of marked weight loss, aging or pregnancy.
• Fat tissue seen mostly in the lower abdomen.
• Muscle separation, which can occur on its own or from pregnancy. Unfortunately, no amount of sit-ups will help in this situation because once the muscles relax, they separate and cause your belly to protrude.

What is the difference between tummy tuck and lipo?

A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is not the same thing as lipo. While both procedures reshape the abdomen for a slimmer look and are often used together, they are very different types of surgery. A liposuction only removes fat deposits, while a tummy tuck actually repairs the damaged muscles that cause the stomach to protrude.

For example, a tummy tuck can help women who have had their muscles and skin stretched by several pregnancies. It will tighten abdominal muscles, while reducing skin around the area.

A tummy tuck is also great for men or women who were once obese but still have unwanted fat deposits and loose skin in the abdominal area.

A tummy tuck is a great way to achieve a flat stomach, but it isn’t for everybody.

Women who plan to have more children should wait to undergo the procedure because a pregnancy will actually reverse a tummy tuck and can create larger problems within the body.

A post-abdominoplasty pregnancy will force your skin to stretch, causing stretch marks and even blood blisters and other painful side effects if the skin stretches too far.

Keep in mind that a tummy tuck is not weight loss surgery. If you are overweight or obese, tummy tuck is not for you because it only tightens the abdominal muscles and removes excess skin. It does not remove excess fat.

A tummy tuck can also cause permanent scarring, particularly above your belly button.

Is there one type of tummy tuck surgery for all Strax patients?

No, there are actually two options that treat different conditions: complete abdominoplasty and partial or mini abdominoplasty. Depending on your desired results, either type of surgery can take between one and five hours. The complexity of your specific situation will determine whether the surgery is conducted as an in-patient or outpatient procedure.

Also, keep in mind that if your muscles do not need to be tightened, there is a procedure called dermatolipectomy that only removes loose skin.

Complete Tummy Tuck

This option, addressing the abdomen’s skin, fat and muscle, is for patients who require the most correction. The tummy tuck treats two conditions: muscle separation above and below the belly button and excessive or loose skin in the belly.

A dermatolipectomy is used during this procedure to remove the skin between the belly button and pubic mound, so it also removes any stretch marks in this area.

The scar from a tummy tuck frequently appears from hip bone to hip bone, but can extend further if there is a lot of loose skin or a fold of abdominal skin. However, most plastic surgeons place this scar below the panty line, so it’s not easily visible.

Mini Tummy Tuck

A mini tummy tuck, which is primarily a muscle tightening procedure, is performed on patients who have fat deposits located below the navel, particularly women who only have a pouch below the belly button and no stretch marks or saggy skin.

Since it requires smaller incisions, a mini tummy tuck is often performed with an endoscope, a small camera at the end of a tube. This results in a much smaller scar.

In fact, a mini tummy tuck can often be completed through an incision in the belly button or by making a C-section scar if the patient wants some excess skin removed.

However, a mini tummy tuck does have limitations:

• It only tightens a small area directly above the pubic mound.
• It doesn’t handle stretch marks.
• It is not a good skin tightening procedure.
• It doesn’t improve muscle wall separation above the belly button.

How long does it take to recover from a tummy tuck at Strax?

Healing time from a tummy tuck depends on several factors, including your overall state of health and physical fitness. In general, you should plan to miss at least one or two weeks of work.

Some patients even require up to four weeks of recovery time, though it takes most patients several weeks or more to feel completely back to normal.

Before surgery you should stock up on the following items to prepare for your post-surgery care:

• Several ice packs.
• Petroleum jelly for incision sites.
• Loose, comfortable clothing, including underwear that it is a few sizes larger than usual.
• Hand-held shower head and bathroom chair.
• Telephone within reaching distance.

During your first week post-surgery you will feel swollen, tight and you won’t be able to stand upright. Your torso will hurt, but the pain can be controlled with proper medication. By the end of the second week, you will still feel tight, but you should be walking almost upright.

After about four weeks you should be able to resume normal activities without feeling restricted. If you have a desk job you may be able to return to work after one week, but generally it is best to take at least two weeks off for recovery.

Like all forms of plastic surgery, Strax Rejuvenation recommends that patients research abdominoplasty thoroughly before ultimately making a decision.

We are here to help you during this entire process, so please contact us with any questions and/or concerns that you may have.

About Strax

Founded in 2004, Strax Rejuvenation & Aesthetics Institute is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading plastic surgery and wellness centers. Strax has successfully performed over 30,000 surgeries since 2004. To guarantee patient safety and care, all surgeons at Strax must be board certified and credentialed by independent risk managers. All surgeons’ prior medical performance histories are closely scrutinized before they are permitted to perform surgery at Strax’ facility. Supported by a full staff of MD Anesthesiologists registered nurses and physician’s assistants, patients are guaranteed to receive the very best possible experience in a warm, friendly and nurturing environment. Strax Rejuvenation offers Lap Band®® Surgery, Breast Augmentation, Liposuction, Facelifts, Neck Lifts, Hair Grafts, Eyelid Surgery, and Vaginal Rejuvenation. Non-surgical procedures include Fraxel Laser and Lipo X Treatment, Dysport, Restylane, Juvederm, and many more.

To learn more, visit: http://www.straxrejuvenation.com. You can also connect with Strax on Facebook and see other patients’ comments and feedback. Visit:http://www.Facebook.com/straxre

Facts About Latisse® at Strax

Lastise® is made by Allergen, a leader in the pharmaceutical industry with over 60 years of eye care expertise. Allergan is the same company that manufactures Botox. Latisse® is the only FDA approved prescription treatment for “hypotrichosis”, which is another name for inadequate or lower than average length, thickness and/or number of eyelashes. Latisse® makes eyelashes grow longer, fuller and darker.

Latisse® was originally discovered in 2001, when Allergan developed a medicated eye drop used to treat elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). Many patients using the medication began to grow longer, fuller and darker eyelashes as a side effect.

Latisse® was FDA approved in 2008 after a nationwide clinical study at 16 sites, which included 278 participants and a team of 16 doctors. After 16-weeks of treatments, the results showed that Latisse® was effective for 78% of participants. To date, about 2 million bottles of Latisse have been sold.

How does Latisse® work?

Latisse® is believed to affect the growth (anagen) phase of the eyelash hair cycle in two ways. First, it increased the length of the phase. Second, it increases the number of hairs in this growth phase. The exact way it works is not entirely understood.

If some of the solution gets into your eye, don’t worry. Latisse® is an ophthalmic solution, originally used as eye drop medication. It is therefore not expected to harm your eyes in any way and you do not need to rinse it out.

How soon can you expect to see Strax Latisse® results?

Latisse® solution is a once-nightly treatment you apply topically to the base of your upper eyelashes, as instructed by your doctor. Then, gradually, the results come in. You may start to see more length in as little as 4 weeks and you should achieve full growth in 16 weeks. It’s not an illusion of growth. It’s real lash growth.

What are some of the common side effects of Latisse®?

If you’re using or have used prescription products for any eye pressure problems, you should only use Latisse® under close doctor supervision.

About 4% of patients report an itchy sensation and/or eye redness as a common side effect after using Latisse®. If you discontinue using Latisse®, your lashes will gradually return to their previous appearance.

A less common side effect is skin hyperpigmentation, or skin darkening. This typically occurs when the Latisse® solution is applied to the skin, which increases melanin in the skin. This darkening may continue as long as the solution is applied but has been reported to be reversible in most patients upon discontinuation.

Latisse® can also result in unwanted hair growth. If some of the Latisse® solution gets onto your lower eyelashes, they could also grow longer, fuller and darker – which you may not want. However, this unwanted hair growth will only occur if you routinely apply Latisse® in this area. Therefore, Latisse® should only be applied at the base of the upper eyelashes.

How do you get Latisse®? Head to Strax!

Latisse® is the only FDA-approved product to grow eyelashes longer, fuller and darker. It has been thoroughly studied for safety and efficacy and is available by prescription only to assure proper treatment and use. Although many types of doctors can prescribe Latisse®, not all doctors are familiar with Latisse®. Strax Rejuvenation & Aesthetics Institute is listed on Latisse.com as authorized healthcare professional.

How much does Latisse cost at Strax?

One Latisse® kit costs approximately $120. Special discounts may be available from time to time for Strax Rejuvenation Facebook fans and/or customers.

Here’s what other Latisse® users are saying:

“I use it and love it…my eyes are small and lashes are wimpy.  I never even wore mascara because it made no difference but after this and now my lashes are so long and curled that they open up my eyes and my eyes look bigger and much more noticeable.  It’s as if I put a pair of fake lashes on them but they look real, I never thought I would get a complement on them but I do all the time now.” - Terry Owen

“I love the product. I don’t even have to wear mascara. So if you are one of those natural type girls who don’t like to wear make up every day like me it’s great. Do your homework and see if it’s right for you. Let me say it again… I LOVE IT!! And it’s worth every penny.” )) – Stacy George

Real Latisse® Before and After Photos

Meet the Real Women of Latisse®

Go behind the scenes and watch the “lash journey”. After being prescribed Latisse® watch these women’s journeys throughout the course of the 16-week treatment. Hear what motivated them to grow their lashes and how they feel now with their longer, fuller, darker lashes.

Get access to special Strax Latisse® discounts and savings

To receive special discounts and savings on Latisse® and other products and services, become a Strax Facebook fan: http://www.facebook.com/straxre

About Strax

Founded in 2004, Strax Rejuvenation & Aesthetics Institute is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading plastic surgery and wellness centers. Strax has successfully performed over 30,000 surgeries since 2004. To guarantee patient safety and care, all surgeons at Strax must be board certified and credentialed by independent risk managers. All surgeons’ prior medical performance histories are closely scrutinized before they are permitted to perform surgery at Strax’ facility. Supported by a full staff of MD Anesthesiologists registered nurses and physician’s assistants, patients are guaranteed to receive the very best possible experience in a warm, friendly and nurturing environment. Strax Rejuvenation offers Lap Band®® Surgery, Breast Augmentation, Liposuction, Facelifts, Neck Lifts, Hair Grafts, Eyelid Surgery, and Vaginal Rejuvenation. Non-surgical procedures include Fraxel Laser and Lipo X Treatment, Dysport, Restylane, Juvederm, and many more.

To learn more, visit: http://www.straxrejuvenation.com. You can also connect with Strax on Facebook and see other patients’ comments and feedback. Visit:http://www.Facebook.com/straxre

Strax Rejuvenation has completed thousands of breast augmentation and wants you to know what to consider. By educating yourself about breast surgery, you will become much more comfortable with the process, learn how to maximize satisfaction with your results, and maybe even reduce surgery costs! To begin, read about some of the different breast implant options as cited from Wikipedia’s page on Breast Implants (see Source at bottom of page). The information is very helpful and informative, even though it wasn’t written entirely by Strax. There are two general types of breast implant devices, defined by their filler material: saline, and silicone. The saline implant has an elastomer silicone shell filled with sterile saline solution; the silicone implant has an elastomer silicone shell filled with viscous silicone gel.

Saline Breast Implants

Breast-implant devices filled with saline solution (salt water) of biological concentration were first manufactured by the Laboratoires Arion Company, in France, and introduced for medical use in 1964. In the 1990s, saline implants were the most common breast-implant device used in the U.S., because of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration restricted the importation of silicone breast-implant devices rarely used in other countries. Good-to-excellent results might result, but, when compared to silicone gel implants; saline breast implants are likelier to cause cosmetic problems, such as rippling, wrinkling, and being noticeable to the eye and the touch. Particularly for women with very little breast tissue, and for post–mastectomy breast reconstruction patients, silicone gel implants are the superior device for breast augmentation and reconstruction.

Silicone Gel Breast Implants

Now in its fifth generation, silicone has become an acceptable and even preferred implant by many.

In 1961, the American plastic surgeons Thomas Cronin and Frank Gerow and the Dow Corning Corporation developed the first silicone breast prosthesis; the first augmentation mammoplasty was in 1962. Silicone-gel breast implants are described in five device generations, defined by common model-manufacturing techniques.

Since the mid–1990s, the Fifth generation of silicone breast implant is of a semi-solid gel that mostly eliminates filler leakage (silicone migration). Studies report low incidence rates of capsular contracture and of device-shell rupture, improved safety and efficacy greater than that of early-generation breast-implant devices.

Breast Augmentation Incision Types

Breast implant device emplacement is performed with five types of surgical incisions:

• Inframammary — an incision made below the breast, in the infra-mammary fold (IMF), which affords maximal access for precise dissection and placement of the breast implant devices. It is the preferred surgical technique for placing silicone-gel implants, because of the better exposure of the breast tissue-pectoralis muscle interface; yet, IMF implantation can produce thicker, slightly more visible surgical scars.
• Periareolar — an incision made along the areolar periphery (border), which provides an optimal approach when adjustments to the IMF position are required, or when a mastopexy (breast lift) is included to the primary mammoplasty procedure. In the periareolar emplacement method, the incision is around the medial-half (inferior half) of the areola’s circumference. Silicone-gel implants can be difficult to emplace with this incision, because of the short, five-centimeter length (~ 5.0 cm.) of the required access-incision. Aesthetically, because the scars are at the areola’s border (periphery), they usually are less visible than the IMF-incision scars of women with light-pigment areolae. The nerves to the nipple are no more likely to be injured with the periareolar incision approach than with other surgical approaches.
• Transaxillary — an incision made to the axilla (armpit), from which the dissection tunnels medially, thus allows emplacing the implants without producing visible scars upon the breast proper; yet is likelier to produce inferior asymmetry of the implant-device position. Therefore, surgical revision of transaxillary emplaced breast implants usually requires either an IMF incision or a periareolar incision.
• Transumbilical — a trans-umbilical breast augmentation (TUBA) is a less common implant-device insertion technique wherein the incision is at the naval and the dissection tunnels superiorly. This surgical approach enables emplacing the breast implants without producing visible scars upon the breast; but it makes appropriate dissection and device-emplacement more technically difficult. A TUBA procedure is performed bluntly — without the endoscope’s visual assistance — and is not appropriate for placing (pre-filled) silicone-gel implants, because of the great potential for damaging the elastomer silicone shell of the breast-implant device during its manual insertion through the short — two-centimeter (~2.0 cm.) — incision at the navel, and because pre-filled silicone-gel implants are incompressible, and cannot be inserted through so small an incision.
• Transabdominal — as in the TUBA procedure, in the transabdominoplasty breast augmentation (TABA), the breast implants are tunneled superiorly from the abdominal incision into bluntly dissected implant pockets, whilst the patient simultaneously undergoes an abdominoplasty.

Breast Implant Pocket Placement

• Subglandular — the breast implant is emplaced to the retromammary space, between the breast tissue and the pectoralis major muscle. This position closely approximates the plane of normal breast tissue, and affords the most aesthetic results; but, in patients with thin pectoral soft-tissue, the subglandular position is likelier to show the ripples and wrinkles of the underlying implant. Moreover, the capsular-contracture rate is slightly greater with the subglandular implantation approach.
• Subfascial — the breast implant is emplaced beneath the fascia of the pectoralis major muscle; this is a variant of the subglandular position. The technical benefits of the subfascial breast-implant pocket technique are debated; proponent surgeons report that the layer of fascial tissue provides greater implant coverage and better sustains its position.
• Subpectoral (dual plane) — the breast implant is emplaced beneath the pectoralis major muscle, after releasing the inferior muscular attachments, with or without partial dissection of the subglandular plane. Resultantly, the implant is partially beneath the pectoralis major muscle in the upper pole, while the implant’s lower pole is in the subglandular plane. This implantation technique achieves maximal coverage of the upper pole of the implant, whilst allowing the expansion of the implant’s lower pole; however, animation (movement) of the breast implants in the subpectoral plane can be excessive for some patients, a condition known as “animation deformity”.
• Submuscular — the breast implant is emplaced beneath the pectoralis major muscle, without releasing the inferior origin of the muscle proper. Total muscular coverage of the implant can be achieved by releasing the lateral muscles of the chest wall — either the serratus muscle or the pectoralis minor muscle, or both — and suturing it, or them, to the pectoralis major muscle. In breast reconstruction surgery, the submuscular implantation approach effects maximal coverage of the breast implants.

Post-Surgical Recovery

The surgical scars of a breast augmentation mammoplasty develop over a six-week period and fade within months. Depending upon the daily physical activity each woman might require, breast augmentation surgery patients usually resume their normal lives about one week post-operative. Women whose breast implants were emplaced beneath the chest muscles (submuscular placement) usually have a longer post–operative convalescence, and experience slightly more pain, because of the incisions done to the chest muscles during the augmentation mammoplasty. The patient usually does not exercise or engage in strenuous physical activities for about six weeks. During the initial recovery, the patient is encouraged to flex and move her arm to alleviate pain and discomfort; also available are analgesic medication catheters for alleviating pain. Moreover, significantly improved patient recovery has resulted from refined breast implant emplacement techniques, submuscular and subglandular, that allow 95 per cent of patients to return to full, normal life activities within 24 hours post-operative, without bandages, drains, pain pumps, catheters, special brassieres, or narcotic-strength pain medication.

Breast Augmentation Complications

The surgical emplacement of breast implants — whether for breast reconstruction or for aesthetic purpose — presents the same health risks common to surgery, such as adverse reaction to anesthesia, hematoma (post–operative bleeding), seroma (fluid accumulation), site breakdown (infection) — and especially breast pain, altered sensation, impeded breast-feeding, visible wrinkling, asymmetry, thinning of the breast tissue, and disruption of the natural plane between the breasts, aka “bread loafing” or symmastia. Specific treatments for the complications of indwelling breast implants — capsular contracture and capsular rupture — are periodic MRI monitoring and physical examinations. Furthermore, complications and re-operations related to the implantation surgery and to tissue expanders (implant place-holders during surgery) can cause unfavorable scarring in about 6%–7% of patients; and can increase medical costs.

Repair and Revision Surgeries

When the patient considers the outcome of an implantation mammoplasty unsatisfactory, or when technical or medical complications occur, or because of the breast implants’ limited product life (as a Class III medical device, in the U.S.), it is likely that women might have to replace their breast implants. The common re-operation (replacement) indications include major and minor complications, capsular contracture, shell rupture, and device deflation. Re-operation rates were greater for breast reconstruction patients, because of the post-mastectomy changes in the soft-tissue envelope and to the anatomical breast borders, especially in patients who received adjuvant XRT (external radiation therapy). Moreover, besides the reconstruction mammoplasty, breast cancer patients usually undergo surgeries of the nipple-areola complex (NAC), and symmetry procedures upon the opposite breast. Carefully matching the patient’s pectoral soft-tissue characteristics to the type and size of the breast implants reduces having to re-operate. With appropriate implant selection and proper implantation, the re-operation rate was 3% at the 7-year-mark, compared with the re-operation rate of 20% at the 3-year-mark, as reported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Breast Implant Rupture

Because a breast implant is a Class III medical device of limited product life, the principal rupture-rate factors are its age and design, although it can remain intact in a woman’s body for decades. The suspected rupture mechanisms are: damage during implantation, damage during (other) surgical procedures, the chemical degradation of the breast implants shell, blunt chest trauma, penetrating chest trauma, and, infrequently, the mechanical pressure common to traditional mammographic breast examination. When saline breast implants rupture, they usually quickly deflate, and thus are readily removed. Studies of women with saline implants reported 3-year-mark rupture-deflation rates of 3%–5% cent, and 10-year-mark rupture-deflation rates of 7%–10%. When a silicone-gel breast implant device ruptures it usually does not deflate, yet the silicone-gel filler can leak from the device to the implant pocket, wherein rests the breast implant proper. An intracapsular rupture (in-capsule leak) can progress to extracapsular rupture (out-of-capsule leak); each condition generally indicates surgical removal of the breast implant device. Although extracapsular silicone can migrate from the chest to elsewhere in the patient’s body, most such clinical complications were limited to the breast and axillae areas, manifested as granulomas (inflammatory nodules) and axillary lymphadenopathy (enlarged lymph glands in the armpit area).

From the long-term MRI data for single-lumen breast implants, the European literature about silicone-gel breast implants designed in the 1970s (Second generation), reported silent device-rupture rates of 8%–15% at the 10-year-mark since implantation (15%–30% of patients). In 2009, a branch study of the U.S. FDA’s core clinical trials for primary breast-augmentation surgery patients, reported device-rupture rates of 11% at the 6-year-mark. The first series of MRI evaluations of the silicone breast implants with thick filler gel had a device-rupture rate of 1%, or less, at the median 6-year device-age.

Moreover, clinical examination, alone, is statistically inadequate for accurately evaluating the suspected rupture of a breast implant device. The Diagnosis of Silicone Breast-implant Rupture: Clinical Findings Compared with Findings at Magnetic Resonance Imaging (2005) study reported that only 30h% of device ruptures — in asymptomatic patients — is accurately detected by experienced plastic surgeons, whereas MRI examinations accurately detected 86 per cent of breast-implant device ruptures. The FDA thus recommended MRI examinations, as silent-rupture screenings, beginning at the 3-year-mark after device implantation, and then every two years, thereafter. Nonetheless, beyond the U.S., the medical establishments of other nations have not endorsed routine magnetic resonance image (MRI) screening, proposing that such a radiologic screening should be reserved only for cases of the suspected clinical rupture of a breast implant, and for confirming mammographic and ultrasonic studies suggesting a ruptured breast implant device.

Capsular Contracture

The human body’s immune response to surgically installed foreign objects — breast implants, cardiac pacemakers, orthopedic prostheses — is to cover them with scar tissue capsules of tightly woven collagen fibers; bodily integrity by isolation and toleration. Capsular contracture — which should be distinguished from normal capsular tissue — occurs when the collagen-fiber capsule thickens and compresses the breast implant; it is a painful complication that might distort the implant device or the breast, or both. The cause of capsular contracture is unknown, but the common incidence factors include bacterial contamination, device-shell rupture, filler leakage, and hematoma.

Revision mammoplasty: Breast implant complication, the Baker scale Grade IV capsular contracture of a subglandular silicone implant in the right breast.

The device-implantation surgical procedures that have reduced the incidence of capsular contracture include submuscular implant placement, using textured-surface implant devices (polyurethane-coated) limited handling of the implants, limited contact with the recipient-site skin before emplacement, and irrigation with triple-antibiotic solutions.

The correction of capsular contracture might require an open capsulotomy (surgical release) of the collagen-fiber capsule, or the removal, and possible replacement, of the breast implant. Furthermore, in treating capsular contracture, the closed capsulotomy (disrupting via external manipulation) once was a common maneuver for treating hard capsules, but now is a discouraged technique, because it can rupture the breast implant. Non-surgical treatments for collagen-fiber capsules include massage, external ultrasonic therapy, leukotriene pathway inhibitors (e.g. Accolate, Singulair), and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy.

Systemic Disease and Sickness

Since the 1990s, independent, systemic, and comprehensive reviews of the studies for causal links between silicone-gel breast implants and systemic disease reported no device–disease causal link between the silicone breast implants and subsequent systemic and auto-immune diseases. Nonetheless, during the 1990s thousands of women claimed sickness from their breast implants; the medical complaints included neurological and rheumatological health problems. In the Journal of Rheumatology, the article “Where there’s Smoke there’s Fire: the Silicone Breast Implant Controversy Continues to Flicker” (2003) reported that some studies suggested that the psychosomatic (subjective) symptoms and the clinical (objective) symptoms of the women complaining of sickness might improve upon breast implant explantation.

Longer post-operative tracking of augmentation mammoplasty patients yielded much information about the symptomatic incidence of systemic diseases and auto-immune diseases. The Danish national health registry’s breast-implant study reported that women with implants did not risk a greater incidence–diagnosis of auto-immune disease, in comparison to women of the same age group in the general populace, and that the incidence of musculoskeletal disease was lower among women with breast implants than among women who had undergone other types of cosmetic surgery and then among women of the same age group in the general populace. Follow-up longitudinal studies of these breast implant patients confirmed the previously reported findings on the matter.

Furthermore, other studies established that women who underwent augmentation mammoplasty — or any type of plastic surgery — tended to be healthier and wealthier than the general populace, before and after surgery. That plastic surgery patients had a decreased standardized mortality ratio than did breast implant patients and patients for other plastic surgeries, yet had an increased risk of death by lung cancer than other plastic surgery patients. Because only one study controlled the factor of tobacco smoking, the data were insufficient to establish verifiable statistical differences between smoker and non-smoker that might contribute to the greater lung cancer death-rate of women with breast implants. In 2006, a long-term follow-up study of some 25,000 Canadian women with breast implants reported that the “findings suggest that breast implants do not directly increase mortality in women.”

The study, Silicone gel Breast Implant Rupture, Extracapsular Silicone, and Health Status in a Population of Women (2001), reported an increased incidence of fibromyalgia among women who suffered extracapsular silicone-gel leakage than among women whose breast implant devices neither ruptured nor leaked. The study later was criticized as methodologically flawed, and later studies failed to establish such a causal device–disease association. After investigating, the U.S. FDA reported that “the weight of the epidemiological evidence published in the literature does not support an association between fibromyalgia and breast implants.” Nonetheless — excluding the possibility that a small group of breast implant patients might sicken through (as yet) unknown disease mechanisms — the international medical consensus is that silicone-gel breast implant devices neither cause nor aggravate systemic and auto-immune diseases.

Breast Implants and Mammography

The presence of radiologically opaque breast implants might interfere with the radiographic sensitivity of the mammograph. In this case, an Eklund view mammogram is required, wherein the breast implant is manually displaced against the chest wall and the breast is pulled forward, so that the mammograph can visualize the internal tissues; nonetheless, approximately one-third (1/3) of the breast tissue remains inadequately visualized, resulting in an increased incidence of false-negative mammograms. Breast cancer studies of women with implants reported no significant differences in “stage-of-disease” at the time of diagnosis; the prognoses are similar in both groups, with augmented patients at a lower risk for subsequent cancer recurrence or death. Conversely, the use of implants for breast reconstruction after breast cancer mastectomy appears to have no negative effect upon the incidence of cancer-related death. That patients with breast implants are more often diagnosed with palpable – but not larger – tumors indicates that equal-sized tumors might be more readily palpated in augmented patients, which might compensate for the impaired mammogram images. The palpability is consequent to breast tissue thinning by compression, innately smaller breasts a priori, and that the implant serves as a radio-opaque base against which a cancerous tumor can be differentiated. The implant device has no clinical bearing upon lumpectomy breast conservation surgery for patients who developed breast cancer post-implantation, and it does not interfere with external beam radiation treatments (XRT); post-treatment incidence of breast-tissue fibrosis is common, and thus an increased rate of capsular contracture.

Source

“Breast Implant.” Wikipedia.org. Wikipedia, updated 13 June 2011. Web. 16 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_implant>

A significant amount of this information is cited directly from Wikipedia, which is an excellent starting place to learn about breast surgery. We also recommend reading the Strax blog post about maximizing your satisfaction with breast surgery (and minimizing your costs!):

http://www.straxre.com/blog/breast-augmentation-considering-cost-maximizing-your-satisfaction-level/

If you have questions, please call Strax at 954-840-3335 to consult with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon.

About Strax

Founded in 2004, Strax Rejuvenation & Aesthetics Institute is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading plastic surgery and wellness centers. Strax has successfully performed over 30,000 surgeries since 2004. To guarantee patient safety and care, all surgeons at Strax must be board certified and credentialed by independent risk managers. All surgeons’ prior medical performance histories are closely scrutinized before they are permitted to perform surgery at Strax’ facility. Supported by a full staff of MD Anesthesiologists registered nurses and physician’s assistants, patients are guaranteed to receive the very best possible experience in a warm, friendly and nurturing environment. Strax Rejuvenation offers Lap Band®® Surgery, Breast Augmentation, Liposuction, Facelifts, Neck Lifts, Hair Grafts, Eyelid Surgery, and Vaginal Rejuvenation. Non-surgical procedures include Fraxel Laser and Lipo X Treatment, Dysport, Restylane, Juvederm, and many more.

To learn more, visit: http://www.straxrejuvenation.com. You can also connect with Strax on Facebook and see other patients’ comments and feedback. Visit:http://www.Facebook.com/straxre