To the board certified plastic surgeon, there are few medical marriages as dreaded as cosmetic surgery and the smoking patient. And yes (to the men!), this includes cigars in addition to cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. There are no other existing factors within the patient’s control that can increase the risks of complications to the degree that smoking can and commonly does!

For that reason, Dr. Brian Howard insists that his elective cosmetic surgery and also reconstructive surgery patients stop smoking completely four weeks before surgery and an additional four weeks after plastic surgery. This time period has been scientifically shown in multiple medical studies to lower the patient’s risks to nearly that of a non-smoking patient. Smoking cessation ideally includes not using nicotine substitutes, although this is theoretically better than smoking.

Cigarette and cigar smoke contain over one thousand toxic substances, many of which have been shown to adversely affect healing, blood circulation, surgery complications, infection rates, bad scarring and final overall surgery results. One cigarette has been shown to decrease circulation to the human skin by nearly 40%! Since normal surgery healing is tremendously dependent on normal healthy blood circulation, it becomes apparent why “completely stopping all smoking” means just exactly that and nothing else! Sneaking in that one cigarette during the perioperative 8-week window could possibly doom you to unnecessary risks from your cosmetic surgery procedure, even if you are just having liposuction– risks and results that you, the patient, could potentially be left with for life!

There is not a single study to show that smoking is good for humans. There is not a single study to show that smoking will prolong your life. There is not a single study to show that smoking will in any way improve your surgical results or make your scars better. To maximize your chances of getting the best results with the fewest complications, avoid all types of tobacco-containing products for four weeks before and four weeks after your cosmetic surgery whether you are undergoing breast lift or tummy tuck in Atlanta!

To learn more about cosmetic plastic surgery procedures and other things to avoid when considering undergoing surgery, contact our office today to schedule a consultation.

Men are not uncommon plastic surgery patients in our practice in Roswell and Alpharetta, Georgia.  From Botox injections to rhinoplasty (“nose job”), liposuction, and blepharoplasty (“eyelid surgery”), men make up a large volume of patients seeking cosmetic surgery. One of the procedures performed frequently on men but not receiving much press is a tummy tuck, also known as an abdominoplasty. 

Tummy Tuck is a procedure most commonly associated with and performed on women following pregnancy.  However, men also have indications for an abdominoplasty, particularly in men who have been able to lose significant amounts of weight following focused diet and exercise or else who have had a “gastric bypass” procedure with subsequent weight loss. These men can be left with large amounts of loose, excess skin on their midsection.  This excess skin can be not only a mental stigma of prior obesity to the patient and therefore psychologically hard to look at, but also lead to chronic rashes, sweating, and hard to hide with one’s clothing.

Men and women who develop this excess skin are potentially good candidates for a tummy tuck surgery. The surgery involves removal of the excess skin, typically in an outpatient setting where the patient is able to go home the same day as the surgery.  Occasionally, a tummy tuck is combined with limited areas of  liposuction or other cosmetic procedures.

Best results occur in healthy, non-smoking patients with strong motivation to get rid of the skin and maintain their results by continued healthy dieting and regular exercise. To learn more about a tummy tuck procedure contact my office today to schedule a time to meet with me.

A very common question we get in our practice is “How soon after pregnancy can a tummy tuck be done?” We also get asked whether a tummy tuck can be done at the same time as a c-section. These are important questions to be answered, as the question is a logical one and one we hear every day at North Fulton Plastic Surgery!

Combining surgeries has a lot of appeal to patients. Why not take care of multiple problems, like undergoing a breast lift and tummy tuck, both procedures at once, right? While it is safe and common practice to combine multiple cosmetic procedures in healthy and appropriately selected patients, there are certain combinations that may increase patient risk for serious complications or lead to suboptimal results. It is well known that combining tummy tucks with hysterectomies or other urologic and gynecologic procedures has increased risks to the patient. Some of these risks include blood clot formation and pulmonary embolism. Yet, in healthy patients where extra preventative precautions are exercised to help minimize these risks, it is at times acceptable to perform these combined procedures. It would not be wise to perform these surgery combinations in patients with known health problems that would increase their risks even higher, however.

So then what about tummy tucks after pregnancy?

It is common opinion amongst board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States that performing a tummy tuck immediately after a c-section is not advisable. Risks to the mother are high and outweigh any cosmetic benefits. Additionally, an immediate tummy tuck is likely to have a suboptimal cosmetic result due to the altered state of the tissues of the abdomen with pregnancy. The abdominal skin is stretched and thinned with pregnancy making it difficult to remove the appropriate amount of tissue with an abdominoplasty. It is also much more difficult to repair any muscle damage in this scenario for the same reasons.

For these reasons, it is common sentiment to have the mother wait six months after delivery before consideration of an abdominoplasty. This allows the tissues to return to a natural state and for the significant hormonal changes with pregnancy to normalize as well. The surgeon can be much more precise at this time as to how much tissue to remove and how tight to make the muscle repair when necessary. It is always best to be safe than sorry and I always want my patients to have the best opportunity for the best result with the fewest risks!

To learn more about whether or not a procedure is right for you, contact Dr. Howard’s office to schedule a consultation.

A young woman died recently in Tijuana after undergoing liposuction surgery, re-confirming the importance of patients to look closely into the qualifications of their treating physician. Although the physician who performed her liposuction was a licensed doctor, he was not a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. The American Board Of Plastic Surgeons has been emphasizing this safety message for many years with the intent to make sure cosmetic surgery patients are given the best chance to obtain a safe and good result from their surgery. Board Certification from the American Board of Plastic Surgery insures that the physician not only received the appropriate core training in liposuction and all aspects of cosmetic surgery, but also that the physician passed a rigorous two-stage examination process to ensure that the physician truly is fully capably of safely handling various aesthetic operations.

Dr. Howard wants to ensure that patients have done their due diligence on background-checking their doctor and only choosing their surgeon after doing their research. Although deaths from liposuction remain rare, there can be no worse outcome. It appears that the treating physician was not maximally credentialed in this case and leaves the question of whether the patients’ death might have been possibly avoided.

The United States has no controls or restrictions in place on which type of doctor can perform any particular procedure. It is possible that an obstetrician can take out a brain tumor in our country! Although I doubt that would ever take place, the boundaries on who performs cosmetic surgery has been blurred by deceptive advertising and the emergence of valueless board agencies allowing any type of physician to claim board-certification in aesthetic surgery. These physicians will likely have taken a weekend course to do your liposuction! For patients, this is a seemingly impossible task to sort out the differences between board societies recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties and the myriad of concocted agencies that have emerged. Board Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery ensures the patient that they have located is an appropriately trained and educated surgeon.

Liposuction has been one of the top two performed cosmetic surgery procedures for a long time in the United States. Although complications can occur for many reasons even in the best of hands and in the best of circumstances, patients need to make sure they have eliminated as many potential risk factors as possible. Do your homework!

If you are interested in body contouring, contact Dr. Howard’s office today to schedule a consultation. He is not only certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, but has received certifiecation from the American Board of Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery) as well. Dr. Howard will discuss your aesthetic goals, give you his expert opinion, and will always put your well-being first.

What is the recovery like with SmartLipo?

- Most patients are back to work within several days, and many miss only a day of work.

- Lingering soreness for one to several weeks.

- Need to avoid strenuous activity or exercise for one week.

What are the advantages of SmartLipo?

- Much faster recovery time in Dr. Howard’s hands.

- Very small incisions, no stitches required!

- Much less bruising, swelling and pain in Dr. Howard’s extensive experience.

- Done under local anesthesia in Dr. Howard’s office.

- Minimal scarring

Who are the best candidates for SmartLipo?

- Elimination of stubborn local fat collections.

- Revision liposuction patients.

- Those who cannot afford the downtime of other traditional techniques.

- Even individuals with large single areas of excessive fat.

To learn more about smartlipo and whether or not the procedure is right for you, contact our office today to schedule a consultation.

Choose the surgery preferred by the celebrities! From movie and television stars to professional athletes and their spouses, SmartLipo remains in high demand. Limited down time, no general anesthesia, and potential skin tightening make this the most highly coveted procedure at Dr. Howard’s practice. Call and ask for Kerry to see if SmartLipo is a good option for you!

Laser lipolysis has undergone a dramatic evolution since its introduction in 2006. The procedure is minimally invasive while ridding of unwanted fat deposits and contouring the body at the same time. Recovery times are typically faster than traditional approaches which means less time missed off work — important in these tough economic times. Google searches for laser lipolysis have grown 67% in the the last 12 months alone! Call our office to inquire more about this exciting procedure!

Male breast enlargement is also known as gynecomastia. A very common phenomenon, many men are reluctant to seek medical advice for effective treatment. Rest assured, this is an extremely common condition and one of the most common reasons men seek the advice from our practice. Treatment is very effective, usually achieved through a combination of liposuction and a small incision around the nipple to remove any existing firm breast tissue. Surgery is done either in the office or in an operating room depending on the patient. Call our office to schedule a consultation with Dr. Howard for additional details.

The Fall rush has begun! Each year we see a huge Autumn demand for breast augmentation in our practice and are happy to accommodate this time frame for our new patients! In fact, we usually offer a Fall pricing special to make it easier for our women to make that final decision. Call Kerry at our office to see if there is a Fall pricing special this year for breast enlargement or any other cosmetic procedure. Happy Fall!

SmartLipo continues to be featured on national and local media as one of the most desired procedures in the United States. Talk shows and news venues repeatedly host segments on laser liposuction and the success stories therein. The technology continues to develop as well, and newer studies are showing statistical improvement in skin tightening as well as trends for faster recovery for the patient. Stay tuned for further updates on this high demand procedure!