WELCOME!

Welcome to our plastic surgery blog. Plastic surgery generates a great deal of interest, but there is much misinformation floating around. This blog is designed to provide real-time information about this rapidly evolving field, and allow for the exchange of ideas through questions, answers, and comments.

Thanks for stopping by!

Surgery In Egypt

I recently returned from Egypt, where my father and I performed a specialized surgery we developed to help quadriplegic patients breathe without the aid of a ventilator. (My dad is a neurosurgeon. Neurosurgery has elements of nerve surgery and plastic surgery, so the procedure is perfect for us to do together.)

Our procedure uses a nerve graft to take a functioning nerve and attach it to the nerve that controls breathing via the diaphragm, and which does not work in patients with quadiplegia. A phrenic nerve pacemaker is then used on this new hybrid nerve to stimulate and control breathing. Once this system is in place, patients can breathe without the constraints created by being dependent on a ventilator.

We have performed this surgery in Chile, Brazil, Israel, England, Switzerland, Turkey, and now Egypt. More information can be found on our web site dedicated to this procedure with the phrenic nerve pacemaker.

We Are Multimedia!

We are committed to providing educational material and good communication with our patients. To that end, we have set up a whole spectrum of media resources available to the public. Here is a list of our available media outlets:

• Our YouTube Channel showing our plastic surgery videos.
• Our Twitter Page
  
• Our Facebook Page (user name RDPS Surg), and you can become a fan!
  
• Our Myspace Page
• Our Blog (here!) with stories about new trends in cosmetic surgery.
• Our Articles Blog which has plastic surgery articles about specific procedures and general information about the specialty.

Now you can follow news about us and find information from many different resources. Everything from long form articles on our articles blog and detailed video descriptions of procedures on our YourTube channel to instant quick Tweets. And of course our web site offers detailed info on almost anything you might find interesting in the specialty. If you know of any other venues we should use to get the word out about plastic surgery, please let us know!

RDPS on CNBC!

We were pleased to have the people from CNBC at our offices recently. They came to talk about our plastic surgery gift card and a few other things. We brought in several patients for them to meet and interview and they filmed a tour of our facility. The show was called "High Net Worth" and features many interesting stories on new lifestlye trends.

The report they did came out to be a lot of fun. You can view it, and other plastic surgery news, on our main web site.

Our New Plastic Surgery Gift Card

At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery we want plastic surgery to be as rewarding and convenient as shopping with our neighbors here on Rodeo Drive. In this spirit, we are pleased to present the Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery gift card. The card is available for all amounts and can be used to give a present of any of our services.

Inspired by Patients
Our patients gave us the idea for the gift card. Many of our patients bring friends in for consultations that lead to plastic surgery with positive results and lifestyle improvements. Our patients do seem to enjoy giving friends and loved ones a gift of our services. Husbands give plastic surgery as a present to their wives, and wives give to their husbands. Children give to their parents. We see more and more people giving plastic surgery presents.

The gift Card can be used for any of our services -- from consultations to nonsurgical rejuvenation with Botox and skiin fillers and aesthetician services to our signature plastic surgery procedures. You can even use it to give mom our Rodeo Drive Mommy Makeover^TM as a Mother's Day Present!
An Elegant and Memorable Present
To make the giving process as elegant and memorable as possible, we designed our electronic gift card. The card comes packaged in a custom-designed card holder insert and envelope, designed by a local artist. We hope that when you give friends and family this present, it will provide an opening glimpse of the attentive and caring service we deliver throughout the plastic surgery process. Of course our plastic surgeon will examine the recipient of your gift to decide if they are a candidate for a given procedure, and make recommendations based on their goals, exam, and overall medical status.
A Product of Our Rodeo Drive Environment

As the only plastic surgery center on Rodeo Drive, we are very attuned to the service imperatives of our neighbors – the finest tastemakers and stylists in the world. Our goal is to bring this same superb taste and service to our plastic surgery. We designed our plastic surgery gift card in consultation with managers from several neighboring Rodeo Drive shops to provide you with the same elegance you find at Rodeo Drive boutiques.

Our Art Collection

We are very pleased to have created an appealing and special art collection here at Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery. Because our focus is on aesthetics, we apply this to our environment just as we do to our work doing Los Angeles plastic surgery. To that end, we have taken time and effort to make our office setting warm, inviting, and elegant. Part of this includes our art collection.

We have three original Andy Warhol lithographs, as we show on the images here. These are part of his series on flowers. The suite of three pieces is called Kiku, which is Japanese for crisanthamum. They provides striking images with luscious colors and warmth.

We also have several paintings by the esteemed local artist Adolfo Girala. I have one his beautiful pieces in my personal office, and we have other pieces by Adolfo in each of our exam rooms. Adolfo is originally from Cuba and this background has helped inform his work. He has many images of the sea, with interesting fish characterizations, and also does wonderful abstract work. We were pleased to present an art show of his works last year at our office. We are looking forward to putting together more of these art shows to feature local artists.

We hope that when you are visiting us for such procedures as Beverly Hills breast augmentation, you will enjoy the art and the entire environment of our office here on Rodeo Drive!

Our Neighborhood

We are all products of our environment. And certainly this is the case for us here at Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery. We are the only plastic surgery center on Rodeo Drive. Our neighbors are not low-key; they are the finest boutiques in the world. These high-end stores define the very best in style, taste, and service. We seek to do the same when we do all of our procedures, such as Beverly Hills liposuction or Los Angeles tummy tuck.

What does this mean? Well, at the start it meant that we designed our center to be welcoming and elegant. We hired and trained our staff to pay attention to all of your needs so that entire process surrounding your plastic surgery is as smooth and rewarding as possible. It means we are constantly seeking to improve our services and to provide innovative treatments. One example of this is our Rodeo Drive Belly Button, which we do as part of all our tummy tucks. Our approach to tummy tucks changed and advanced based on feedback from our patients. They told us that belly buttons in standard tummy tucks simply did not allow them to show off their new tummies the way they had hoped. We listened and now work to provide the most pleasing belly buttons out there following tummy tucks.

Our neighbors on Rodeo Drive also inspired us to change our approach to Los Angeles breast reduction. Most procedures worked to make the breasts smaller. We work to take things a step closer, and make our reductions have an even more pleasing final shape in addition to providing a decrease in size and a lift. We worked with boutique owners here on Rodeo Drive to best understand modern style and fashion trends so we could create an approach to breast reduction that allows our patients to wear the types of fashionable clothing sold here on Rodeo Drive.

So we at Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery take our name seriously. So whatever procedure you are considering, large or small, Beverly Hills liposuction or a Botox touch-up, rest assured that just like our great neighbors on Rodeo Drive, we will always bring the best in service and style to your care.

Holiday Plastic Surgery

Now that the holidays are here, we are doing more plastic surgery than ever. This is traditionally our busiest time of the year. Many people like to have procedures during this period. They have lots of free time to recover. It is easy to fly "under the radar" as they recuperate. They can return to their regular routine following the holidays with their improved and refreshed appearance.

Doing procedures over the holidays does take some planning. People should be certain they have friends or family available to help them during their recovery. They should know what obligations they still have during the holidays and plan accordingly. They should plan all of their follow-ups with us so we can make certain we are closely involved following the procedure. With these steps, holiday plastic surgery is often a great option for people.

Art Shows at Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery

An emphasis on beauty and aesthetics brings the artistic sensibilities of vastly different mediums together at our Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery Art Shows. Our first art show was held in June 2006 and was a great success, bringing together our staff, patients, neighbors from the Rodeo Drive area of Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, and fans of fine art.

The Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery Center is aesthetically designed to be elegant, light, and welcoming. It has proven to be a great showplace for fine art. The center uses stone, bamboo, glass, marble, steel, and the overall layout to create a pleasing environment. The permanent art collection features three original Andy Warhol's and many other noteworthy pieces of art. Dr. Lloyd Krieger, our medical director and plastic surgeon, and Dr. Chris Dannaker our dermatologist, seek to create aesthetics with their plastic surgery procedures and other treatments -- just as with the office design and as our featured artists do with their work.

Our first show featured Adolfo Girala, an emerging, Cuban-born abstract artist. Adolfo is self-taught and believes that his art allows him to dive into the realm of his inner world. His art brings emotion to color and canvas in a way that is completely unforgettable. Adolfo's work is mixed mediums of dry pigments, acrylic paint, modeling paste and different types of gel mediums. Through the use of different particles of metallic flakes, and glazing techniques, he creates an illusion of inner light which can only be truly appreciated in person.

We plan on making these fine art shows a regular feature at our California plastic surgery offices.


Please send questions by email to info@rdps.com or find more information on www.RodeoDrivePlasticSurgery.com.

We've Made Some Changes!

We are always trying to keep our blog fresh and informative. I try to keep my own thoughts and ideas flowing, always with the help and suggestions from my staff and patients. Now, to keep things constantly interesting, we have added a newsfeed to our blog. My hope is that these late-breaking stories will provide informative news to people interested in learning about procedures. Some of these news stories will mark landmarks shifts and improvements in how we do our procedures and lifestyle enhnancements. Others will be quickly passing fads. But I have now doubt that most of these stories will stimulate thought and discussion. Please always give us your thoughts on these topics!

Our Web Sites

We are very proud of our web sites here at Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery. And we have a lot of them! Our goal in making these sites is for them to be educational, easy to interact with, nice to look at, and to provide easy access to lots of good information about all aspects of plastic surgery. To this end, we have created some broad educational web sites that cover all aspects of plastic surgery.

We have also created a number of specialty web sites, covering compete detail of such procedures as breast augmentation or liposuction. In fact, we have web sites dedicated to these procedures as well as to tummy tuck, rhinoplasty, and breast reduction.

Within the web sites, we try to make all the information as easily accessible as possible. We have before and after pictures of various procedures. We have video of procedures, our philosophy, a tour of our facility, and patients describing their experiences. We hope that by bringing a great deal of information forward in diverse and multi-media formats, our visitors will learn still more about plastic surgery. One example is our Planning Your Procedure and Recovery sections, which provide great detail about getting ready for surgery. Another is our Breast Augmentation Information Center, which also brings large amounts of knowledge into one spot.

We keep our web sites very up to date with new trends, new techniques, and other plastic surgery news. We have links to our blogs (and we have several of these, too!). One of our blogs focuses exclusively on educational articles about plastic surgery.

As we do cosmetic surgery on Rodeo Drive, we always find that knowledgeable patients are our happiest patients. They also tend to get the best results. They understand all the steps of the process and the likely results, so they can contribute most effectively to creating a great outcome. We designed our web sites to help with this education process for our patients.

Rodeo Drive's Annual Car Show

Each Father's Day Rodeo Drive closes down to host its annual car show. While every day seems like a car show on the street, with its Bentleys, Ferarris, and Lamborghinis cruising the boulevard, at this event the the cars are parked along the street. The show features both new and antique exotic cars and attracts a very nice crowd. People travel from around the country both to show their cars and to see them. I was happy to go to the event this year with my mom and dad for Father's Day.

This is the sort of event that makes happy to be located right on Rodeo Drive. The very small local community on the Drive does tend to stick together and work toward providing an environment that is both sophisticated and welcoming. Of course, we could have designed and built our plastic surgery center anywhere in town. After all, it is possible to perform Los Angeles liposuction or Beverly Hills breast enlargement in many locations. But by being a part of the local Rodeo Drive community, we are constantly in touch with the latest lifestyle, fashion, and customer service trends.

Because of this close association with our elegant neighbors, we are in the best position to constantly improve the services we provide. We also have a great feel for fashion design and this helps us remain at the cutting edge of plastic surgery. Our philosophy is that at its core Beverly Hills plastic surgery is about helping people achieve their desired lifestyle. And by interacting closely with our boutique neighbors we gain a constantly evolving understanding of new lifestyle trends -- from those who are the ultimate tastemakers and trendsetters. Rodeo Drive Community events like the annual Rodeo Drive Car Show keep us in touch with our neighbors and spur our efforts to constantly improve the plastic surgery service we provide for our patients.

The Importance of an Accredited Surgery Center

The Wall Street Journal recently ran a detailed article on the importance of having procedures done in an accredited surgery center. I could not agree more. An accredited facility is one of the most important ways you can work toward having the safest possible plastic surgery experience.

Our facility -- Rodeo Drive Outpatient Surgery Center -- is accredited by the AAAHC and Medicare. This means we are inspected for such things as our physical layout, equipment, staff training, medical records, and history and background of our physicians. We have all necessary safety equipment on site. We keep emergency medicines available at all times. We have a transfer agreement with a local hospital. When we do procedures using anesthesia, we use physician anesthesiologists. We use our safe operating rooms even when we do smaller procedures without anesthesia. One example is liposculpture without anesthesia. All of these things are part of our accreditation and they are always at work preserving patient safety as we do procedures.

If you have any questions about the safety measures employed during our procedures, please do not hesitiate to contact us.

Noninvasive Plastic Surgery and Facial Rejuvenation

The "lunchtime facelift" has been the holy grail in plastic surgery for quite a while. The idea of providing facial rejuvenation with no downtime appeals to both plastic surgeons and patients. Get your treatment, look improved and freshened, and immediately go back to work or out on the town or, for some of our entertainment patients here in Beverly Hills, head over to the red carpet at an awards show. Who wouldn't want to get their facial rejuvenation and then have no recovery?

Essentially all of the so called "no downtime facelifts" or "lunchtime facelift" simply did not live up to their billing. As a plastic surgeon, I know that surgery involves recovery. It is just the way the body responds to a surgical procedure.

But now we have many nonsurgical techniques that can create instant facial freshening -- removing or smoothing wrinkles, plumping lips -- with no recovery. Botox, Restylane, Juvederm, Radiesse, Sculptra and other new products provide facial rejuvenation and do not create scars or undue swelling. They can help achieve that elusive goal of improvements without downtime.

These products work very differently. When we do Los Angeles Botox we are using the chemical to paralyze some of the tiny muscles in the face. The twitching of these muscles creates a skin wrinkle on the skin that lies above it. Botox is extremely safe, its results are predictable, and can create fantastic improvements in facial appearance. My sister recently had it for the first time, and it dramatically improved and freshed the look of her face.

The Los Angeles skin fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm provide bulk under the skin to fill in wrinkles from below. They are very effective for both small lines and larger ones, such as the nasolabial folds which run from the sides of the nose toward the outside edges of the side of the mouth.

Each person's face is different, so each person will do best with a different noninvasive treatment. But the various procedures do provide fast changes with little or now recovery.

For more information please email us at info@rdps.com.

New Celebrity Skincare Line Available at Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery

Continuing its work providing innovative plastic surgery services, Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery has been named the exclusive distributor of (true)Promise...Uplifted!! Soap actress turned Emmy nominated makeup artist, Gail Johnson, knows beauty. Gail, who was recently dubbed the "Skin Savior" in a Los Angeles Times feature story went from soap star to premiere celebrity makeup artist. As a Hollywood makeup artist, Gail worked her way up to Dept. Head (Key Makeup) on NBC's Sunset Beach where she and her team were nominated for a Daytime Emmy.

Now Gail has expanded her resume to include founder of (true)Promise...Uplifted!! Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills provides the famed city's most elegant of medical facilities, featuring state-of-the-art exam rooms, marble counter tops, bamboo floors, original Andy Warhol paintings, and leather chairs. As of March 31, 2007, (true)Promise...Uplifted!! will be available exclusively at Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery California.

Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery and its medical director Dr. Lloyd Krieger have been featured in the local, national, and international media including KTLA Morning News, The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, The Los Angeles Daily News, Access Hollywood, Univision, Telemundo, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Elle, Star, InTouch Weekly, Life & Style, French Television, Japan's Chocolat Siene Magazine, Mexico City's Reforma Magazine, Denmark's Q magazine, and Britain's Daily Mail newspaper and Grazia Magazine.

"We've sold (true)Promise...Uplifted!! exclusively on the net until now," explains Gail. "I was waiting to find the right retail outlet and what could be better than to launch the product on the world's most glamorous boulevard? Rodeo Drive is known as the capitol of fashion, style and beauty and Dr. Krieger is one of Beverly Hill's most respected plastic surgeons. He offers the state of the art plastic surgery procedures and I feel (true)Promise...Uplifted!! is a great compliment to his work."

With its exclusive hidden back entrance and as the only plastic surgery center on the world's most glamorous boulevard, Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery caters to those seeking refined elegance and superb service, such as people seeking celebrity plastic surgery. "While we have developed a patient base in the entertainment industry, our philosophy is to treat everybody like a celebrity," notes Dr. Krieger.

Plastic Surgery Goes Mainstream

Plastic surgery has historically been viewed as an exclusive and costly service only the rich and famous could afford to pursue. Not anymore.

With even the most dramatic and promising cosmetic surgery procedures becoming safer, more common and far less complicated than ever as well as a growing inventory of options now available for financing, plastic surgery of all forms is becoming an increasingly popular life-enhancement choice for the middle class.

As a plastic surgeon in California I can say that our plastic surgery center in Beverly Hills is a good case in point. People in the entertainment industry seeking enhancement surgeries and other cosmetic reconstruction now share seats in our waiting room with mothers from the suburbs, college coeds and a growing number of men from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds. At our center, we may have many clients from the entertainment industry, but we treat everybody like a celebrity.

There is a distinct demographic shift taking place today. Plastic surgery is becoming a growing phenomenon among the middle class because the perception that it is exclusively an option for rich white women is waning. We are seeing people from all walks of life seeking cosmetic surgery – people from a wide variety of age groups, ethnicities, family situations, and economic stations.

Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery also offers our patients customized financing packages to cover individual procedures, such the "Rodeo Drive Mommy Makeover" a popular choice for large numbers of Latino women in their 20's and 30's. The mommy makeover includes a tummy tuck, breast lift and frequently a breast augmentation with a small breast implant. The procedure helps the moms get their body back to the way it was before they began having babies.

Financing surgery is becoming a popular option for those who do not have cash set aside. Others are socking money away for a variety of procedures, much as they would for any luxury item or family vacation. A lot of people save up for the surgery, and others chose to do financing. They are shifting their views on the expenses involved and see surgery as an important investment and first step toward an enhancement plan for the rest of their lives.

Part of the change comes because today’s plastic surgery is performed using improved technology. This results in less expensive and safer procedures with less down time. So now people with responsibilities both at work and at home can take time out for procedures, removing plastic surgery from the exclusive provenance of the leisure class.

We also are doing most cosmetic surgery procedures in outpatient surgery centers which greatly improves the ease and convenience of procedures when compared to those done in the hospital setting.

For more information, please visit http://www.rodeodriveplasticsurgery.com or email us at info@rdps.com

Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery Goes Pop Culture!

Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery is pleased to have entered the media age! We have introduced our own channel on YouTube and a page on MySpace. So many of our patients seem to get their information from the Internet that we thought it was time to expand beyond our web site and blogs.

The YouTube channel already has several videos on it, including informational shorts and some of the media interviews our staff and patients have done with various news shows. Some of the topics covered in the videos include our approach to California abdominoplasty and Beverly Hills breast lift. Because of our international presence, we have videos posted in English, Spanish, and French.

Our MySpace page is just starting up, but we already include information about our services and approach to specialized plastic surgery care and approach to procedures. Good results from plastic surgery of course come mostly from our work in the operating room. But we also believe strongly that the best results come when good communication is added to this mix. When we have a good understanding of our patients' goals, and our patients have a good understanding of our techniques and the entire surgery and recovery process, then the process becomes much more predictable, comfortable, and rewarding for everyone. So we are big believers in using all available means of communication to have the best possible give and take with everyone.

You can click on these links to see our channel of plastic surgery on YouTube and plastic surgery on MySpace.

Drs. Abbott Krieger and Lloyd Krieger Develop Innovative Surgery to Help Breathing

At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, in addition to the usual cosmetic surgery procedures such as Los Angeles tummy tuck and
breast augmentation, we also provide innovative breathing surgery.

Below are excerpts from two articles about a unique procedure to help people previously confined to a ventilator for life. The research behind the procedure and its development was done by Abbott Krieger, MD, the father of our Medical Director. Dr. Abbott Krieger did basic research on the concepts for this revolutionary surgery. He then pioneered its use clinically. The procedure uses a nerve transfer technique to allow the phrenic nerves to once again stimulate the diaphragm to move air, allowing patients to breathe without the need for a ventilator.

From New Scientist---
PEOPLE who face spending the rest of their lives on ventilators may be able to breathe on their own again with the help of a new surgical technique.

To help people breathe normally when they're disabled by spinal cord injuries, surgeons often implant a pacemaker that stimulates the phrenic nerve, which cues the diaphragm's breathing motion. But this doesn't work if the nerve has also been damaged. Now Abbott Krieger, a neurosurgeon in Livingston, New Jersey, says that he can repair phrenic nerves so they respond to the pacemaker.

Abbott Krieger MD takes a nerve that goes to a chest muscle and grafts it on to the dead phrenic nerve. After a few months, he says, the phrenic nerve becomes functional again and the pacemaker works—so the patient can live without a respirator.

Neurosurgeons use this type of nerve grafting to repair more peripheral nerves such as those in the face, but never in the deep chest cavity where microsurgery is difficult. Krieger's procedure was successful in five out of the six patients he treated, he told the Congress of Neurological Surgeons in Boston this week.

From Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery---

The Intercostal to Phrenic Nerve Transfer: An Effective Means of Reanimating the Diaphragm in Patients with High Cervical Spine Injury

Nerve transfers have been well described for the treatment of congenital and traumatic injuries in the brachial plexus and extremities. This series is the first to describe nerve transfers to reanimate the diaphragm in patients confined to long-term positive pressure ventilation because of high cervical spine injury. Patients who have sustained injury to the spinal cord at the C3 to C5 level suffer axonal loss in the phrenic nerve. They can neither propagate a nerve stimulus nor respond to implanted diaphragmatic pacing devices (electrophrenic respiration).

Ten nerve transfers were performed in six patients who met these conditions. The procedures used end-to-end anastomoses from the fourth intercostal to the phrenic nerve approximately 5 cm above the diaphragm. A phrenic nerve pacemaker was implanted as part of the procedure and was placed distal to the anastomosis. Each week, the pacemaker was activated to test for diaphragmatic response. Once diaphragm movement was documented, diaphragmatic pacing was instituted.

Eight of the 10 transfers have had more than 3 months to allow for axonal regeneration. Of these, all eight achieved successful diaphragmatic pacing (100 percent). The average interval from surgery to diaphragm response to electrical stimulation was 9 months.

All patients were able to tolerate diaphragmatic pacing as an alternative to positive pressure ventilation, as judged by end tidal CO2 values, tidal volumes, and patient comfort. Intercostal to phrenic nerve transfer with diaphragmatic pacing is a viable means of liberating patients with high cervical spine injury from long-term mechanical ventilation.

Best Holiday Wishes

All of us at Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery offer our best holiday wishes to all of our patients and friends. The holiday season is our busiest time of year and we find ourselves very busy doing all sorts of procedures, like rhinoplasty and tummy tuck. We hope the season finds you busy and relaxed at the same time!

Scar Reduction After Plastic Surgery

Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery has developed an interdisciplinary program to help minimize scarring following plastic surgery. This is used to help patients who undergo such surgical procedures as tummy tucks or breast surgery, which include the creation of scars as part of the surgery.

When patients decide to undergo any surgery -- including plastic surgery -- one major concern is the possibility of unsightly scarring. All surgery involves some scarring, but the risk of thickened or raised scars is often greater for those with a family or previous history of scarring and those with darker colored skin. Risks also can be increased when surgery is performed on the torso such as in tummy tucks or on the breasts such as in breast lifts or breast augmentations.

At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery we have pioneered the concept of a multidisciplinary approach to scar intervention and minimization. The Rodeo Drive Scar Reduction Program integrates the work of our plastic surgeons and dermatologists to provide a comprehensive -- and groundbreaking -- approach to minimizing scarring.

During surgery, our plastic surgeons use meticulous technique and very fine sutures to minimize tension on wounds – to limit the formation of unsightly scars right at the time of surgery. Next, we implement our unique post-operative program that includes the treatment of surgical incisions with lasers to help speed healing and diminish the appearance of scar. Where indicated, we also include newly developed, revolutionary, FDA approved topical medications to minimize scarring. The system can be used as part of our surgical plan, or as part of a scar revision procedure for people who already have unsightly scars.

With the Rodeo Drive Scar Reduction Program, our mission is to aggressively treat post-surgical incisions in order to minimize scarring and maximize cosmetic appearance. This service is an integral part of our plastic surgery center and a commitment to our patients to provide unsurpassed medical care. This unique program is offered to our patients who undergo surgery at our center in the Beverly Hills and Los Angeles areas of Southern California.

Please send questions by email to info@rdps.com or find more information on www.RodeoDrivePlasticSurgery.com.

Christmas on Rodeo Drive

The holiday season is taken very seriously on Rodeo Drive. The street is decked out with decorations all over. Along the median of the street, their are life-sized toy soldiers and huge gift boxes. Christmas music is played along the street. And the stores cater to visitors from around the world. We may not get snow here, but it is chilly at night and this adds to the classic holiday setting. There are also many special events at the stores on Rodeo Drive, which help bring holiday cheer to the fore.

We have many patients from out of town seeking Southern California plastic surgery during this season. People like to come into town during the holidays and have procedures, with plenty of time for recovery here in Beverly Hills. We do not take vacation over Christmas and New Years, so we are available during this our busiest time of year.

A Few Thoughts on Lasers

Everyone likes lasers. They are on TV shows and movies, from Star Wars onward. I find that patients are fascinated with the devices. And with good reason, these devices, with the light beams and complicated physics really do wonders for the skin. They can freshen the face, remove fine lines, even out color, remove areas where there are age spots, and may other things. They usually have very little recovery. As a surgeon, I can also say that sometimes surgery is not the best option. There are situations where less invasive procedures offer better results than a full blown surgical procedure. Beverly Hills laser treatments sometimes are the way to go for people who want refreshment and improved appearance without the downtime.

Tummy Tucks and Drains

At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, we do more tummy tucks than any other procedure. We are now doing as many as five per week – on women, men, young people, and seniors. About 30% of our Beverly Hills tummy tuck patients fly in from out of state. One thing that comes up again and again with our tummy tuck patients is the use of drainage tubes (“drains”) following the procedure. People do not like the idea of having drains following the procedure. But there are real benefits to using them, and in fact they are a necessity following the procedure.

The tubes are small. They usually stay in place for about five days. They are an inconvenience, but little more than that. Why are they necessary? Well, during a tummy tuck we create a large raw surface under the skin of the abdomen. This area creates a lot of fluid following the procedure. This is how the body heals itself. If this fluid accumulates under the skin, it is uncomfortable following the plastic surgery procedure. It can become infected in some situations. And, even though it is created by the body, we find that this fluid actually slows the healing following surgery.

So we place the drains. They remove the fluid under the skin. They help to make the start of healing go faster and more comfortably. The drains require very little care and effort. They are an inconvenience, yes, but once people understand that they serve a useful purpose we find that most of our patients do just fine having the drains in place for a few days following their tummy tuck. It is a small price to pay for the dramatic changes in the midsection provided by the procedure.

For more information about plastic surgery recovery, please contact us at 310 550 6300.

More Small Procedures

This blog is always a work in progress. We attempt to keep up to date with new information on all plastic surgery procedures big and small. Right now there does seem to be a trend that people come to see a Los Angeles cosmetic surgeon for smaller procedures. There are a few reasons for this. Smaller procedures have less recovery. That means less down time, quicker times back to work and so on. We are doing a lot of skin fillers to the lips and face and of course many Botox procedures.

But smaller does not mean we are not doing a great deal of surgery. For example, liposuction in many ways is a minimally invasive procedure. We are doing more and more lipo procedures with no anesthesia at all. The procedure include infusion of local anesthetic and this can mean there is no need to have any additional medicines. We also are doing surgery with "light" anesthesia so people wake up quickly and have less recovery.

Please contact us to learn more about our latest techniqes for all treatments big and small!

Underway

This post is in progress. Check back with us later to see this post, which will deal with various procedures and how they may benefit you! Some people do well with just a small amount of fat removed, say from the chest in a man or the inner thighs in a woman. Others can have great changes done by doing a total body liposuction. It all depends on your goals, health and body type.

It is important to understand all procedures prior to going forward with surgery. This goes as much for California breast augmentation as with any other procedure.

The Rodeo Drive Transformation Vacation

A growing number of people in today's society prefer to have plastic surgery procedures at facilities far from their homes. They are seeking out "destination" locations where they can wrap a little shopping and sightseeing around their recovery time. To meet this new desire, Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery has introduced a "transformation vacation" to help jump-start the recovery process.

Here at RDPS, roughly 20 percent of our patients drive or fly in from locales at least two hours away, many from Northern Californian cities, but also from places such as Alabama, Boston and New Jersey. They are choosing to spend those first crucial days of recovery in a quiet hotel or other facility where they can get the care they need, but also take in what we have to offer here as a get-away city.

The Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery Visiting Patients Program includes "concierge" style services to help patients coordinate hotel or facility accommodations, make reservations or book excursions and shopping trips. We also offer other services that connect patients with Rodeo Drive businesses, such as health clubs, beauty salons and fashion retailers where they can get help starting new workout routines or re-vamping their wardrobes or skincare regimens. Those amenities, coupled with the Visiting Patients Program, make it possible to help turn what can be sometimes a long and tedious recovery process into a life-transforming adventure.

The advantages of an out-of-town recovery presents an appealing option for some patients who may not have the luxury to create a quiet setting back home, due to children or other obligations. While away they have time to take in the immediate effects of their surgery and have begin adjusting to physical changes before going home, both important facets of the healing process.

It is important to realize that recovery from even the most minor procedures takes longer than just a week or two, and that additional recovery time is always involved once a patient gets back home. We believe that if our patients have a positive recovery experience they will enjoy their final results more and they will heal faster.

More information can be found at http://www.RodeoDrivePlasticSurgery.com.

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Recovery

There are many different factors that go into booking surgery for your cosmetic procedure. One important thing to factor into your surgery is the recovery. Once you meet with the surgeon and decide upon having the surgery you will then need to schedule a date to have the procedure done. Many facilities do surgeries on Tuesday or Thursdays. Each procedure requires different amount of down time and time off from work or school. The usual length of cosmetic procedures are between five to fourteen days.

If you work on the weekdays it may be smart to book your surgery on Thursday so that the weekend will give you a few more days of extra recovery upon returning to work. If you feel uncomfortable about telling friends and co-workers that you are having a cosmetic procedure done, you can tell them that you are taking a vacation or you are having a female or male type surgery.

You will not be able to drive until you are off of narcotics and can steer the wheel. It is wise to stock up with groceries before your surgery so that you will not have to leave your house for the first few days. You must arrange your transportation home from the surgery. You are not allowed to drive after surgery. It is important that once you return home you stay elevated and drink plenty of fluids. Elevation is important especially for breast augmentation Los Angeles. You are not on strict bed rest and it is important to walk to keep the blood flowing. It is important that someone stay with you the night of surgery to assist you with anything you may need.

Disclaimer

All photos are actual patients. Results may vary. The information (including, without limitation, advice and recommendations) presented here is intended solely as a general educational aid and are neither medical nor healthcare advice for any individual problem nor a substitute for medical or other professional advice and services from a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your unique facts. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical condition and before starting any new treatment or having any procedure. Nothing contained in the web site is intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. The information and services are provided with the understanding that neither Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, Inc. nor its users are engaged in rendering legal, medical, counseling, or other professional services or advice. Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, Inc. and its agents assume no responsibility for any consequence relating directly or indirectly to any action or inaction you take based on the information, services, email or message board interactions, or other material on the web site. While Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, Inc. strives to keep the information on the web site accurate, complete, and up-to-date, Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, Inc. cannot guarantee, and will not be responsible for, any damage or loss related to the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information.
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