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!

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

RDPS on CNBC!

We were pleased to have the people from CNBC at our offices recently. They came by 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 such as Beverly Hills breast augmentation. 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!

Nip/Tuck Joins Us On Rodeo Drive

Nip/Tuck is joining Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery on our famous street. This is truly a case of fiction meeting fact: We are the only real-life plastic surgery center on Rodeo Drive and now TV's most famous fictional plastic surgeons are coming to our location.

I imagine the writers on the show chose to move to Rodeo Drive for the same reasons we built our plastic surgery center here. The street represents style and glamour, perhaps like no other in the world. We try to bring the same sense of luxury, great service, and innovation to plastic surgery that our neighbors bring to fashion and shopping. It will be interesting to see the storylines that develop around this theme. While we love being here and our patients seem to enjoy coming to see us here, it does appear certain that the plotlines will be pretty far afield from what we see day to day here at Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery doing Beverly Hills tummy tuck and other procedures..

Nip/Tuck does have some pretty outlandish goings-on. It will be fun to watch. But it is probably for the best (both for our doctors, staff, and patients) that in some ways real-life is different from fiction. After all, who wants to get a Beverly Hills facelift and during their recovery encounter the sorts of strange twists and turns that befall people on television.

Stay tuned!

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.

A Modern Approach to Ethnic Rhinoplasty

People of different ethnic groups often come to plastic surgeons seeking to refine the appearance of their noses. Modern Beverly Hills rhinoplasty techniques like those done at Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery stress preservation of ethnic appearance along with overall facial balance. The nose should match the rest of the face. Ethnic rhinoplasty or nose job works to achieve this while providing the improvements and enhancements sought in the nose.

Ethnic groups often tend to have certain characteristics to their noses, both in terms of their outer appearance and of their internal structures. For this reason, it is best to address the noses of various ethnic groups such as African Americans and Hispanics and Asians individually. “Cookie cutter” approaches to rhinoplasty rarely work well, and this is especially the case with non-caucasian nose surgery.

There are many examples of how this individualized approach offers the best outcome in ethnic rhinoplasty. For instance, many people of Asian and African and Latino descent have noses with wide bases and broad tips. They often also have thick skin at the tip of the nose. This can give the tip a rounded or “bulbous” appearance. Non-caucasian noses often also have a bump at the bridge, along with a wide and flat bridge.

Because of these anatomic tendencies, ethnic noses frequently require extensive work on their internal structures to create the desired appearance. This includes using plastic surgery to change the shape of the bone and cartilage inside the nose, while working to create little or no external scarring. Since this internal structural work is extensive, it can have important effects on the function as well as the appearance of the nose. For this reason, the Rodeo Drive Breathe Easy Rhinoplasty^TM technique -- which works to improve both the appearance and the breathing function of the nose – is especially well-suited to providing good results in ethnic rhinoplasty.

Some rhinoplasty and plastic surgery techniques are commonly used for African American, Hispanic, and Asian noses. The flatter noses common in many ethnic people can be addressed by grafting cartilage from elsewhere in the body to shape the skin of the nose’s tip more finely, and provide it with a refined appearance. In some cases, the nostrils are noticeably wide and benefit from direct steps to narrow them during surgery.

Prior to your procedure, you will meet with your plastic surgeon to discuss your goals from rhinoplasty. It is important to have clear ideas of what you want to change about your nose so we can come up with the best plan for your nose surgery.

Latest News on Silicone Breast Implants

It has now been nearly two years since the FDA approval of silicone breast implants for general usage. We are now doing an enormous number of breast augmentations with silicone. This type of implant does offer some fantastic benefits and the potential for remarkable results. Read on for a bit of the history and description of silicone.
After more than ten years of controversy and scientific study, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved silicone gel breast implants for general usage. They are now available to all women ages 22 and higher for both reconstructive and cosmetic breast surgery.

The availability of silicone implants will greatly expand the options for women seeking cosmetic breast augmentation. In many situations, they have real advantages over saline breast implants. They tend to look and feel more natural than saline implants. They are less prone to rippling or crinkling which can sometimes be felt and occasionally can become visible under the skin. They are lighter than silicone implants. However, they are thought by some to have a higher rate of capsular contracture, which is scarring around the implant and can make the breasts hard.

In countries where both silicone and saline implants have been available the vast majority of patients and surgeons select silicone implants. This is testimony to their advantages. In the US, we are likely to see a large number of patients select silicone breast implants.

But there will still be a place for saline implants. Some people might simply prefer not to have silicone placed in their body. Silicone implants are more expensive than saline implants. In some cases, the implant is used as a sort of platform to elevate the normal breast tissue rather than to give the breast the entirety of its shape. In this situation, saline implants function just about as effectively as silicone implants.

Silicone implants have not been shown to cause autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and lupus, as had been feared. But patients should realize that any breast augmentation procedure is essentially temporary. Body shape and anatomy can change, there might be problems with healing or the body's reaction to the implant. At some point, it is likely that additional procedures may be necessary.

At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, we are already doing quite a few breast augmentations with silicone implants. I expect we will see many more people interested in the procedure in the next few months as we do our California plastic surgery.

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

The Mommy Makeover

Many of today’s moms don’t feel they should sacrifice the way they look just because they’ve had children. At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, we specialize in patients in their 20s, 30s and 40s. This often includes women who have had babies. These women usually want their tummies and breasts back the way they looked before pregnancy. This is our most popular procedure at Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, and we do a lot of them right around Mother's Day!

We do many tummy tucks and breast lifts for these patients. Often we place small breast implants – not so much to increase size, but to give these women back the volume in the breasts that they lost during and after pregnancy. We might do a formal mastopexy or breast lift. Sometimes we also do liposuction. We have done these sort of Mommy Makeovers on women as young as 22 and as old as 63.

Whenever we do a tummy tuck as part of the Mommy Makeover, we include our Rodeo Drive Belly Button with the procedure. This helps create a nice-looking midriff.

The Mommy Makeover can sometimes be done during one surgery. Other times it is best to break the procedure up over more than one day. The patient’s body type and overall health helps us determine the best approach. We take many steps to assure both minimal pain and maximum safety during our procedures.

Many of our patients for the Mommy Makeover travel from out of town. Our staff can help with the planning of these sorts of trips through our Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery Transformation Vacation, which makes travel for plastic surgery quite easy.

More information about The Rodeo Drive Mommy Makeover is available on our web site, including descriptions of tummy tuck in Beverly Hills and Beverly Hills breast augmentation as well as Los Angeles liposuction. You can also email for more information at info@rdps.com or call us at any time at 310-550-6300.

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 such as Beverly Hills breast augmentation 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.

Making A Beautiful Belly Button

The Rodeo Drive Belly Button

Plastic surgery has become a staple of popular culture, but often, lost in the furor, are simple stories on ways to give patients pleasing results.

At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery we specialize in abdominoplasty, commonly known as the tummy tuck. This process is performed on men and women who have excess skin and fat around the abdominal area. It is very useful after pregnancy, or for people who have lost weight.

One thing we have found is that a good looking belly button is crucial to making patients happy with their tummy tucks.

During a tummy tuck, the belly button is removed from its surrounding skin and moved to a new position. But what makes the procedure done at Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery unique is that the bottom of the belly button is stitched more tightly to the deeper tissue to highlight a natural effect. The result has become known as The Rodeo Drive Belly Button.

Since the standard re-creation of a belly button was often "floating" in the belly, it did not have a natural appearance. The belly button was not attached to the deeper and surrounding tissues in a natural fashion.

The Rodeo Drive Belly Button was created to address these issues during our approach to Los Angeles tummy tuck. It creates a stronger "hood" at the top by stitching the top of the belly button loosely to the deep tissues of the abdominal wall. This creates a solid platform for piercing, and also throws a darker shadow within the hole of the belly button, creating a more natural appearance. The bottom of the belly button is stitched more tightly to the deeper tissues to highlight these effects.

At Rodeo Drive, we're working with younger patients than used to get tummy tucks. Now we're doing the procedure on people in their late 20's and early 30's -- these are women who want it all, family, career and a great body. Many of the women in this generation have their belly button pierced. Current fashion for younger women also calls for low-cut jeans that show off the belly button. We also do the procedure frequently on men, and they want to their belly buttons to look natural when they are at the beach.

This technique for reshaping the belly button during tummy tucks serves these sorts of patients very well. It can be combined with other parts of body contouring. One example is the Rodeo Drive Mommy Makeover. Another is that the procedure can be combined with Los Angeles liposuction.


Lloyd M. Krieger, MD is a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon the founder and medical director of Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, CA. He welcomes your questions and comments by phone at 310-550-6300 or email at info@RodeoDrivePlasticSurgery.com.

More to Come!

Check back with us soon for some interesting updates! You will not be disappointed! Thanks for your interest in our blog.

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 Beverly Hills plastic surgery. 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 Los Angeles cosmetic surgery, 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.

The Rodeo Drive Breathe Easy Rhinoplasty

The nose is the center of our face. As such, it always grabs the attention of those who look at us. Its appearance helps create our overall facial harmony. The nose also has an important functional component. It does our breathing. Its function is complex, and any alterations done to the nose can have profound effects on our ease of breathing.

Among plastic surgery procedures, rhinoplasty is perhaps the most challenging. This procedure is often called a nose job. Paying attention only to aesthetics can lead to problems with breathing following this plastic surgery procedure. Paying attention only to breath flow can compromise aesthetics. Our surgeons work to overcome these potential difficulties by using their different perspectives to focus simultaneously on improving both appearance and function.

Because of its equal importance in appearance and breathing, our Beverly Hills plastic surgeons have developed The Rodeo Drive Breathe Easy Rhinoplasty. Our two plastic surgeons do all of our rhinoplasties as a team. We have different but complementary training and backgrounds that they apply to your rhinoplasty. This interdisciplinary approach provides you with the benefit of a broad perspective and skills during your evaluation and treatment. We give equal focus to the cosmetic and functional aspects of your rhinoplasty in Los Angeles.

The Rodeo Drive Breathe Easy Rhinoplasty is beneficial for all rhinoplasties and nose surgery procedures, and that’s why we always bring this approach to your nose surgery. But in some cases, we believe it is especially useful. Some of these complex situations where our approach brings added benefit include ethnic rhinoplasty, revision rhinoplasty, and rhinoplasty for men.

The recovery from rhinoplasty varies for each person. Sometimes there will be some bruising for a week or so. We sometimes put packing in the nose for a few days, and you will have to breathe through your mouth during this period. You may have a plaster or silicone splint on your nose for about a week. Most people have very little discomfort following the procedure. Almost everyone tells us that the improvements in their appearance and function are well worth any short-term inconvenience!

For more information, email us at info@RDPS.com.

Technorati Profile

Back to the Gym Program

As we do Los Angeles plastic surgery, we find that many of our patients lead active lifestyles. Some people have told us of their concern that having plastic surgery will keep them from working out and going to the gym for many weeks and months following their procedure. That’s why we’ve developed our Back to the Gym Program. By working closely with you, we often can get you back to exercising shortly after plastic surgery – while maintaining your safety and assuring that you stay on course to have the best possible result from your procedure.

Our Back to the Gym Program involves several steps:

• During your plastic surgery consultation, we review your medical history. If there is a medical reason or indication, we arrange for you to be evaluated by a primary care physician or, if indicated, by a specialist. We review your typical exercise regimen with you in detail.
• Once we decide which cosmetic surgery procedure you will be having, we begin planning what sorts of exercises are safe for you and when you might begin them.
• Depending on the procedure you undergo, we arrange for you to obtain specialized garments to protect the areas of your body we worked on.
• During and after your surgery, we implement our Minimal Pain Program, which helps you feel less discomfort following your procedure so you can return to normal light activities more quickly.
• We see you several days after your surgery, before you begin to work out. During this visit, we confirm that your recovery is going as expected.
• We then discuss very specifically what sorts of exercises you can begin doing and when. We tell you warning signs to watch out for, and should make you slow down your activities. We arrange for your plastic surgeon to speak with your personal trainer, if you use one. If you’d like, we have trainers we work with and we can arrange for you to exercise with these professionals after your surgery.
• We maintain close contact with you, both by phone and frequent office visits, to make certain that your physical activities continue to go smoothly without slowing your overall recovery.

There will of course be limitations to the types and intensity of exercises you can do and when you can start doing them. And if you experience any warning signs of overexertion you must stop what you are doing immediately. Our Back to the Gym Program requires good communication and frequent visits to our office. But we find this extra effort on our part and yours improves the overall plastic surgery experience for many of our patients. The program can be applied to all procedures we do, such as Los Angeles breast augmentation and Beverly Hills tummy tuck as well as liposuction, among others.

Lloyd M. Krieger, MD is the founder and medical director of Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, CA. He welcomes your questions and comments by phone at 310-550-6300 or email at info@RodeoDrivePlasticSurgery.com.

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

and at http://www.rdps.com/.

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.

Skin Activating Liposuction

At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, we are doing a lot of liposuction as people get ready for the summer. We now do our procedures with a technique we call Skin Activating Liposuction and have been very excited by the results. With our Beverly Hills liposuction procedures, we add an extra step to the process. We intentionally irritate the underside of the skin. When skin is irritated in this way, it tends to heal with some internal tightening. This approach works to help the skin shrink more tightly, so once the fat is removed the resulting overall contour should be improved.

We have found that the technique works very well for subtle treatments such as chin and neck liposuction. In cases such as this, the extra skin shrinking defines the angle of the jaw more cleanly and sharply. The procedure is also very useful for larger volume liposuction, such as that shown in the photos above. When we are removing four or five liters of fat, the skin has a lot of shrinking to do. This technique helps to stimulate the process.

In many cases, though, even Skin Activating Liposuction will not do the job. If there is too much extra skin, or if the skin has been over stretched (which is the case whenever there are stretch marks) then other procedures are necessary that actually remove skin. Such procedures as tummy tuck and thigh lift will provide improved contour in these situations.

We can tell you which procedure -- our Skin Activating Liposuction or another technique that actually removes skin -- will work best for you based on your body type and current situation. When we examine you we will tell you our recommendations!

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.

Less Invasive Plastic Surgery

Day after day, people come to our office and request big changes to their appearance but with minimal downtime. Some people don't want to take much time off from work. Others don't want their friends to know they had surgery. Others just plain want their recovery to go quickly. Of course, some people are just active and want to return to their normal lives as quickly as possible.

For these reasons, Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery is now offering a transformational minimally-invasive plastic surgery procedure known as Rodeo Drive Chin Rejuvenation. This cosmetic surgery procedure is often ideal for patients who are tired of seeing that double chin staring at them in the mirror, no matter how much they exercise or how much weight they lose.

Rodeo Drive Chin Rejuvenation is not a big procedure, in that it does not take a long time in the operating room or have a prolonged recovery period. Despite its minimally invasive nature, this cosmetic surgery can make a big change in a person’s appearance. In the past, patients would need a facelift or necklift to deal with this problem of excess fat under the chin and in the neck. This Los Angeles liposculpture procedure offers and alternative.

For appropriate candidates, the chin lipo procedure is effective, minimally-invasive, has little downtime and successfully addresses the problem of the annoying “double chin” or overly full-looking neck.

This chin and neck liposuction procedure can dramatically improve appearance with minimal downtime. The chin liposuction procedure, compared with the routine facelift or necklift, is more affordable, easier to recover from, has much shorter and fewer scars, and can have remarkable benefits for the ideal candidate. Rodeo Drive Chin Rejuvenation is ideal for both men and women. But men, who often fight an uphill battle with their double chin look, can particularly benefit from this procedure.

When we see people in our offices we examine them and discuss recommendations for the type of chin liposuction, facelift, or necklift procedure and recovery program to yield the best results. The chin liposuction procedure is usually done as an outpatient with local anesthesia and sedation administered by a physician anesthesiologist to minimize discomfort and maximize safety during the procedure. We do the procedure at our state-of-the-art outpatient plastic surgery center in Beverly Hills. Most patients have very little pain following the surgery because long-acting local anesthetic is administered as part of the procedure. Most people return to work within several days after surgery. There may be some bruising for a week or so and some swelling for up to two months following surgery.

Some procedures will always need to have a defined recovery period. This is the case for our Rodeo Drive Mommy Makeover. It can be the case for California tummy tuck. But the chin rejuvenation procedure provides impressive results with much less down time.

Please send questions by email to 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.

More information can be found at http://www.rodeodriveplasticsurgery.com/philosophy.html and at http://www.rodeodriveplasticsurgery.com/dermatology.html.

A New Approach to Rodeo Drive Skincare

We are pleased to offer a new product to all of our plastic surgery patients. We have found this niacin based skincare product to offer impressive results and our patients, whether they had facial procedures or body procedures such as liposuction, have given us positive feedback. Here is a Q and A from the company---

Question & Answer

How does Pro-Niacin™ assist in improving atopic skin?

Pro-Niacin™ has been clinically proven to strengthen the skin barrier through increasing the content of NAD within the skin cells and generating the growth and maturation of healthy skin cells from the inside-out. A stronger skin barrier improves atopic skin by providing better protection against environmental toxins, bacteria, etc. from aggravating the living skin cells beneath.

Can I layer the NIA 24™ Sun Damage Prevention 100% Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 with the NIA 24™ Skin Strengthening Complex and if so, which product should I use first?

Yes, NIA 24™ products can be layered. Apply the Skin Strengthening Complex first, followed by the Sun Damage Prevention 100% Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 to ensure that the sunscreen benefits are not diluted. Allow several minutes for the SPF 30 to be absorbed prior to make-up application.

By layering the NIA 24™ Skin Strengthening Complex along with the NIA 24™ Sun Damage Prevention 100% Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30, will I be getting too much Pro-Niacin™, the active ingredient?

No. The extensive clinical and safety testing conducted on the Pro-Niacin™ molecule and NIA 24™ products have shown no unexpected side effects or reactions. Instead, clinical studies have shown dramatic improvements in skin health with use of the NIA 24™ products.

Can I use an additional moisturizer with the NIA 24™ products? If, so which should I use first?

Yes. While the Skin Strengthening Complex is an excellent moisturizer, some individuals may require more intensive moisturization. Apply the Skin Strengthening Complex first to ensure maximum efficacy of the Pro-Niacin™ molecule, then follow with your desired moisturizer.

Are NIA 24™ products compatible with most foundations?

Yes. Apply the Skin Strengthening Complex and/or Sun Damage Prevention 100% Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 first and allow several minutes for the products to absorb prior to make-up application.

Can I use the NIA 24™ products for other areas of the body?

Yes. NIA 24™ products are ideal for use on areas of the face, neck, chest and hands.

Can the NIA 24™ products be used around the eye (orbital) area?

Yes. Application of the Skin Strengthening Complex and Sun Damage Prevention 100% Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 can be extended to the orbital bone. However, as with all products, avoid eye contact.

Which NIA 24™ products can I use if I have dry skin?

All NIA 24™ Skin Therapy products can be used with dry skin. In fact, the Physical Cleansing Scrub is a physical scrub that can be less irritating than chemical exfoliants to dry skin that is red and irritated. Furthermore, the natural sunscreens in the Sun Damage Prevention 100% Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 are also known to be less irritating than chemical sunscreens to dry skin.

Will the NIA 24™ products cause dryness?

The skin barrier's ability to retain moisture and resist damage can make the surface of the skin feel dry. To limit the effects of dryness, use a humectant or additional moisturizer to help hold water on top of the skin, applying the NIA 24™ products first.

Are the NIA 24™ products suitable for sensitive skin?

Yes. NIA 24™ products do not contain added fragrances, colors or dyes which can be potential irritants. The Sun Damage Prevention 100% Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 is also oil and PABA-free and is a physical sunscreen which causes less irritation than chemical sunscreens to sensitive skin.

Can I use the NIA 24™ products if I have oily skin?

Yes. You may find that strengthening the skin barrier with the NIA 24™ products may help to control oil production. Each product also has additional individual benefits for oily skin. The Physical Cleansing Scrub helps remove dead skin cells that can clog pores and create blemishes. The Skin Strengthening Complex helps moisturize and nourish the skin, as even oily skin needs hydration or moisturization. The Sun Damage Prevention 100% Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 is an oil-free formula that provides natural sunscreen protection from harmful UVA/UVB rays.

Will the NIA 24™ products clog pores and/or aggravate acne?

No. The NIA 24™ products were tested and found to be non-comedogenic, which as stated by the FDA, means that the products do not contain common pore-clogging ingredients that could lead to acne.

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.

Who Gets Plastic Surgery?

One thing that I continue to be impressed with is the wide cross section of people who come to us for plastic surgery. We see people of all ages. Men and women. Every ethnic group. From all over the local area and from all over the world. People seek Palm Springs plastic surgery, just like people from Beverly Hills, the Valley, or the South Bay. The most interesting thing is that the motivations are similar even for these diverse people. They want to feel more comfortable with themselves. Yes, it is about appearance. But it is really about how comfort with appearance allows people to be more comfortable with themselves overall. So the answer to the question, "Who gets plastic surgery?" is that many different people do. And that the reason that all these diverse people do is to enhance their overall comfort levels with themselves and their lifestyle.

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.

Plastic Surgery Without Pain

Prior to undergoing plastic surgery, many of our patients express concern about how much pain they will have during recovery. To meet this concern, we have taken steps that work to minimize post-procedure pain. We call our system Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery Rapid Recovery.

While it is difficult to make any surgery completely pain free, we have succeeded in making our procedures very low pain. This allows patients to be comfortable from the moment the procedure is completed and our nurses take care of them in the recovery room, to when they continue their recuperation at home. Our goal is to make post-procedure pain something akin to the soreness that accompanies a very strenuous workout at the gym. This applies to all procedures, everything from Beverly Hills liposuction to tummy tucks.

Many of our patients travel from out of town, so Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery Rapid Recovery helps them remain comfortable in the unfamiliar environment of a hotel, in the car for a sometimes long drive, or on the plane flight home some days later.

The program involves our surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and patients all working together to minimize pain. Each of these individuals has a key role in working to minimize post-procedure pain.

Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery Rapid Recovery begins well before surgery day. This phase takes the form of educating patients about the program and the steps we will be taking to minimize pain. Once concerns are alleviated, patients continue the process toward surgery much more comfortably. The program continues during all aspects of surgery through recuperation at home.

Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery Rapid Recovery consists of these steps:

--Providing patient education before surgery

--Giving patients prescriptions for narcotics and anti-nausea medicine for their recuperation

--Using a physician anesthesiologist during every cosmetic procedure, to ensure patient safety and to administer pain and anti-nausea medications during the surgery

--Doing all our procedures in a AAAHC and Medicare certified surgery center, to assure the highest standards in our patient care, safety, medications, sterility, lighting, and equipment

--Employing extra-gentle tissue handling techniques during plastic surgery, to minimize trauma and resulting pain

--Applying long-acting local anesthetics to all surgical sites at the end of the procedure, so pain centers are not stimulated during early recuperation

--Communicating with patients when they first awake using a nurse-patient interactive pain picture chart, and giving pain medicine as soon as patients report discomfort – before the onset of any true pain (see picture chart above)

--Remaining in close contact with patients during their recuperation, to make certain their pain is controlled -- and altering pain medicines if necessary

Patient response to Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery Rapid Recovery has been excellent. It is important to stress, however, that even though patients may have very little pain following surgery they must still limit their physical activities so their recovery can proceed without complication.


Lloyd M. Krieger, MD is a California cosmetic surgeon and the founder and medical director of Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, CA. Specializing in Nip/Tuck Rodeo Drive, Dr. Krieger offers all plastic surgery procedures. And while the center has many clients from the entertainment industry, they offer more than just celebrity plastic surgery! Dr. Krieger welcomes your questions and comments by calling our Los Angeles plastic surgery center at 310-550-6300 or by email at info@RodeoDrivePlasticSurgery.com.

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

A Novel Approach to Breast Reduction

At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, we are always trying to take advantage of our environment here on Rodeo Drive. The fashion boutiques next door and down the street give us a lot of information about style and trends. One way we recently did this is with our approach to breast reduction surgery.

Breast reduction surgery has the potential to greatly improve quality of life. For people with overly large breasts, the symptoms of neck pain, back pain, headaches, and limitations on activity often can be instantly alleviated by breast reduction surgery.

Among plastic surgery procedures, breast reduction is especially challenging. The three dimensional nature of the breasts, combined with the need to change their position and shape in addition to size, makes breast reduction surgery a complex undertaking. We have found that people coming for breast reduction surgery are seeking to improve not only their appearance but their overall lifestyle. They want to look better and feel better. They want to be more active. They want to wear elegant clothes that have previously been off limits to them.

To meet our patients’ goals, we looked to our neighbors on Rodeo Drive. We worked with these boutique managers and style makers to better understand the types of body shapes that best fit into fashionable clothing. In each breast reduction procedure, we not only address breast size, but also their shape and position. This way, the final breasts after our Los Angeles breast reduction match the body to create a harmonious overall shape. We call our approach the Rodeo Drive Shaped for Fashion Breast Reduction.

Our goal for Beverly Hills breast reduction is to create the size and shape that will allow our patients to look good, feel comfortable, and give the widest options for wearing all types of fashionable clothing. Our Rodeo Drive Shaped for Fashion Breast Reduction goes beyond simply reducing the size of the breasts. it joins many of our other procedures we are proud to innovate for our patients, such as our novel neck liposuction procedure, among others.

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.

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.

We Want Your Input!

On this blog we try to provide information that is of interest to our patients, and to anyone interested in learning about plastic surgery. Our approach here is to publish original articles written by our Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon. When we discuss such procedures as our Rodeo Drive Mommy Makeover, we hope that the information is useful for all sorts of people. We want to provide information on all types of procedures, from surgery to noninvasive procedures. And we want to help our readers understand the process from beginning to end.

The best way for us to provide a content rich blog, with interesting information, is to hear from our readers. So send us an email about topics that interest you! You can reach us at info@rdps.com.

Stay tuned for future updates!

The Silent Scar Technique for Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation is more popular than ever. Last year 264,000 breast augmentations were performed, up 24% from 2000 according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Breast augmentation is now the most common plastic surgery procedure. We are seeing an ever-increasing number people interested in this procedure.

One of the drawbacks to any cosmetic surgery is the scar created in order to do the procedure. That's why at Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery we do more and more of our breast implant procedures with scars hidden under the breast. Since the breast usually hangs over this portion of the skin, this in many ways is a "silent" scar -- far from prying eyes.

See the photo above and notice that the scars are not visible because they are covered by the lower parts of the breasts.

While there are several places where a breast augmentation incision can be placed, some of them have problems. Using the underarm or belly button requires working on the breasts from a distance -- and makes it difficult to put the implant in just the right location to create a perfect new shape. Using the areola, or brown part of the nipple, does tend to heal well but the scar is right in the middle of the breast and even a well-healed scar might be noticeable.

With the "silent scar" breast augmentation technique, we've found we can create nicely shaped breasts with a very well-hidden scar. We have received extremely positive feedback from our plastic surgery patients about the results of this technique. This approach can be used with either saline or silicone breast implants. But when we do Beverly Hills breast implants with silicone, we find the technique especially beneficial, because silicone implants do require a slightly longer incision.

Lloyd M. Krieger, MD is the founder and medical director of Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, CA. He welcomes your questions and comments by phone at 310-550-6300 or email at info@RodeoDrivePlasticSurgery.com.

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

Rodeo Drive Launches Skin Cancer Screening Program

Spring is here and summer is just around the corner. The days are longer and we are all spending more time outside. This time of year it becomes clear that most of us do not protect ourselves from the sun the way we should. Not only does the sun age us, but it also puts us at risk for skin cancer.

At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, we use this time of year to remind our patients of the importance of sun protection. Wear a hat. Wear sunsreen every day with an SPF of at least 15. It's fine to spend some time in the sun, but you should never forget to protect yourself. This applies to a day at the beach or to a routine day driving to work. The sun here in Southern California is quite strong, so sun protection is important every day.

We also screen all of our Los Angeles plastic surgery patients for skin lesions. If there is anything on the skin that looks worrisome, we recommend a biopsy to remove it and send the sample off to a pathologist. This way, a firm diagnosis can be made and we know exactly what we're dealing with. These are short outpatient procedures, with no down time and minimal or no discomfort. In many cases, it is well-worth the effort to have this sort of minor procedure performed. So even if our patients are coming in for an unrelated procedure, such as Beverly Hills liposuction, we still screen for skin cancer as we examine them. We have found skin cancers on patients who never really thought about the issue before.

There are several types of skin cancer to be aware of. The most common and usually least aggressive is called Basal Cell Carcinoma. It is usually treated completely during our biopsy procedure. More aggressive skin cancers include Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Malignant Melanoma. These types of skin cancers can be very aggressive and life threatening. Skin cancers are more frequent on areas exposed to the sun such as the face and arms, but they can also develop on other parts of the body including the legs and back.

We have put a new section up on our web site which describes the types of skin cancer in detail, as well as diagnosis and treatment options. It also includes pictures of various skin lesions. But the only way to deal with a worrisome skin lesion is to be examined by a doctor, and often to have a biopsy to remove it. So if you have anything on your skin that looks like it might be new, or changing, or is worrisome in any way, it is important to have it examined right away.

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!

Plastic Surgery for Men

Male Liposuction -- Before and After

Men Flock to Plastic Surgery But Need Different Procedures and Techniques
By Lloyd M. Krieger, MD

When I first started training in plastic surgery 12 years ago, I met only a few men who wanted to go under the knife. Plastic surgery was the domain of young women working on their bodies, and women over 35 refreshing their faces. Men picked up their wives and girlfriends after the procedures -- but stayed away from the operating room themselves.

Not anymore. Last year more than 800,000 men had plastic surgery procedures, according the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic surgery, and the number is growing. I see more and more men every month. Sports Illustrated now sits with Vogue in our magazine rack.

Men are turning to plastic surgery to feel better, look younger, and even help with their careers. But just as men are from Mars and women are from Venus in relationships, so too are they different when it comes to plastic surgery. With the wrong procedures, or the right procedures done incorrectly, men can wind up looking less like they did when they were in college -- and more like their college-aged daughters.

Why are men turning to plastic surgery?
The boom bust cycle we are living through helped draw men to plastic surgery.

With the greater wealth of the 90s, men, like women, wanted it all -- good times and good looks. Just as they purchased nice cars and stereo systems with their stock market winnings, they began to buy things to make them look better. Sometimes this meant fine suits or health club memberships. Increasingly, it meant plastic surgery.

Meanwhile our culture has become ever more obsessed with youth. Britney Spears is becoming passé as she nears her mid-twenties. Basketball players retire before 30. Youth represents health and success and men are embracing more aggressive ways of trying to maintain it.

With the lean times lately, many men tell me they feel professional competition from younger colleagues. Our youth culture does not reward aging gracefully, they explain, so one solution is to try to age more slowly. Plastic surgery offers some options for staving off the effects of time, and making men feel competitive in our more cutthroat workplaces.

Less Lifting, More Shaping
Where women tend to undergo lifts, men steer more toward reshaping and recontouring. Nationally, the top three surgical procedures for men are liposuction, rhinoplasty (nose work), and blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery). Increasingly, men are going for Botox and skin treatments as well.

Even in-shape guys have love handles that tend to scream "flab." These can be easily addressed with liposuction. Likewise, many men I see complain of fullness in the chest (and I am not talking pecs here) that diminishes their masculine look. Liposuction provides excellent results here as well. This surgery can help bring back the abs men had in college.

Liposuction often provides desired outcomes that often cannot be achieved at the gym. Localized fat deposits that are hard to exercise away become inviting targets for liposuction. I had one patient nickname my liposuction machine his "mechanical personal trainer." Results like this are improved still more as men head back to the gym after their procedures.

Like rings in a tree trunk, lines reveal our age. In men, they tend to develop around the eyes and forehead. When treated early, Botox smooths fine lines on the face. By weakening tiny facial muscles, it stops the constant pulling that leads to lines on the overlying skin. Though the results only last between three and six months, the changes are impressive.

When fine lines around the eyes graduate to true wrinkles, eyelid surgery turns back the clock. By removing excess skin and fat of either the upper or lower eyelid, men look refreshed without changing their overall appearance.

As men age, their faces reveal the harsh effects of the sun. Fine lines, uneven skin tone and blotchiness are the after-effects of time spent outdoors playing sports. Chemical peels, often done without anesthesia, ease these signs of aging and provide a fresher, more youthful skin tone.

Different Procedures for Different Folks: Why Men Are Unlike Women in Plastic Surgery
Men have different goals from women in seeking plastic surgery. And their distinct anatomy means that simply offering the same procedure to men as women will leave men dissatisfied with the results.

Women tend to do well with fairly long recovery periods. Many go to special centers where they receive loving care and embrace the process as a sort of medical vacation. Men want to recover quickly and get back to work and play immediately.

Women tend to want more shape. Larger breasts, rounder bottoms. Men want a better defined, more angular shape on both their bodies and faces. Where women often crave dramatic results, many men seek subtle changes. So while a gall bladder surgery is the same for men and women, (with the exception of a little more whining from the guys) plastic surgery requires different approaches to the sexes.

In the face, for example, a standard facelift will often soften the features. While this is flattering for a woman, it can sometimes leave a man looking somewhat feminized. This means fewer facelifts for men, wider use of alternatives, and a rather different procedure for those men who are good facelift candidates.

Men tend to have fewer problems with "jowls" or loose skin on the lower parts of the face. They have more issues around the chin, neck and forehead. So where women of a certain age do well with facelifts, many men do better with such alternatives as chin liposuction, neck lifts, and forehead lifts. These three smaller procedures can often be combined, and provide a better result than the larger facelift operation. And the recovery is shorter, so the impatience my male patients display is not overly tested.

When men do go for facelifts, their thicker skin means they need a unique procedure. Less pulling of the skin itself, which tends to become overly thin when pulled, and more work tightening the deeper tissues of the face. Since men have beards, care must be taken not to move the hair-baring areas too close to the ears, or men will have to shave right up to their ear lobes.

Noses also need to be carefully sculpted in men. The pert little nose with a slightly uplifted tip is flattering for women – and a disaster for men. Conservative is the watchword for male nose surgery. The nose should not be made too small, and some of the hump in the middle should be left in place. This will give men the results they desire, without making them look like their wives and girlfriends.

And while both men and women both have great results from liposuction, they have fat deposits in different places. I rarely do lipo on men’s thighs, but I do a lot on their abdomens, love handles, and chests. Men often have more resilient skin than women, so it tends to shrink better following the procedure. This allows for more fat removal in some men.

Plastic surgery is no longer for women only. Men have great results, just like women. But their bodies, goals, and temperaments are different. So the correct procedures, done in the right way, need to be selected to give men the outcomes they're looking for.


Lloyd M. Krieger, M.D. is the founder and medical director of Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, CA. He welcomes your questions and comments by phone at 310-550-6300 or email at info@RodeoDrivePlasticSurgery.com.

More information is also available at http://www.RodeoDrivePlasticSurgery.com.

Ten Things Men Should Know About Plastic Surgery

Plastic surgery is increasing popular among men. As you consider Los Angeles plastic surgery, it is best to understand the how procedures and outcomes are specialized for men.

1. Liposuction does not replace working out, but it definitely can remove fat from areas that exercise tends to miss (like the chest and love handles).

2. Your results from lipo will be best if you continue regular work at the gym after the procedure.

3. Calf implants and pec implants tend to migrate with time and have other problems. Better to use liposuction to sculpt the surrounding areas, and make the pecs and calfs appear more distinct.

4. Lipo cannot make your abs look like Schwarzenegger’s, but it can bring you close to where you were in college.

5. You will probably have better results from reshaping rather than lifting. This will give you a more chiseled and angular masculine look.

6. Even if you have wrinkles and sagging on your face, you probably do not need a facelift. In some cases, facelifts make men look feminized. Better to have a neck lift, brow lift, and work on the eyes.

7. A chemical peel, which can be done without general anesthetic, is not a “facial” and can get rid of fine lines, uneven tone, and blotchiness.

8. Botox is not only administered at parties. And it can erase wrinkles as well in men as in women.

9. You will probably be happiest with subtle changes, that make you look more refreshed and youthful, rather than dramatically altering your appearance.

10. You will have to set aside some time to recover from your procedure. Impatience leads to complications.

Lloyd M. Krieger, MD is the founder and medical director of Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills. He specializes in plastic surgery in California for men and welcomes your questions and comments by phone at 310-550-6300 or email at info@RodeoDrivePlasticSurgery.com.

Plastic Surgery for Latinos

RIO BEAUTY COMES TO RODEO DRIVE
More Hispanics are Opting for Plastic Surgery

In 2006, Hispanics led minority racial and ethnic groups undergoing cosmetic procedures (9% of all procedures performed, up from 6% in 2000), according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. More Hispanic women are seeking plastic surgery nationwide, and at Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery we've found that over 30% of our patients are Hispanic men and women.

The majority of our patients who ask for the "The Rodeo Drive Mommy Makeover" here in Los Angeles are Hispanic women in their 20's and 30's. The "Mommy Makeover" consists of a tummy tuck, breast lift and frequently a small breast implant.

Breast augmentation Beverly Hills is in high demand among young Hispanic women, either as a single procedure or as part of the "Mommy Makeover."

Hispanic women and men who opt for rhinoplasty are concerned with keeping their ethnic identity, so our procedures procedure enhance the face but do not erase ethnic origins.
Hispanic skin is generally thicker and less prone to wrinkling; signs of aging tend to be sagging rather than the crinkled look found in Northern Europeans.

Generally darker than Caucasian skin, Hispanic skin is more prone to scarring and uneven skin tone. Special approaches are necessary in procedures for Hispanic patients to avoid unsightly scarring and to preserve the skin tone.

Liposuction is in high demand by both Hispanic men and women. Our male patients ask for liposuction to eliminate love handles and achieve the look of a flat chest and washboard stomach.
More information can be found at http://www.rodeodriveplasticsurgeon.com .

Neck Liposuction: Small Procedure with Big Results

Although word has it TV’s Nip/Tuck is headed for Rodeo Drive, in the real world, Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery is the first and only plastic surgery center on Beverly Hills’ ultimate address. Lloyd Krieger, M.D., founder and Medical Director of the center, who has been featured in such media as Fortune, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Access Hollywood and other media, is known both as an artist and an innovator in the world of Beverly Hills plastic surgery, including such procedures as tummy tuck and Beverly Hills breast reduction.

The Rodeo Drive Chin Rejuvenation™:

Perhaps best known for his Rodeo Drive Mommy Makeover™, created for women who want their stomachs and breasts to look the way they did before their pregnancy, Dr. Krieger now introduces the Rodeo Drive Chin Rejuvenation™, a transformational minimally-invasive plastic surgery procedure, ideal for patients who (no matter how much they exercise or how much weight they lose) are tired of seeing that double chin staring back at them in the mirror.

The Rodeo Drive Chin Rejuvenation™ is a unique form of facial rejuvenation, a chin and neck liposuction procedure that does not take a long time in the operating room or have a prolonged recovery period. Despite its minimally invasive nature, this cosmetic surgery can make a dramatic change in a person’s appearance. In the past, patients would need a facelift or necklift to correct the problem of excess fat under the chin and in the neck. But, for appropriate candidates, this procedure is effective, has little downtime and successfully addresses the problem of the annoying "double chin" or overly full-looking neck. The Rodeo Drive Chin Rejuvenation™, which is ideal for both men and women, can dramatically improve a person’s appearance with minimal downtime and less risk of scarring. Compared with the routine facelift or necklift, Dr. Krieger’s procedure is less expensive, easier to recover from, affords minimal recovery time and can have remarkable benefits for the ideal candidate.

Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery is Beverly Hills’ most elegant of medical facilities, featuring state-of-the-art exam rooms, marble counter tops, bamboo floors, and leather chairs. To accentuate the aesthetics of the center, there are original Andy Warhol paintings hanging on the walls.

Dr. Krieger completed his education at Stanford University and the University of Chicago. He completed his residency at UCLA and maintains plastic surgery operating privileges at UCLA and Cedars-Sinai medical centers.

What to Look for in an Ambulatory Surgery Center

Times have changed in surgery. About fifteen years ago, just about all surgery – no matter how routine or small the procedure – was done in the hospital. Now, the majority of all surgical procedures are performed in outpatient surgery centers. These facilities are usually freestanding and are not attached to the hospital.

Now, even relatively complex and lengthy procedures are performed in outpatient surgery centers. These facilities are sometimes also called ambulatory surgery centers. More than 90% of all plastic surgery procedures such as breast augmentation as well as liposuction California rhinoplasty are performed in outpatient facilities. This is especially the case with plastic surgery in Los Angeles.

This shift puts the burden on the patient or consumer to choose wisely. Surgery of all kinds has never been safer or more effective. But it is still a serious undertaking and the facility where it is performed is a key component of overall safety.

There are several things to look for when evaluating whether you should use a particular outpatient surgery center. The most important issue is safety. You should check on the certification of the outpatient surgery center. Some states offer licensure of these facilities, while others do not. There are certifying organizations that inspect facilities. Some of these include AAAHC and Medicare. When a facility has these sorts of certifications, they have been thoroughly inspected for their physical layout, staff training, safety equipment, and emergency protocols to assure they have the highest level of professionalism and safety.

You should ask your surgeon why he chooses to use the given surgery center. Has he found the surgery center to be safe and convenient for patients? You should ask if the surgery center has a transfer agreement with a local hospital. In case of a problem, this confirms that you can get quick access to emergency care in the hospital setting. You should ask about the safety equipment on hand at the facility. Following your procedure in an outpatient surgery center, you likely will go home. You should ask your surgeon what provisions are made for contacting him and her with questions and concerns during off hours. You should also ask who will be performing your anesthesia. Is the anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist experienced in outpatient surgery? You might also ask to receive any prescriptions for post-procedure medications prior to your surgery day, so you need not go to the pharmacy following your surgery.

Outpatient surgery is now routine and safe. But it is important to check on the outpatient surgery center prior to deciding where to have your procedure performed.

Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery's Patient Privacy Program

Plastic surgery is a private undertaking and a very personal decision. At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, the first and only plastic surgery center on world-famous Rodeo Drive, we have developed a unique patient privacy program to assure the utmost discretion for our clients. Because of our unique location and relationships, our plastic surgery center caters to members of the entertainment industry. But when it comes to privacy, we adhere to the same standards for celebrity plastic surgery as for all of our patients.

The program starts with the physical layout of our offices and on-site surgery center. We built a hidden back entrance -- far from prying eyes of celebrity photographers -- that leads to a discreet service elevator. This elevator opens deep in the building's parking structure and also on the alley behind Rodeo Drive. Our back entrance is unusual among medical offices and assures discretion. This novel feature of our design and layout has been featured in Elle magazine, Denmark’s Q magazine and on France’s Télévision Française 1, France’s most popular TV network.

Our plastic surgery staff, in our offices and our operating rooms, is thoroughly trained in patient privacy issues. Our organization has a designated privacy officer to oversee the routine work of the staff and confirm that our strict confidentiality policies are enforced. No member of our staff will discuss any aspect of patient care (or even that someone is receiving care) with anyone at any time, unless that person have given us permission to do so.

Each employee signs an agreement to maintain patient privacy at all times -- again, this applies to celebrity plastic surgery and for all patients who go our plastic surgery center. Patients also are asked to designate how they would like to be contracted (such as cell phone only), so communication is always done in the manner that makes the patient most comfortable and allows for the most discretion.

These steps offer reassurance to all patients that their confidentiality will be maintained. And since we treat every patient like a celebrity, we take firm steps to maintain discretion and safeguard confidentiality for all our patients.

Travel for Plastic Surgery

At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, we have many patients who travel from out of town. Beverly Hills, after all, is not only for celebrity plastic surgery. In the past year patients flew in from such Northern California locations as San Francisco, Redwood City, Palo Alto, Santa Rosa and Modesto, and from Washington State, Arizona, Nevada, Mississippi, Alabama, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Texas, and Massachusetts. Others drove to us from San Diego, Bakersfield, Barstow, Riverside, and other points a several-hour car ride away.

Traveling for Los Angeles plastic surgery worked out very well for these patients, but it is important to plan ahead. To make things as safe and smooth as possible, we created a program to coordinate the process.The Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery Visiting Patients Program includes several steps:

--First we have to decide if someone is a candidate for surgery. This is best accomplished in person by consulting with our surgeon. Sometimes we can schedule surgery on the same trip. Other times it works best to schedule a trip in the future for surgery. On occasion we use digital photos to begin the process, but we must always see our patients before the day we do a procedure.

--The post-surgery recuperation must be coordinated. Sometimes this means arranging a night or two at a specialized recovery center staffed by nurses. Other times it means booking a comfortable nearby hotel. Our staff has a lot of experience arranging this around different needs and tastes, so we make this step quite easy.

--We must plan how long to stay in town after surgery. This varies by the procedure performed and the person’s age and other factors. For people flying into town this is usually between five and fourteen days.--We must arrange for any necessary lab work to be done prior to surgery. Sometimes it is easiest to do this at home, or we often do it here in Beverly Hills.

--We take extra time educating traveling patients about the nature of their recovery including how long to take off from work, what to expect in terms of body changes and reaction to surgery, and when to resume various activities. This works to minimize surprises upon returning home.

--We ask our traveling Los Angeles plastic surgery patients to have access to a family doctor at home, so if something needs evaluation they have someone to visit and with whom our surgeon can speak.

--We encourage our traveling patients to plan on doing some non-strenuous activities while in town. Having fun helps recovery go faster and easier. Our staff works as a concierge to make plans for restaurants, daytime activities, and shopping so the trip becomes a vacation as well as a surgery experience.

The Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery Visiting Patients Program works to give our traveling patients the safest possible experience – while also showing them a good time as our out-of-town guests.

Lloyd M. Krieger, MD is the founder and medical director of Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, CA. He welcomes your questions and comments by phone at 310-550-6300 or email at info@RodeoDrivePlasticSurgery.com.

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.

In Progress

This post is in progress. Check back with us later to see this post, which will deal with liposuction and how it 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.

Safe Plastic Surgery

At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, patient safety is our number one priority. To make sure that we do everything possible to maintain patient safety, we have formalized our steps into The Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery Patient Safety Program.

The Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery Patient Safety Program includes these elements:

--We ask our patients to describe in detail any medical problems, medications they take, or previous surgeries. This allows us to understand any special needs of our patients.

--We send anyone with questionable or known medical problems to see a primary care physician or any necessary specialists prior to performing procedures. Prevention of problems is the key to plastic surgery safety.

--We use physician anesthesiologists for all procedures that require general anesthesia or deep sedation.

--We uphold the strictest hiring and educational criteria in our nursing staff to make certain patients are well cared for before, during, and after all procedures.

--We perform procedures in our state-of-the-art surgery center, which is fully certified by AAAHC and the Federal government (Medicare) to assure the highest standards in our patient care, medications, sterility, lighting, and equipment.

--We maintain a binding transfer agreement with Cedars Sinai Medical Center, should there be a need for hospital care following a procedure.

--We have the most modern monitoring and life-saving equipment on site.

--We provide detailed post-operative teaching (with written instructions) to our patients and their families or other caregivers, so they know what to expect and any problem signs following procedures. Avoiding any confusion about medical instructions is important for procedures large and small, from the smallest liposculpture procedure to very large surgeries such as Beverly Hills breast reduction.

--We have 24 hour physician coverage for emergencies following procedures.

The Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery Patient Safety Program involves our patients, surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, staff, and patient families or other caregivers all working together toward a common goal: Assuring the safest possible surgical experience. As a California plastic surgeon, I am very pleased to have worked closely with all of our medical staff in the continuing process of improving the experiences of our patients.

Plastic Surgery Safety for People With Latex Allergey

Plastic Surgery and cosmetic surgery are elective procedures. In these situations, every possible step should be taken to maximize patient safety. Some people have allrgies to latex, and this can be a very serious condition. At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery we have made provisions to assure maximum safety for people who have latex allergy.

For people with latex allergy, exposure to this product can cause untoward and even severe body reactions. Reactions to this type of latex range from contact dermatitis (a rash) to lgE-mediated (total body reaction) allergy -- with serious respiratory or systemic involvement. These reactions to the natural form of latex may be caused by latex-specific proteins or by one or more of the chemicals added during manufacture of medical supplies. Latex allergy safey during surgery becomes a crucial issue for people with this condition.

As mentioned before, at Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, since plastic surgery is elective, extra care must be taken to create the most comfortable and safest experience possible. At our surgery center in Los Angeles, one of our operating rooms is designated as completely latex free. In fact, in this operating room no latex has ever been used so there is not even a chance of any residual latex being in the operating room environment. If you have an allergy or sensitivity to latex, please let your plastic surgeon know. We will make arrangements to make your plastic surgery experience completely free of latex. These steps will help assure you of maximum safety.

For more information on other steps we take to assure your safety, please read about our Patient Safety Program, also on this Blog. We are pleased to have made plastic surgery safety our top priority. We are able to have latex-free surgery for all plastic surgery procedures we do, including Los Angeles breast implants, liposuction, tummy tuck, eyelift, facelift, rhinoplasty, and more.

Plastic Surgery After Massive Weight Loss

Lap Band surgery results in massive weight loss -- and usually makes people dramatically healthier and happier. Often, though, people are left with loose and sometimes hanging skin. In this situation, body contouring surgery can offer tremendous improvements in appearance.

It is important that several prerequisites are met before undertaking your body contouring surgery. You should be healthy overall. Your weight should be stable. You should plan on waiting at least a year between your Lap Band and your first plastic surgery procedure. You should realize that body contouring surgeries may need to be staged over several months. It is important to remain coordinated with your original team during this process. This continuity with the team that did your initial procedure team will make your entire plastic surgery after massive weight loss experience as smooth and safe as possible.

There is a range of plastic surgery options available for people seeking body contouring after significant weight loss. The exact combination of procedures depends on your body type and personal priorities. Some examples include tummy tuck, arm lift or brachioplasty, breast lift for women or chest lift for men, thigh lift, even face lift or neck lift.

In some cases, a total body lift offers large amounts of improvement in one setting. At our center, we tend to stage the lifting of midsections and combine them with other procedures during each trip to surgery. For example, we may do a tummy tuck as a “front lift” along with a thigh lift, and then come back a few months later and do a “back lift” to contour the back and buttocks along with an arm lift. We find that with this sort of staging of the large midsection surgeries, recovery tends to be easier. It also allows room for a “touch up” to the previous procedure, where skin may have stretched a bit again over time.

The most important part of the process is to plan your procedures thoroughly. That means working with your plastic surgeon to develop an individualized treatment program that is right for you. You can start this process early on, even before your Lap Band. Start thinking early about your own priorities for fine tuning your body after you lose weight.

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.
All text and pictures are Copyright © 2007 Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, Inc.