When choosing a cosmetic surgeon, it is critical to choose a surgeon with impeccable medical credentials, plastic surgery experience and board certification. However, there are a number of other important factors that will greatly affect the quality of your cosmetic surgery experience and your satisfaction with that experience.
When selecting a cosmetic surgery center, weigh first the medical qualifications and experience of the plastic surgeon who will perform the procedure, but also carefully consider the following questions that indicate the surgeon’s commitment to his patients:
- Does your cosmetic surgeon ask about your goals and expectations? Does he understand what you wish to achieve through cosmetic surgery?
- Does your plastic surgeon take time to thoroughly and clearly answer all of your questions? Does he listen to your comments and address your concerns?
- Does your board-certified cosmetic surgeon design a uniquely individual treatment program that addresses your specific plastic surgery goals?
- Does your plastic surgeon offer alternative treatments if appropriate? Are these alternatives in keeping with your goals or does he put pressure on you to consider unnecessary procedures?
- Does your board-certified cosmetic surgeon welcome questions about procedures, qualifications and experience, cost and payment policies?
- Does your plastic surgeon outline the potential risks and outcomes of the procedures you have selected?
- Does your cosmetic surgeon provide you with information for your review and consideration before you make a decision?
- Can your plastic surgeon arrange for you to talk to other patients who have undergone the same procedure?
- Does your cosmetic surgeon pressure you to make a decision or does he leave the final decision to you?
Once you are informed and empowered with information, you will feel confident that you have chosen the right cosmetic surgeon.
Women and men who are happy with their decision to have cosmetic surgery are those who have embraced the positive changes they believe cosmetic surgery will bring to their appearance and self-image. Long-term happiness with the decision to positively alter your appearance through plastic surgery is directly related to the following two important considerations:
The first and most emotionally critical factor in deciding to have cosmetic surgery is a personal desire to make a positive change to your appearance that will make you feel more attractive and self-confident. The decision to undergo plastic surgery is a very personal and intimate decision. Others –spouse, family member or close friend -- may suggest that plastic surgery will correct an appearance flaw and make you look more attractive. But if you do not fully embrace the procedure, you may ultimately become unhappy with your decision to reshape your body. Choosing plastic surgery is choosing to make a permanent change to your body. Long-term satisfaction with your decision is dependent on the strength of your belief that cosmetic surgery will improve your appearance. It is that belief that positively enhances your self-image. Cosmetic surgery is something you do for yourself, not to please another person.
The second and equally critical factor in determining your satisfaction with plastic surgery is your choice of a board-certified cosmetic surgeon. You want a plastic surgeon with impeccable credentials and long-term expertise in the specific cosmetic surgery procedure you have selected. The surgeon you select should have an intimate knowledge of skin tissues and understand how to mold your body to achieve your goals. But beyond these important medical considerations, you want a plastic surgeon that educates you about cosmetic surgery choices and develops an individualized treatment plan to best fit your cosmetic goals.
In the April issue of Real Simple magazine, etiquette expert Julie Rottenberg dealt with one of those modern etiquette problems that perplex many of us today. The writer asked what you should do if someone you know has had plastic surgery. Should you compliment the person on their new look or ignore the change? Julie answered that it’s appropriate to comment on how fantastic the person looks, but that prying about whether or not they’ve had a cosmetic surgery procedure is bad manners. However, Julie did note that if you’re interested in having a cosmetic surgery procedure yourself, you can invite personal revelation by saying something like, “You look fantastic. What’s your secret?” This allows the person to either keep her plastic surgery to herself or brag about her successful procedure and her satisfaction with her results.
Successful plastic surgery should leave people guessing. Your friends will notice that you look lovelier, more beautiful or more fit; but they won’t be able to put their finger on why. And that’s the way many women and men who undergo cosmetic surgery want it. They like to keep their plastic surgery procedures as confidential secret between them and their doctor. They like people to notice the beautiful effects of their cosmetic surgery but attribute it to nature’s gift without recognizing the doctor’s hand in giving nature a little boost.
Other cosmetic surgery patients aren’t shy about sharing their experience and are eager to share their joy, personal satisfaction and increased self-confidence in their appearance with other people. If you would like to talk with a patient who has undergone the procedure you are contemplating, we can arrange for you to do so. The confidence and comfort of our patients is always our top priority.
When choosing a Cleveland plastic surgeon, it is naturally important that you choose a surgeon who is board-certified, skilled and experienced. After all, when you decide to have cosmetic surgery, you want to ensure that the results will meet or exceed your expectations.
But many cosmetic surgery patients – and their plastic surgeons – ignore the importance of patient-doctor communication. If you want to have a satisfying cosmetic surgery experience, it is important to choose a cosmetic surgeon who is willing to listen to your concerns, talk to you about your goals and fully answer all your questions about the cosmetic surgery procedures you are contemplating.
The attentiveness and communication skills of both your plastic surgeon and his office support staff will make a huge difference in your overall satisfaction with your cosmetic surgery experience. An approachable plastic surgeon will take time to listen carefully to and discuss your goals for plastic surgery. He will not rush you but will fully answer all of your questions. From the benefit of his experience, he may recommend a different procedure than you are contemplating, one that will better achieve the results you desire. Or he may recommend a staged approach to accomplishing your goals.
Listen carefully to your Cleveland plastic surgeon's recommendations. His years of training and experience have made him an expert in the way human skin and muscles can be molded and shaped. During examination, an experienced cosmetic surgeon will be able to tell you how you may personally benefit from one procedure over another. There may be certain health aspects obvious to a highly experienced plastic surgeon of which you may be unaware. Listen to and talk to your doctor about his recommendations. A caring cosmetic surgeon will want to work with you to make certain that your cosmetic surgery results meet and even exceed your expectations.
The Internet can provide a wealth of useful information, but it can also be the source of much misinformation. A recent Internet search for plastic surgery brought up more entertainment and celebrity gossip websites than legitimate medical sites. Cleveland plastic surgery patients who rely on such sites are, at best, getting incomplete and impersonal plastic surgery advice that does not take into account their specific individual needs or medical history. At worst, some of these websites provide totally inaccurate information that has the potential to be harmful if followed. Board-certified plastic surgeons are concerned that Cleveland women and men considering cosmetic surgery could be making unsafe and unhealthy decisions about their bodies based on erroneous information obtained from such sites.
One such website invites users to "Ask an Expert" their questions about plastic surgery procedures. The site implies that questions will be personally answered by practicing plastic surgeons. All the site visitor need do to pose her question is provide an email address. The website also invites doctors to volunteer to answer patients' questions about plastic surgery. However, in a trial attempt to register as a physician, no medical credentials were requested. In fact, no information was solicited that could be used to verify medical expertise. The only information requested was email registration. One must conclude that although this popular website purports to offer physician advice about plastic surgery, it is no more than a marketing ploy to gather email addresses for the purpose of selling unspecified products. Any claim to offer legitimate plastic surgery advice must be highly suspect.
While the Internet can be a valuable information gathering tool, when seeking plastic surgery information, it is important to utilize only trusted websites from experienced board-certified plastic surgeons like Dr. J. Vicente Poblete.
One picture is worth a thousand words goes the ancient Chinese proverb. At Cleveland cosmetic and plastic surgery center Accentuate Within our caring staff understands the concerns women have when they decide to change their appearance. Customized body contouring, breast enhancement, a face lift or reshaping of the nose or any cosmetic surgery procedure is both a practical and an emotional decision for most women.
Even when the positive changes that are about to occur in their lives are eagerly anticipated, most women choosing Cleveland cosmetic surgery feel a little anxious about plastic surgery. Led by expert board-certified Cleveland plastic surgeon Dr. Vicente Poblete, the experienced staff at Accentuate Within's Avon Lake, Ohio cosmetic and plastic surgery center takes plenty of time to talk with patients about their expectations and goals for cosmetic surgery.
A customized program is designed to meet each patient's individual goals. Dr. Poblete and our staff educate patients about Cleveland cosmetic surgery procedures so that they can make well informed choices about their face and body.
On the Accentuate Within website you'll find a Patient Gallery showing before and after photos of common cosmetic surgery procedures. Read firsthand accounts chronicling the experiences of other Cleveland cosmetic surgery patients in the online Patient Diaries. The Accentuate Within staff can also arrange for you to talk to another plastic surgery patient who has already undergone the procedure you are contemplating. There's nothing more revealing or comforting than talking to another woman who has successfully experienced the same cosmetic surgery procedure. At Cleveland cosmetic surgery center Accentuate Within, we understand how helpful it can be to talk to woman-to-woman with another patient about her actual surgery, her recovery experience and how the cosmetic surgery procedure has positively changed her life.
As one happy patient noted – "DON'T GIVE UP ON YOUR BODY!"
Reality television personality Heidi Montag's revelation on Good Morning America earlier this week that she underwent 10 cosmetic surgery procedures in a single day last November shocked viewers and unleashed a firestorm of outrage and debate in the press and on the blogosphere. Concern seemed to be directed most at the questionable necessity and safety of a 23-year-old woman undergoing so many elective cosmetic surgery procedures and the example Heidi's choices set for young fans who have followed her career since she caught the public's notice during three seasons on The Hills.
Heidi's on-air revelation followed her comment in last week's People magazine that she was "beyond obsessed" with plastic surgery. On Good Morning America, Heidi defended her decision, saying, "I'm living in my skin, and I look in the mirror and it's my career and my life, and you only have one. So, I want to take advantage of everything and be the best me, in and out, every way."
Heidi told Good Morning America she underwent cosmetic surgery procedures to her brows, neck, chin, jaw, nose, cheeks, lips, waist, hips and thighs all in a single surgery session and had previously had a nose job and breast augmentation. She said she plans to go undergo additional cosmetic surgery in the future to further increase her breast size from triple-D to H. When asked how she felt about the results of her cosmetic surgery procedures, Heidi said, "I think I look like myself. I think I just look like a different, improved version of myself."
Some of Heidi's The Hills cast mates were among many who expressed concern about the effect publicity about Heidi's choices might have on young girls. On the All Headline News website, The Hills' Lo Bosworth was quoted as saying, "I hope that girls don't...look at the decisions that Heidi made and think that's normal...I would never want young girls to read that and think it's the standard that they need to be measured by."
The controversy surrounding Heidi's cosmetic surgery choices emphasizes the critical necessity of choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon you can trust who has the professional experience and deep commitment to his patients' well-being, safety and good health to educate you about all of the options available to reach your personal appearance goals. A dedicated cosmetic surgeon will take the time to discuss the long-term implications of various plastic surgery options, offer alternatives and guide you toward healthy choices.
Dr. Poblete and the staff at Accentuate Within Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery Center in Avon Lake, Ohio work closely with each patient to develop a specialized personal care program to ensure that every patient meets her appearance goals effectively and safely. Dr. Poblete may recommend that contemplated surgeries be spaced at intervals to allow the patient to become comfortable with the results of the first surgery before deciding if additional procedures are necessary.
In our Patient Diaries download, you can read Wendy's Story. A 34-year-old Cleveland woman, Wendy came to us seeking a tummy tuck and breast implants to remove post-baby sag, but confessed she wasn't completely comfortable with silicone implants. Dr. Problete listened to her concerns and was able to suggest an alternative he felt would provide even better results. As Wendy says, "To my surprise [Dr. Poblete] informed me I would not need implants and that I would be very satisfied with a full tummy tuck and breast lift." After her surgery, Wendy commented, "I have never felt so good about looking in the mirror at myself...My breasts are lifted and fuller and no longer hide in my armpits when I lay in bed at night. Both my husband and I are happy."
Honorable plastic surgeons like Dr. Problete who value their patients' well-being have your health and welfare at heart and will guide you to the safest, most effective cosmetic surgery procedures to help you achieve your appearance goals.
It may not be considered politically correct, but in American society our breasts in some part define us as women. Front and center, they command attention – large as melons or tiny apples, young and pert or old and droopy, proudly exposed or embarrassingly hidden. Women may not like to admit it, but how they feel about their breasts affects how they feel about themselves. Women with less than "Hollywood ideal" breasts can be perfectly comfortable of their anatomy and feel completely confident in their appearance. But many women feel sensitive or embarrassed about the appearance of their breasts.
Women with small breasts may feel less than feminine. They may feel unattractively boyish and unwomanly. Their feelings can place them at a social disadvantage. Their feelings of inadequacy with their body can filter into their personal, romantic and work life, robbing them of self-confidence and opportunities.
Women with large breasts may feel that their breasts are too prominent. Large breasts can be uncomfortable and cumbersome. The weight of overly large breasts can cause backache and posture problems. It can be difficult to find clothing that fits attractively and comfortably across large breasts without embarrassing gapping.
And then there's gravity. Eventually, no matter what size your breasts, gravity will tug on muscles and breasts will droop. It's a normal, if undesirable, part of aging that can be exacerbated by nursing. As milk engorges the breasts, it stretches tissues. After your baby stops nursing, breasts may not return entirely to their previous shape. Over-stretched skin can make breasts slightly flaccid. The problem can become more pronounced with each birth and with age. Drooping breasts don't match the dart marks in clothing and even the best bra can't always make clothing look like it should. Many women find drooping breasts a disheartening part of aging that destroys their confidence and makes them feel embarrassed about their appearance.
Our Next Blog: How Accentuate Within Can Help with your breast augmentation surgery: breast enhancement, breast reduction, or breat lift.
Choosing the right plastic surgeon can dramatically affect your patient experience and satisfaction with the results of the procedure. Critically important are the credentials, training and experience of the cosmetic surgeon you choose.
Ask these questions of your surgeon:
- Are you certified by American Board of Plastic Surgery? Board certification ensures that your plastic surgeon has successfully completed required education at an accredited medical school and a minimum 5-year surgical residency with at least 2 years devoted to plastic surgery. Board certification also requires that the board-certified plastic surgeon pass comprehensive oral and written exams.
- Are you a member of American Society of Plastic Surgeons? Founded in 1931, ASPS is the largest international plastic surgery specialty organization. Its mission is to advance quality care to plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, practice and research. Membership ensures patients that their plastic surgeon has met the strict requirements of the organization, is board certified and adheres to the highest standards of surgical practice and patient care.
- Are you a member of American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery? Founded in 1967, ASAPS is an elite organization of board-certified plastic surgeons whose mission is to advance the science, art and safe practice of cosmetic plastic surgery. Only one-quarter of board-certified plastic surgeons meet the rigorous educational, experience and superlative professional standards required for membership.
- What is your training and experience in plastic surgery? A plastic surgeon who meets the highest professional standards will be board certified by both his state and the American Board of Plastic Surgery. In addition to achieving his Doctor of Medicine from an accredited medical school, your plastic surgeon should have a minimum of 5 years of surgical training in an accredited medical residency program with at least 2 years exclusively devoted to plastic surgery.
- Beware of "Board-Certified." There are a lot of practitioners who will say they are "board-certified." More important is – "Board-certified in what?" Would you feel safe entrusting your body to someone who is "board-certified in emergency medicine," or "board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology" – to name a few? Would you let your plastic surgeon deliver your baby?
This was the year you finally did it. After years of dragging around those unattractive excess pounds, you finally made good on your promise to yourself to lose weight and keep it off. Maybe you were inspired by television's The Biggest Loser. Maybe someone make an unkind joke about your "pregnancy." Maybe the wheezing as you climbed the stairs gave you a scare. Maybe you finally listened to your doctor's warnings about heart risk and diabetes. Whatever your motivation for taking better care of yourself, we're sure it wasn't easy and we congratulate you on your accomplishment.
Losing weight is a long, difficult process that requires dedication, commitment, sacrifice and lots of sweat. The goal of a slimmer, trimmer, healthier you, makes it all worthwhile, but sometimes the results can be disappointing. As you've power walked your way around the neighborhood, pedaled away furiously on your stationary bike and sweat to the beat at your local gym, one thing has kept you going. In your mind's eye you have pictured yourself slim, svelte and fabulous. Unfortunately, when you look in the mirror all these months later what you see is flaccid, drooping breasts, wrinkly upper arm "wings," puckery thighs and, worst of all, an ugly saddlebag of stretched belly skin dropping across your lower abdomen. This can't be what you worked so hard to achieve.
What most women and men don't realize is that skin stretched by fat for long periods loses some of its elasticity. Age and rapid weight loss can exacerbate the problem. When you remove the fat that plumped and stretched your skin, the skin may not "snap back" to its former shape. You're left with unsightly folds of skin draping your body. Cosmetic and plastic surgery can remove that excess skin and restore your body shape to give you the attractive appearance you worked so hard to achieve. Cosmetic surgery after significant weight loss has been increasing steadily in Northeast Ohio and the rest of the country, as noted in the Aesthetic Society's latest statistics.