Question:
What anesthesia is used for a facelift? Do I have a choice in what I can use?
Answer:
Anesthesia for facelift surgery can vary from straight local to be fully asleep. This should be worked out between the patient, surgeon, and anesthesiologist. Factors to be considered are health status, type of facelift planned, and the patient’s comfort level with each anesthesia method.
Question:
I have been a smoker for the past 40 years. Will a chemical peel help reduce my wrinkles and poor skin?
Answer:
Any face will be helped by a carefully planned skin are regimen, which would involve a retinoid, toner, moisture, and eventually a chemical peel or laser treatment. The degree of improvement will depend on your skin type and the amount of damage present before treatment starts.
Question:
I had eyelid surgery a year ago and loved my results at first. Now the skin under my eyes looks really loose and sagging. What can I do to fix this?
Answer:
Eyelid surgery rarely takes care of the fine lines and wrinkles under the eye. This skin must be treated with a resurfacing method such as a fractional laser or chemical peel.
Question:
Is there a different minimum age for rhinoplasty for male and female patients?
Answer:
There has been a general rule that girls should be at least 2 years after their first period, and boys at least 16 years old. These guidelines are flexible, and are frequently adjusted when significant nasal obstruction exists which also needs to be repaired.
Question:
I have developed a hard bump at the tip of my nose. My surgery was 1.5 yrs ago. What is this bump and what will be needed to remove it, surgery or something less invasive?
Answer:
This could represent scar tissue, cartilage grafts, or a bending of the tip cartilages we call a “bossa”. Many contour problems like this can be corrected by minor surgery. Surgery is an invasive procedure, which means there will be some swelling and a brief recovery period. At this point injectable steroids are unlikely to change the outcome.
Question:
I have very large ears for a female and would like to have corrective surgery to make them smaller and also to have them closer to my head. I am curious as to what type of anesthesia is used for otoplasty and also what it the recovery time?
Answer:
Otoplasty operations for adults can easily be done with local anesthesia. Comfort is very good, and the expense and inconvenience of anesthesia can be avoided. In children, general anesthesia is preferred as they are not mature enough to tolerate the procedures happening around them.
Question:
My 17-year-old son wants a chin implant to enhance what he sees as a weak profile. Is he too young to have this procedure?
Answer:
Most young rhinoplasty candidates are mature enough by age 16. The chin and nose are almost completely developed by this age. Chin implants often enhance the aesthetic result of a rhinoplasty by balancing the profile.
Question:
How do you know whether eyelid surgery or a browlift is needed for sagging upper eyelids?
Answer:
If the droopy brow is held up to the proper level at the bony rim, we can assess the condition of the upper lid. Excessive skin or fat may be present. It is possible that both a brow lift and upper lid surgery are required to obtain a good aesthetic result.
Question:
How is revision rhinoplasty different from a normal rhinoplasty procedure? Are there different techniques for the surgery?
Answer:
Revision rhinoplasty surgery is more complex due to increased scar tissue, missing cartilage or bone, and slightly longer healing period. In adition, patents are often more anxious due to their previous surgical experiences.
Question:
For a rhinoplasty, do I have to spend the night at the hospital after the surgery or is it an outpatient procedure?
Answer:
Almost all rhinoplasty procedures are outpatient. It is rare that a rhinoplasty patient is required to stay overnight.
