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Recovering from a surgery can sometimes be very painful. When you visit a plastic surgeon prior to your surgery, it’s important to find out how long the recuperation period will last for the type of procedure you’re having done. You’ll need to know how long you’ll be out of commission no only for personal reasons, but for other commitments you may have such as work, school, etc.

The following reflects some commonly seen time estimates, though it is important to know that these are just estimates, and can vary depending on any special circumstances you may have.

*Breast Surgery – You can typically manage to get around independently by the second day of recovery, and you may even return to work after 5-7 days as long as your job does not require you to lift more than 15 pounds.
*Eyelid Surgery – With this type of surgery, you can actually usually begin taking care of yourself by the second day. And, with the use of sunglasses, you may even feel comfortable enough to go to the store by day 3-4. With a little makeup, you could be back to work between days 5-7.
*Liposuction – Usually you can gain independence by the second day, possibly even earlier if a smaller number of areas were treated. You’ll typically be able to return to work and normal life in about 5-7 days.
*Facelift Surgery – In most cases, you can get around independently by day 2. You probably wont feel comfortable going out in public though for about 5-7 days after surgery. Returning to work will probably require 10-14 full days of recovering.
*Abdominoplasty – Now patients receiving this type of surgery may take between 2-4 days before getting around on their own. The recovery experience is surprisingly similar to that of a C-section. The patient can return to a desk job about 5-7 days after surgery, but most other jobs will require 10-14 days.

As you can see, most cases only require assistance for the first two days of recovery, and patients typically have the ability to care for themselves during the remainder of their recuperation period.

Dr. Kim is a plastic surgeon providing his expertise to the Beverly Hills area. For more information please visit Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery.

There are a lot of reasons why patients consider undergoing liposuction for themselves. It’s possible that the patient has tried dieting with exercise with continuing problems in one or more areas of their body with getting rid of fat pockets. Some other reasons would result to treat fatty benign tumors or other problems dealing with metabolism.

It’s important to understand that liposuction is not for the treatment of obesity. There are other procedures available for this if the patient is considered to be an ideal candidate for the procedure.

The liposuction procedure is performed with a small hollow tube that is generally referred to as a cannula, which is used along with a vacuum type suction device known as an aspirator. The cannula is inserted through an small incision and then moved rapidly underneath the skin in order to extract the fat. There are many different techniques that plastic surgeons use today and your doctor will explain them upon consultation.

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery – serves the Beverly Hills / Los Angeles area. For more information please visit the Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery website.

If you are considering having breast augmentation, you should then consider your two breast augmentation surgery options and talk to your plastic surgeon about the each to determine and which is going to be better for you.

There are two different types of implants used when performingbreast augmentation surgery; saline and silicone. The solutions used in each and how they are filled are what make them so different. Depending on which one you choose will also effect the way the incision is made as well how the entire procedure is played out.

Saline-filled implants are placed within the body before being filled with a salt water solution. The size of the incision is much smaller than the implant itself and in comparison, much smaller than that of a silicone implant. Silicone implants are filled with silicone prior to inserting it into the breast cavity and therefore have a larger incision than a saline implant would. In turn though, a silicone implant is much less noticeable to the eye and to the touch. They are also a overall better decision for women who are without very much breast tissue to begin with.

In 2006, there were 329,000 breast augmentation procedures performed in the U.S. Considering this number tell that there are a lot of women having plastic surgery/cosmetic surgery. It is important to go into any cosmetic surgery feeling that you know as much as you can about the particular procedure you’re about to undergo.

Dr. Kim is a plastic surgeon providing his expertise to the Beverly Hills area. For more information please visit Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery.

Eyelid Surgery

Eyelid surgery has become increasingly popular in current times among people of Asian descent. This can be in result of the common structure of their eyes. One would probably think that undergoing eyelid surgery would take away from the ethnicity of the patient, this is actually untrue. Most patients of Asian descent are what is known as ’single-lidded’ and undergo blepharoplasty to create a second lid.

Excess Fat Around the Eyes

Having excess fat, muscle, and skin around the eyes can be uncomfortable as confidence lowering for some people. That combined with natural puffiness around the eyes or ’bags’ might make someone consider having eyelid surgery or otherwise known as blepharoplasty. The procedure is solely meant to treat these things and has been known to be successful in doing so.

If you are considering the option to have eyelid surgery, you should consult with a plastic surgeon to make sure you are an ideal candidate for the procedure.

For more information on the surgical and non-surgical procedures and treatments by Cosmetic Plastic Surgeons Dr. David Kim and Dr. Eugene Kim, contact us (310) 271-6996 at or click here.

Serving Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Orange County, Southern California and surrounding areas.

Staying healthy is more important than ever for pregnant women. There are so many precautions to take that many women spend the entire pregnancy very anxious. Dr. Kim consults with many patients who have had children. Many of them are dissatisfied with their post pregnancy shape. The most common complaints are loss of  volume in the breast and loose skin on the abdomen. In these cases Dr. Kim may recommend an abdominoplasty combined with breast augmentation. These procedures help most women return to their prepregnancy contour. Staying healthy during pregnancy helps to ensure not only a healthy baby but also a healthy mother during and after pregnancy. A new study recommends that pregnant women take the the flu shot as a preventative measure. According to ABC 7 the study says flu shots are even more beneficial for pregnant women than previously thought.

Researchers say un-vaccinated pregnant women are at an increased risk of complications from the flu.

 

Those complications include low birth weight and premature delivery.

 

Researchers looked at 4,000 cases.

 

They say infants born to vaccinated mothers were 40 percent less likely to be premature and 69 percent less likely to be low birth weight.

 

The study was a joint effort by Emory University, Johns Hopkins University and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Skin cancer continues to be a risk for many Americans. When detected early it is one of the most curable forms of cancer. Dr. Kim warns his patients to avoid the sun and its dangerous rays. The sun is a major contributor to premature aging of the skin. Patients who have skin that is damaged by the sun could be advised to treat the sun damage before having facial rejuvenation procedures such as a facelift, brow lift, or eyelid lift. Often skin that is sun damaged can be weak and respond poorly to surgery. Patients can use medical grade skincare products and treatments to improve the health and appearance of the skin. There have been promising strides made in the treatment of skin cancer. Some drugs show promise but offer little real success. According to KTLA a new study showing that the chemotherapy drug vemurafenib can prolong the lives of people with malignant melanoma — the especially aggressive and dangerous form of skin cancer that kills about 8,700 Americans each year — has rightfully lifted the spirits of doctors and patients alike.

But a close look at the numbers raises questions about the drug’s real-world impact. The study suggests that only one out of four patients with malignant melanoma will respond to the drug. For those who do respond, the benefits are uncertain, says Tim Turnham, executive director of the Melanoma Research Foundation.

 Americans have come to believe that organic and natural marketing titles mean that a product is safe. Dr. Kim requires every patient to complete a medical history form prior to surgery. Each patient must disclose every medication that they take on a regular basis. This includes over-the-counter medications as well as prescription medications. Patients who are considering procedures such as breast augmentation or liposuction sometimes feel as though the procedures are relatively routine and that information about vitamins or supplements would be of little concern. The truth is, supplements such as vitamin E and fish oil as well as other supplement can increase bleeding or increase the heart rate. Patients are encouraged to follow Dr. Kim’s instructions prior to surgery and discontinue all required medications. It is important that patients take all medications seriously. According to ABC 7 from sleeping to memory to mood to cholesterol, toxicologist Amitava Dasgupta says there’s something to treat just about everything, but there’s a huge misconception about herbal supplements.

Anything natural is safe – that is a misconception because there are lots of natural products which are very toxic, said Dasgupta, a professor of pathology laboratory medicine.

He says Kava Kava, which is used as a natural sleep aid, can cause significant liver damage, including total liver failure, after just a few months of use. Germander, used for general health, can also cause liver failure.

You have to treat natural products as a drug, said Dasgupta.

We are grateful for the difference technology has made in our lives. The Internet provides us with information instantaneously. Dr. Kim shares with patients in the consultation the difference between what they may have read online and the truth. While some information is applicable, there are many instances in which the information the patient has gathered does not apply to their situation. For example,a patient may spend hours viewing before and after breast augmentation photos. In many cases t hey may choose photos they believe that they like. Upon examination Dr. Kim could explain that their particular case may include a sagging component which would require a breast lift. Some patients have tuberous breast which require a different technique to achieve an aesthetically pleasing result. The bottom line is: patients are not trained to diagnose their situation and prepare a recommendation without the experts input of a plastic surgeon like Dr. Kim. Self-diagnosing is not exclusive to plastic surgery. According to KTLA Of those who acknowledged they had tried to diagnose themselves online rather than consult a doctor first, 52% said they were panicked by the result. In all, 68% of those that set out to diagnose themselves decided to visit a physician instead of taking Dr. Google’s word for it.

And here’s the kicker: Of those who sought to diagnose themselves online first, and then went to a doctor, 87% learned that their online diagnosis was incorrect.

Reports that highlight the benefits of breast-feeding are prevalent. Although few media outlets will admit it, most women are discouraged with the size and shape of their breasts after breast- feeding. Dr. Kim explains to his patients that it is completely normal to lose volume and shape after pregnancy and breast-feeding. Each patient is different in terms of how their breast will look after giving birth and breast-feeding. Some have extremely low breast that had drooped significantly, others have very little volume and a flattened look. Some of the recommendations that Dr. Kim may give to patients include breast augmentation with breast implants, a breast lift, or breast lift with implants. For a small percentage of patients a breast reduction may be recommended. Patients should not dismiss the option of breast-feeding because of the toll that it takes on their body. Most patients have  excellent results with plastic surgery and do not regret their decision to breast-feed. The benefits of breast-feeding are numerous. According to The Los Angeles Times   some researchers say there’s evidence of one more — protection against sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, a form of unexpected death that kills more than 2,000 infants each year in the U.S.

Such a link had been suspected, based on some studies, but to get a better idea of the true association, an international team of researchers analyzed an array of studies on breast-feeding and SIDS, crunching the numbers and employing an array of statistical tools.

They calculated that infants who were breast-fed, for any length of time, had 60% lower risk of SIDS than those who were not breast-fed at all. Infants who were fed only breast milk — no formula — for any period of time had a 73% lower risk of sudden death. The findings were published online Monday in Pediatrics.

Women who are considering breast augmentation seldom consider the alignment of their spine. Dr. Kim explains to his patients that breast implants sit on the chest wall. This means that when patients have asymmetry due to curvature of the spine patients need to be made aware that the differences in the location of the mammary folds will remain as noticeable after surgery as before surgery. As an artist Dr. Kim is able to anticipate aesthetically which implant style will look best. In some patients he may choose a high profile, or moderate profile implants to achieve better symmetry. Scoliosis does not eliminate a patient from being a good candidate for breast augmentation. Patients should be prepared and have realistic expectations. Patients are now screened routinely for scoliosis in hopes of early treatment. According to ABC7 a new test called ScoliScore allows doctors to screen with saliva.

There is a genetic test available today that helps us a least predicate or predict how fast the scoliosis will progress, said Dr. Anand.

The ScoliScore test is performed in the physician’s office by collecting a saliva sample, which is sent to a lab for two or three weeks. The test then assigns a numerical value to the patient between one to 200.

If you have a high score, you have a high probability you’re going to progress and develop significant scoliosis. If u have a low score, your probability of developing scoliosis or progressing scoliosis is very low, said Dr. Anand.