Your Biggest Band Aid Plastic Surgery Questions Answered
In terms of medical treatments, surgery is often thought of as being the most extreme option, and most people only require surgery a handful of times throughout their lives. As a result, many people who hear about Dr. John LeRoy‘s originally developed line of Band Aid plastic surgeries have difficulty understanding how a surgery can be minimally invasive. Featured in the latest issue of Atlanta Magazine, Band Aid procedures involve unique strategies that allow them to be performed in-office with gentle numbing. To help our patients develop a better understanding of when and how these procedures can be beneficial, we’re answering some of the most common questions our patients ask about Band Aid plastic surgery.
How can cosmetic surgery be performed while the patient is awake?
To explain how cosmetic surgery can be performed using gentle numbing (local anesthesia at the treatment area) rather than using general anesthesia to make the patient fully unconscious, we’ll compare the Band Aid Tummy Tuck and the traditional tummy tuck. The traditional procedure uses an incision across most of the patient’s lower abdomen to remove excess skin and fat and to repair muscles that have been damaged and loosened by pregnancy. Because of the depth of this surgery, general anesthesia is necessary for patient comfort and safety. But a Band Aid Tummy Tuck focuses on removing excess skin, and because these patients have less skin to be removed and don’t require muscle repair, the incision is smaller and is placed strategically to address only the areas that need attention. With the minimal depth of the procedure and the smaller incision, the patient’s comfort and safety can still be maintained using local anesthesia.
Will the lack of general anesthesia make my recovery more painful?
Lowering the amount of anesthesia used does not leave the patient in more pain during their recovery; quite the opposite, in fact. Procedures like the Band Aid Facelift require smaller incisions and make less comprehensive changes, so the minimized extent of the surgery helps patients to recover more quickly and smoothly than if they had opted for a traditional procedure. To further minimize the discomfort of recovery, Dr. LeRoy injects Exparel® pain management into the incision site when the procedure is completed, providing up to 72 hours of post-surgical pain relief.
Are Band Aid plastic surgery procedures safe?
While minimally-invasive surgery seems like a new development, physicians have long been working toward the goal of making surgery easier to fit into patients’ everyday lives, and Dr. LeRoy has been at the forefront of this effort by performing Band Aid procedures for nearly twenty years. Because Band Aid surgeries are less invasive and less comprehensive, and because general anesthesia isn’t used, the risk of complications is actually lower than it is for traditional plastic surgery.
Are the results of Band Aid procedures more temporary than the results of traditional plastic surgery?
No cosmetic surgery can truly be called “temporary,” nor “permanent.” Take the facelift as an example. During the procedure, excess sagging skin is removed and the remaining skin and tissue is given a lifted, more youthful firmness. The procedure can take years off a patient’s appearance, but it does not stop the aging process. So while the skin that was removed will never “grow back,” throughout the years, the rejuvenated facial skin will continue to lose collagen and develop new wrinkles and laxity. Because the Band Aid Facelift produces more natural, less comprehensive results than a traditional facelift, it generally takes fewer years off the patient’s appearance, but for patients who are best suited to a Band Aid Facelift, the results are just as satisfying and long-lasting as those of a traditional facelift.
How do I know whether a Band Aid plastic surgery procedure is right for me?
Every patient’s aesthetic goals and medical needs are unique, and cosmetic procedures are not “one-size-fits-all.” Learning about the procedures you’re considering is a great first step, and the next step is to talk to the expert. Schedule a consultation with Dr. LeRoy to discuss your cosmetic concerns and other factors that affect your decision, and he can recommend and help you determine which option is the best fit for your needs and priorities.
Band Aid plastic surgery procedures are among the most popular cosmetic choices for our patients, because in many cases, they provide an ideal balance of the aesthetic improvement patients are looking for and the recovery time and expense they’re able to commit. However, they’re only part of the extensive menu of options that allows us to provide cosmetic treatments that are tailored to each patient’s unique needs. To learn more about the procedures and treatments we offer, explore our website, contact us with questions, or join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.