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Dr. John LeRoy

Why Quitting Smoking is Imperative Before Plastic Surgery

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With all of the known health risks associated with cigarettes, no doctor  would tell a patient that it was okay to continue with their smoking habit.  But even if a person ignores the warnings of the surgeon general and their regular doctor, it is absolutely imperative to quit the habit before undergoing surgery. Atlanta plastic surgeon Dr. John Leroy, recognizes the risks of smoking and surgery, and that is why he insists that all of his cosmetic surgery patients refrain from smoking a minimum of 2-4 weeks before surgery as well as 2-4 weeks after undergoing their procedure.

The problem with smoking and surgery is that the nicotine contained in cigarettes works to interrupt blood circulation. Interruptions in the circulatory system can lead to problems with healing, can cause infections, and can result in more pronounced post surgical scarring.

Recently featured on CNN was a woman named Susan Depiro, a breast implant and liposuction patient who considered herself a smoker. Fearful of increased scarring after surgery, she quit smoking 2 weeks prior to the procedure; but giving into the addiction, she started smoking again just days after surgery. She then goes on to describe what was a persistent “stabbing, burning feeling” in the area under the breast – a condition which turned out to be necrosis, or the dying of skin tissue, from lack of circulation caused by the nicotine.

While this example is an extreme case, it highlights the importance of quitting smoking before and after undergoing a cosmetic procedure. In fact, patients should not even be around second hand smoke. The longer a patient goes without cigarettes in their life, the less of a risk there will be of developing complications.

For more information on post surgical care and the procedures that Dr. LeRoy has to offer, contact his office today

Dr. LeRoy Discusses How Plastic Surgery is Gaining Popularity with Male Patients

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When Dr. LeRoy opened his practice back in 1992, it was pretty rare that a male patient would end up on his operating table. Traditionally, women have been the sex more concerned with looks and have dominated the field of cosmetic products and procedures. In recent years though, men have begun to make their mark on the industry: having a greater interest in fashion, beauty products, and even cosmetic surgery.
According to a study by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) 17 percent of men look at plastic and cosmetic surgery more favorably than they did 5 years ago – a sign that slowly and surely, men are beginning to close the gender gap in the plastic surgery industry.

While men choose to undergo plastic surgery for many reasons, the most common reasons we see at Dr. LeRoy’s practice include: wanting to look younger and be more competitive in the workforce, getting rid of stubborn fat resistant to diet and exercise, and subtly correcting the signs of aging.

In 2009, an ASAPS research study found that Liposuction, Rhinoplasty, Blepharoplasty (eye lid surgery), Gynecomastia (male breast reduction), and hair transplantation were the top 5 most common cosmetic surgery procedures.

Most of these procedures, and many others, are available at Dr. LeRoy’s practice. For more information about these procedures, including expected cost and recovery time, contact our office.