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Traveling to a Facelift Surgeon vs. Choosing One Close to Home

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One of the most pervasive messages in my blog is that patients need to choose a plastic surgeon who is board-certified and is experienced in their specific procedure, and that their surgeon also needs to be someone they can trust. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. You may live in a small town or another area where there isn’t a wide selection of qualified surgeons. Or, you may know of a great surgeon, but their office is hours or states away. So which is better – settling for a surgeon nearby or traveling to the surgeon you want?

Traveling to a Facelift Surgeon vs. Choosing One Close to HomePros and Cons of Accepting a Surgeon Nearby

It’s certainly not a good idea to just pick the plastic surgeon who’s closest to your home, but working with a surgeon who’s nearby has definite advantages. First of all, it makes the logistics of the surgery easier. While plastic surgery is done on an outpatient basis so you can go home the same day, most patients will need someone to drive them to and from the surgery. It’s much easier to find someone whose schedule can accommodate a 30-minute drive than a three-hour drive. You’ll also be going to your surgeon’s office several times throughout the process (consultation, surgery, and a few follow-up visits), so travel time is certainly a factor to consider.

It’s also helpful to have your surgeon nearby during your recovery. It’s very common for patients to have questions about whether certain stages of their recovery are normal, and to seek additional guidance. It’s comforting for patients to know that if they’re concerned, they can be at their surgeon’s office in half an hour for an evaluation.

There are clear benefits to choosing a plastic surgeon who’s near you, but if there aren’t any well-qualified surgeon within a reasonable distance of your home, the decision becomes more complicated. If your surgeon isn’t board-certified or hasn’t performed a facelift in five years, all the convenience in the world won’t improve your chances of getting a good result.

Pros and Cons of Traveling to a Highly Qualified Plastic Surgeon

If you don’t live near any plastic surgeons who you feel are qualified enough to make you feel comfortable, your other option is finding a surgeon elsewhere in the country and traveling to them. But before I discuss this, please note that I’m referring to traveling to another part of your own state or to another state within the US for the purposes of using a more qualified surgeon. This is different than plastic surgery tourism (traveling to a different country for cheaper surgery). Having surgery in another country carries a long list of vital risk factors, and it is not recommended for your health and safety.

Traveling within the US for a more qualified, board-certified plastic surgeon, however, can be a viable option for some patients. Not only does this allow you to choose from a wider pool of highly experienced surgeons, but it gives you more freedom to choose a surgeon you can trust. A trusting relationship and open communication are important for your health as well as your results, so in some cases, this is worth traveling for.

Still, there are downsides to keep in mind. Long flights and long car rides shortly after surgery can raise your risk for complications. As anyone who flies regularly knows, it’s also easy to pick up a cold or flu from a plane full of people, and this can slow down your facelift recovery. Your surgeon may recommend that you stay in his/her city for a certain number of days after surgery to minimize these risks. It all depends on your procedure and your specific circumstances, but be sure to discuss this with your surgeon at your initial consultation.

There are many pieces of the puzzle that need to be in place for you to get your best plastic surgery results, from your health to the surgeon to your post-surgical care. By weighing the options above, you can give yourself the strongest opportunity to become your most confident and beautiful self. To find out more about facelift surgery or my minimally invasive Band Aid Facelift or Band Aid Micro Mini Facelift, contact my Atlanta plastic surgery office. Be sure to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Google+ as well for more helpful patient tips.

The Difference Between a Band Aid Facelift and Other Mini Facelifts

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If you’re getting ready for facial plastic surgery, you’ve probably already realized that there is a near endless list of names for different procedures. There are mini facelifts, Lifestyle Lifts, one-stitch lifts, weekend lifts…and then there’s the unique procedure I developed for my own patients called the Band Aid Mini Facelift. So how do you know the difference between all these procedures and which one is right for you?

The Difference between a Band Aid Facelift and Other Mini Facelifts

There are a number of features that make the Band Aid Facelift unique. First, it’s performed using gentle numbing (along with sedation if desired) rather than general anesthesia. This means that you’ll be awake and resting comfortably throughout your procedure. It’s common for general anesthesia to make patients nervous, so getting the results they want without it gives them the best of both worlds. This also reduces the recovery time by about half.

Another unique advantage of the Band Aid Mini Facelift is that it’s performed in my comfortable office setting. Operating rooms and surgical centers can add to the stress of a patient’s procedure, and they add a significant amount to the bill, too. Instead, my patients enjoy a more relaxing experience in our safe, well-equipped office.

Putting it all together, a Band Aid Mini Facelift offers the advantages of about half the recovery time, less scarring, less swelling and bruising, a much lower cost, a gentler process free from general anesthesia, and an in-office experience. So what is the difference between this and a typical mini facelift? In reality, there is no standardized mini facelift. Every surgeon performs it in their own way, so as a patient, it’s difficult to know what you’ll be getting. Some mini facelifts aren’t very “mini” at all, while others don’t reposition the underlying tissue of the face so the results look unnatural or aren’t worth the effort and cost of the procedure. With a Band Aid Mini Facelift, while I do customize the procedure to fit every patient’s needs, it’s a surgery I’ve been performing for over 20 years with more than 6,000 patients, so you can feel confident that you know what you’re getting from the beginning.

As a double board-certified plastic surgeon, specializing in facial rejuvenation, I spend every day guiding patients though the cosmetic surgery process. My best advice to you is to take your time and wait to choose a surgeon until you’ve had an in-person consultation with them and discussed the type of procedure they would perform. I would be honored to help you become your most confident, beautiful self. To take the first step, call my plastic surgery office to schedule a consultation. For more helpful cosmetic surgery information and health tips, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Ask Dr. LeRoy: The Band Aid Facelift Has So Many Advantages – Why Would Anyone Choose a Traditional Facelift?

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Everyone who has seen a Hollywood gossip magazine knows that plastic surgery can be done well or it can be done poorly. There are so many factors that affect each patient’s end result, from their body’s natural anatomy and healing process to whether or not they followed their pre- and post-surgical care instructions. But two factors can often have the most powerful impact on the results are (1) having the right procedure for your needs and goals, and (2) selecting the right surgeon to perform it. This is the discussion that I have with every patient who comes to me for facial rejuvenation surgery and doesn’t know if they need a Band Aid Mini Facelift or a traditional facelift.

Ask Dr. LeRoy The Band Aid Facelift Has So Many Advantages – Why Would Anyone Choose a Traditional Facelift

The Band Aid Facelift is a unique procedure that I developed in order to give my patients a less invasive, in-office alternative to a typical facelift, and I’ve performed it for over 5,000 patients with great success throughout the past 20 years. Using advanced techniques, I’m able to give patients a natural-looking result with this in-office surgery using gentle numbing rather than full general anesthesia. This provides a number of benefits my patients appreciate, including about half the recovery time, a much lower cost, less swelling, less scarring, and simply an easier and more manageable process overall. For select patients, I’ve even taken it another step further with a Band Aid Micro Mini Facelift that offers even less recovery time and cost. So given all that a Band Aid Mini Facelift can offer, many patients ask, why would anyone choose a traditional facelift instead?

Ultimately, the degree of aging a patient has and the amount of improvement they want are the deciding factors for whether they’re a better fit for traditional facelift or a Band Aid Facelift. In order to maintain a level of comfort and safety for the patient, there is a limit on the amount of improvement I can make with the in-office Band Aid Mini Facelift. It can be a fantastic way for patients with a mild to moderate degree of aging to restore a more youthful appearance and to keep up with new signs of aging as they arise. However, for patients whose aging has progressed further and need or want a more significant amount of sagging skin removed and underlying tissue repositioned, a Band Aid Facelift simply won’t be worth their effort because they won’t be happy with the amount of improvement it can provide. For these patients, a traditional facelift is generally the best way to go, and they can then keep up with future aging with occasional minimally invasive procedures so that they continue to look youthful and rested for years to come.

As a board-certified plastic surgeon, my primary goal is to help each patient become their most confident and beautiful self while protecting their health and safety. Knowing which surgical or nonsurgical cosmetic procedure to recommend for each patient is a crucial part of this process. To discuss whether a Band Aid Facelift, a traditional face lift, or another type of surgical or nonsurgical facial rejuvenation procedure is best for your needs, schedule a plastic surgery consultation today. For more helpful cosmetic surgery information, patient health tips, special offers, and more, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Ask Dr. LeRoy: Is it Okay to Have a Facelift and Eyelid Surgery at the Same Time?

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It goes without saying that some people are more bothered by aging than others. For those who feel best when they look more youthful, keeping a young look can feel like a war with multiple fronts, because aging impacts your skin, your facial structure, your eyes, and more, all at the same time. For patients who truly want to make the most of their facial rejuvenation efforts, combining multiple procedures that they can benefit from (like a facelift and eyelid surgery) into one surgery can offer them more comprehensive results and an easier road than having each procedure separately. But to some, the idea of having two or more cosmetic surgeries at once sounds like a dangerous extreme. So, truthfully, is it safe?

TAsk Dr. LeRoy Is it Okay to Have a Facelift and Eyelid Surgery at the Same Timehe short answer is yes—combining most procedures can offer numerous benefits without compromising your safety. But the key word is can. It’s always best to use a board-certified plastic surgeon (as opposed to a “cosmetic surgeon,” a title doctors often use when they have not been board-certified in plastic surgery). But the more complex your cosmetic surgery gets, the more important your surgeon’s abilities are, so look for someone who also has ample experience in the type of procedure you’re considering. Some surgeons specialize in body contouring, others in breast surgery, others in all types of cosmetic surgery, so if you want to focus on your face and eyes, look for a plastic surgeon who specializes in facial rejuvenation.

An important part of making sure you can safely have your facelift and eyelid surgery at the same time is evaluating your health. Before any plastic surgery, you will undergo a medical exam with blood tests and potentially other tests to make sure you’re healthy enough to undergo surgery and recover well. Rest assured that as a plastic surgeon, I’m focused on your health and safety just as much as I’m focused on your appearance, so this medical evaluation will allow me to make sure that your health does not put you at a higher risk of complications.

Ultimately, the bottom line is that if you do your homework and find an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon you can trust, he or she will be able to make an accurate recommendation about how to provide the results you want in a safe way. In many cases, having your face lift and eyelid surgery at the same time can cut down on total recovery time and cost, while giving you the end result you truly want in a shorter period of time. To discuss whether you may be a candidate for this popular combination, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. John L. LeRoy. Or, for more plastic surgery tips and helpful information, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Ask Dr. LeRoy: What Should I Expect on the Day of My Facelift?

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Having a few butterflies in your stomach before plastic surgery is incredibly common, and in many cases, patients are simply nervous because they don’t know exactly what to expect. While there’s no replacement for actually experiencing the process for yourself, as a double board-certified plastic surgeon who has specialized in face lifts for over twenty years, I can walk you through the day of your surgery so you have a better idea of what to expect.

Ask Dr. LeRoy What Should I Expect on the Day of My FaceliftBefore Surgery

By the day of your procedure, you will have received plenty of specific instructions about what to avoid and how to prepare before face lift surgery. For example, when to stop smoking if you smoke, when to stop taking certain medications and supplements, when to stop eating the day of or night before surgery, etc. When you wake up on surgery day, be sure to continue following these instructions closely. You’ll put on comfortable clothing that doesn’t need to be taken off over your head, like a button-up shirt. Without applying any makeup or skin care products for the day (which is a welcome break, for some patients), you’ll also wash your face with antibacterial soap and take any pre-surgical medications you were instructed to take, like antibiotics. All of this information will be included in the pre-surgical instructions you will receive when you schedule your surgery.

When it’s Time for Surgery

When your appointment time is near, you’ll head to either my office (if you’re having a Band Aid Mini Facelift or a Band Aid Micro Mini Facelift) or to Perimeter Surgical Center, the facility where I perform traditional face lifts. Before the actual surgery begins, you’ll have some paperwork to fill out, and my nurse Dorothy will check your blood pressure and provide other preparations, including your “before” picture.

If you’re having a traditional facelift with general anesthesia (so that you will be unconscious throughout the surgery), your anesthesia will be administered before surgery by an anesthesiologist (or by a nurse anesthetist overseen by an anesthesiologist). If you’re having an in-office Band Aid Facelift, on the other hand, your surgical preparation will depend on whether you will receive only local anesthesia (gentle numbing for the treatment area) or local anesthesia with sedation as well. You and I will discuss and decide all of these details in advance at your pre-surgical consultation, so you’ll know exactly what to expect ahead of time.

Your surgical time will depend on the extent of your procedure, your unique anatomy, and a number of other factors. In general, though, a Band Aid Mini Facelift takes about an hour and a half, while a traditional face lift can take anywhere from two to four hours. Halfway through the procedure, Dorothy typically comes out to the waiting area to give an update to any friends or family members who are waiting for you. When your surgery is finished, you’ll have a dressing applied to the area to provide gentle pressure and protect your incisions. You may or may not also have a drain to release any excess fluids.

All in all, Band Aid Facelift patients typically spend a total of 2 ½ hours in our office. Face lift patients vary considerably more based on their procedure, and the process as a whole takes longer as well because these patients need more time in the recovery room to recuperate from the anesthesia before they head home. Both traditional face lifts and Band Aid Mini Face Lifts are performed on an outpatient basis, so you can look forward to spending that first night resting comfortably at home.

After Surgery

If you receive a traditional facelift or if you receive sedation for your Band Aid Mini Face Lift, you will need to have a friend or family member drive you home and stay with you for at least the first night. If you receive only a local anesthetic with no sedation, you can safely drive, although some patients still choose to have a friend or family member drive them home so they can be fully comfortable.

While there is always some discomfort associated with surgery, the pain after a facelift is generally quite bearable and can be managed with medication. Just remember to carefully follow all of the post-surgical instructions you were given ahead of time, because some over-the-counter pain relievers are not safe to take after surgery. For the most part, you should spend the rest of your surgery day relaxing comfortably, reclined at a 30- or 45-degree angle (not lying flat), and taking frequent, gentle walks to keep your circulation active.

Because I tailor the surgical process to each patient’s needs, everyone experiences their face lift in a slightly different way. But overall, my best advice for nervous patients is to find a way to relax, trust yourself that you’re well-prepared, and trust your surgeon to operate safely and successfully. For the vast majority of patients, a facelift is a rather uneventful process, ending with beautiful results that leave them feeling happier and more confident in their appearance. To get started on your facelift journey, schedule a consultation today with me, Dr. John L. LeRoy. Or, for more plastic surgery tips and information, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

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