Grand Rapids Doctors

How Many Cosmetic Procedures Can Be Done at One Time? What Are Things That Affect General Anesthesia?

I'm planning on undergoing a rhinoplasty, otoplasty and two mole removals (most likely via incision), is it safe to do all these under the same general anesthesia. I have a slight fear of going under general anesthesia, due to the hundreds of horror stories that I have come across. This includes patients waking up mid-way through surgery and being unable to speak but hear and feel everything that is going on. I am just wondering what kind of things need to be disclosed and affect general anesthesia i.e Anti-depressants, whether you smoke, herbal supplements?

Thank-you for your question as this is something that comes up often in consultations. Many patients consider having more than one procedure done at a time to limit the time they will need help at home or limit the amount of time they take off from work. The number of procedures that can be performed together is determined by the extent of the procedures, the patient's medical and physical condition and the time spent under anesthesia. Procedures with greater areas of dissection and thus possible fluid or blood loss will stress someone with a compromised physical condition and may be dangerous. General anesthesia lasting longer than 5-6 hours has been shown to greatly increase the risk of infection, blood clots in the lower legs, and patient temperature changes.

The rule in our  accredited surgery center is that surgical procedures performed under general anesthesia must be completed in under 5-6 hours, and each patient's medical condition is assessed carefully, often with input by the patient's doctor and/or our anesthesiologists. 

Douglas Leppink, M.D.

Grand Rapids Plastic Surgeon

What Is The Approximate Time for Breast Implant Inframammary Incision to Heal?

Good evening, How long does it take for the breast implant inframammary incision site to heal 100%? Thank you!

Thank-you for the question Victoria. Generally we believe that complete healing of an inframammary incision can take several months (scars faded and soft) but usually I believe that the incision is stable and strong at 6 weeks. I like to use the analogy of a broken bone. We often put patients in casts for 6 weeks to allow for appropriate stable healing of the fracture, and this mirrors the rate of skin healing as well. We do ask our patients to avoid underwire bras for 6 weeks to limit any irritation to the incision under the breast. We also encourage our patients to refrain from smoking and follow a healthy diet.

Douglas Leppink, M.D.

Grand Rapids Plastic Surgeon

Can Ultherapy Be Safe for Dark or Tan Skin?

Can Ultherapy Be Safe for Dark or Tan Skin?

Ultherapy works by focused ultrasound energy beneath the surface of skin.  Unlike lasers, which may cause hypo pigmentation of the skin, Ultherapy is not affected by skin color and will not change the color of your skin except for some temporary redness that may occur immediately following treatment.  I hope this helps. 

Steven L. Ringler, MD

Grand Rapids Plastic Surgeon