Memphis Laser Surgery doctors
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Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon
6401 Poplar Avenue Suite 360, Memphis |
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2 answers |
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Robert L. Jackson, MD
Memphis Dermatologist
6286 Briarcrest Ave Ste 314, Memphis |
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Phillip Langsdon, MD
Germantown Facial Plastic Surgeon
7499 Poplar Pike, Germantown |
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Edward A. Luce, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon
80 Humphreys Center Drive Suite 100, Memphis |
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Daniel H. Shell IV, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon
1306 Belk Blvd, Oxford |
Recent Answers
I had laser surgery about 12 years ago on my entire face. I got a staph infection and toxic blood poisoning. I ended up on a respirator for about 3 weeks in the ICU. My lungs kept filling up with fluid. I smoked two and a half packs of cigarettes per day, and I drink beer daily. I am now 47 and starting to get sagging jowls; I'm wondering, what risk would I be in by having laser for jowls only? Is there be a better alternative without surgery?
I have never heard of a CO2 Facial laser resurfacing resulting in Sepsis (bacterial blood poisoning) with Pulmonary Edema (lungs being flooded by fluid). Such complications MAY be seen in major surgery and only when the intestine leaks or in severely immunocompromised people (AIDS, cancer etc).
Your smoking history suggests you have some level of lung disease (COPD) and drinking daily may suggest you have some liver damage as well. A thorough evaluation, probably a treadmill examination, would be wise to evaluate your medical fitness.
Botox, fillers and lasers are COMPLETELY a waste of your money and time. They are useless with jowling.
Jowling happens due to facial sagging and emptying and can ONLY be adequately reversed with a Facelift procedure of which there are several.
Dr. Peter Aldea
In many places, I read that it's best to avoid any scab formation when someone gets Dermabrasion or laser treatment. When I was little, I always thought that the best way to preserve a wound was with it's own crust and wait until it fell of by it's own.
So the question is: why is now the standard in dermabrasion and laser treatments to keep the scabs from forming? Why not let the body heal by it's own? Isn't it more dangerous to keep any wound open?
Good question. Scabbing is NOT a good way to heal. It is a lousy way to heal. For a wound to heal its best, it must be kept well hydrated and moist (just like a new plant which is germinating). Allowing the raw wound to dry increases the likelihood of deeper injury and potential permanent scarring.
When you undergo a Laser (photoelectric) peel, Dermabrasion (mechanical) peel or Chemical peel, the mechanism removes a variable thickness of the outer skin HOPING the remaining deeper layer and its oil / sweat glands would regenerate the top skin layer. ANYTHING which interferes with this regeneration process such as dryness (IE SCABBING), infection (staph, Herpes, fungus etc), prior radiation or electrolysis etc may result in a full thickness injury and permanent scar.