DR. RICARDO L. RODRIGUEZ
Board-Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Founder, Ricardo L. Rodriguez MD, Baltimore Plastic Surgeon
Medical Director, Cosmetic Surgery Facility, LLC
Dr. Ricardo L. Rodriguez, a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon in Baltimore, Maryland shares his expertise and vast career experiences with various plastic surgery procedures. In his articles Dr. Rodriguez offers trusted guidance on elective surgery, helping you make informed decisions on how to look and feel your best.
If you are considering a Tummy Tuck you should find out exactly where the surgeon will place the incisions. The incision will determine what the scar looks like. Two types of incisions are made for the Tummy tuck: 1) horizontal and 2) belly button. The horizontal incision should be as low as possible ,and the belly button incision should be more similar to an inverted “U”.
Following a Liposuction or Tummy Tuck procedure, the wearing of a compression garment should be a mandatory part of your post operative instructions. A medical grade compression garment will not only help give you smooth surgical results, but it can also eliminate the need for drains following a Liposuction procedure.
Many patients are afraid of the Tummy tuck procedure because they have seen friends’ scars or pictures of scars on the internet. Some patients including Hispanic, Asians, or African Americans think they are bound to get thick scars simply based on their ethnic background. This is just not so. Thick or unsightly scars following abdominoplasty can be easily avoided. In addition , your incision can be placed well below the panty line.
Your BMI, or Body Mass Index, plays a big role in surgical complication risk assessment. All cosmetic surgery patients should have a BMI assessment prior to surgery. The BMI is a number that compares your weight to your height. High BMI’s create higher surgical risks.
Patients with a BMI less than 35 are typically good candidates for the Tummy Tuck and BBL. However, every surgeon has a different guideline for what is the acceptable BMI for an elective surgery.
Discover the benefits of an extended tummy tuck, which offers more extensive body contouring by addressing lose skin in the abdomen, flanks, hips, and lower back. Compare it with other tummy tuck variations to see which is right for you.
Lip enhancements, whether through implants, lifts, or fillers, are about harmonizing the procedures with your unique features. It’s not just about knowing what you want, or what bothers you; it’s about effective communication to help you achieve the aesthetic you envision.
One of the biggest concerns patients have with any surgery is the amount of pain they will have to endure afterwards. This is especially true in cases of Breast augmentation and other cosmetic surgery procedures since the patient is undergoing elective surgery and wants the best experience possible. Pain itself can have a negative impact following surgery. In fact, it’s the main cause for readmission to a hospital after cosmetic surgery. When patients are in pain, they tend to breathe in short, shallow gasps which results in poor oxygen delivery tot he tissues that, in turn, affects healing. Besides, when the lungs don’t fully expand, patients are more prone to additional complications such as pneumonia. To prevent this, patients need pain relief. The traditional way is pain pills but there’s a better, less nauseating method for treating post-op pain.
What are the most common sizes of breast implants used in Breast augmentation? To find out, we did an analysis of the last 125 cases of Breast augmentation procedures performed by Dr. Rodriguez in our surgery center located in Baltimore, Maryland. So what styles and sizes of implants were most popular? Glad you asked!
While the decision to augment your breast is usually an easy one, the decision to have a Breast Lift with Implants is not always so obvious. To help you better think this through, I have come up with some questions that you should think about. These questions should help you decide IF you need a lift with your Breast Augmentation.
Very often a patient will ask me ” How much fat do you take out during Liposuction?”. The answer is dependent on two things: 1. liposuction area 2. patient height and weight Therefore, to answer the question, I will give my answers for a body frame type that I see most frequently. We’ll use as an example a woman of average height (5’3”-5’6”) who weighs about 150 pounds.
Patients today are doing a lot of research about the upper Lip lift,. One of the most frequent questions I get is if the surgery involves the muscle of the upper lip. Patients want to know if my technique involves only the skin, or if I lift the muscle in any way. My Lip lift technique involves lifting the skin only, and I do not involve the muscle. It seems one of the biggest proponents of technique incorporating the muscle is Dr. Randall Heyworth in California. In 2008, he and I met on a trip to China representing the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and I enjoyed his company. But I have a different approach to the upper lip lift and I will explain why.
Since the 1990’s Plastic Surgeons have reliably used fat grafting as a way to improve and enhance the cosmetic appearance of the face, breast, hands, feet, hips, and buttocks. However, more recently, clinicians have documented the therapeutic benefits of fat grafting in the healing of wounds and scars, as well as fat’s ability to repair damage to breast tissue following radiation treatment.
Following surgery, in an effort to repair damage to your dermis, your body forms new collagen fibers – which results in a scar. This new scar tissue will look and feel different than the surrounding tissue. A normal scar will generally appear somewhat flat and pale and will typically fade with time. In fact, many scars eventually become undetectable to the naked eye. However, some scars follow a more disruptive path, and can even get worse as time goes on. When the body produces too much collagen in an effort to repair the damage it can result in a ‘raised’ scar. These are considered ‘bad scars’ or ‘adverse scar conditions’ and they can unfold following any incision, including an incision made during a Plastic Surgery procedure.
Patients contemplating a Brazilian butt lift procedure should be aware of the risks, specifically the risk of PFE, and should consider the following to minimize the risk involved. As a BBL patient, you should be sure to:
