Los Angeles Cosmetic And Plastic Surgery

Many U.S. and European patients are finding it financially advantageous to travel overseas for their elective cosmetic surgery procedure. Many countries now posses world class hospitals and yet can still offer a substantial cost saving over their U.S. or European counter parts. Watch this video discussing the facilities and treatments available at Thailand’s Burumgrad facility.

Laparoscopic Gastric surgery (called banding) is a newer and more modern form of obesity surgery. The key new technology of the procedure is the term “laparoscopic”- this means that opposed to a large traditional surgical incision opening (or multiple large openings), a specially trained laparo surgeon will use tiny slit openings and special instruments to perform the surgical process. The surgeon works inside the patients body by manipulating the specialized laparoscopic instruments while viewing his movements via video imaging from tiny cameras on the instruments.

The gastric banding process is essentially restricting the size of a persons stomach allowing one to consume only small amounts of food at one time, be satisfied between meals and consistently lose weight until the goal weight is reached. This weight loss results from a calorie-restricted diet due to portion control. Because the surgery is generally not reversed and the patients learn new eating habits, the weight loss is permanent.

The laparoscopic banding technique is that it is a minimally invasive procedure in which a band is placed around the stomach. The minimally invasive technique greatly reduces trauma to the body and therfore results in a much more rapid recovery and healing process- this also reduces the risk of potential complications during and after the surgery.

Lap-Band is well proven worldwide and is now one of the most frequently performed surgical weight loss operations. Lap-Band surgery has consistent and permanent weight loss results in countless clinical trials.

Always consult only a licensed physician or medical facility before undergoing any medical procedure.

One of the inevitable issues faced when considering plastic surgery is the cost. Cosmetic surgery most often falls under “elective” procedure guidelines - meaning medical insurance will often not cover it as it would other treatments. This leads to patients having to negotiate a “cash” price with their treating physician and can lead to a form of medical sticker shock of plastic surgery for specific procedures. However, people make choices to invest in higher education or to spend on a vacation for relaxation and plastic or cosmetic surgery can be thought of in somewhat similar terms. It is something that you are often choosing to do for “you”.

Plastic Surgery Sticker Shock- what are the options ?

It goes without saying that discussing the “average” of anything is potentially a dangerous task to undertake. In our capitalist economy, prices are dependent on a variety of factors including location, qualification of the plastic surgeon, the number of surgeons in the area and so on. You must do your homework and always put the quality of your health care first when considering any medical procedure. This however does not mean that different doctors and clinics and facilities can not offer top quality care and also be cost competitive.

A list such as the following regarding the prices of plastic surgery procedures are to be used as a guideline only and are really just “ball park” type of numbers from which you can begin your research and interviewing of medical doctors and their practices and clinics. Plastic surgeons in your area may charge exactly these prices, a bit more or a bit less. These numbers will give you a range to consider, but comparing costs quoted by the plastic surgeons you evaluate in your area is the only way to determine the going rate in your town or city. With this premis in mind, following are procedures and the stick shock prices you might expect to find.

Typical Liposuction - approximately $3,000 to $5,000

Typical Breast Augmentation: approximately $3,500 to $8,000

Typical Rhinoplasty: approximately $4,000 to $8,000

Typical Botox: approximately $300 each location

Typical Eyelid Lift: approximately $3,000 to $6,000

Typical Facelift: approximately $7,500 to $15,000

Typical Tummy Tuck: approximately $5,000 to $10,000

Typical Collagen Injections: approximately $400 to $700

The above procedures tend to be the most popular as of the writing of this article. There are variations to each and entirely new procedures are being offered all of the time. In general, the more specific or new the procedure, the more you are going to pay.

Having put forth the above prices, it is important that you understand something very clearly. Plastic surgery will improve your appearance, but it is a medical procedure like any other. Your body will be modified. Just like you would not select a heart surgeon based on their fees, you should not do so with plastic surgeons. If you find a multiple surgeons you are comfortable with, pricing can be a factor. It should never be the primary factor.

Although the above prices may be cause a bit of sticker shock, plastic surgery costs have actually come down significantly over the last 15 years. Also, there are a wide variety of financing and payment plan options available today- see our page links to learn more about cosmetic/plastic surgery financing.

Beth Roberts recently underwent a breast enhancement procedure and made use of a financing plan to accomplish her goal, ” I am not sure I would have been able to meet my cosmetic surgery goal if there had not been excellent financing options available. My physician and his practice made the financing information available and then I completed the financing qualification process prior to my procedure.”

Always consult only a licensed medical doctor or similar licensed medical facility before undergoing any medical procedure.

Breast augmentation plastic surgery (typically called cosmetic surgery) is one of the most common procedures performed annually by members of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. This is often an elective surgical procedure meaning that it is not do to a life threatening illness but is being done for aesthetic reasons.

Women choose to under go breast enlargement surgery for a variety of reasons. These personal reasons may center around breasts that are perceived to be under developed, or because of differences in the sizes of each individual breast or from changes after pregnancy or breast feeding. A women may be happy with her breasts but just want them made fuller. Often after weight loss, aging or childbirth a woman’s breast volume and shape may change. The breasts may lose their firmness or fullness and sag or not hold their position that is perceived to be pleasing to the woman. This too can lead to a woman to seek a breast augmentation.

Breast implant surgery performed by cosmetic plastic surgeons is the most popular way to improve breast shape and size. Breast enhancement using breast implants can give a woman more proportional shape and may improve self esteem. Basically, there are two primary types of breast implants: saline-filled and silicone-gel-filled implants. Saline implants have a silicone elastomer shell filled with sterile saline liquid. Silicone gel implants have a silicone shell filled with a viscous silicone gel. There have been several alternative types of breast implants that have been developed experimentally, such as polypropylene string or soy oil, but these are no longer manufactured. Because a breast implant is inside the human body it must undergo a rigerous FDA testing and approval process to determine that it is safe and that it will not cause any long term health problems to the patient.

The goal of the augmentation breast surgery procedure is to make the patient pleased with her surgical results and new appearance. In the end, that is the ultimate goal- the patient should feel her appearance is improved, she should feel comfortable with the feel and the look of the implant and should have a complete medical recovery and suffer no ill effects from the surgical procedure.

Always consult only a licensed medical doctor or similar licensed medical facility before undergoing any medical procedure.

What is it that makes Los Angeles cosmetic surgeons some of the very best in the world ?  It’s a confluence of several key factors that all converge to create a cosmetic surgery mecca- Hollywood and a wealth of beautiful and wealthy people, a strong and diverse culture and economic base, a very strong University and hospital system including UCLA and USC and some of the finest weather and outdoor recreation opportunities in the world.

These combined factors allow Los Angeles do draw top cosmetic surgery student physicians and top practicing cosmetic surgeons from around the world.  The hospital and university base allow the physicians to maintain top affiliations and stay abreast of the very latest training and research.  When they are not working the physicians can play with the Hollywood elite and experience Southern California’s extreme diversity of ways to play- LA night life, fine dining, the ocean in one direction and mountains a few miles away in the other direction and a variety of some of the wealthiest and finest neighborhoods in the world in which to live.

Los Angeles has become renowned  world wide for the quality of its cosmetic surgery and now even sports its own television series Dr. 90210 which features Los Angeles cosmetic surgeons in their actual practices who primarily cater to the stars and  to the Los Angeles elite and wealthy clientele.  Gene Simmons of the band Kiss now sports his own very successful reality TV show and did an episode in which he and his long term girl friend Shannon Tweed both underwent cosmetic surgery procedures at a Beverly Hills clinic.

Los Angeles cosmetic surgeons will certainly continue to maintain there position as some of the best in the world.  Hollywood’s elite will continue to get their “body tune ups” in Beverly Hills 90210 and the world’s elite of kings and sheiks and princes and princesses will arrive in their private jets to make use of the services of these top rated physicians.

This isn’t reality TV- it’s the real deal. Watch as a real world Dr. 90210 practices cosmetic surgery art and science as he prepares twin sisters for a cosmetic surgery procedure. These two cute sisters are going to both get breast augmentation surgery to enlarge their petite breasts up to a full “C” cup.

This ain’t Hollywood TV- it’s a real world 90210 cosmetic surgeon doing his art. Watch a real world Hooter’s girls get a breast augmentation and a nose job (rhinoplasty).

What is the most rapidly growing field in the plastic surgery medical sciences? The post bariatric body contour. This rising field of expertise is being driven by the success of the gastric bypass and lap band surgical weight loss procedures. These two surgical techniques accounted for a total of over 110,000 completed procedures in just the United States in the past 3 years. The proliferation of these weight loss surgical procedures has resulted in a very large post surgical population that has lost 100 pounds or more per individual.
While the health benefits of these dramatic weight loss procedures is saving people’s lives who had suffered for years with morbid obesity- the cosmetic damage done to the body done by carrying very large amounts of weight is often difficult to reverse. During the weight gaining process the epidermis has been expanded, while the dermis has been stretched to the point of actually splitting. The result is permanent stretch marks. Upon completion of the weight loss afforded by gastric bypass or lap band surgery, the patient ends up with literally large amounts of loose and hanging skin. Dr. Robert Johnson states, “This is certainly not attractive and leaves a cosmetic flaw that affects the patients overall outlook on life despite having been successful at losing a large amount of weight.”
The result:  a growing number of specialized cosmetic physicians, clinics, spas and medical practices that are tailoring their expertise to tummy tucks, body lifts, thigh lifts, breast lifts, arm lifts and face lifts all designed to aid patients who have recently undergone a large weight loss. There is an entire movement of organized plastic surgery and medical companies that are gearing up to reach out and try and capture this growing market segment of their industry.
Always consult only a licensed medical doctor or similar medical facility before undergoing any medical procedure.

Less trauma to the body- A faster recovery and quicker return to activity including sports and athletics - preservation of delicate tissue and a tightening of the skin: Do these sound like good things ? Indeed they are- especially when related to the medical procedure of Liposuction or what is now known as Lipo surgery.
The U.S. FDA has recently approved the SmartLipo Laser System. This revolutionary advance in liposuction technology allows for the permanent removal of unwanted and exercise resistant fat with little if any recovery down time. The procedure is safer and gentler than traditional liposuction and may be done in the physicians office or out-patient clinic with only a local anesthetic. Common areas of treatment include: the abdomen, love handles, inner and outer thighs, neck and chin, knees, and upper arms. SmartLipo differs from traditional tumescent liposuction in that SmartLipo uses a small high powered laser to precisely sculpt the area being treated. Traditional liposuction uses high powered suction to remove fat cells, producing unwanted injury to tissues. The SmartLipo laser’s thermal energy also produces a tightening effect on the overlying skin, thus reducing the need for additional invasive surgeries to remove excess skin. The entire procedure can take 1-2 hours to perform, and most patients exercise the next morning.

How does SmartLipo Laserlipolysis compare to traditional Liposuction:

Local Anesthesia vs. General Anesthesia
Laser Liquified Fat vs Suctioning Semiliquid Fat
Thermal Skin Tightening vs. Erratic Skin Retraction
No stitches vs. stitches
Exercise the next morning vs. painful ambulation
2 week Lycra/spandex Garment vs. 6 weeks Painful Compression Garment
Complication rate of less than 1%

Traditional liposuction is the most commonly performed cosmetic medical procedure in the United States with over 325,000 cases performed each year according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Smartlipo takes the concepts of liposculpture to new levels with faster healing and tighter skin, says Edward Lack, MD, Medical Director for MetropolitanMD, Chicagos Cosmetic Surgery Center. The Smart Lipo Laser is manufactured by Cynosure Laser Inc., and is already in extremely high demand. This new procedure has been featured in People magazine (”Has Fat Met Its Match?”), and on Good Morning America, the Today Show and Access Hollywood and is quickly becoming the next latest craze among aesthetic medicine and its exponentially increasing population of clientel.

For those considering a tune up on the old love handles or perhaps a little shaping of the tummy area- this sounds like it is definately worth considering in relation to traditional Liposuction surgery.

Always consult a licensed medical doctor or similar medical facility before undergoing any medical procedure.

Cityrag.com has some photos appearing to show a breast augmentation for the often controversial conservative pundit and author Ann Coulter. What do you think?
If Ann did indeed have a breast augmentation, she has nice, modest size implants that take her from an A to a B. Then again, it could also just be a padded bra she bought at Victoria Secret.

Ann Coulter- breast enhancement ?