Dr. Remus Repta, Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon of Scottsdale, answers the questions that you, the public, have submitted. Dr. Repta and Arizona Foothills Magazine are excited to help bridge the void between the curious public and the expert for safe, informative, and real answers.
If you want your plastic surgery questions answered next, contact us at askthesurgeon@azfoothills.com.
Q: Do you ever see patients who want you to preform a tummy tuck and you suggest another method like working out, dieting, or another alternative?
A: Thank you for the great question regarding tummy tuck surgery. In general, there are a variety of tummy tuck surgery options. When people envision a tummy tuck procedure they usually think of the “hip-to-hip” incision of a full tummy tuck. Although the full tummy tuck is the most common type of tummy tuck surgery, there are other types of tummy tuck procedures including:
-mini tummy tuck
-reverse tummy tuck
-endoscopic tummy tuck
-circumferential tummy tuck
-extended tummy tuck
All of these tummy tuck procedures except for one–endoscopic tummy tuck–involves the removal of loose skin from the abdomen. When patients who seek tummy tuck surgery have loose skin on their abdomen, further weight loss through diet and/or exercise will not help since the skin will continue to remain loose. For these patients, a tummy tuck is the only option to tighten the loose abdominal skin.
There are other patients, however, where the skin is not the main problem. Patient who are significantly overweight may desire to have a tummy tuck to improve the shape and appearance of their abdomen, but the best result for some of these patients would be achieved after weight loss followed by a reassessment of their skin tone to determine if a tummy tuck procedure would be beneficial. Weight loss can be accomplished through a variety of methods. The most important thing to remember, however, is that it should be done safely and should be done in a way that can be integrated into the individuals lifestyle in order to maintain the weight loss in the future.
All the best,
Q: What is the down/recovery time after a rhinoplasty?
A: Thank you for the question regarding rhinoplasty recovery time. In general, one to two weeks are needed for recovery to look presentable enough after a rhinoplasty to not have anyone see that you have had surgery. During this first and second week a large part of the swelling will have subsided and most if not all of the bruising will have gone away. The exact recovery time, however, will depend on what is done during surgery and each persons unique tissue qualities. Thin, fairly light skinned individuals that need nasal bone breaking as part of their rhinoplasty procedure may have a slightly longer recovery in terms of bruising. I have found that putting pressure on the sides of the nose during surgery for five to ten minutes after nasal bone breaking will prevent or significantly minimize bruising. Aside from the above, exercise should be avoided for the first three to four weeks after surgery and care should be taken to protect the nose from accidental injury.
All the best,
For more information on Dr. Repta at AAA Plastic Surgery, click here.
For more information on Dr. Repta’s tummy tuck and body contouring procedures, click here.
To ‘Ask the Surgeon’ yourself, email askthesurgeon@azfoothills.com (all inquiries will remain confidential). The top questions will be featured in each month’s “Q&A Ask The Plastic Surgeon” featured blog.
