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: Who should get plastic surgery? How do you know who is or is not an appropriate candidate for plastic surgery?
A: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is a broad field that contains both Plastic (Cosmetic) Surgery as well as Reconstructive Surgery. Plastic Surgery is designed to improve the shape and appearance the breast, body, or face while Reconstructive Surgery is designed to repair an injury or defect in the breast, body, or face. Patients that I see at my Scottsdale Plastic Surgery office that I think are good candidates for Plastic Surgery often have the following attributes:
-understand the risks and benefits of the procedure they desire
-have realistic expectations
-are seeking the procedure because they want it as opposed to seeking the procedure to make someone else happy
-do not have body/face image issues (body dysmorphic disorder)
-are financially, emotionally, and physically stable
Q: Is plastic surgery safe?
A: I love what I do and would not do it if it was not safe. Like everything, however, why a procedure is performed, how its performed, and on who its performed on will inevitably determine if it is safe. My philosophy has always been to treat patients like I would want to be treated. Similarly, I would only offer surgery to someone if I would be willing to offer the same procedure to a loved one in the same situation.
Q: What’s the best age for someone to get plastic surgery?
A: I have had patients as young as seven and as old as eighty-seven come see me at my Scottsdale Plastic Surgery office. The importance of age is more related to the procedure since some procedures do have fairly strict age limitations. The seven year old patient that came to see me with her parents desired to fix her prominent ears. Although prominent ear repair (otoplasty) is done for appearance and not for hearing, it can have a profound impact on the self-esteem and social behavior of some children. Similarly, some young women have significant differences in the size of their breasts. Repair and reconstruction of significant breast asymmetry can have a meaningful impact on the health and welfare of a young woman’s life. Its also never too late to repair something that has truly bothered you your entire life. I have had meaningful experiences with many patients who have had rhinoplasty (nose shaping) on men and women in their sixties and older that finally decided to make the leap and get the nose shaping surgery they always desired.
All the best,
Scottsdale Plastic Surgery
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.
