Plastic Surgery | Colorado | Denver

Bullying!! A Good Reason for Plastic Surgery in Kids?

drshah — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:31:10 +0000

If you are paying any attention to the national media, you know that bullying has become a very common part of growing up. We are hearing tragic stories of children and teens all over the country taking their lives because they can not live in the shadows of their shame any longer. We all know that kids can be cruel, but it seems that this has reached epidemic proportions.

In Denver, Colorado, at my plastic and reconstructive surgery practice, I have seen many children and adolescents who complain about being teased and bullied because of the way they look. Some of the most common complaints are: ears that stick out, a nose that is too big, and bad facial acne. Other problems have included early development of extremely large breasts, obvious asymmetry of the breasts of girls/teens, and enlargement of breasts (gynecomastia) in boys/teens.

Before one thinks about getting plastic surgery to correct these problems, it is important to make sure that the child and his/her parents are well-educated about the pros and cons of surgery. If there is any sense that the child might have a psychological issue, then I refer them for psychological evaluation before proceeding forth with surgery. Fixing a perceived external defect without treating any internal strife is a recipe for disaster.

If, however, the child and parents have healthy motivations, what can be done about these various conditions?

In Denver, Colorado, at Shah Aesthetic Surgery, there are multiple options to handle each concern:

EARS THAT STICK OUT:

The most effective procedure for ears that stick out too much is called an otoplasty or ear pinning operation. This is a very successful operation in my hands. Patients seek out our Denver-based clinic for ear improvement. Children really notice the differences in those around them after about the age of 6 years old. This is a common time to fix the ears. If you want more information on otoplasty in Denver, Colorado, I suggest you contact us at drshah@drmanishshah.com.

A NOSE THAT’S TOO BIG:

When a nose appears too big for the face, it can be a target for taunting and bullying. The most effective procedure for reducing or shaping a nose that doesn’t harmonize with the face is a rhinoplasty or nose reshaping surgery. As the only Denver, Colorado based member of The Rhinoplasty Society, rhinoplasty or nose reshaping surgery is a common and successful procedure in my hands. I have seen life changing results and significant improvements in self-esteem after this procedure. Using very specialized approaches, I am able to reduce and re-apportion the size of the nose to better fit the surrounding facial features. It can take more than a year to realize the final results, but the wait is usually worth it. If you would like more information on rhinoplasty or nose reshaping in Denver, Colorado please contact us at drshah@drmanishshah.com.

BAD ACNE

There are a lot of causes for acne. When we treat acne at our Denver, Colorado plastic surgery practice, we take a multi-faceted approach to the problem. We work on acne suppression with topical and oral medication along with good skin care and use of chemical peels. If there are any scars that need to be improved, we used laser, chemical peels and good skin care from companies like SkinMedica to help reduce the visibility of the old scars. For more information about the care of acne in Denver, Colorado, I would suggest you contact us at drshah@drmanishshah.com. No one likes to be called “Pizza Face!!”

BEING YOUNG WITH LARGE BREASTS

Being young with large breasts can be a curse. Not only can it affect athletic activities, it can bring unwanted and salacious attention. In my Denver, Colorado plastic surgery practice, breast reduction surgery is very helpful in managing this problem. It is important to note that these patients may need a second breast reduction later in life after breast feeding a baby. That being said, making breasts smaller so they weigh less and fit better into today’s clothes, is a win-win situation. If you would like more information on breast reduction surgery in Denver, Colorado, please contact us at drshah@drmanishshah.com.

HAVING BREASTS THAT ARE VERY DIFFERENT IN APPEARANCE

Another problem that children and teens can face is congenital asymmetry of the breasts in girls/teens or gynecomastia in boys/teens. These kids have a hard time either finding bras, bathing suit tops that fit and look normal to their peers, or they have a hard time taking their shirts off in the locker room and pool areas. For girls/teens, breast enlargement or augmentation surgeries can be performed with or without breast reduction surgeries to even out the breasts in clothes. For boys, liposuction and/or resection of glandular breast tissue is used to reduce the chest size and create a more masculine looking chest. For more information about breast reduction or gynecomastia procedures in Denver, Colorado please contact us at drshah@drmanishshah.com.

I hope that this information can help you and your child find some sense of peace in this ever more critical world.

If you would like, please visit us at www.drmanishshah.com to see all that we provide to the Greater Denver area, and beyond.

Warmest regards,

Manish H. Shah, MD, FACS

Radiesse is great for adding volume to your face!

drshah — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 03:55:40 +0000

Aging is inevitable. One of the things that you will notice as you get older is that your face starts to lose volume and appears to sag. There are several reasons for this. The most common reason is that the skull starts to lose bone after we pass into our 30’s. Modern cosmetic surgeons, in their attempts to optimize facial rejuvenation, have really embraced volume replacement techniques to provide their patients with a very natural looking rejuvenation.

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?

In Denver, Colorado, a very common method for adding volume back into the aging face is to use a great product known as Radiesse. Radiesse is an injectible filler that has been shown to provide long-lasting volume. Radiesse, also known as Calcium Hydroxylapatite, can be used in many places. It is FDA-approved to be used in nasolabial fold augmentation, vocal cord injection, and radiopaque marking, amongst other uses. It has been used for the last several years, in off-label ways, to add volume to various areas of the face.

HOW IS IT USED?

In my cosmetic surgery practice, located in Denver, Colorado, I use Radiesse to augment areas such as the cheeks, brow, cheeks, chin, jawline, and chin. With my specialization in rhinoplasty, or nose reshaping surgery, I prefer to use Radiesse to add height to the dorsum of the nose or fill in defects after nose surgery.

ARE THERE ANY RISKS?

Use of fillers like Radiesse is generally safe! This fact is one thing that accounts for the popularity of injectible filler usage. That being said, it is not recommended that Radiesse be used in the lips. The reason for this is the high probability of lump formation after use in the lips. Radiesse needs to be massaged after use to prevent irregularities in other parts of the face.

For more information contact:

http://www.drmanishshah.com

or call

(303) 708-8234 to schedule your appointment for Radiesse filler injection, in the Denver, Colorado metro area

Facelifts - A Primer

drshah — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 05:29:53 +0000

Facelift or rhytidectomy in Denver, Colorado is a procedure designed to reposition tissues in the face into a more youthful position. Facial aging affects several structures: the skin, the muscles of the face, the fat volume of the face, and the bone volume of the face. Once upon a time, it was thought that all you had to do to get a tight face was pull the skin tight. Times have certainly changed!

In modern facelifting or rhytidectomy, the skilled surgeon analyzes all the aging structures of the face to determine what treatment each layer may need to effectively turn back the hands of time. For instance, the skin may have been ravaged by sun exposure, smoking, weight loss, or time. It may not be as elastic as it once was. The extra skin will need to be removed. The skin may need to be further tightened and toned using fractional laser resurfacing.

The underlying muscle can get loose especially in the neck (platysma) and this may need to be tightened to remove the old “turkey neck.” There may be excess fat in the neck and jowls that would benefit from liposuction to help shape the lower face and neck. Finally aging can cause bone loss in the facial skeleton, the results possibly being a small chin, sunken cheeks, or weak jawline. Facial implants or revolumization with fat or injectible filler would restore the proper volume relationships.

Facelifts or rhytidectomy are surgical procedures which means they leave scars and have some downtime associated with them. Younger patients may only need a small scar in front of the ear to tighten both skin and muscle. Older patients or those with poor skin quality may need scars that are both in front of and behind the ear to redrape the excess skin. These scars are placed in easily camouflaged areas to allow for minimal show.

General anesthesia used to be the only option for patients, but now patients in Denver can get their facelift or rhytidectomy in the doctor’s office using just oral sedation and local anesthetic. This allows for faster and safer anesthetic recovery. Cost savings are enormous also.

If you are interested in facelift or rhytidectomy in Denver, Colorado please call (303) 708-8234 to schedule your complementary consultation. Or, visit us on the web at http://www.drmanishshah.com for more information.

Restore lost volume with Radiesse!

drshah — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:07:08 +0000

When it comes to adding volume to a face that looks like it is deflated, there is a great option for many people. An injectible filler known as Radiesse (Radiance in Europe) is available to those who want to recontour their faces. Radiesse is FDA-approved to fill in the nasolabial folds, those deep lines that travel from the nostril to the corner of the mouth. Other off-label uses include augmenting the chin and jawline, lifting the cheeks, filling in the hollows around the eyes, and correcting/camouflaging small irregularities on the nose. Radiesse is made from calcium hydroxyl apatite, a mineral that is found in our tooth enamel. It is very biocompatible. Many patients will get between 12-18 months duration before the product is gone from under the skin. Unlike many of the other fillers available, Radiesse leaves behind standing volume that future injections can build upon. Most people need their first injection followed by a booster injection at three months.

If you are interested in more information about Radiesse and how it could help revolumize your face, please contact our nurse injector, Patricia Ritter, R.N. at (303) 708-8234 to arrange a consultation in our Denver, Colorado office. Or, for more information, visit us on the web at http://www.drmanishshah.com.

Surgical and Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty in Denver, Colorado

drshah — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:33:19 +0000

Your nose is often the first thing people notice upon meeting you. If you are self-conscious about the appearance of your nose – whether you have an unsightly bump or the size of your nose simply does not fit the rest of your face — you could be a candidate for Rhinoplasty.

Rhinoplasty (nose job or nose reshaping) is a procedure to reshape the nose and improve its appearance. Rhinoplasty is also performed to correct breathing problems. Generally, this is a surgical procedure that involves making incisions inside, and sometimes outside, of the nose to fix various problems.

However, with the increase in popularity of FDA approved injectable tissue fillers to temporarily correct facial wrinkles, plastic surgeons in Denver, Colorado have started injecting these same fillers in the nose to alter the shape. This is referred to as “Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty”. Hyaluronic acid fillers such as Restylane®, Juvederm®, and Perlane® can be used to camouflage aspects of the nose. The longer acting filler Radiesse® is also a popular filler for this purpose. Some people even elect to take excess fat from their bodies and inject it into the nose to correct certain defects.

So, which is better—Surgical or Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty?

The answer depends on what type of results you hope to achieve.

An advantage to Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty is that it can be performed in the office, with minimal recovery time. Injecting filler helps hide a small bump on the bridge of the nose or improve the definition of the tip. The results of Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty are not permanent and will require touch up in 6-12 months. This is typically the time it takes most hyaluronic acid fillers to dissolve. Radiesse may last several months longer and may leave behind some persistent volume. Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty is ideal for candidates who want an instant result from a minimally invasive procedure. This could also be a smart option for those who are afraid to make a permanent change to their nose.

Some other patients who are good candidates for non-surgical rhinoplasty are those who have already had a rhinoplasty and need a small tweak or revision such as adding height to the bridge, defining the tip a little more, or filling in a soft tissue depression that came about after surgery.

Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty cannot alter the length or width of your nose, so if this is your main concern, or you are looking for a permanent result, the surgical option may be right for you. Another disadvantage to Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty is that choosing this option can make a later surgical rhinoplasty more difficult because of scar tissue development as a reaction to the injectable filler.

Surgical Rhinoplasty candidates are those who want significant changes to the appearance of the nose, as surgery can change the entire shape of your nose and correct nasal asymmetry. Also, any breathing problems would need to be corrected using the surgical option. Surgical Rhinoplasty is permanent and, like any surgery, carries with it greater risks, but it is still a very safe surgery in the hands of an experienced surgical team in Denver, Colorado.

Dr. Manish Shah, a Denver, Colorado plastic surgeon is well-versed in both types of Rhinoplasty. Dr. Shah pays careful attention to individual facial features and does not use a “one size fits all approach”. During your consultation, he will help you determine which Rhinoplasty option is best for you. Call TODAY at (303) 708-8234 and schedule your free consultation with Dr. Shah, and you’ll be on your way to a beautiful and shapely new nose. Or, visit us on the web at www.drmanishshah.com.

Breast Augmentation/Enlargement - Saline vs. Silicone!

drshah — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:56:04 +0000

For patients in Denver, Colorado breast augmentation or enlargement is a very personal decision. With our athletic population making the decision on the type of breast implant to choose can be difficult. Here are some thoughts about the two available implant types and their pros and cons so that you can make an intelligent choice.

Saline breast implants have a silicone rubber shell that is quite sturdy. Most patients can expect between ten and fifteen years of duration before implant rupture or breakage becomes more likely. Saline implants are filled with salt water that has the same makeup as the salt water in our bodies. Saline implants are adjustable and can be used in situations where a woman’s breasts are slightly different sizes. Because of the implant shell design rippling at the edge of the implant is possible. It can sometimes be felt and even seen. Saline implants have to be overfilled by 10-20% to decrease this rippling and decrease the risk of capsular contracture (scar formation around the implant.) These implants are great in women who already have thicker breast tissue or are afraid of silicone implants. I recommend placement under the muscle for these implants. When a saline implant ruptures it looks like a deflated ball on your chest.

Silicone breast implants tend to look and feel more realistic. They have the same durable silicone rubber shell. Duration is similar to saline implants. They come in set sizes so it is harder to compensate for slight differences in breast size. The inside of the implant is filled with a gel material that is thick and more cohesive like a gummy bear or gel toothpaste. Rippling is not a common problem with silicone implants because of the way they are manufactured. The FDA is requiring that all women who have silicone gel implants placed after December 2006 have an MRI of the breast at 3,5,7, and 9 years after implantation to check for leaks. When a silicone implant leaks it is frankly more difficult to tell. I typically recommend that silicone gel implants be placed under the pectoralis muscle. This implant however is my implant of choice in women who need the implant placed above the muscle (eg. body builders, fitness competitors, martial artists, gym rats, etc.)

I hope this helps those seeking answers to the question “saline vs. silicone?”

If you have any questions or would like to obtain a free consultation for breast enlargement in Denver, Colorado give us a call at (303) 708-8234. Or, visit us on the web at www.drmanishshah.com.