A ^Retired Plastic Surgeon's Notebook

How to give the gift of plastic surgery. Looking for the perfect gift this holiday season?  That perfect gift may just be a plastic surgical procedure.  Here are a few tips if you are considering this most thoughtful and personal of presents. Only consider this if your loved one has confided in you that he/sheContinue reading…

I’ve been doing some interesting reading lately on the mind/body connection in preparation for a presentation I am giving at the annual meeting of the Northwest Society of Plastic Surgeons this month.  I have been reading up on the “Nocebo Effect” which is the evil twin of the much studied and celebrated “Placebo Effect.”  Any oneContinue reading…

Every week I get some questions sent to me by the website RealSelf.  I am always amazed by the many questions submitted by patients sometimes within a day or two of surgery.  I cannot fathom why a patient would turn to an online community of doctors rather than their own surgeon to answer their questionsContinue reading…

HRT and Plastic Surgery:  Insight from a menopausal plastic surgeon. It is well know that hormone replacement therapy can increase the risk of postoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT).  Some surgeons just recommend to “just stop taking your HRT medication for two weeks before and two weeks after surgery.”   I take a different approach.  “Just stopContinue reading…

Seattle Plastic Surgeon blogs about a serious post-operative problem:  Sleep deprivation. This past week I had a postoperative patient go a little bit crazy on me.  She was over a week post-op, had a very nice early result from her surgery, had no mental health history and yet she just went, well, crazy with anxiety. Continue reading…

Seattle Plastic Surgeon blogs about how much surgery has changed in just a few decades. Sometimes it just astounds me how much surgery has changed since my days as a medical student.  There was a time when hernia patients spent  an entire week in the hospital following surgery.  They were admitted the night before, a bazillionContinue reading…

Seattle Plastic Surgeon discusses a magic pill for postoperative nausea and vomiting. I saw a patient today who was thrilled with his postoperative recovery.  Yes, he was sore and couldn’t wait to take a shower but he was sooooo thrilled not to be nauseated. He had experienced postoperative nausea and vomiting with every surgical procedure he had ever had.  Fortunately heContinue reading…

Seattle Plastic Surgeon discusses a self limited but very annoying postsurgical eyelid condition: chemosis. If you have had lower eyelid surgery and have never heard the term “chemosis”,  count yourself as one of the lucky majority.  If the term “chemosis” is familiar and you have suffered from it, you have my sympathy. I have had aContinue reading…

Seattle plastic surgeon warns that post-operative constipation can ruin an otherwise smooth recovery.  A proactive approach can help. Many post-operative factors can conspire to cause constipation. First of all is the inactivity that usually follows surgery.  You take to bed or the couch or the Lazy Boy chair and your bowels can decide to takeContinue reading…

Seattle Plastic Surgeon clears up some confusion about postoperative “issues.” I recently did a pre-operative visit on a lady who will be having a face lift next month.  We have patients read an extensive informed consent document and discuss any issues that arise from that document.  She was most concerned about nerve damage that mayContinue reading…