This handsome young man has a history of a unilateral cleft lip and palate. He is seen here 7 months after jaw surgery (maxillary advancement, mandibular setback, and chin advancement), and 1 month after rhinoplasty. His occlusion (or how his teeth fit together) is now centered and leveled, with the teeth now able to chew optimally. This will help with … Read More

Facial asymmetry is normal to some extent in most people. Sometimes it may be due to underlying differences in bone structure – like in craniosynostosis, hemifacial microsomia, or a facial cleft. Here, her nasal tip and nasal bones are subject to a subtle craniofacial “twist” from a history of craniosynostosis, even after previous cranial vault reconstruction. There is less projection … Read More

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” – Dolly Parton The first year can be tough on patients and families at baseline, and that is especially true for children and families with any medical condition. For our babies with cleft lip and palate, that may involve: 0) Prenatal visits to … Read More

What a great time visiting with this boy born with an incomplete cleft lip! I want to give reassurance to families, for when the early scar can be a little tight leading to more asymmetry. The intermediate photos are a few months after the first cleft lip surgery, and then the later ones are now over 3 years after that … Read More

A sweet annual visit with this girl headed to visit the bright lights of Disney World soon! Annual visits in the 4-6 year range center around speech. Kids are now able to participate more with an evaluation. Parents often also have a few videos of their kids speaking at home to give some more context and information to go off … Read More

Breasts come in all shapes and sizes. With heavier breasts that have fallen over time, or after a large amount of weight loss, a lift and reduction can help to relieve neck and back strain and pain. The steri-strips are often still on at this 1-month mark as patients take their time letting their body heal. After these come off, … Read More

This patient had large breasts since puberty, with the weight of her breasts causing significant neck pain, back pain, and rashes under her breasts. A reduction and lift (mastopexy) go hand in hand as an aesthetic and reconstructive procedure, to remove several pounds of extra weight, while leaving a volume and shape she felt happy and comfortable with. For more, … Read More

Breast reconstruction is a core part of plastic surgery that I enjoy more than I expected. Here, a previous partial mastectomy and radiation scar left a deep depression and significant asymmetry in shape and volume. Revision of the scar with lift and repair of the underlying breast on the right, was matched with a mastopexy (breast lift on the left) … Read More

Immediate breast reduction/lift with trunk liposuction. The goal was primarily to help reduce neck and back shoulder pain, and also to improve mobility and comfort. Many of our younger patients also note a lot of unwanted attention and negative assumptions about promiscuity. Here, 4 pounds of breast tissue was removed, and another 7.5 pounds was liposuctioned from her trunk. Despite … Read More

Breast lift and reduction are related surgeries with a lot of overlap, tailored to each patient’s anatomy and goals. Here, baseline asymmetry was improved, and the weight and downward pull of her breasts made lighter. It’s always fun when patients tell me they get to go without a bra now (though I have to remind them that gravity and time … Read More

An augmentation/mastopexy is offered when goals include both breast lift surgery and breast volume maintenance or augmentation. The further the nipple/areola needs to be raised to reach the goal position, the higher chance of wanting a revision (~30% in some series), or even planning a 2-stage surgery from the outset. Here, a modest 250cc implant placed under the muscle added … Read More

This woman wanted a lift and reshaping of her breasts. As with most of my reduction and lifts, a superomedial pedicle is used. This has reliable blood flow, and often blood flow from other major sources including the intercostal perforators from the chest wall and lateral perforators can be preserved to minimize wound healing problems. The skin pattern depends on … Read More