Plastic Surgeon, Albany, NY - Deluca Plastic Surgery

Drainless vs. Drains Tummy Tucks: What’s Better?

Now that we’re getting into the warm weather, tummy tucks are the talk of the town. In fact, tummy tucks are some of the most performed procedures in the country, year-round! Let’s talk a little bit about the different kinds of tummy tucks, including drainless vs drains tummy tucks, which option is best for you, and the next steps to take if you’ve been thinking about your own tummy tuck!

What’s The Difference?

Typical tummy tucks include a drain, or tubing, as part of the recovery process. Since your body naturally produces liquid as an immune response (swelling) after surgery, surgeons will often install a drain in the abdominal cavity to collect excess liquid the body can’t absorb.

A drainless tummy tuck, on the other hand, uses sutures to close down the space between the skin and muscle tissue. Liquid from swelling distributes evenly through the abdomen making the fluid collection less noticeable. 

Importantly, there can still be fluid buildup after a drainless tummy tuck. For best results, patients should wear the provided compression garments, avoid strenuous activity, and follow their surgical team’s recovery instructions as closely as possible. 

Benefits of Drainless Tummy Tucks

Generally speaking, the recovery time for both drains and drainless tummy tucks is the same. Patients can resume light activity 1-2 weeks after their procedure and full activity within 1-2 months. Both drainless and drains tummy tucks produce relatively identical results as well. 

If recovery time and results are similar, why would a drainless tummy tuck be preferable?

For starters, a drainless procedure avoids drain-site irritation, a common minor byproduct of a traditional tummy tuck. Since there is no drain, there’s no need to install or remove it, which means when the procedure is done, the procedure is done!

Not to mention, since there’s no drain, there is no need to empty it or measure the amount of fluid collected. There’s also the peace of mind of not having to carry a drain around in your abdomen–or carving out time to have said drain removed in-office.

Overall, a drainless tummy tuck is commonly preferred by both surgeons and patients alike, due to the simplified, straightforward process. 

Unfortunately, not all patients do well with a drainless tummytuck. Thin patients without much fat in their belly show small contour irregularities easier than others. The left over fluid that remains after a drainless tummytuck can cause lumps and bumps that prevent an ideal result. These patients tend get better results from a tummytuck that uses a drain.

How to Go Drainless

There are many factors that determine a candidate’s suitability for a drainless or drains tummy tuck procedure. Your surgeon will recommend the procedure that best suits your unique situation. 

If you’ve been considering a tummy tuck, the first step is to make a consultation with a trusted, proven cosmetic surgeon. At DeLuca Cosmetic Surgery, we’ve performed thousands of tummy tucks with dazzling, artistic results.

Check out our patient reviews, view before & after photos, and schedule an in-person or virtual consultation to learn more about we can help you choose a body contouring plan to suit your beauty and self-image goals! 


Breast Augmentation Basics

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What is a breast augmentation?

In this post, we discuss breast augmentation with saline or silicone implants. – the most popular type of augmentation. Implants allow a predictable breast enhancement in all body types. Breast augmentation is often performed to replace volume lost from weight loss, breastfeeding, or age or to increase the size of the breast for aesthetic reasons.  It is most appropriate for patients with breasts that don’t sag (normal ptosis). In patients with breasts that sag, the need for a lift is determined by your current nipple position and the quality of your tissue.

A breast augmentation can also be performed using fat harvested from other parts of the body using liposuction – Brazilian breast augmentation. The results from a fat augmentation are less predictable, however, and work best for slightly overweight patients looking for a modest augmentation.

If using your own fat to augment your breasts sounds intriguing, check out: Breast Augmentation With Fat.

Where are the implants placed during a breast augmentation?

The implants can be placed over (sub-muscular) or under (sub-glandular) the pectoralis muscle. Advantages to sub-muscular implants include a lower risk of capsular contracture, lower chance of rippling, better coverage in thin women, and perhaps a more natural upper pole contour. Implants placed under the muscle can, however, be influenced by the contraction of the pectoralis muscle – especially in very athletic women.

Implant Position - Above and Below the Muscle
Native Breast, Sub-Glandular Implant, and Sub-Muscular Implant

Implants placed over the muscle, in contrast, are more visible. This results in larger-looking augmentation and a sharper transition between the natural breast and the edges of the implant resulting in a more done look. Additionally, in thin women, the folding of the implant in the sub-glandular pocket can manifest as rippling of the skin.

What kind of incisions can I expect?

There are a variety of implant types, shapes, and styles, and the implants are most often inserted through one of two different small incisions. These include 1) an incision around the lower half of the nipple-areola (peri-areolar), or 2) an incision in the breast crease between the breast and the chest wall (infra-mammary incision). The choice of incision is based on multiple factors including surgeon preference, patient preference, patient anatomy, and/or type of implant.

Breast Implant Incisions: Periareolar and Inframmammary
Breast Augmentation Incisions

What is the recovery like after a breast augmentation?

After surgery, the breasts swell from the trauma of surgery and the tissues become edematous. This combined with the tightness of the skin and the squeeze of the pectorals muscle on the implant can give the implants a high and flat appearance as the round implants are squeezed like a pancake against the chest.

As the swelling subsides and the tissues begin to stretch from the weight of implants, the breasts begin to settle. Over the next few months, the implants settle and the soft tissue and pectoralis muscle relax. The shape changes from high and tight to lower and fuller as the implants round out and more of the implant is in position to provide lower pole projection.

This “drop and fluff” often occurs over the first few months after surgery as the edema finally escapes and the soft tissues relax. This process is often asymmetric as the breasts relax and settle at their own rates. It will take 3 to 6 months to see a final result – although for some patients this process occurs faster.

Get more details on the management of swelling and scars in blog post: Post-Operative Care After Plastic Surgery.

What surgery is right for me?

A detailed examination will help delineate the best surgical treatment. The goal of breast augmentation is to create an aesthetic breast with the size, shape, and projection that is desired by the patient. The decision on the type of surgery and the size, shape, and position of the implants is based on the patient’s anatomy, the type and size of the implant, and the patient’s preferences.

During your consultation, measurements of the breasts are used as a starting point to recommend surgery and in-office sizing, and digital three-dimensional computer simulations are used to help guide your implant choices.


Facelift Surgery

A facelift or rhytidectomy is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures in Albany, New York. This surgical procedure can effectively improve signs of aging around the neck and face by lifting and firming sagging tissue. A facelift can restore a more youthful and natural appearance with scars that are hidden from sight.

What Can a Facelift Address?

Over time, your face can lose its youthful contours due to sun damage, loss of fat, skin thinning, gravity, smoking, and heredity. A rhytidectomy is a popular surgical procedure that can address many signs of aging on the neck and face. Depending on the specific facelift procedure you choose with your surgeon, the procedure can address:

  • Jowls of the cheeks and jaw
  • Fat has fallen lower than it should
  • Deep folds between the corner of the mouth and nose (nasolabial folds)
  • Sagging and relaxation of the face
  • Excess fat and skin of the neck
  • Loss of facial volume
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4 Surgeries With Quick Recoveries

One in five people seek out professional plastic surgery, particularly as they approach middle-age. Modern plastic surgical techniques, attention to detail, and meticulous follow-up allow the surgeons of DeLuca Plastic Surgery to offer patients a quick recovery from surgeries such as liposuction, breast augmentation, mini facelift, and rhinoplasty. A quick recovery with minimal bruising and swelling allows patients to get back to work and play faster.

Picture it. You wake up, head to the operating room, and are pampered by the operating room staff as you drift off to sleep. Only a few hours later you are back at home in your own bed watching Netflix. Minimal discomfort. Excited by the changes that have occurred. Yes. This is the new reality. There are a host of amazing options today. With advanced tools and technologies, a plastic surgeon can help shape the new you without breaking the budget. Consider these four fabulous surgeries to jumpstart the season…

Rhinoplasty

Need a nose adjustment? Rhinoplasty surgery—getting your nose reshaped—could be just what the doctor ordered. Rhinoplasty surgery is tailored to your individual needs – from total nose reshaping to a small hump removal. Post-operative recovery involves soreness and some mild bruising, however, in a week, you can be back in your office, tending to business as usual. And the clincher? A whopping 80-90% of your bruising and swelling with disappear within the first week! Total healing takes longer but, those are changes often only noticed by you (or you close friends). Remarkably, a great majority of patients have relatively mild pain. Exercise can be resumed after 2 weeks.

Read: “Rhinoplasty Basics”

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The Tummy Tuck

Moms, are you happy with your physical body? Do you have countless hours to spend in the gym? Is a personal chef creating a nutrition plan to keep you in tip-top shape as you run around after your little ones, taking them to soccer practice, dance, and Kung Fu?

Chances are, this is not your reality. Let me paint a more realistic picture of you. If you’re like the average mom, you are running the kiddos around and maintaining a house, social schedule, and your own career, perhaps. You vacillate between protein bars, leftover peanut butter sandwiches and Cheez-Its for your noon lunch, as you have no time for anything else, and you have a few pounds to lose. Coffee is your fuel, chocolate is your secret gluttonous snack as you prioritize everyone else first. Does this sound familiar?

Moms, it’s time to get down to the business of taking care of yourselves. Who said that being a mom meant you had to be okay with ten extra pounds and a soft belly? Do you wish you still had the body you had in college?

You can get it back! How about scheduling an abdominoplasty?

What is an abdominoplasty?

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Can Rhinoplasty Benefit Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea not only disrupts your sleep patterns, but it can also increase your risk for a number of serious health issues. If you have tried all of the non-surgical fixes to no avail, consider rhinoplasty. Although it is a surgical procedure and presents its own risks, functional rhinoplasty can help control episodes of sleep apnea.

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To Breast Lift or Not to Breast Lift, With or Without Implants?

More women are embracing breast augmentation every year. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there has been an astonishing 89 percent increase in the number of breast lifts doctors perform annually since 2000. In 2015 alone, 279,143 breast augmentation surgeries were performed in the U.S.

When we talk about breast augmentation, however, it’s important to note that there are different types of procedures. Getting a breast lift is not the same thing as getting breast implants. It is possible to do either or both. Which one is right for you? That depends on your personal preferences and your breast type.

The Difference Between Breast Lifts and Implants

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Correcting Tuberous Breasts with Surgery

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What Are Tuberous Breasts

Tuberous breasts is a condition where the breasts form into a tube-like shape because of constriction at the base of the breasts during development. The breasts also tend to develop farther apart and unevenly than a normal chest. The breasts are often characterized by enlarged areolas and sagging. Although this condition may prevent a woman from breast-feeding, it doesn’t lead to any other pregnancy or fertility related issues.

Women with tuberous breasts may range from type one, which is the mildest to type five, which is the most severe. With type one, only the lower inside of the breast is constricted. In the most severe cases, the entire breast is constricted and can be physically deforming.

Impact of Tuberous Breasts

While having this condition isn’t necessarily a physical concern for health related reasons, it can be psychologically troubling to women who suffer from this condition. Many women tend to be self-conscious about their breasts, and shy away from intimacy, or are embarrassed to get undressed in front of their partner.

There are also other issues to consider for someone with tuberous & tubular breasts. Many women tend to have trouble finding bras or other undergarments that fit properly. Some women have to specially order their bras in order to support their breasts correctly.

Surgical Correction

The correction of tubular breast deformity is to augmentation with a lift surgery. For women who are self-conscious or frustrated about the shape of their breasts, a surgeon can correct the size and fill out the shape. The doctor can also thin the area around the nipple in cases where the areola is large or puffy.

Although the surgery is challenging, the surgeons of Deluca Plastic Surgery have a track record of being able to achieve beautiful results for their patients. It’s important to discuss the surgery and your expectations with your doctor before heading into the operating room, if you are considering this type of surgery. In many cases, surgery can correct this condition restoring the breasts completely.

Recovery

Initial recovery after tuberous breast surgery is about 2 weeks. During this period the implant position is managed and the skin is allowed to begin healing. Patients of Dr. David Tauber at DeLuca Plastic Surgery can often return to work or social engagements in 2-3 weeks. Physical activity and exercise are started at 4 weeks and patients are back to full activity without restrictions at 8 weeks.

Get more details on the management of swelling and scars in blog post: Post-Operative Care After Plastic Surgery.


Everything You Should Know About Breast Implants, Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Breast Augmentation surgery appeals to many women who would like to change the size or shape of their breasts. However, women often worry about the procedure’s effect on breastfeeding and future pregnancies. It’s important to understand the risks and benefits while avoiding common myths.

Will Pregnancy Affect Implants

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Post-Operative Care After Plastic Surgery

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Post-operative care after surgery helps patients achieve their optimal results. The mainstays of the first week of surgical recovery are skin care, rest, ice, elevation, preventing bruising, and controlling swelling. As patients enter the second week of recovery our efforts switch to focus on contour and scar management and massage. Specific recommendations are tailored to each surgery and patient needs. As an Amazon Associate, DPS may earn from qualifying purchases.

Elevation and Icing

Thera Pearl Face Mask on Amazon

Surgical recovery usually begins with elevation and icing. To make icing the face easier, we recommend the TheraPearl Reusable Hot & Cold Therapy Face #Ad or Eye Mask. These masks utilize gel beads to better focus the cooling effect of the mask. Elevation of the head can be achieved by sleeping on a couple of pillows, however, the Brentwood Home Zuma Therapeutic Foam Bed Wedge Pillow #Ad makes it easier and more comfortable to maintain the elevation in any sleeping position.

Skin Care

To help with pain control and better skin hydration during the healing process we all recommend the Restore and Repair line from Ageless Millennial Aesthetics. The Restore and Repair line of skin care creams and serums includes the CBD and hyaluronic acid-infused CBD Restorative Cream. These help provide the hydration and essential building blocks the skin needs to recover after surgery.

Discover more skincare recommendations by checking out our blog post: Skin Care In The Age of COVID.

Bruising and Swelling

In addition to icing and elevation, for all surgeries we recommend, most patients take anti-bruising supplements, such as VitaMedica – Bromelain with Quercetin and VitaMedica – Arnica Montana 30X, starting before surgery and continuing for about a month after surgery. These supplements help to prevent and resolve bruising after surgery.

Scar Management

Scar Tape
Mederma Scar Gel On Amazon

At about 10 – 14 days after surgery, post-operative scar management strategies are begun. Sunscreens, such as Neutrogena Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen #Ad, help block the UV rays and prevent the scars from staying dark/too pink. Gentle massage of the incisions and operative area encourages blood flow, helps to breast down scar tissue, and keeps the scars from getting too raised.

Silicone-based scar tape is recommended to help encourage optimal scar maturation for breast and body surgery and scaring after minor procedures, Soothing Silicone Scar Tape from Estéticoceuticals is a waterproof, soft, silky tape that can easily be worn under clothes and only needs to be replaced every 3-7 days. For scar management after face surgery, Mederma Advanced Scar Gel is a clear gel that dries to a thin layer.

These scar management products are continued for the full scar maturation period of a year or more. Typically the darkness or redness of the scar is the last to disappear.

Bras

Breast support is critical after augmentation, reduction, and lifting procedures. Our patients recommend SheFit and Marina Bras for their unparalleled support and comfort.

Compression Garments

Compression after body contouring help to control swelling and contour irregularities that can result after liposuction and skin removal surgeries. The day after body contouring surgery patients are placed into a binder or Stage One compression garment. This garment is made of a stiff material that provides a high amount of compression. Patients often purchase additional binders or Stage One garments for their convenience.

Woman in Stage One Garment #Ad

Deluca Plastic Surgery recommends Marena Recovery #Ad garments. These garments provide firm, form-fitting compression to help control the swelling that occurs in the weeks after surgery. These garments are tailored to your specific operation.

After about 2-3 weeks of wearing this garment, patients are encouraged to purchase Stage Two garments to complete their healing process. These later stage garments provide more even compression and are less bulky than Stage One garments.

For men, our patients recommend Underworks and Marena compression garments. These compression garments come in a range of styles and have several models tailored specifically to the post-operative management of gynecomastia and FTM patients.


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