Monthly Archives: August 2021

What questions should I ask my Plastic Surgeon?

Although pop culture often portrays plastic surgery as straightforward and easy, in reality the decision to have plastic surgery (just like any other kind of surgery) is a big one, and requires ample thought and preparation. There are many factors to consider, including finding the right surgeon, ensuring that your surgery will be performed in a safe environment, and of course choosing the right surgical option for you. Trying to weigh all of these considerations can feel very overwhelming! This is why this blog post is about the top questions you should be sure to address with your plastic surgeon, providing a short and sweet guide to help you get started on your journey.

When considering plastic surgery, one of the most important things to do first is ensure that you are only considering plastic surgeons who are board-certified and have extensive experience performing your procedure of interest. It is not adequate to be board-certified in another area of surgery, as only those who are board certified in plastic surgery have the highly specialized skill set necessary to optimize your safety, as well as the chances of getting an aesthetically pleasing result. In addition to ensuring board certification, it is also a good idea to ask how often the surgeon performs the procedure you are interested in. After all, it makes sense that someone who performs many procedures per week versus only a couple per month has had much more experience perfecting their craft. Another important question to ask your surgeon is where the surgery will be performed. Pay close attention to ensure that it is a fully accredited surgical facility that has been verified to be clean, up to code, and fully equipped with everything needed to respond in a life-threatening emergency. Dr. Traci Temmen operates at Temmen Plastic Surgery, a private surgical center that meets hospital standards and has been approved by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities. Finally, it is important to know not just the credentials of your surgeon, but also the entire surgical team that will be taking care of you. Asking about the other team members such as anesthesia, nursing, and any other assistants will help you learn exactly who will be involved in your case from start to finish.

Once you feel comfortable with your surgeon, surgical setting, and the rest of your surgical team, you should also ask questions to learn more about the specific surgery you are interested in. Important questions for any surgery include going over the risks and benefits. All surgery entails risks such as bleeding, blood clots, and infection, but there may be additional, more specific risks depending on the specific surgery. Likewise, it is important to consider the potential benefits of the surgery, such as improved self-confidence and quality of life. In addition, it is also a good idea to ask what your expected outcome would be, or what kind of outcomes the surgeon has seen in patients similar to you. To help answer this question, be sure to ask to see examples of previous patient before and after photos to show you the quality of their work and give you an idea of what you can expect. Along similar lines, it is also helpful to ask how the surgeon would tailor the surgery you’re interested in to fit your body and aesthetic goals. Dr. Temmen understands that plastic surgery is never a one-size-fits-all affair, and requires careful personalization to the unique patient to get the most beautiful and natural-looking result.

Lastly, a few more questions you may want to ask your plastic surgeon pertain to recovery. Assessing the estimated recovery time, what activity restrictions you will have, and what your follow-up will be is important for planning your life and schedule at the item of surgery. Specific questions that may be helpful to ask your surgeon include when they expect that you can drive, return to work, and exercise, as well as if you will need anyone at home assisting you with activities in the early stage of recovery. This is also a good time to ask about when you can expect to see post-op swelling start to subside and your result emerge, as this process usually takes weeks to months.

As you can see, the decision to have plastic surgery involves considering many moving parts, from the people who will be taking care of you to the expected results and recovery process. Thus, it is crucial as to do your own research, find an experienced and reputable board certified plastic surgeon, and ask all of the questions you need to feel informed and comfortable preparing for surgery. Board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Traci Temmen understands that deciding to have surgery can be nerve-wracking, and she is committed to spending time one-on-one with each patient to make the process as stress-free as possible. If you would like to view examples of real patient transformations performed by Dr. Temmen, please explore the Before and After section of this website. To learn more about if you may be a good candidate for a procedure you’re interested in, please call 813-771-6393 to schedule your personal consultation with Traci Temmen, MD, today!

Can Breast Augmentation correct Uneven Breasts?

When you look in the mirror, are you bothered by breasts that look uneven or asymmetrical? If so, you’re not alone! It is very common for women to have one breast that is larger than the other, hangs lower than the other, or has a different nipple size. This can be very distressing for many women who wish their breasts had a more symmetrical appearance. Luckily, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Traci Temmen is highly skilled at cosmetic breast surgery including breast augmentation, breast lift, and breast reduction procedures that can simultaneously correct asymmetry of the breasts. This blog post will briefly discuss which patients may be best suited for these options, as well as how they may be used to correct breast asymmetry.

Breast augmentation enhances the size and shape of the breasts, and can be performed with implants or fat transfer. Breast implants are composed of a silicone outer shell that is filled with either a saline solution or gel-like silicone, and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Breast implants are a safe and effective way to increase cup size while creating a rounder, fuller shape. In cases where the breasts are slightly different sizes, implants with different volumes can be used to help correct this asymmetry. Silicone implants come in many different sizes to choose from, and saline implants can be carefully titrated to the correct size as they are filled with sterile saline solution once in place. Another option for breast enhancement is fat transfer to the breasts. In this procedure, liposuction is performed first on the abdomen, back and sides to sculpt a smoother, leaner physique. Once this is complete, the collected fat is processed and prepared for transfer into the breasts. It is then injected into the breasts to provide soft, natural volume. Women with differently sized breasts may wish to have different volumes of fat injected into each breast to restore symmetry.

Next, let’s discuss the option of breast lift. This surgery is performed for women whose breasts have been dragged down by aging, weight changes, and/or pregnancy, resulting in breasts that appear “deflated” or saggy. A breast lift turns back the clock by restoring breasts to a higher position on the chest wall, creating a perky and youthful appearance. Women also have the option of a combined breast augmentation with lift, during which implants can be placed to add volume at the same time that the breasts are lifted. It is not uncommon for women considering a breast lift to have one breast that hangs lower than the other. This should be thoroughly addressed during the patient’s one-on-one consultation with Dr. Temmen, during which precise measurements of the body will be made to aid in surgical planning. This information can then be used to make adjustments to correct for this asymmetry during surgery in order to create a beautiful, lifted, and symmetrical result.

Another surgical option for altering the appearance of the breasts is a breast reduction. This procedure is commonly chosen by women who have breasts that are very large and have a negative impact on quality of life. Examples of this include chronic neck and back pain, difficulty exercising, difficulty finding clothing that fits well, and low self-confidence or embarrassment. For these women, a breast reduction surgery can truly be life-changing by removing excess breast tissue and making the breasts much less cumbersome and more proportional to the rest of the body. Women who have one breast that is larger than the other may have more tissue removed from the larger breast to restore symmetry. In addition, it is common for women with very large, pendulous breasts to also have an oversized nipple-areola complex (the darker area surrounding the nipple). During breast reduction, Dr. Temmen can also reduce the size of the areolas to look more proportional to the breasts. Patients who have one areola that is bigger than the other can also have this corrected during surgery by reducing the size of the larger areola more.

Dr. Traci Temmen is highly trained and experienced in cosmetic breast surgery, including breast augmentation with implants, fat transfer, breast lift, and breast reduction. Each of these procedures can be personalized to the unique patient in order to address underlying breast asymmetry, such as differently sized breasts, different degrees of breast sagging, and differences in nipple size. Dr. Temmen recognizes that deciding to have surgery is a big decision, and takes her time with each patient to ensure that she has a perfect understanding of the patient’s goals and has addressed all questions and concerns. If you want to learn more about if one of these procedures may be right for you, take the first step by calling 813-771-6393 to book your one-on-one consultation with Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Traci Temmen, MD, today!

Should I get a mini or full tummy tuck?

Life can be hard on the body. As aging, weight changes, and pregnancy all take their toll, many women are left dissatisfied with their shape. The midsection in particular is a big source of shame and insecurity for many as the flat, toned tummy of your youth changes over time, leaving saggy, stretched out skin behind. Luckily, there is a way to turn back the clock! Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Traci Temmen is proud to offer safe and highly effective surgical solutions to her patients, including the full tummy tuck and mini tummy tuck. This blog post will talk about these two options, what sets them apart from one another, and who may be a better candidate for one versus the other.

First, let’s discuss the full tummy tuck that most patients are more familiar with. In this procedure, Dr. Temmen utilizes a combination of liposuction and traditional tummy tuck techniques to create a sculpted, flat abdomen with beautiful curves. In the past, tummy tucks were performed without liposuction. In other words, excess skin and tissue was removed from front of the abdomen, but the back, sides, and overall shape remained untouched. This flattened the tummy but in leaving the rest of the abdomen alone, resulted in an more artificial appearance that did nothing for the patient’s natural curves. Today, most plastic surgeons including Dr. Temmen perform liposuction first to slim and smooth the midsection, accentuate the waistline, and remove stubborn fat deposits like love handles. This improves the appearance of the abdomen overall, while also allowing the tummy tuck to blend in more naturally with the rest of the patient’s body. Once liposuction is complete, Dr. Temmen moves into the “tummy tuck” part of the procedure. For this part, a horizontal incision is made on the abdomen that is a little longer than a C-section scar, and placed low enough to be easily concealed by standard underwear or bikini bottoms. Using this incision, loose abdominal skin and excess tissue and removed and the remaining tissue is pulled together to create a flatter, more toned tummy. In addition, since it is very common for the abdominal “six pack” muscles to get stretched apart by aging, weight gain, and pregnancy, Dr. Temmen also pulls these muscles back together during a tummy tuck to help further cinch in the waist. Lastly, Dr. Temmen creates a new, pretty “innie” belly button to complete the look.

Now that we’ve covered the full tummy tuck, let’s talk about the mini version. A mini tummy tuck, as the name implies, includes the same components of a full tummy tuck, only on a smaller scale. Liposuction is still performed first to smooth and tone the abdomen. Then, the horizontal incision on the abdomen is made. This incision is shorter than for the full version, usually a little bit shorter than a C-section scar. Due to the shorter incision length, the mini tummy tuck only targets the area below the belly button. This is in contrast to a full tummy tuck, which targets the area both above and below the belly button. Along similar lines, the mini tummy tuck may also include abdominal muscle tightening limited to below the belly button. Lastly, because the mini tummy tuck stays below the navel, the patient keeps their existing bellow button rather than getting a new one.

Now that both options have been laid out, let’s wrap up with a quick summary of the differences between these two procedures, and who may be a good candidate for one over the other. A full tummy tuck utilizes a longer incision to tighten the skin and tissue both above and below the belly button, and creates a new belly button in the process. A mini tummy tuck uses a smaller incision to tighten the skin and tissue below the belly button, and leaves the native belly button in place. Therefore, people with excess hanging skin and loose tissue over the upper and lower abdomen are better suited to a full tummy tuck. People who are overall satisfied with their upper abdomen and just have a little excess skin and tissue below the belly button they would like removed may be happy with a mini tummy tuck. Additionally, those who wish to change the appearance of their belly button may prefer a full tummy tuck over a mini.

Both the full and mini tummy tucks are great options for patients looking to change the appearance of their abdomen and get the flat sculpted midsection they desire! Depending on the patient’s current appearance, desired result, and preferences for scar size and belly button, one option may be a better match than the other. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Traci Temmen is highly skilled at both of these procedures and enjoys working with each individual to design a personalized procedure plan that is the perfect fit for them. If you are interested in learning more about if you may be a good candidate for a full or mini tummy tuck, please call 813-771-6393 to schedule your one-on-one consultation with Traci Temmen, MD, today!