Cosmetic eyelid surgery, known as blepharoplasty, is a surgical procedure to remove loose drooping skin, revealing the natural contour of the upper eyelids.  The procedure also removes fatty deposits which produce puffiness or bags of the upper and lower eyelids.  Blepharoplasty can also treat excess skin and fine wrinkles of the lower eyelids.  The surgery can be performed in an accredited office based surgical facility under local anesthesia or in a hospital operating room with systemic anesthesia depending on surgeon and patient preferences.  In some cases, insurance pre-authorization can be obtained for correction of upper eyelid deformities producing loss of peripheral vision.

Consultation with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon will determine whether you are a good candidate for blepharoplasty. Like any cosmetic procedure, eyelid surgery requires an individualized approach based on each patient’s anatomy and goals for improvement.  The benefits of blepharoplasty are a smoother, firmer, more youthful contour of the eyelids, making you look more rested and alert.  Call 518 438-1434 for an appointment with one of our qualified Board Certified Plastic Surgeons to discuss this procedure in more detail during a personal consultation.

Published in "Capital Region Living Magazine"  6/2009

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We all look forward to Spring! Winter can be such a gloomy season. There isn’t enough sunshine, and there is too much ice and snow. Some of us have been nibbling too much and not exercising enough. To be candid, some of us are probably not very happy with the body that we see when we look in the mirror. As a doctor, the best medical advice that I can give  you is to eat less and exercise more. As a plastic surgeon, I realize that not everyone can reach the body contour goals that they desire with diet and exercise alone. Unattractive bulges and sagging excess skin can defy even the most disciplined routines. Plastic surgery can provide body contouring procedures that can enhance your shape and compliment the hard work that you have done to be the “best” you. 

Liposuction is a plastic surgery procedure that enables us to contour troublesome areas that haven’t responded to exercise and diet. There are several different techniques for liposuction that are discussed and promoted in the press. How can you determine if a technique is the appropriate one for you? How do you know if the choice you have made will give you the result that you desire? Will it be safe?

Determining if a surgical procedure will be correct, safe and effective for you is the first and most important step in the process of making a treatment choice. An excellent resource is your family physician. He/she can refer you to a reputable specialist in your community who performs liposuction as well as other body contouring procedures.  The internet can be a second site to seek out information regarding body contouring. Of course, the information that is provided is only as good as the website, and you need to exercise some caution in selecting sites. Any site that is generated by a major teaching hospital, a national health organization, e.g. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons or a government sponsored site is typically reliable. A site that “sells” as well as offers to educate may or may not be as impartial.

Your best course for information is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who performs the body contouring procedures that interest you.  A plastic surgeon can assist you in deciding if body contouring is right for you.  As a boarded plastic surgeon who does liposuction, let me share some general information with you.  Liposuction is a surgical procedure that permits the removal of body fat from problem areas to create a more pleasing body contour. The surgery cannot substitute for weight loss. It’s goal is to compliment diet and exercise to achieve an improved shape. The surgery is typically performed in a hospital operating room with anesthesia.  Small areas of body contouring may be done safely in an office setting. The most effective, popular method of liposuction is called tumescent liposuction. Fluids used ordinarily intravenously are mixed with drugs to give the patient the advantage of local pain control and lessened bruising. This fluid is injected into the areas to be liposuctioned making the surgery safer and more effective. A thin, sterile metal wand is then used to withdraw fat using suction from the targeted pockets. Sometimes the liposuction machine will be power-assisted which means that the wand vibrates mechanically to make removing the fat more efficient. Other methods for liposuction are being promoted with machines that use the power of ultrasound or laser energy to remove fat. These methods have no clear advantage over the power assisted method and can involve higher levels of risk to the patient. There are also chemical injections marketed for fat removal that theoretically will dissolve the fat while it is still in the patient’s body. There is no medical evidence that this method works and no official guidelines to govern the type or amount of drugs being used. As is always the case, if “something seems to good to be true….”

Liposuction performed by a trained, boarded plastic surgeon in an appropriate environment is a very safe, effective way to enhance your body contour.  If you have questions regarding liposuction or other procedures for body contouring, please feel free to contact the staff at Albany Plastic Surgeons, PLLC. We look forward to helping you banish the winter blues and spring forward to a better you!

The above article, in condensed form, published in "Capital Region Living Magazine" 3/2009

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A special thank you to our physician peers of the Capital District who voted Dr. Debbie A. Kennedy and Dr. Joshua King "Best Physicians in the Capital Region" for the third year in a row (2007, 2008 2009), as recognized by Capital Region Living Magazine!  We are appreciative of the high marks given us by our fellow practicing physicians as well as by their and our patients! Congratulations to all the fine doctors mentioned in this year's  "Best Doctors" edition and for their commitment and devotion to the patients of the Capital Region.