Recent Blog Posts from Rowley Plastic Surgery

From Flab to Fab: What Arm Lift Plastic Surgery in Lubbock Can Do for You

The appearance of your upper arms is probably something you never imagined you would care much about. Maturing in age has its benefits but it also comes with some drawbacks, and worsening arm flab can be one of them. The upper arms can also be a source of frustration for people who have lost a significant amount of weight. Reaching your weight loss goal is supposed to be something to celebrate, but it can be hard to feel like you’ve achieved the look you want when you still see “bat wings” in the mirror. Whether you dislike your arms because they’ve started to sag with age or they didn’t bounce back after your weight loss, brachioplasty, or arm lift plastic surgery in Lubbock, is a convenient way to get rid of that flabby look. You don’t have to hide your arms by wearing long sleeve shirts year-round anymore. For the right candidate, an arm lift can turn the arms from flabby to fabulous. 

What Does an Arm Lift Do?

If you are doing your research about brachioplasty, you have probably lived with sagging arms long enough to know that diet and exercise do not solve the problem. No amount of pushups, arm circles, or weight lifting will get rid of the excess fat and skin that hangs off the arms. With Lubbock plastic surgery, your arms can finally have the shape you desire. Not all arm lifts are exactly the same since patients have varying degrees of tissue that needs to be removed. In general, you can expect your plastic surgeon to create a better contour of your arms from the elbow to the armpit. The goal is to give you slimmer arms that appear more toned and are better aligned with the proportions of the rest of your body. 

What Does Arm Lift Surgery Involve?   

An arm lift is a fairly straightforward plastic surgery in Lubbock. The operation takes about one hour under general anesthesia in outpatient surgery. Your doctor will make an incision either on the inside of your upper arm or on the backside, and then remove the excess skin and fat.  Internal sutures may be used to tighten and reshape the underlying tissue. Dr. Jane Rowley does not place drains, and the sutures are absorbed by the body. Although liposuction alone cannot eliminate hanging arm skin, some patients opt to add liposuction to their brachioplasty procedure to target specific fat deposits on their arms. Talk to your doctor to determine whether combining liposuction with your arm lift will give you the best results.  

Brachioplasty patients are sent home from surgery with compression wraps that should be worn for up to 2 weeks. Your arms will be noticeably slimmer right after your operation, but you should be able to see the full results within 6 to 8 weeks, after any swelling and bruising has subsided. If you can maintain a stable, healthy weight, your Lubbock plastic surgery outcome can last a very long time. 

Is Brachioplasty Worth It?

One of the most important considerations for brachioplasty patients is whether they are comfortable with scarring on their arms. Just about every type of Lubbock plastic surgery will leave a scar, but arm lift scars tend to be longer and more noticeable than with other procedures. The way your scars will look depend on the location and amount of sin and fat that is removed. Brachioplasty scars are not as easily hidden as the ones you might get from breast augmentation or a tummy tuck, but many patients feel the benefits of arm lift plastic surgery in Lubbock far outweigh the costs. A board-certified plastic surgeon with brachioplasty experience can help you decide if the procedure is right for you.  

Dr. Jane Rowley has been performing brachioplasty for over 20 years. She is always honest and candid in her consultations with patients, and will only recommend the procedure for those who will see the best results. She says:

“Patients really need to have a significant amount of excess skin to be happy with the results after this operation. There is a fairly significant scar that can be noticeable in clothing, but on the right patient, the results can be dramatic.”

When you are trying to make a decision about Lubbock plastic surgery for your arms, it can also be helpful to talk to other patients or read online reviews. 92 percent of RealSelf brachioplasty patients say the procedure is “worth it.” One reviewer said:

“My verdict on the arm-lift is that it is very much worth the cost. I feel much more confident now that my wings are gone and while the scars are a pretty big trade-off, in the end I would still opt to have the surgery as opposed to spending forever with big, flappy arms.”

Arm Lift Plastic Surgery in Lubbock With Dr. Rowley

You don’t have to live with embarrassment or insecurity about your appearance. If you are tired of hiding your arms because of excessive hanging skin or fat, an arm lift could give you back the confidence you deserve. Dr. Jane Rowley is the most experienced plastic surgeon in Lubbock, and she can tell you whether an arm lift is the best way for you to achieve your aesthetic goals. To learn about your plastic surgery options, schedule your no-obligation consultation with Rowley Plastic Surgery today. 

The Beauty of a Lubbock Breast Lift and Other Breast Surgeries

Women deserve to feel confident in their appearance. Taking care of yourself is important, and there are many simple things you can do to stay healthy and in shape. But what if you feel insecure about a part of your body that can’t be improved with diet, exercise, or a day at the salon? When you are unhappy with the way your breasts look, it can affect your confidence and make it hard to feel as beautiful as you really are. Plastic surgery for the breasts allows women to have the bust size and shape that helps them feel natural, attractive   and comfortable in their everyday lives. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast lifts, breast augmentations, and breast reductions accounted for a quarter of all the cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in the U.S. last year. With so many options for breast enhancement, how do you know which is the right procedure for you? Take a look at our guide to getting a Lubbock breast lift, breast reduction, or breast augmentation. 

When You Should Consider a Breast Lift in Lubbock

Not all women who are interested in breast surgery want to increase the size of their breasts. Breastfeeding, age, gravity, and weight changes can all contribute to breast sagging, which causes you to look older than you are and can make it hard to feel confident in your appearance. If the reason you feel unsatisfied with your breasts is because they droop or sag, the procedure that might best fit your needs is a breast lift. Lubbock plastic surgeon Dr. Jane Rowley recommends this surgery for her patients who have significant sagging of the breasts, or ptosis. She can perk up your looks with a breast lift by removing excess skin and breast tissue that weighs the breasts down and causes them to droop.   

Breasts can become so stretched that the nipples begin to point downward. Your plastic surgeon can correct this issue by moving the nipple/areola complex to a higher position, giving your chest a more youthful shape. Repositioning the nipple, tissue, and skin of the breasts with a Lubbock breast lift provides more forward projection and makes bras, clothing, and swimwear fit better. The surgical procedure takes about 90 minutes to 2 hours, and results are noticeable immediately afterwards. However, with significant fluctuations in weight or skin laxity, the breasts can begin to sag again in the future. Your doctor can recommend ways to help make your results last so you can enjoy them for as long as possible. 

Breast Reduction for Symptom Relief

Breast reduction is a popular procedure that patients often have in tandem with a Lubbock breast lift. If you suffer from chronic neck, back, or shoulder pain because of your large breasts, a breast reduction may be able to help. The surgery makes the breasts smaller with the removal of excess fat, skin, and breast tissue. Breast reduction recovery varies depending on the original size of your breasts, but most women can return to work after 10 to 14 days. Resuming all your normal activities may take up to 6 weeks. 

In addition to relieving physical discomfort associated with a heavy chest, breast reduction can improve your appearance by balancing out your proportions. The procedure can have a slimming effect, and patients often look like they have lost weight after their surgery. Some of Dr. Rowley’s happiest clients are her breast reduction patients, because the procedure gives them immediate relief from their pain and a beautiful enhancement to their appearance.  

Adding Volume With Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation is hands down the most popular plastic surgery in America, and has been since 2006. It enables women to increase the size of their breasts with the use of silicone gel, saline, or structured breast implants. The size, shape, and placement of your breast implants will also help tailor your look to give you the perfect enhancement to your breasts. 

You can choose to have a breast augmentation with a breast lift in Lubbock to address sagging and add volume at the same time. However, for some women, the weight of breast implants can work against a breast lift. Lubbock patients should discuss their goals with a board-certified plastic surgeon to see whether combining the two procedures is the best option for them. 

Breast Surgery With the Leading Plastic Surgeon in Lubbock

Each woman’s lifestyle, preferences, and goals are different, and so are her breasts. When you no longer feel like your breasts complement your appearance, plastic surgery can help you get the look you want. Dr. Jane Rowley is an expert in the field of cosmetic breast surgery, and with her experience and surgical talent, she can give you natural, beautiful results. Whether you want a Lubbock breast lift, breast reduction, or breast augmentation, Dr. Rowley and her staff at Rowley Plastic Surgery are the plastic surgery team you can trust. Contact our office today to schedule a no-obligation consultation.   

The Facts About Lubbock Breast Augmentation After Mastectomy

Lubbock breast augmentation is a topic that many women are familiar with, but what about breast reconstruction after mastectomy? The less-talked about procedure is used to rebuild the breasts after cancerous breast tissue is removed. Women who have gone through breast cancer have the option of pursuing reconstruction to recreate the natural look and feel of their breasts. This procedure can help with mental and emotional healing after overcoming cancer, but it is often misunderstood. Approaching reconstruction with the understanding that it is not a one size fits all surgery will help you get the most satisfaction from your results. The better you can anticipate what to expect from breast reconstruction after mastectomy, the more comfortable you will be with the entire process.

Breast Reconstruction Methods

One way to reconstruct the breasts after mastectomy is with breast augmentation. Lubbock breast cancer patients can opt for implant-based reconstruction, which is different than a typical breast augmentation in Lubbock. This procedure is performed using a temporary implant, or breast tissue expander. The expander is filled partly with saline or silicone gel and placed in the breasts, either over or under the chest muscle. After several weeks or even months, you can choose to have the expander filled up more as the breast tissue has stretched, or have it switched out for a permanent breast implant. According to breastcancer.org, implant-based reconstruction surgery can be done through the same incision as the mastectomy and can sometimes be done as a one-step procedure. However, this method may not work for some patients after radiation therapy, because the skin becomes tough and has difficulty stretching. Your doctor can help you decide whether implant-based reconstruction is right for you.    

A procedure known as flap surgery is another option for breast reconstruction. For this method, the plastic surgeon takes fatty tissue from one area of the body such as the thighs, belly, or buttocks, and implants it in the chest. Patients with enough donor tissue make good candidates for this procedure and often end up with results that resemble the softness and movement of natural breasts, just like they would after Lubbock breast augmentation. Flap reconstructive surgery requires a more complex operation and longer recovery period compared to implant-based reconstruction.

It is important to understand the different breast reconstruction methods available. Other alternatives after mastectomy include direct to implant, fat grafting, nipple reconstruction, or no reconstruction at all. Learning of a breast cancer diagnosis can make you feel like you have no options. When you finally beat the disease and are ready to rebuild your breasts, you deserve to know about all of your choices so you can make an informed decision that feels right for you.   

The Timing is Up to You

Taking control of your life after cancer is an empowering feeling. Many patients elect to have their reconstructive surgery or breast augmentation in Lubbock performed at the same time as their mastectomy, but you don’t have to. If you would rather pursue reconstruction after you have had more of a chance to heal physically and emotionally, it is your right to do so. According to MDAnderson, the decision to have immediate versus delayed breast reconstruction also depends on factors such as your breast cancer stage, lifestyle and preferences, medical conditions, and any additional therapies you may need. 

A recent Bustle article about breast reconstruction cited a study which revealed that “Immediate breast reconstruction may protect breast cancer patients from a period of psychosocial distress, poor body image, and diminished sexual well-being compared with those waiting for delayed breast reconstruction.” The decision to have reconstruction immediately, later, or not at all is a very personal one and should involve close counsel with your doctor. 

Reconstructed Breasts Aren’t Perfect Breasts

Breast reconstruction can help restore some of the shape and feel of your natural breasts, but it can’t make them exactly the way they were before cancer. Unlike breast augmentation, Lubbock breast reconstruction often cannot bring back sensation to the breasts or nipples. With time and healing, some feeling can return, but it may never be the same. Different women experience varying degrees of sensation loss, but a lot depends on the mastectomy and what type of reconstructive procedure you have. As with a regular Lubbock breast augmentation procedure, it will take time for your breasts to heal no matter how you choose to enhance them. Just remember to be patient with your body and give it the care it deserves. 

Caring and Compassionate Plastic Surgery in Lubbock

The journey through breast cancer can be a long and difficult road. If and when you decide you are ready to seek breast reconstruction, you can rest assured knowing that Dr. Jane Rowley and her staff provide the highest level of plastic surgery care in Lubbock. Dr. Rowley has over two decades of experience with breast augmentation in Lubbock and is often referred by local oncologists for reconstructive procedures. She has the training and expertise to help you feel like yourself again after breast cancer. Schedule your no-obligation consultation today to take the next steps on your path to recovery.