On Thursday, January 26, we had our Cosmetic Surgery Wine & Cheese Open House which was a huge success. During the open house, Dr. Togba briefly discussed how to recycle your own body fat for a fuller, youthful face along with the popular Brazilian Buttock Lift.

There were representatives for Botox, Latisse, Juvederm, Sculptra, Radiesse, Xeomin, Obagi and more.

With over 65 attendees, this was our biggest event of the year.

Throughout the year we offer smaller seminars that address plastic surgery interests from Facelifts to Body Contouring.

Last year during the summer, I was looking in the mirror and decided that gravity and mother time were catching up with me. Primarily, I didn’t like the lower part of my face. I took my hands and pulled at the sides and decided that there was too much loose skin and too many wrinkles. Then from the side, I noticed that my jaw line was loose and that I had jowls. Oh No!!

Of course, I knew I had to turn to Dr. Togba to fix me up. We decided that November 22nd would be my surgery date. It was hard to choose this date because I knew that Thanksgiving Day would be two days later and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to eat. That’s very important because EATING is my second favorite pastime.

I was a little nervous after my consultation. I knew the procedure was extensive but I did not know to what degree. Dr. Togba answered all my questions and eased my mind. Now I was ready.

I arrived at the office and thought how odd it was to be on the surgery table. I slept through most of the surgery. At the end I started to wake up to a buzzing sound…it was the cautery machine. It seemed loud but there was no discomfort at all. I didn’t feel out of it or drugged at the end of the procedure. I was ready to go home because it was a 4 1/2 hour surgery.

The first evening Dr. Togba had placed a large thick bandage around my face. There was little discomfort and my lower neck and shoulder areas had swelling & bruising. There was also some pain where the drain had been placed in my neck. I took a half of Percocet and started to apply ice to the sore areas.

The following day, Wednesday, I came into the office to have the large bulky dressing off & to have my drain removed. Melody, our patient counselor, thought I looked good. Everyone was surprised that I wasn’t black & blue because ordinarily, after even the smallest of injections, I am bruised purple. I slept propped up on three pillows so there was not much swelling. I went for a walk and felt tired afterwards so I ended up taking a nap. It was hard to get a tooth brush in my mouth so I did quite a bit of rinsing.

Thanksgiving Day I decided to stay home and take it easy. I felt great and could have gone to my family’s house but I watched movies all day and slept off and on. My mouth was not opening very wide but that didn’t matter. All of the food was soft…mashed potatoes, dressing, yams, cranberry sauce, turkey & pie…etc. I felt energized but I knew I had to take it easy. I did feel a little down and lonely but I had to remind myself that after this type of surgery you can get a little depressed. I cried but it was because I miss my parents and older sister that are deceased. I felt melancholy for a couple of days. I was getting cabin fever, but I wasn’t ready to venture outside.

The weekend was uneventful. No pain medicine was needed at all. I think I took four pills the first two days. I usually go dancing every weekend and I was ready to go out Saturday night but I knew I couldn’t do any activities that would raise my heart rate. I also needed to be careful not to bend over. I was getting used to squatting down to pick up anything from the floor or the lower drawers.

Monday morning, I came back to work. I had a band around my face. I decided to wrap a scarf over the band. So, I came to work with a Marilyn Monroe type of style. Not that it looked bad but I knew I would get a lot of questions. I worked all day and was fine. I was tired when I got home but nothing excessive.

Tuesday, Melody and I went to a luncheon and it was hard to tell that I was only one week post op. My face was swollen and I had a few bruises on my chin. Wednesday evening I went to a dinner and there were a lot of people there (as well as plastic surgeons) but no one really knew I just had surgery. My mouth was finally opening up…whoo hoo !!

At this point, the hardest thing was to take it slow. I get teased a lot about being high energy. I am moving soon, so I wanted to pack but I was not allowed. It was a great opportunity to read and watch movies.

Today, I have been back to work for 3 weeks. Dr. Togba gave me permission to go out this weekend. I went dancing and it felt wonderful. A friend I have known for years asked me what I had done because I looked beautiful. I said I had a much needed vacation and he commented maybe he needed one too. I can open my mouth so I can eat anything I want. My face feels numb in certain areas and a little tight. The scars around my face have almost disappeared. The scars behind my ears feel lumpy but I know it will just take time for them to flatten out. I enjoy wearing my hair up and Dr. Togba told me it would take about three months. I am absolutely thrilled with my new look. I look younger and rejuvenated. Dr. Togba is truly an artist and I would recommend anyone for any type of plastic surgery they might want. If you want to ask me any questions please do…as you know I have the information first hand.

My progression before and after my facelift from Day 1 to Day 23:

Q:  I had a couple of consultations for lower eyelid surgery and I got 2 recommendations.  One doctor recommended the transcutaneous approach and another the transconjunctival approach.  How do I know which one is the best choice for me?

A:  Either approach to your lower lids will result in an improvement.  In order to determine the best surgical option, it is important to evaluate your skin changes - are there fine lines, wrinkles, capillaries, etc?  Another factor that helps us to determine the best approach is the resilience of the lower lid when it is pulled away from the eye ball - the snap test.  If the skin is smooth and the lower lid snaps back as soon as it is released then the transconjunctival approach would be my choice.  Very little bruising associated with this approach.  If there are multiple fine lines with a good snap test then I would suggest laser resurfacing in addition to the transconjunctival approach.  If you have a poor snap test then I would recommend a transcutaneous approach with a tightening procedure for the lower lid - a canthopexy.

A:  Your concern regarding the loss of volume in the tear troughs and cheeks is what drive many patients to seek a filler solution.  You have several options to consider:

1) hyaluronic acid fillers as Juvederm, Restylane, Perlane, etc. which are effective for up to a year.  These are all reversible if you don’t like the results.

2) Radiesse, for the cheeks, which will last for 18 months.  Not reversible.

3) Sculptra, a volumizer that stimulates your body to produce collagen with results that last for two years.  Not reversible.

4) Fat grafting which can last for years. The fat is taken from your body and injected into your face.  You will need a skilled plastic surgeon who has done many of these procedures.

All of the above options can produce excellent results in the hands of a skilled physician.   The physician you see can help you decide which product(s) to use and areas to fill.

A:  Two weeks off after breast augmentation is usually enough time.

Most patients are able to return to work somewhere between the first and second week after surgery.  If your job requires a lot of heavy upper body activity, you may need an additional week away from work.  Actually, the more active you are after surgery, the faster the pectoralis muscles adapt to the implants.

A:  Liposuction of the neck successfully removes the excess fat in the region that causes bulging.  The process causes some scarring that may improve mild skin sagging of the region.  As the aging process continues, our skin loses its elasticity and begins to sag.  Unfortunately, liposuction does not prevent this progression.  The appropriate treatment for sagging neck skin would either be a neck lift or a face lift.  You should consult your plastic surgeon to find out which procedure would be the more appropriate for you.

With all this, patients should know that medical doctors in the United States are allowed to practice in any field of medicine, not limited to their specific medical specialty.  Also, it is not necessary for a physician to be board certified in any particular specialty.  Here is an important article published by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), “New Laws, TV Ads, Expose White Coat Deception,” http://www.plasticsurgery.org/News-and-Resources/New-Laws-TV-Ads-Expose-White-Coat-Deception.html.

To find out more about the doctor you are researching, check the biography or curriculum vitae.  This should be located on their website and is often found in the “About the doctor” tab. 

 In Short, here is your recipe for a board certified plastic surgeon: 

- An undergraduate degree

- A medical degree from a reputable medical school

- At least 6 years of training and experience in surgery with 3 years    specifically in plastic and reconstructive surgery for face and body. This should be listed under their residency and internships.

- Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery

- A member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons

The easiest way to tell if your doctor is a board certified plastic surgeon is to see if he or she is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, (ASPS).  Please refer to this article, which will outline ASPS membership qualifications.  http://www.plasticsurgery.org/Articles-and-Galleries/Patient-and-Consumer-Information/ASPS-Member-Qualifications.html.