Procedures such as tummy tuck surgery, brachioplasty (arm lift) and thigh lift are ideal methods for tightening the skin after massive weight loss. At Riverside Plastic Surgery Associates, Dr. Childers performs these procedures on a routine basis – and, is a Harvard-trained plastic surgeon – so you can be assured of his expertise if you are interested in any of these surgeries.

Post Bariatric Surgery Cost

Many prospective patients inquire about the cost of tummy tuck after bariatric surgery, or the cost of combining it with an arm lift or thigh lift. Some general information follows:

Insurance normally only covers surgery on the lower abdomen (aka “mini” tummy tuck) below the belly button. However, it is highly recommended that patients who require a post bariatric tummy tuck undergo full tummy tuck surgery (above and below the belly button) if they want results that appear attractive. Patients may need to pay out of pocket for the upper abdomen portion, but the results are worth the added cost. Occasionally, women who require breast surgery following weight loss may find their insurance covers it; inquire with your health insurance carrier.

This plastic surgeon near Orange County can only quote a range for these procedures, and encourages those interested to schedule a consultation to learn more.*

• Price range for post bariatric tummy tuck cost: $7,500 (includes facility and anesthesia)
• Price range for post bariatric arm lift: $5,500 (includes facility and anesthesia)
• Price range for post bariatric thigh lift cost: $7,500 (includes facility and anesthesia)

*These costs are based on the average patient; depending on the patient, the surgery may be longer or shorter, which would affect cost.

Do people really get plastic surgery to change identity? Not often, at least not here in the United States. For some, it seems like a glamorous notion: spies, criminals and those on the run from their enemies undergoing plastic surgery in order to mask an identity meant to be left behind. But in reality, most plastic surgery patients are not mysterious individuals headed for the underground.

Instead, they are largely average women and men who seek to enhance, improve or reverse something related to the appearance for “normal” personal or professional reasons. So to answer the question above: Some “real” people have undergone plastic surgery to change identity, but for the most part this phenomenon is relegated to the movies.

If it’s a dramatic facial transformation a patient wants, he or she may opt for rhinoplasty, chin implants or a facelift. Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) and brow lift are both emerging in popularity as well, because they are procedures that allow for rejuvenation of only a portion of the face. Sometimes, this is all the change a patient wants.

As an in-demand plastic surgeon in the Inland Empire, Dr. Childers is an expert regarding all of the above procedures, and can help patients address the degree of alteration that can be expected from the surgery. The time to ask about the changes you’re seeking is during your initial consultation. Call Dr. Childers, a trusted surgeon in the Inland Empire, to schedule this appointment.

That’s because every procedure includes a certain degree of risk, so patients should be certain they are firm in their decisions before proceeding. Also, it’s important that when you begin the patient process, it’s with an open, but fully informed, mind. How can someone who is considering plastic surgery educate her or himself so that a confident, comfortable decision can be made?

By attending an initial consultation at the office of a board certified plastic surgeon. Orange County prospects of Dr. Childers are invited to discuss the procedures they are interested in during an appointment like this, no matter where they fall on the one to ten scale. By the time the consultation is over, they are often much higher to ten than they were before sitting down with our experienced, compassionate and knowledgeable cosmetic surgeon. If you are on the fence regarding any specific procedure, we highly recommend you schedule a consultation today.

Forming a plastic surgery ideology is less important than being confident in your personal decision to undergo a procedure that may enhance your appearance and improve your self esteem. To discuss the procedure(s) you are considering, contact Riverside Plastic Surgery today.

Of course, she can minimize these issues by avoiding excessive weight gain during pregnancy and following her doctor’s advice where diet and exercise are concerned. If you are a patient in this situation, be sure your obstetrician knows you have undergone a tummy tuck (if you haven’t already been asked).

As for the safety of the babies of women getting pregnant after a tummy tuck, they are normally not at any serious risk in utero. Most of the time, babies born after the mother has had a tummy tuck are no more likely to experience problems than other infants because they “make room” in the uterus as they grow. However, some cases have reportedly been an exception to this, particularly cases that involve twins.

If you plan on getting pregnant after a tummy tuck or you are a post-tummy tuck patient and have learned you are pregnant, speak with your doctor about the risks involved. Alternatively, you may call our office to speak with Dr. Childers about your concerns involving pregnancy and tummy tuck. Orange County patients of our practice have trusted his insight on a variety of sensitive matters, and you can too.

Guiliana Rancic: The E! reporter and Style Network reality star announced she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in October 2011. Just a few months later, she underwent a double mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction. “At the end, to be honest, all it came down to was just choosing to live, and not looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life,” she said of the procedure. Now, with a baby on the way via surrogate and her health on the mend, the 36 year-old Rancic can be an inspiration to other young women who have received a diagnosis.

Christina Applegate: Also at age 36, long-time television actress Christina Applegate announced a breast cancer diagnosis in 2008. Soon thereafter, she underwent a double mastectomy as well. Although Applegate’s restorative procedure was not an immediate breast reconstruction, she did opt for implanted expanders, which are filled with saline in a series of appointments before implant surgery, in her chest to initiate the process. This is another of the many options available to women who seek post-mastectomy breast reconstruction.

For more information on breast reconstruction following mastectomy, contact our Orange County cosmetic surgery office. Dr. Childers is proud to count breast reconstruction among his most exclusive specialties.

In fact, ASPS statistics reveal there were 20,680 chin implant procedures (also known as chin augmentation) performed in 2011. Although Dr. Childers is a highly sought-after plastic surgeon in the Inland Empire, Riverside Plastic Surgery Associates performs a relatively low number of these procedures. Still, the numbers make sense when you consider the following:

“The chin and jawline are among the first areas to show signs of aging,” ASPS President Malcolm Z. Roth said. “People are considering chin augmentation as a way to restore their youthful look.” Certain technologies that enable people to see themselves interacting with others, such as video conferencing, may contribute to the craze. “We also know that as more people see themselves on video chat technology, they may notice that their jawline is not as sharp as they want it to be,” Roth said.

This phenomenon seems to be most common among men, who are more likely to use video chat technology in a professional capacity and be unhappy with what they see in the chin area. A pronounced, defined chin is highly valued in today’s youth-favoring corporate environment.

For more information on any type of facial cosmetic surgery, contact Dr. Childers, a trusted plastic surgeon in the Inland Empire. He will be glad to answer your questions.

The criminal complaint that was filed accused Carlos Arango and William Ordonez, both Colombian nationals, of recruiting women from a spa in Queens and for undergoing liposuction and fat transfers. The procedures were performed without general anesthesia. A man presumed to be a licensed physician, Dr. Marlon Castillo, is said to have periodically entered the procedure room. Neither of the other two men is a licensed physician, nurse or physician’s assistant.

Arango and Ordonez are accused of performing the surgery on two patients from Connecticut and one from Manhattan. The patients reported severe pain and some permanent disfigurement.

The charges Castillo and Arango have pleaded not guilty to charges including fraud and assault and were jailed with bail at $100,000. Authorities say Wednesday they are still looking for Ordonez, and will charge him accordingly as well.

Unlicensed cosmetic surgery practitioners are not doctors; they’re criminals. This incident, like every story that emerges regarding illegal cosmetic surgery, underscores the need for trusting not only a licensed physician, but a board certified plastic surgeon for your cosmetic surgery. Los Angeles liposuction surgeon Ben Childers, MD is a board certified plastic surgeon that can be thoroughly trusted to perform your next procedure safely and with as little risk as possible.

NeoGraft has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an automated hair transplant device. Hair is harvested one hair at a time from the back of the head without leaving the large linear scars associated with the “strip” hair transplant method. For patients who are unhappy with scars from past facelifts, this can be a good thing.

Because our office does not specialize in hair transplant surgery, our Los Angeles facelift patients will need to go elsewhere for NeoGraft if it is necessary. However, we urge you to come to our practice first when seeking out your facelift options. Dr. Childers is an experienced cosmetic surgeon who skillfully conceals facelift scars in the hairline, leaving them barely noticeable. Many patients will not need the added expense of the NeoGraft procedure, and going to a surgeon who offers it may mean they will be pressured to undergo it when it isn’t necessary. For more information on facelift surgery and facelift scarring, contact Riverside Plastic Surgery Associates today.

That means that now, cosmetic surgeons have a third choice when it comes to which breast implant brands to offer patients; Allergan and Mentor, the other two FDA approved manufacturers, are said to be developing their own versions of firmer, cohesive gel implants.

Under FDA guidelines, Sientra is approved to market its implants for breast enhancement and reconstruction in women who are 22 years or older. The company said it will eventually offer implants in multiple shapes and sizes.

In addition to gummy bear comparisons, the texture of cohesive gel breast implants has been described as “marshmallow like” and “squishy,” which some patients believe feels more natural to the touch. Of course, every patient has unique preferences and may be more inclined toward the existing silicone gel and saline options already on the market. Either way, the expansion of clinically safe, FDA-approved implant options can only be a positive development for breast enhancement patients. For more information on these or other breast implant options, contact our Los Angeles breast augmentation office.

In a study of 32 women published in the journal Obesity, researchers at the University of Colorado assigned 14 of the subjects to undergo liposuction, while the 18 who didn’t undergo the procedure served as the control group. None of the women changed their diet or fitness habits, which was expected to serve as the catalyst for fat accumulation in localized areas.

But what researchers found was the fat that returned after surgery wasn’t subcutaneous (under the skin); instead, it was the deeper, visceral fat that doctors typically associate with heart disease (fortunately, these women did not encounter any adverse medical side effects). Also, the fat accumulated in areas that were not treated with liposuction.

So yes, fat can come back after liposuction if you fail to make real lifestyle changes, but deeper in the body where it is more medically dangerous. Where subcutaneous fat is concerned, though, it is more likely to come back in areas that were not treated with liposuction (because the subcutaneous fat cells in the treated areas were removed and cannot return). Here’s an example from Los Angeles liposuction surgeon Dr. Childers: If you receive liposuction on the buttocks, and then gain weight after liposuction, the fat that accumulates will likely not return to the buttocks but to other areas of the body that were not treated – say, the abdomen.

The good news is that patients can make lifestyle changes after liposuction to ensure that the fat stays away from everywhere in the body. And, this information serves as a helpful reminder that liposuction is most effective as a body contouring method, and not an overall weight loss strategy. It sculpts areas of the body into more attractive curves trims away excess fat. To learn more, contact us today to discuss liposuction. Riverside Plastic Surgery Associates welcomes you to schedule an initial consultation.