Welcome

Welcome!
I am a plastic surgeon. I am a mother of three.  I have been in private practice for a decade.  After seeing hundreds of patients, particularly those with changes after motherhood, I see recurrent themes.  Changes following pregnancy and breastfeeding are inevitable.  But why do some women look better than others? When I had my

Read More…

Race for the girls: Susan G. Komen race for a cure

Mark your calendars for September 26.  All of us have been touched by breast cancer.  For me, my inspiration is my grandmother Rose, who was diagnosed at age 50.  She died at age 93.  I see women on all sides of breast cancer.  I am proud to race for the cure.
The 20th Anniversary Komen San

Read More…

why do doctors not take insurance plans?

You are not the only one who finds medical insurance difficult.
I have been around medicine my whole life.  My father was a plastic surgeon as well.  Back in his day 30 years ago when a patient had insurance, he billed insurance for x amount, and they paid x amount.
What a concept.
When I started my practice

Read More…

Breast implant removal. What will I look like?

I fielded a question from a young woman who had small implants placed (less than 200cc) who at 2 months out wanted the implants removed.  Her concern was what are things going to look like?
Breast implant removal and leaving them out (ie you don’t put new implants in) is a rare thing.  I have done

Read More…

Liposuction and tummy tuck at the same time?

Yes and no.
Yes, you can liposuction other areas of the body at the time of tummy tuck.
No, you cannot liposuction the abdomen.
Why? When you do a tummy tuck (this is a full tummy tuck, not a wedge or miniabdominoplasty), you create what is called a skin flap. This interferes with the blood supply to the

Read More…

How much weight will I gain with breast implants?

Yes, this is something my patients think about. 
Breast implants do have a weight.  In general, the number of cc’s is equal to the number of grams.  So a 400 cc implant weighs about 400 grams.  Since we live in the San Francisco Bay Area and not Europe, how many pounds is this? 1000 grams =

Read More…

When smart lipo is not so smart. Tales of what I have seen.

I saw two patients today who came in after they had smart lipo done by other doctors.  TWO PATIENTS. They both were upset with their bellies.  They had the same story:
“I had fat on my belly.  I saw Dr. X and he promised me he could remove the fat and that my skin would tighten

Read More…

Anatomic “shaped” implants and rotation

First, let me say I, like the majority of my colleagues who do a lot of breast implants, primarily use round smooth implants. 
Anatomic implants have been talked about a lot recently at our meetings.  The style 410 gummy bear implant is not available in the US.  Even when it does become available (which I have

Read More…

Breast reductions: Men vs. Women- is it the same?

Here is a shocker: men and women are different.  When it comes to breasts (and yes, some of you guys have them), the way to fix a large chest is different too.
Breast reductions reduce the size of breasts.  For men, this would be the area they consider “chest.”  When a man comes to me for

Read More…

And the deals continue… botox, latisse, and juvederm

quick blog today, but just got the new promo in the mail for juvederm.  I promise I will stop these market-y car salesman type blogs, but I had to let you know in case you aren’t actively checking my website specials page….
Free vivite defining lip plumper with juvederm xc treatment.

who doesn’t want their lips plumped

Read More…

Board Certification and cosmetic societies. Who is a real plastic surgeon?

A woman came in who had a botched breast augmentation. She had three surgeries, with all sorts of issues, reoperations, finally ending in her implants being removed. She was told she was “allergic to gel implants.” She came to me for my opinion. What was done? Who did it? Then she showed me his card.
I

Read More…