If it’s on the internet, it might be right…right? We can all have a chuckle at that one. We all know there’s plenty of misinformation floating around the web. So when it comes to something really serious, like surgery, it’s important to get your information straight from the expert. Dr. Thomas Bartell, body recontouring specialist in Madison, Wisconsin, has had plenty of patients come in over the past thirty years asking whether the things they’ve heard or read about cosmetic surgery are really true. Here are the top plastic surgery myths that Dr. Bartell’s heard over the years and why they’re simply not true.
Top Plastic Surgery Myths
- Recovery from Cosmetic Surgery is Very Long
- Expensive New Lipo Machines Get the Best Results
- Silicone Implants Feel More Natural than Saline Implants
- Breast Implants Need to be Replaced
Myth #1: Cosmetic Surgery Requires Outrageously Long Recovery Times
Dr. Bartel has had patients come in for a consultation, anxious that they won’t be able to return to work, the gym, or even lift their small child for several months. Often they’ve been given these recovery times from other surgeons.
The truth is, recovery time after body recontouring tends to be between two and four weeks. For breast augmentation, for example, Dr. Bartell tells his patients that recovery time will be nineteen days. If everything looks okay on day nineteen, all restrictions are lifted. They could even hit the gym to do some bench presses if they wanted to!
For tummy tucks, Dr. Bartell recommends that his patients lift nothing heavier than their shoes or purse for three weeks to allow for optimal healing. It doesn’t require a lot of time off to have these procedures done. Occasionally, of course, an individual patient might need a little longer to heal. But, generally, most patients are back to their normal activities after two to four weeks, depending on the procedure.
Myth #2: The Latest Liposuction Machines Yield the Best Results
Another myth that Dr. Bartell hears from his patients is that the newest type of liposuction machine gets the best results. There are lots of different types of liposuction that are advertised: traditional, ultrasonic, and laser. About every two or three years, a new machine comes out purporting the best results.
However, it’s a myth that a machine is responsible for the results. The results of liposuction aren’t in a machine, but in the hands of the surgeon. Machines are also very expensive, which patients ultimately end up paying for. Dr. Bartell has used traditional liposuction for thirty years and is very good at it. See for yourself! [https://www.drbartell.com/gallery/body-liposuction/] New machines don’t equal the best results, and often simply end up just costing the patient more money.
Myth #3: Silicone Implants Feel More Natural
Another plastic surgery myth that Dr. Bartell has heard is that silicone implants feel more natural than saline implants.
Many doctors only use silicone implants because they feel more natural, like a real breast. Doctors will put a silicone implant next to a saline implant on a table. When patients feel the implants, they agree that silicone feels more natural.
However, silicone feels more like a real breast only when it’s sitting on a table top. Implants, though, go under the muscle, deep inside the patient. Implants merely take up space, pushing what you naturally have forward, so that what you see and feel on the outside is you. Therefore, it’s a myth that silicone implants will yield more natural-feeling results because with any implant, what you’re going to feel is your own breast tissue.
There are also other advantages of saline. They are safe and guaranteed for lifetime if they leak. Patients with saline implants can continue to have mammograms. With silicone implants, however, MRIs are recommended over mammograms. And MRIs are not usually covered by insurance. Saline is also adjustable. Dr. Bartell can customize the fill to correct symmetry and get you to where you want to be. Silicone, on the other hand, is not adjustable.
One downside of saline implants is that they can have a higher incidence of rippling, or visible seams under the arms of very thin patients. But a newer model of saline implant now corrects that.
Myth #4: Breast Implants Need to be Replaced
Sometimes Dr. Bartell will have patients ask if breast implants need to be replaced. This myth is an old holdover from liquid silicone implants, which did need to be replaced every seven to ten years before they leaked, which they always did.
With saline implants, however, you don’t need to replace them. If you’re not having a problem with them, you should simply leave them alone.
Which Cosmetic Surgeon is Best for Me?
Another question people contemplating cosmetic surgery have is, who is the best cosmetic surgeon for me? Dr. Bartell recommends that the best surgeon for you is one who will listen to you and what you want to accomplish. The best surgeon for you will explain everything to you, what surgery and post-op entails, and who will be taking care of you post-op.
Some surgeons pass off people to the on-call surgeon. However, Dr. Bartell takes care of his own patients. Some doctors share numerous before and after photos. Other docs don’t offer that. Dr. Bartell has numerous photos, so that you can see the real work done.
The best surgeons for the procedure you want to have done are the ones with the most experience. Some surgeons claim to be specialists in cosmetic surgery or even cosmetic body contouring. But if you do your research, you’ll realize that’s only some of what they do. These doctors are more like jacks of all trades. They’re only generalists.
Dr. Thomas Bartell, Body Recontouring Specialist
When considering something as important as body recontouring surgery, you want to make sure that you’re getting the best information possible, not from the web but from a real expert. Dr. Thomas Bartell is the Madison area’s premiere body recontouring surgeon. He solely focuses on below-the-neck procedures, so you can be sure that you are in the hands of a true expert.
To schedule your body recontouring consultation, please click here. Dr. Thomas Bartell provides body recontouring, tummy tuck , and breast augmentation in Madison, Wisconsin.
Top Plastic Surgery Myths brought to you by Dr. Thomas Bartell