Plastic Surgery California

Flip though any celebrity magazine and one thing become abundantly clear: full lips are a common feature on almost all Hollywood starlets.

The reason for the attraction of full, well-formed lips may not be scientifically proven yet, but the fact that such an attraction exists is undeniable. Indeed, the number of lip augmentation procedures performed has steadily increased since 2000 (more than 21,000 such procedures were performed in 2009).

But in the effort to augments lips in the most natural looking way possible, one California plastic surgeon has developed perhaps the most comprehensive procedure.

Dr. Jay Calvert, MD, FACS, a nationally recognized plastic surgeon, has developed the LA Lip Enhancement™ which utilizes the patient’s own tissue (fat and deep layers of the skin) to augment their lips, rather than chemicals, inserts or donor tissue material.

“I originally created this operation as an additional technique for patients undergoing rhinoplasty or facelift surgery,” Dr. Calvert explained. “However, it has become a primary procedure for many patients in my practice.”

The procedure has several benefits, Dr. Calvert points out. One, the patient does not necessarily need to have thin lips, yet the results will be noticeable. Second, unlike patients who have undergone Restylane® or Collagen treatments, a person undergoing the LA Lip Enhancement™ treatment does not necessarily have to return every three to six months for a re-injection.

The result, says Dr. Calvert, is  “an almost-permanent enhancement of the lips through the use of the patient’s own tissue resulting in a more attractive, youthful mouth and lips.”

In the outpatient procedure, two techniques are used: a thin strip of skin, usually from an old scar, is excised and passed through the upper lip and occasionally the lower lip, in much the same manner as a lip implant. Second, fat is drawn from the hips, abdomen or knees and injected into the lips.

During the procedure, the patient is sedated with a local anesthesia for their safety and comfort, Dr. Calvert explained.

“The combination of the two procedures seems to work best to create soft, beautifully enhanced, natural lips,” Dr. Calvert said. “The swelling of the lips can be somewhat striking for several days to a week after the procedure. The lips will return to a natural look and feel that will keep getting better with time.”

Many patients, said Dr. Calvert, often combine the LA Lip Enhancement™ procedure with other procedures such as a facelift, rhinoplasty or breast augmentation. In addition, the procedure can be combined with minor plastic surgery procedures such as a lip lift or suspension, a chemical peel of the perioral region (area around the lips) or laser resurfacing.

Dr. Calvert cautions that the procedure may require follow up work.

“Because of the unpredictability of the fat injections, it may be necessary to repeat the fat injections around one year after the procedure,” he explained. “The fat does tend to shrink over time and it is common that the patient wants to see more of an effect. Like all things in plastic surgery, the operation does not stop the aging process; it merely creates the look that the patient wants to see until nature prevails.”

Dr. Calvert is a board-certified member of the American Board of Plastic Surgery and serves the Beverly Hills, Orange County and Los Angeles area. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles on plastic surgery and has presented his techniques at national and international conferences. Patients interested in learning more about Dr. Calvert can visit his website, http://www.drcalvert.com/.

For many dangerously obese people, bariatric surgery is a final option when dieting and exercise has failed or is impossible to perform. A procedure in which the size of the stomach is reduced through a surgical procedure (often a gastric band) or a portion of the stomach is removed altogether, it has produced significant results in not only weight loss, but treating diabetes, improving the heart and lowering the mortality rate.

But this substantial weight loss is only the beginning of the treatment for patients of bariatric surgery. Following such dramatic weight reduction, the body is left with skin that has been stretched to the maximum but now hangs loosely from the body to the patient’s dismay.

It is here, says Dr. Jay Calvert, MD, FACS, a noted plastic surgeon, that a “Total Body Lift” can provide the answer.

A Total Body Lift is an intensive procedure in which all of the major body-contouring plastic surgery operations are performed in one single procedure. As one would expect, Dr. Calvert states, it requires a great deal of planning and preparation, as well as a lengthy recovery time (a three to five week hospital stay, with about six weeks of home rest prior to returning to work).

“The advantage,” says Dr. Calvert, “is that it is a way for busy people to have their bodies converted from the post-bariatric or post-weight loss state into a smaller, skin-reduced state in one operation.”

Dr. Calvert’s belief in the involvement of plastic surgeons in the planning and post-operative treatment of bariatric patients stems from his residency days at the University of Pittsburgh hospital where he first learned of laparoscopic weight loss. Following that experience, he went on to perform many body lifts, as well as other cosmetic operations, for patients who had excessive skin due to massive weight loss.

Dr. Calvert sees Total Body Lift as an “art” and few, if any, of his former patients would disagree.

“Post-bariatric body contouring is an art that combines the power of surgical planning with a sense of aesthetic creation,” he observes. “Every patient is different and has a different shape. Customizing the plan for each patient creates the best possible results for body lift and body contouring.”

The treatment of these patients became a special cause for Dr. Calvert, who continues to be a frequent speaker at bariatric support groups. In addition, he often works with a team of plastic surgeons during a Total Body Lift to reduce the time of the operation and thus minimize the surgical risks. A frequent collaborator in these procedures is Dr. Dennis Hurwitz, a colleague from his days at the University of Pittsburgh, who also sees the team approach to Total Body Life as crucial to achieving the best results for their patient.

In addition, Dr. Calvert and Dr. Hurwitz have established the Hurwitz Center for Body Contouring at the Roxbury Clinic and Surgery Center.

Dr. Calvert understands the limitations of the procedure but underlines its benefits as well.

“It is not for everyone,” he states, “but for the right patients, it is the right operation.”

Dr. Calvert is a board-certified member of the American Board of Plastic Surgery and serves the Beverly Hills, Orange County and Los Angeles area. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles on plastic surgery and has presented his techniques at national and international conferences. Patients interested in learning more about Dr. Calvert can visit his website, http://www.drcalvert.com/.

The physical effects of breast augmentation on a woman can, of course, be immediately measured. But its psychological effects are impossible to gauge. One of the nation’s leading plastic surgeons, Dr. Jay Calvert, MD FACS, points out that this is why it is important that the overall result compliment the patient.

“I strive to produce an enhanced, natural look by balancing the capabilities of the surgical techniques with the woman’s desires,” says Dr. Calvert, who has served as a plastic surgery consultant on The Oprah Show and The Tyra Banks Show. ‘Since each woman is unique, each operation must be tailored to produce the best possible outcome for each patient.”

In addition to breast augmentation, breast lifts (mastopexy) have also increased in popularity, with more than 87,000 such operations performed last year. In addition, more than 17,000 operations to revert gynecomastia (breast reduction in men) were performed.

As one of the most popular operations performed, breast augmentation is more than a simple surgical procedure, says Dr. Calvert. It requires special skill, knowledge of the latest technology involved and a special understanding of the patient’s needs and desires.

“Breast augmentation is one of the most important decisions more and more women are making every day,” says Dr. Calvert. “Advances in breast implant technology and surgical techniques are making breast augmentation a popular option among women of all ages that desire a change in the way they look.”

To that end, Dr. Calvert says that a surgeon should customize the operation based on the specific needs of the patient. For instance, many women, Dr. Calvert says, have questions about whether the implant should be placed over or under the muscle, as well as the type of surgical approach the doctor will use in inserting the implant. Such questions are normal, he says, and should be taken seriously.

“The decision to undergo breast augmentation may result in a more flattering and better-proportioned figure, more clothing options, and may enhance your confidence and self-esteem,” states Dr. Calvert.

Likewise, the same care should be taken with an implant exchange, Dr. Calvert stresses, which is a procedure in which the previously inserted implant, which has caused scar tissue to form, is either removed and replaced with a new implant, or the scare tissue itself is simply removed.

Dr. Calvert is a board-certified member of the American Board of Plastic Surgery and serves the Beverly Hills, Orange County and Los Angeles area. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles on plastic surgery and has presented his techniques at national and international conferences. Patients interested in learning more about Dr. Calvert can visit his website, http://www.drcalvert.com/.