Plastic Surgery Seattle Blog

Did you know that healthy patients – with a stable weight, who don’t smoke – are far more likely to have successful surgery outcomes? Patients with unhealthy lifestyles face greater risks and complications when they undergo surgery, so in most cases it is wiser for the surgeon to simply decline the procedure.

People who are interested in cosmetic and facial plastic surgery should first go through a sort of ‘lifestyle makeover,’ modifying their habits until they have reached a satisfactory state of health. At our Seattle Plastic Surgery office, we want our patients to get the best experience and outcome possible, so we ask them to focus on being healthy first. The ideal patient refrains from smoking or using illegal drugs, has a stable weight, and realistic expectations about cosmetic surgery.

For more specific information on health and surgery outcomes, contact us for a consultation.

In order to improve her game, Romanian tennis player Simona Halep has announced plans to undergo breast reduction surgery in the fall.  

According to news sources in the UK, Ms. Halep complained that her large (34 DD) breasts have slowed her reaction time on the court and caused discomfort. “It’s the weight that troubles me – my ability to react quickly”, she told The Sun.

In 2008, Halep won the junior French Open.  She is now ranked 317^th in the world.  

Women pursue breast reduction surgery for a several reasons, increased mobility being just one of them.  One breast reduction patient stated, “Before I didn’t want to run anywhere.  Even across the street if something happened I would not run.  It was painful and embarrassing” (Klassen 2009).  

Beside issues with physical activity, many women hope to alleviate irritation around their bra strap and underneath the breast, pain in the back and neck, and discomfort during sleeping.

The procedure can be described as a ‘normalizing’ experience for women.  Once the surgery is complete, patients often say they are less self-conscious, they fit into more ‘regular’ sized clothes, and that they typify what is perceived as ‘the norm’ of the female body.

For more information, see our homepage at Plastic Surgery Seattle.

Last March, researchers with the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) sent surveys to 687 patients who had received Botox and/or wrinkle filler treatment. 

The full results are available here via MS word doc; some of the noteworthy findings are as follows:

 - Most patients described themselves as healthy individuals; 95 percent said they incorporated exercise into their lives, and 78 percent cited healthy eating habits.

 - Nearly 70 percent of the respondents who had been treated with Botox also opted for dermal filler treatment.

 - Among survey respondents, the average patient was “a married, working mother between 41-55 years of age with a household income of under $100,000.

 - 66 percent of the respondents said they received Botox treatment 2-3 times per year.

 - 72 percent chose Botox to treat glabellar lines – the vertical lines, or ‘angry 11s’ that appear between your eyebrows.  

 - 63 percent of the respondents chose dermal fillers to treat facial wrinkles and folds, mostly the nasolabial folds or ‘smile lines’ that travel from the nose to each side of the mouth. 

 - 87 percent reported that they discussed their treatments with others, and 70 percent said they received support from the people they told.