Repairing Gauged or "Stretched" Earlobes

Physicians and professional piercers agree that over the last six years, plastic surgery on enlarged earlobes has become common enough to earn a name: Earlobeplasty.
   Earlobeplasty is still new, but the doctors at Ponte Vedra Plastic Surgery have been doing it for several years now. We see this more commonly over the last several years as this age group is moving into the workforce. A regular ear piercing can be widened into a tunnel, or fistula, using cone-shaped tapers, or by inserting larger plugs every few weeks, or wrapping Teflon tape around the plug to steadily increase the diameter. Guinness World Records says a Hawaiian body modification artist, Kala Kaiwi, has lobe holes more than four inches in diameter. Stretching has risks, warns the Association of Professional Piercers. These include infections, tears, and "blowouts," in which overstretched tissue at the back of the fistula curls inside out. In many cultures, giant bejeweled earlobes are marks of beauty, nobility, bravery, or wisdom. (The Buddha is often depicted with stretched lobes.) In our modern Western cultures, not so much. If you feel ashamed of your stretched, torn, or ugly earlobes, give us a call to schedule a consultation for earlobe reduction or repair surgery. Check out our video online.

Plastic Surgery after Retirement. You're only as old as you look!

Those 55 and over accounted for a quarter of all cosmetic-procedure patients in 2013, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The total number of cosmetic procedures performed on this group—including minimally invasive treatments such as facial fillers as well as more involved surgeries—rose 4% from 2012 to 2013, to 3.8 million.
The five most common cosmetic surgical procedures in the 55-plus demographic, in descending order, were: face-lift, forehead lift, ear reshaping, eyelid lifts, and facial fillers. (Among all ages, nose reshaping was the most popular cosmetic surgery procedure in 2013.)
People over 50 go under the knife for all sorts of reasons. While some are seeking a boost before re-entering the dating scene, some happily married or happily single patients want their looks to better reflect the way they feel, while others want their clothes to fit better. The common thread? --They finally have some time to focus on themselves!

While many retired patients focus their attention on the face and neck region, some choose areas of the body that aren’t visible most of the time. At Ponte Vedra Plastic Surgery, about 20% of my patients over 60 get work done on their bodies. Tummy tuck surgery remains popular with older women who don’t like how their clothes fit them, while others want their breasts lifted and reduced in size. My male patients often ask for liposuction of the abdomen, chest, or love handles. A typical tummy tuck involves tightening the stomach muscles with what’s often called a “corset stitch,” to improve abdominal strength and the way the skin lies on the stomach. This procedure contributes to some of the worst discomfort and longest recoveries of all plastic surgeries. So in some older patients, I choose to trim the loose skin without tightening the muscles.

Evaluating surgery candidates

All of our plastic surgeons do a complete health evaluation of each prospective patient. Conditions such as uncontrolled high blood pressure and heart disease may disqualify a person from surgery. At the very least, these patients will require clearance from their cardiologist, as well as from our anesthesiologists who administer the sedatives during surgery.

People should generally avoid making major life decisions within six to 12 months of divorcing or the death of the spouse. Patients who have been widowed or divorced shouldn’t consider a procedure as a way to speed the grieving process. That said, cosmetic plastic surgery can prove beneficial for people who are physically and mentally ready. They key is to approach the procedure with realistic expectations of both the outcome and the recovery process.We are here to help. Feel free to give us a call to schedule a consultation - (904) 273-6200 or look us up on the web: www.pvps.com

Facial Plastic Surgery should look Natural; not Weird

“Who’s that girl?” That is not what I want my patients to hear. I want them to hear, "wow, you look great. What did you do?"

Hollywood actors often surprise their fans with altered looks. This is part of a disturbing trend: women — and occasionally men — in the public eye who, in the process of “refreshing” or “maintaining” their appearance, go a little too far and erase or minimize the very features that made them famous in the first place. The result? A generic Hollywood look that fails to portray the delicacy and artistry of Plastic Surgery

 Plastic surgeons are always well-intentioned, but sometimes they’re a bit too formulaic in the procedures they use. It’s not so much that it’s overdone, it’s just not personalized. For me, when I am planning my patients' surgery, it’s more important to decide what not to do than what to do. There is an art to looking “well-rested,” and certain areas of the face — in particular the eyes and lips — are identifying areas that must be addressed with discretion, in order to make patients appear younger, not different.  In other words, mess too heavily with these parts, and you just might wind up with an undesired, appearance altering look.

Here’s a look at Zellweger a over the years.

Renée Zellweger

Renée Zellweger in 2011 and 2014.Photo: From left: Mike Coppola/Getty Images, Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

She’s a beautiful and talented woman, who says she is "happy and in love."  Examining this photo with a surgeon's mindset, I don't believe she had any surgical procedures done on the face. Her brows are slightly lower (no lift performed); nose is shaped the same; lips are less full; cheeks are less full, etc... She has simply aged a few years and lost some weight. Sometimes the media is too quick to judge and perhaps its none of our concern anyway.

Study finds nearly 20% increase in post-mastectomy reconstructions
The number of women choosing reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy rose by nearly 20% between 1988 and 2007, with 76% of double-mastectomy patients choosing reconstruction, a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found. Researchers also found significant variation in rates of reconstructive surgery linked to the availability of reconstructive surgeons. Advances in reconstructive surgery have allowed more women to choose double mastectomy now with better post operative aesthetic results.


At Ponte Vedra Plastic Surgery, our surgeons offer patients the personalized care to be able to have mastectomy and breast reconstruction at the same time.  In some patients, we are able to complete the whole process in just one step. This is called immediate reconstruction direct to implant. There are so many options in treating women with breast cancer, that a detailed consultation is required prior to surgery. If you have been recently diagnosed with breast cancer or even have a high incidence of breast cancer in the family call us to schedule a consultation. Remember, all reconstructive surgery is covered under insurance. Call us today to schedule a consultation: Dr. Sternberg or Dr. Hickman. Ponte Vedra Plastic surgery Southside office: 904-638-5555

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