Plastic Surgery of the Body
Our bodies change over time, whether we like it or not. These changes can adversely affect our body image and self-confidence. While eating healthy and exercising are always important habits to have, these aren’t the only tools available for achieving your goal body.
At New Leaf Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, we understand the journey of weight loss can be incredible but also leave behind loose skin. We offer various procedures to help you achieve a more sculpted body that reflects your newly found confidence.
Significant weight loss, whether through diet, exercise, medication, or bariatric surgery, can be physically demanding. We know loose skin can be a source of frustration, and sometimes diet and exercise just can’t address it. This sagging skin can create uneven contours and even lead to uncomfortable rashes.
Our staged body contouring procedures are designed to help you achieve the body you’ve worked hard for. Performed in phases, these procedures can address loose skin in areas like your face, neck, arms, breasts, abdomen, and thighs.
Mommy Makeover
A mommy makeover usually consists of a customized procedure for the abdomen and breasts. Women gain weight during pregnancy, and as your pregnancy progresses and your baby grows, your abdominal muscles stretch and become weak. You can also experience stretching of the overlying skin, which can lead to excess skin or stretch marks. Some patients have localized fat deposits as well. A mommy makeover can address these concerns to help you bring back your pre-mom body.
For the best results, consider a mommy makeover when you’ve reached a weight you feel comfortable with and are finished breastfeeding (if that’s part of your journey).
Thinking about having more children? A mommy makeover can wait until your family feels complete. We understand the importance of timing, and we’ll be here when you’re ready.
Liposuction
Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure aimed at removing unwanted fat from areas like the abdomen, flanks, hips, and thighs using small cannulas. It’s not a weight-loss method but rather for those nearing their target weight.
For individuals with excess skin, additional procedures, such as abdominoplasty, may be required. Liposuction, which is popular among all genders, also offers the option to transfer fat to other body parts. Dr. Lovelace provides personalized consultations to identify the best approach for each patient.
Gluteal Augmentation
Gluteal Augmentation is sought by many to enhance buttock appearance, often post-weight loss. A buttock lift removes excess tissue from the hips and thighs, which can be used to augment the buttocks.
It’s not a weight-loss treatment, and those planning to lose weight should defer surgery until a stable weight is achieved. For added volume, a Brazilian butt lift or gluteal implants may be options, depending on the individual’s fat availability, with each technique tailored to the patient’s needs.
Body Contouring
For patients, both women and men, wanting a bit of body contouring here and there, liposuction may be the answer. The liposuction procedure involves removing pockets of body fat from under the skin using a vacuum-like instrument.
Liposuction is not intended for the removal of massive amounts of fat. A good candidate for liposuction is in good physical shape, of normal weight, and has healthy elastic skin but just has certain areas of stubborn fat deposits that are resistant to traditional weight loss through diet and exercise. The most common “trouble areas” are the thighs, abdomen, flanks, or “love handles,” upper arms, and under the chin.
Tummy Tuck
One of the most-performed plastic surgery procedures, the tummy tuck, helps give patients who are seeking firmer, flatter abdomens the smooth profile they desire. During a tummy tuck, excess fat and skin are removed from the lower abdomen along with surgically tightening the underlying weakened and/or separated muscles. A tummy tuck also involves bringing the belly button out through a new incision.
The tummy tuck is not a weight loss procedure. It is intended for patients who have lost muscle tone and have excess skin from pregnancy, aging, significant weight loss, or prior surgery that can’t be improved with diet and exercise.
Arm Lift
One of the most noticeable areas of the body affected by weight loss or aging is the skin on our upper arms. During an arm lift procedure, excess skin and tissue are removed, and the arm is contoured to create a more pleasing shape.
If you are self-conscious about your flabby, saggy upper arms, our team can help give you the confidence to wear the tank tops, sleeveless dresses, and bathing suits you’ve been wanting.
Thigh Lift
A thigh lift is a procedure aimed at reshaping the thighs by reducing excess skin and, in some cases, fat. This procedure results in smoother skin and more proportionate contours of the thighs and lower body.
A thigh lift is beneficial for individuals who have loose, excess skin as a result of weight loss, aging, or genetic factors. The thigh lift is not primarily intended for removing excess fat; liposuction might be recommended in cases where skin elasticity is good and the primary concern is excess fat. However, in a thigh lift, liposuction may be used in conjunction with skin removal to achieve the desired outcome.
Labiaplasty
Many women are unhappy with the appearance of their labia. A labiaplasty is a procedure to reshape or reduce long or uneven labia to give a more aesthetically pleasing appearance to the external vaginal structures. There are many changes to this area with childbirth, aging, and gravity. This can make a woman very self-conscious about her body. Large labia can make intercourse or physical activities uncomfortable. They can also bulge and cause embarrassment in clothing.
Hand
Acute Hand Injuries
Patients with acute hand injuries are usually initially seen and evaluated in the ER, and the surgeries are usually done in the OR. These can be a variety of injuries, including tendon lacerations, fractures, vascular or nerve injuries, or soft tissue injuries.
Carpal Tunnel Release
For patients suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome who have tried conservative management to relieve pain with no results, we offer carpal tunnel release surgery. The median nerve as well as multiple flexor tendons pass through a narrow tunnel in the wrist, which is restricted by a thick ligament. This tunnel is called the carpal tunnel.
When this ligament causes compression and injury to the underlying nerve it can be released by a very small incision. This will result in improvement of systems, partial resolution of symptoms, or prevent further progression of the disease.
Dupuytren’s Disease
Dupuytren’s disease causes the fascia in the hands and fingers to contract and form cords. This can cause firm, painful nodules in the palm, or even contract pulling on the fingers.
This makes it difficult or impossible to extend the finger, completely causing difficulty placing the hand flat on a table, putting it in your pocket, and making it difficult to grasp objects. Our team treats Dupuytren’s disease with outpatient surgery.
Trigger Fingers
The human hand is a very complex part of the body. While the task of flexing a finger might seem quite simple, there are numerous tendons at work helping us accomplish our daily tasks. A trigger finger occurs when an irritated tendon thickens, making it difficult to glide through the pulleys that surround it. As the tendon becomes more irritated, the tunnel in which it passes also becomes irritated.
All of this causes decreased motion in the affected finger, causing it to catch in a bent position and pop or snap when it’s opened. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, a steroid injection can be the solution for the trigger finger. Injections are done in the clinic, and surgery is done as an outpatient.
Reconstruction
Burns
Our practice treats first-, second-, and third-degree burns. These burns may be treated with local wound care, skin grafts, and flaps, and over time, they may need secondary procedures. The release of contractures can help improve function and produce a better aesthetic result.
Skin Grafting
New Leaf Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery performs skin grafting procedures to treat patients who have extensive wounds, trauma, burns, or areas of damaged skin. The process of skin grafting involves removing a layer or partial layer of skin from a healthy part of the patient’s body and applying it to the damaged area. With time, this new layer of skin will heal over and protect the affected area.
Your Body Plastic Surgery Consultation
At New Leaf Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, we understand the importance of a well-informed and comfortable start to your body transformation. To learn more about your preferred body plastic surgery, contact us and schedule your consultation.
During your initial assessment, you’ll experience a detailed discussion about your aesthetic goals, undergo a physical examination, and review your medical history. This step is important in crafting a personalized treatment plan. Choosing our board-certified plastic surgeons ensures your body contouring procedures are performed with the utmost safety and expertise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Anesthesia Is Used for Body Plastic Surgery?
Local, IV sedation, or General anesthesia may be used. General anesthesia is commonly used to ensure comfort and painlessness during body plastic surgery procedures. When general anesthesia is effective, patients are unconscious.
How to Choose the Best Body Plastic Surgery For Me?
The selection process involves a thorough consultation with our surgeons. They will consider your physical characteristics and aesthetic desires to recommend the most suitable options.
What Age Should You Consider Body Plastic Surgery?
The right age to consider undergoing body plastic surgery is when your body reaches its adult size. Traditionally, it is recommended to have plastic surgery at age 18 and above. Younger patients aged 14–16 will need consent from a guardian. Other key considerations include overall health, mature physical development, and realistic expectations.
How to Prepare for Body Plastic Surgery?
Preparing for body plastic surgery includes medication adjustments. You should not take any blood thinners or anti-inflammatory medications for a week before your procedure, and you should hold all over-the-counter supplements a week before surgery. This will help reduce the risk of bleeding intra-operatively and the risk of postoperative hematoma (collection of blood).
If blood thinners are prescribed for you by your cardiologist or primary care physician, you should get clearance from them to hold these medications before they are discontinued.
Body plastic surgery will also provide the best results if you are in good overall health. This means that preparation involves quitting smoking and taking a break from drinking alcohol.
What Are The Risks of Body Plastic Surgery?
While any surgical procedure carries risks such as infection and scarring, choosing a reputable, board-certified surgeon minimizes these concerns, ensuring a safer and more reliable outcome.