Common Plastic Surgery Patient Questions, Part 1
Have questions about plastic surgery? See what questions most patients have for Dr. DeMars during their first consultation. (And look out for Common Plastic Surgery Questions Part 2!)
1.) Are your surgeries done as an outpatient?
Yes, we do almost all of our procedures as an outpatient. On the average a patient is ready to go home, with a driver about 2 hours after the surgery is completed. Just be sure you have someone available to take you home.
2.) Are your surgeries performed in the office?
Our procedures are performed at our office in the same facility where consultations are done, but we have a separate area that is a fully-equipped, hospital-like surgical suite and we are Licensed by the State of Oregon as an Outpatient Surgical Center.
3.) What does the price of the procedure cover?
The total surgical fee covers the surgeon and anesthesiologist’s fee, the cost of the surgical suite and all follow-up visits. If the surgery is a breast enlargement, the cost of the implants will also be included. All medications are separate but most patients’ health insurance includes drug coverage.
4.) What is the difference between saline and silicone breast implants?
Simply put, saline is saltwater. It is the same fluid given as an intravenous fluid and is used to fill saline implants during the surgery. Silicone is not a liquid like saline, it is a mass of gelatinous substance and those implants come pre-filled from the manufacturer. Many patients prefer one or the other depending on price, feel and other factors discussed during the consultation.
5.) What is the price of Saline versus Silicone?
For both procedures the cost of the surgery, the surgical suite and the anesthesiologist are the same. However, the actual silicone implants cost a few hundred dollars more.
6.) Are silicone implants safe?
Several years ago the silicone implants were taken off the market by the FDA, not because they were unsafe, but because the FDA felt they had not been adequately studied for their safety. They were re-released by the FDA for public use in 2007 once the FDA cleared them.
7.) Are the breast implants placed under the muscle?
For most patients, we get a better more natural result by putting the implants behind the muscle. This is also a subject discussed and decided on during a consultation.
8.) What is the difference between implants under or over the muscle?
When placing an implant under the muscle, the muscle does not cover the entire implant, but it covers the top edge of the implant as well as the inner edge near the breast bone. By hiding the edges of the implant it looks more like a natural breast. In a thin patient, if the whole perimeter of the implant is easily seen the result looks more like an implant and less like a breast.
9.) What is the difference between textured or smooth implants?
In the 80s and 90s, the implants available at the time that were rough or textured surface often gave a softer result. That is no longer true and most modern implants have a smooth surface and still give the soft result.
Have other questions you’d like to have answered? Feel free to call Dr. DeMars’ office at 503-253-2458 and schedule a no-cost consultation or visit www.drdemarsmd.com.
