Category: Plastic Surgery

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Breast Enhancement with or without Implants

Breast Augmentation-Plastic Surgery Flying Horse Medical Center

Breast Enhancement with or without Implants

Breast Augmentation-Plastic Surgery Flying Horse Medical Center

Dr. Millicent Geers

Natural Breast Augmentation in Monument, Colorado Springs, and Castle Rock, Colorado is also known as Breast Augmentation with Fat, Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation, or No-Implant Breast Augmentation.

Natural Breast Augmentation involves taking fat from one area of your body — abdomen, flanks/love handles, back, thighs, and/or arms — and then gently and carefully injecting this fat into your breasts. Meticulous Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Millicent Geers, has refined her fat transfer technique over many years resulting in hundreds of happy patients.

Breast enhancement that uses fat instead of implants has many advantages over using implants. However, there are also disadvantages. Continue reading for a concise overview of the pros and cons of different types of Breast Augmentation performed by Dr. Geers in Monument, Colorado Springs, and Castle Rock, Colorado.

Breast Augmentation With Implants

Pros:

  • What you see is what you get. The implant volume you select is the volume that will remain. With fat transfer, some of the fat will be reabsorbed before stabilizing at a certain volume and your breast fat volume may also fluctuate with your weight.
  • Barring complications such as infection or capsular contracture and/or selecting an unsatisfactory implant volume, breast enhancement with implants requires one initial surgery to achieve your desired breast volume. Natural Breast Augmentation may require more than one fat transfer to achieve your desired volume goal and requires both liposuction and fat transfer.

Cons:

  • In some women, breast implants may cause systemic symptoms such as joint pain, brain fog, and fatigue. This is known as Breast Implant Illness (BII) or Autoimmune Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants (ASIA). Implant removal is usually the remedy and may not alleviate all symptoms.
  • It is normal and expected for a capsule to form around your breast implants. In rare cases, cancers of this capsule can occur with either smooth or textured implants. Treatment of these cancers is surgery to remove the implants and capsule.
  • Implant rupture or deflation can occur. The risk of rupture or deflation increases every year you have your implants. Treatment for rupture or deflated implants is surgery.
  • You may experience thickening and tightening of the capsule around the implant. This is called capsular contracture and can lead to breast pain and deformation. Treatment for this condition is additional surgery.
  • The FDA recommends either ultrasound or MRI every 5-6 years to detect for silent implant rupture for silicone-filled implants. This is usually not covered by insurance.
  • Breast implants can make it harder for the doctor to see the breast tissue on a mammogram, so extra pictures are usually needed. Moving your breast tissue away from the implant to get a better breast x-ray may be more difficult if the implant pocket is above the muscle instead of under the muscle.
  • Breast implants are not a lifetime device. You will likely need another surgery in the future for removal, exchange, or other breast surgery.

Natural Breast Augmentation

Pros:

  • No need to worry about future implant exchange or removal as fat is natural and unlike implants, last a lifetime.
  • No concern about Breast Implant Illness (BII) or or Autoimmune Syndrome Induced by Adjuvant (ASIA).
  • No concern about painful capsular contracture.
  • No need for ultrasound or MRIs that are usually NOT covered by insurance.
  • No need for additional breast surgery for volume unless you are not satisfied with the volume gained by your initial surgery.
  • May fluctuate with your weight which means your breast volume may remain proportional to your body.
  • No need to worry about future implant exchange or removal as fat is natural and unlike implants, last a lifetime.

Cons:

  • Volume will vary. No definitive volume can be determined beforehand. For example, 400 cc of fat can be injected and perhaps 200-280 cc will stick around long term.
  • Risk of fat nodules or lumps. These are benign (non-cancerous), but may be anxiety-producing if you are at higher risk for breast cancer and do not like feeling lumps in your breast. Even if you are not at increased risk for breast cancer, feeling breast lumps may be disconcerting.
  • Calcifications after breast surgery, including Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation may occur. These will appear on mammogram. Calcifications seen on mammogram can also occur with breast cancer. There is generally a difference in the pattern or distribution of calcifications due to breast cancer versus those due to fat grafting. Radiologists have become more experienced evaluating mammograms after fat transfer procedures and can usually distinguish between concerning versus non-concerning calcifications. In some cases, however, additional imaging studies, such as an MRI, or a biopsy may be necessary to make a distinction.

With either type of breast enhancement, you should:

  • Continue your monthly self-breast exams.
  • Continue your regular breast clinical exams with your doctor.
  • Continue your regular breast screening regimen with either mammogram and/or MRI.
  • Know that both approaches can affect the results of mammography.

Schedule a Consult 

If you would like breast enhancement, but are unsure of which surgery is best for you, call 719-633-5255 to make an appointment for an in-depth, tailored-for-you consultation with Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Millicent Geers.

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Plastic Surgery Consults: Fee vs Free

Flying Horse Medical Center | Colorado Springs & Monument | Concierge Medicine, Plastic Surgery, Aesthetics, Psychiatry

Plastic Surgery Consults: Fee vs Free

Flying Horse Medical Center | Colorado Springs & Monument | Concierge Medicine, Plastic Surgery, Aesthetics, Psychiatry

Dr. Millicent Geers

As you have likely noticed when researching plastic surgery, consultation fee pricing runs the gamut. This understandably leaves many patients wondering, should plastic surgeons charge consultation fees? 

Meeting the Surgeon

As you can imagine, plastic surgeons invest a considerable amount of time and energy into their potential patients during a consultation. During the consultation, the plastic surgeon not only reviews your medical history to make sure you are a good candidate for surgery, but she will also review the procedure you are interested in as well as the alternatives, benefits, risks, and potential complications. The plastic surgeon will also answer your questions. This takes time and expertise.

If your initial consultation is not with a Plastic Surgeon, that should be a red flag. Does it really make sense for a non-medical person to review your medical history and create a surgical plan tailored for you? Meeting your surgeon on the day of your procedure is not ideal. What if the surgeon does not have the same vision as you do for your transformation? What if the surgeon has never encountered your particular issue? You will likely feel pressure to proceed as you’ve already paid for your surgery and have made arrangements for time off and your aftercare. This is not an ideal scenario. 

Let’s look at this another way. If your vehicle is in need of repair, would you rather talk to the cashier or some other non-mechanic personnel about the diagnosis and what should be done to repair your vehicle or would you rather discuss your vehicle’s needs with the mechanic? Why should it be any different when it comes to your body? It should be even more essential to talk to the Plastic Surgeon at your initial consultation. You can get a new car — you can’t get a new body. When it comes to determining the correct procedure to meet your aesthetic goals, it should not be a non-Plastic Surgeon discussing your diagnosis and surgical plan. The Plastic Surgeon actually performing your surgery, not a “representative,” should be sitting with you face-to-face to discuss not only your surgery, but what to expect as well. 

What to expect in your consultation

Sometimes potential patients balk at paying a consultation fee. Remember that when you meet with the Plastic Surgeon, she is using her knowledge and expertise to evaluate your specific situation. And with the majority of Plastic Surgeons, including Dr. Geers, your consult fee will be applied to your surgery if you elect to move forward. And even if you don’t move forward with surgery, know that you didn’t leave with “nothing” or “waste” your time if you paid a fee. The information provided during a consultation is invaluable in helping you make the right final decision for you. 

The consultation is probably one of the most important steps in your entire plastic surgery journey. Dr. Geers performs all consultations herself and there are limited consultation spots available a week. During that visit, Dr. Geers will take the time to understand specifically what your concerns are and what you are hoping to achieve with surgery. She will also perform a detailed history and physical exam and review with you a customized surgical plan. In addition, she will describe the procedures with you in detail and answer all your questions. 

If you’re serious about plastic surgery, a consultation fee that is a small percentage of what you will pay for your procedure should not be a barrier. A patient willing to pay the consultation fee lets the Plastic Surgeon know you are dedicated to improving your appearance with cosmetic surgery and that you respect the Plastic Surgeon’s time. A Plastic Surgeon is a professional with years of education, training, and experience. Like an Attorney or Accountant, it is fair and reasonable for a Plastic Surgeon to be compensated for the time devoted to your questions and concerns.

Dr. Geers’ thorough consultation process not only carries over to her surgical technique, but also to her meticulous postoperative care. Dr. Geers’ care for you doesn’t end when she puts down the scalpel and places the last stitch. Dr. Geers personally evaluates you at each of your postoperative appointments. She doesn’t turn postoperative care over to a “representative.” With Dr. Geers, you’re not just paying for a surgery, you’re paying for an experience.

Call 719-633-5255 to schedule your detailed consultation with Colorado Springs Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Millicent Geers. 

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Awake Plastic Surgery

Awake Plastic Surgery

Dr. Millicent Geers

Awake Plastic Surgery, also known as Awake Cosmetic Surgery, is cosmetic surgery done while you are awake! You may or may not have some sedating medication to go along with the local anesthesia (numbing medication) during your procedure. The numbing medication makes you comfortable during surgery. The oral sedation is used to add an element of relaxation. Awake Plastic Surgery avoids the risks of general anesthesia. 

Not all Plastic Surgeons have been trained to perform Awake Plastic Surgery and therefore they will not offer this alternative.

Some Plastic Surgeons will criticize or disparage awake surgery techniques because they cannot perform them or are they are inexperienced with these techniques. Dr. Millicent Geers was trained in Awake Surgery. She has safely and successfully performed thousands of cosmetic procedures using the Awake Surgery technique. Some of the procedures Dr. Geers performs with the awake technique include Awake Liposuction, Awake Breast Augmentation, Awake Tummy Tuck, Awake Brazilian Butt Lift, Awake Back Lift, Awake Hand Lift, Awake Facial Rejuvenation, Awake Arm Lift, and Awake Labiaplasty. Dr. Geers offers Awake Plastic Surgery to ensure that you have options when it comes to the type of anesthesia you want with your body contouring procedure. The “awake technique” allows you to avoid the risks of general anesthesia. 

For some people, Awake Plastic Surgery may not be the route.

There are some patients who do not want to be aware of any aspect of their procedure or who have difficulties getting numb with local anesthesia. For these patients, general anesthesia is the better alternative. As Dr. Geers has been trained to perform surgery with either local anesthesia and/or general anesthesia, she can offer you the anesthesia plan that is best for you. Dr. Geers will help you determine which type of anesthesia is best for you. Call 719-633-5255 to schedule your consultation with Dr. Geers.

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Awake Breast Augmentation

Awake Breast Augmentation

Dr. Millicent Geers

Awake Breast Augmentation is cosmetic breast enhancement performed while under local anesthesia. It is sometimes also referred to as Awake Natural Breast Augmentation or Awake Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation. Because the anesthesia is local, rather than general, you will be awake throughout the procedure. Sometimes Plastic Surgeons combine the local anesthesia with a mild sedative to put their patients at ease.

This local anesthesia is also known as Tumescent Anesthesia. It is the same numbing medication used for liposuction. This type of anesthesia provides pain relief without requiring you to fully succumb to an unconscious state.

If you are a candidate for a Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation, you will also benefit from liposuction.

Talk about a dream come true – “Take my fat from here and add it there.” With Awake Breast Augmentation, your fat is removed via liposuction, rinsed, and then gently injected into your breasts. If you are a Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation Candidate, you can increase your breasts up to one cup size and sometimes up to two cup sizes. How much increase you will get depends on a few factors, including the volume of fat you possess to contribute and the amount of space your breasts have to accept the fat. Since your body will reabsorb some of the added fat, it may be necessary to undergo an additional procedure to achieve your desired appearance.

After breast augmentation with local anesthesia, most patients can walk out of the operating room of their own accord! 

Additionally, with Awake Breast Augmentation, without the general anesthesia drugs in your system, you will recover from Awake Augmentation more quickly and easily. This approach avoids the nausea and disorientation associated with general anesthesia. Awake Anesthesia allows a patient to walk, eat and perform other essential tasks more quickly after surgery. The local anesthetic injected into the breasts serves as a pain reliever once the surgery is completed. You also decrease your risk of having deadly blood clots with local anesthesia versus general anesthesia.

If you are interested in enhancing your bustline without using breast implants, call Flying Horse Medical Center at 719-633-5255 to schedule your consultation with Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Millicent Geers. 

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The Risks of Traveling for Plastic Surgery

Flying Horse Medical Center | Colorado Springs & Monument | Concierge Medicine, Plastic Surgery, Aesthetics

The Risks of Traveling for Plastic Surgery

Flying Horse Medical Center | Colorado Springs & Monument | Concierge Medicine, Plastic Surgery, Aesthetics

Dr. Millicent Geers

Many people travel for plastic surgery to get a better deal. This is known as plastic surgery tourism or cosmetic surgery tourism. The sad irony is that these people often end up paying more than if they had just gone to a local Plastic Surgeon. If everything goes smoothly, then you came out ahead. But why gamble with your body? When something goes wrong and your Plastic Surgeon is in a different state or country, what are you going to do? Where are you going to go? This is when plastic surgery tourism becomes problematic. If your Plastic Surgeon is local, you can simply call his/her office to make an appointment. Small issues can be stopped from becoming bigger issues when you have timely, easy access to your Plastic Surgeon. If you’ve travelled for your original surgery and are then counting on a local Plastic Surgeon to take care of you without having made prior arrangements, you need to know that many Plastic Surgeons are loathe to take on complications for a patient for whom they did not perform the original operation. And if they do decide to take you on as a patient, know that you are going to pay a pretty penny for the new Plastic Surgeon to provide his/her expertise and care. The thousands you thought you “saved” from flying to Miami or Mexico or the Dominican Republic will end up being paid to your new Plastic Surgeon. You may end up spending even more than what you thought you would have saved! Unfortunately, this is how some people discover the real cost of plastic surgery tourism.

Just last week a Primary Care colleague told me about a patient who’d had a tummy tuck in Miami three weeks prior. The tummy tuck incision had dead tissue and was now breaking down, draining, infected, and in need of immediate care. The patient (who lives in Colorado Springs where there are numerous, competent Plastic Surgeons who can perform a beautiful abdominoplasty) had to be referred to the Emergency Room. From there, she was referred to a wound clinic. She will now have to have intensive wound care and possibly additional surgery to cut out the dead tissue. And this additional care won’t be for free! Most major medical insurance policies have excluded payment for complications if they are the result of an elective cosmetic procedure, even if medically necessary. The wound care center where she was referred to commented, “Oh, the out-of-town abdominoplasty. We get about one of these a month.”

Let me be clear. I am not saying that complications and wound care won’t occur if your Plastic Surgeon is local. What I am saying is that when you have timely, easy access to your Plastic Surgeon, little problems can be kept from becoming bigger problems. And when it comes to saving money, the fees for your postoperative appointments are already included with your original surgery. Now that’s a deal!

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Can I use another person’s fat for my Brazilian Butt Lift?

Fat Transfer to the Butt (Brazilian Butt Lift)- Plastic Surgery Flying Horse Medical Center

Can I use another person’s fat for my Brazilian Butt Lift?

Fat Transfer to the Butt (Brazilian Butt Lift)- Plastic Surgery Flying Horse Medical Center

Dr. Millicent Geers

So you want a bigger butt, but you don’t have enough fat. You wonder, “Should I gain weight?” You could, but then you’d also be bigger in all the places you probably don’t want to be bigger. And yes, liposuction can be used to treat some of those now fattier areas, but not all of them. Also, weight gain can tax your body and leave you unhealthy.

Okay, on to plan B

“I know,” you think. “I’ll use a fat donor. People donate organs all the time, why not fat?” Not so fast. Your fat — just like your liver, heart, lungs, or kidneys – has special genetic markers that identify the fat as yours. For organ donation, a “match” is made when two people have compatible genetic markers. If these markers are not compatible, the person receiving the organ (or in this case fat) will reject the donated organ (fat) and become very sick and/or die. Sometimes, even when markers match, a recipient rejects the donated organ. To reduce this risk of rejection, organ recipients are prescribed medications to reduce the risk of rejecting the donated organ for as long as they have the organ. This could be for the rest of the recipient’s life. And these medications are not like taking a multivitamin. They can wreak havoc on the body — hair loss, weight gain, infection, enlarged gums, acne, mood swings, puffy face, weakened bones, and skin cancer are just some of the side effects of these medications. For a completely elective, cosmetic procedure – where the decision to have or not have the procedure is not a choice between life and death — the potential negatives are not worth transferring fat from one person to another for a BBL surgery.

In summary, you cannot use another person’s fat for your BBL surgery…

unless, that person is your identical twin! But don’t be discouraged if you’re on the smaller side and want more ample buttocks. You may be surprised at how much can be done using the fat you have. After all, a Brazilian Butt Lift is not only about what fat is added but also about what fat is strategically removed from other areas of your body. Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Millicent Geers is highly experienced in creating beautiful buttock contours for women of all shapes and sizes.

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Eliminate under eye bags

Blepharoplasty Upper-Plastic Surgery Flying Horse Medical Center

Eliminate under eye bags

Blepharoplasty Upper-Plastic Surgery Flying Horse Medical Center

Millicent Odunze Geers, MD, MPH

“You look tired.”
“Did you get enough sleep?”
“Did you stay up late?”

Have you heard these comments or questions even when you’ve had consistent sound sleep? There’s a solution to this issue. Keep reading!

Bags under your eyes are common with aging.

As you age, the tissues around your eyes, including some of the muscles supporting your lower eyelids, weaken. With the weakening of this muscle support, the normal fat that helps support the eyeball moves outward into the lower eyelids, causing the lower eyelids to appear puffy. This is called fat herniation. Some of you in your 20s and 30s may have bulging fat of the lower eyes due to genetics.Cool compresses, reducing salt intake, hemorrhoid creams, caffeine, and allergy medication will not get rid of lower eyelid bags caused by bulging fat. These treatments can temporarily shrink lower lids that are swollen from fluid pooled in the under eye area, but they will not treat lower eyelid bulging caused by fat herniation. Weight loss will not resolve this issue either.

So what’s the solution to bulging eyelid fat?

Removal of this fat with a procedure called a Lower Blepharoplasty (pronounced BLEFF-uh-row-PLAS-tee), also known as a Lower Eyelid Lift. To access the fat of the lower eyelid, an incision is made either directly under the lower eyelashes or on the inside of the eyelid. The procedure can be done with you awake and comfortable under local anesthesia. Expect some bruising and swelling that can be tempered with consistent use of cool compresses.

In most cases, a lower eyelid lift gets rid of under-eye bags for life. It’s rare to need additional touch-ups. Lower Blepharoplasty can be performed safely and comfortably with only local anesthesia in our Flying Horse Medical Center office! There’s no need for general anesthesia.

Call today to schedule your consultation with Monument Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Millicent Geers.

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New Cancers Reported in Breast Implant Patients

Embloc Breast Implant Removal | Plastic Surgery Flying Horse Medical Center

New Cancers Reported in Breast Implant Patients

Embloc Breast Implant Removal | Plastic Surgery Flying Horse Medical Center

Millicent Odunze Geers, MD, MPH

On September 8, 2022, the FDA published a Safety Communication of new cancers reported in breast implant patients, specifically cancer in the scar tissue (capsule) that forms around breast implants. These new cancers are squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)–now known as Breast Implant-Associated Squamous Cell Carcinoma (BIA-SCC)– and lymphoma. It is important to note that FDA has not stated the there is a direct correlation or causative relationship, simply that the FDA is aware of  less than 20 cases of SCC and less than 30 cases of various lymphomas in the capsules of patients with breast implants. There is no incident rate (risk of occurrence) to report and the FDA believes the occurrences of SCC or various lymphomas in the capsule around the breast implant may be rare.

Are these new cancers reported in breast implant patients a type of breast cancer?

No. The SCC and lymphomas reported are not a cancer of the breast tissue, but of the capsule surrounding the implant. Capsule formation is a normal phenomena that occurs with breast implants. BIA-SCC is not a cancer of the breast tissue itself.

Are the new lymphomas reported the same thing as the already known entity of Breast Implant Associated Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL)? 

No. The various lymphomas reported are not the same as the lymphoma described in previous FDA Communications.

What are the signs and symptoms of these new cancers in the capsule around the breast implants?

Some of the reported signs and symptoms included swelling, pain, lumps, and/or skin changes.

What are the risk factors for BIA-SCC and the various lymphomas?

There are so few reported cases of BIA-SCC and the various lymphomas that it is not possible to determine what factors increase patient risk.

For these new cancers in the capsule around the breast implants, does the type of outer shell matter (smooth versus textured)?

The outer shell of a breast implant is either smooth or textured. The already known Breast Implant Associated Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is currently associated only with textured implants. The new cancers of the breast implant capsule have been found in patients with either smooth or textured outer shells.

For these new cancers in the capsule around the breast implants, does the implant fill matter (saline versus silicone)? 

The new cancers of the breast implant capsule have been found in patients with either saline-filled or silicone-filled implants. 

Is there a specific implant brand associated with these new breast implant associated cancers?

No. There is no particular breast implant brand associated with these new breast implant associated cancers.

Is there a particular age range affected by BIA-SCC and the various lymphomas?

The average age of presentation for these cancer is age 55.8 years. The cancer have been found in patients as young as 40 up to age 81.

How long after breast augmentation with implants are the new cancers appearing?

In some cases, people were diagnosed after years of having breast implants. The average length of time after initial implantation is 22.74 years. The range is 11-40 years after implantation.

Should I cancel my Breast Augmentation with Implants surgery?

The incident rate (your risk) of you getting a cancer of the breast implant capsule is not known at this time. Currently, we know that SCC or lymphoma of the breast implant capsule is a rare finding. Millions of women have had breast augmentation with implants and thus far a total of less than 50 new cancer cases have been reported. The amount of risk you are willing to accept is a personal decision.

I currently have breast implants. Do I need to get them removed?

If you do not have symptoms, the FDA does not recommend the removal of your breast implants. However, the amount of risk you are willing to accept is a personal decision. Please see below for additional recommendations.

I currently have breast implants. What should I do?

If you currently have breast implants, do not panic. I know—easier said than done. Follow the recommendations below:

  • Continue routine breast cancer screening with mammograms and/or MRIs.
  • If you have silicone-filled implants, continue routine screening for implant rupture (every 5-6 years).
  • If you have breast implants, you do not need to change your routine medical care or follow-up.
  • Educate yourself. Be aware that cases of SCC and various lymphomas in the capsule around the breast implant have been reported and monitor your breasts for any of the signs or symptoms mentioned above.
  • If you notice any abnormal changes in your breasts or implants, promptly talk to your Breast Surgeon, Plastic Surgeon, or Primary Care Physician.
  • If you do not have symptoms, the FDA does not recommend the removal of breast implants because of this safety communication.
  • If you have breast implants and experience a problem, the FDA encourages you to file a report through MedWatch, the FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting program. Your report, along with information from other sources, can provide information that will help improve patient safety.

What is the FDA doing to find more information about these new cancers of the breast implant capsule?

The FDA will continue to gather and review all available data from medical device reports (MDRs), mandated postmarket studies, published literature, and real-world data from registries and claims databases sources to evaluate the occurrence of these cancers in the capsule around breast implants.

My Final Thoughts

I will be monitoring this emerging issue of new cancers (BIA-SCC and lymphomas) reported in breast implant patients and posting new data to this Plastic Surgery blog and my Instagram account as more information is learned. For now, don’t panic and learn as much as you can so that you can make an informed decision about your next steps. 

Carry on smartly.

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Awake Liposuction in Colorado Springs

Liposuction-Plastic Surgery Flying Horse Medical Center

Awake Liposuction in Colorado Springs

Liposuction-Plastic Surgery Flying Horse Medical Center

Millicent Odunze Geers, MD, MPH

If you are considering having Liposuction in Colorado Springs or Liposuction in Monument, Colorado to achieve your body contouring goals, you have probably heard of the term “Awake Liposuction.” Awake Liposuction in Colorado Springs is an excellent alternative for people for whom the thought of being “put under” for a surgical procedure is anxiety-inducing. Even if the thought of general anesthesia does not induce anxiety, there are many advantages to having your liposuction completed with local anesthesia versus general anesthesia. You can read more about those advantages here.

That said, there are some naysayers when it comes to the Awake Liposuction procedure. Why? Most of the opposition to Awake Liposuction boils down to who, specifically the type of doctor, is performing your Awake Liposuction procedure. The majority of issues and complications that plague Awake Liposuction are due to the fact that non-Plastic Surgeons (Obstetricians, Gynecologists, Family Medicine Physicians, Emergency Room Physicians, Radiologists, and other non-Plastic Surgeons) are performing the procedure, and are not due to the fact that the Liposuction is being done while you are awake. Let’s dig deeper.

Choose a Plastic Surgeon over a Cosmetic Surgeon

Plastic Surgeons are the only type of surgeons allowed to perform cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in hospitals or certified surgery centers, unfortunately, they are not the only type of surgeons allowed to perform liposuction (or breast augmentation, or other cosmetic plastic surgery procedures)!

Plastic Surgeons

Bona fide Plastic Surgeons have trained for a minimum of five years to become a Plastic Surgeon. Colorado Springs Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Millicent Geers, completed a 7-year Plastic Surgery Residency and then elected to augment her reconstructive and cosmetic plastic surgery training with a purely cosmetic surgery-focused yearlong Advanced Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Fellowship in Beverly Hills, CA. Plastic Surgeons are the only type of surgeons allowed to perform all cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in hospitals or certified surgery centers. Let’s repeat — Plastic Surgeons are the only type of surgeons allowed to perform all cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in hospitals or certified surgery centers. This means that Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Geers can perform your liposuction procedure at a hospital or at an accredited surgery center if you prefer general anesthesia or at her office-based surgery room at Flying Horse Medical Center if you prefer Awake Liposuction. Both options are safe and will provide you with successful results. With Dr. Geers, the location of your liposuction procedure depends on your preference and your disposition toward being awake during surgery.

Cosmetic Surgeons

Obstetricians, Gynecologists, Family Medicine Physicians, Emergency Room Physicians, Radiologists, and other non-Plastic Surgeons are allowed to perform liposuction. How? These physicians pay for a weekend-course in liposuction (or breast augmentation, etc.), label themselves “Cosmetic Surgeons,” and then start performing cosmetic procedures without the training of what do when complications arise or the experience of performing hundreds of liposuction procedures supervised before going out and performing liposuction solo.  Liposuction is not simply sucking out fat. There are nuances. A weekend-course is no substitute for years of surgical training in not only what to do and but also (and perhaps more importantly) what not to do. And because non-Plastic Surgeons cannot get privileges or credentials to perform Plastic Surgery procedures in a hospital or a certified surgery center, they have no choice but to perform cosmetic procedures in their office—awake. And this is how Awake Liposuction gets a bad rep—when it is assumed that those offering Awake Liposuction are non-Plastic Surgeons since non-Plastic Surgeons can not offer you Liposuction at a hospital or surgery center. 

Awake Plastic Surgery Specialist – Dr. Millicent Geers

There are a select number of fully-trained, highly-experienced Plastic Surgeons, like Dr. Geers, who specialize in Awake Surgery, including Awake Liposuction. Why wouldn’t all Plastic Surgeons want to perform Awake Liposuction? Some don’t like talking to patients during surgery. Some think an awake patient is distracting. But most frequently, many more simply weren’t trained in how to perform awake Cosmetic Plastic Surgery, and therefore they don’t offer that alternative to their patients. Dr. Geers was trained in Awake Surgery. Dr. Geers offers Awake Liposuction to ensure that her patients have options when it comes to they type of anesthesia they want with liposuction. In fact, the majority of Dr. Geers’ procedures are carried out with her “awake technique,” allowing you to avoid the risks of general anesthesia. 

Schedule your Consultation

If you are interested in having a fat-reduction operation that does not involve the risks of general anesthesia, Awake Liposuction with Dr. Geers may be the perfect choice for you. Call Flying Horse Medical Center at 719-633-5255 to schedule a no pressure Plastic Surgery consultation with Colorado Springs female Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Millicent Geers. Dr. Geers enjoys educating patients about Plastic Surgery so that they can make a truly informed decision about how to proceed. Dr. Geers had helped countless people achieve the safe, natural, successful results they desire. 100% silicone scar gel, compression garments, healing supplements, and all postoperative appointments are all included with your liposuction surgery.  Additionally, Dr. Geers and her team provide written, detailed before and after surgery instructions to help you best prepare for your surgery and to best take care of your treated areas after surgery. Dr. Geers’ patients receive her undivided attention with personalized care from start to finish. Contact Flying Horse Medical Center today for top-rated Liposuction in Colorado Springs and Monument, CO. The best liposuction results in Colorado Springs and Monument, CO are just a phone call away!

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FUPA Liposuction in Colorado Springs

Plastic Surgery at Flying Horse Medical Center

FUPA Liposuction in Colorado Springs

Plastic Surgery at Flying Horse Medical Center

Millicent Odunze Geers, MD, MPH

What is a FUPA?

FUPA is an acronym for Fatty Upper Pubic urea. (Though some people substitute the word “pubic” for another P-word)! A FUPA occurs when you have extra fat on your mons pubis (a.k.a pubic area). The mons pubis is the area where your pubic hair grows. Childbirth, aging, excess weight, and genetics can all contribute to extra fat in this area. Fat can also accumulate here after an abdominal surgery, like a C-section. FUPA Liposuction in Colorado Springs, also known as FUPA Surgery, is the solution for a “chubby” pubic area. If you are self-conscious about your pubic area when wearing fitted clothes, leggings, workout pants, lingerie, or a swimsuit, then FUPA Liposuction may be the right fit for you!

FUPAs are actually really, really common. Often FUPAs are hidden by an overhanging tummy. Many women don’t even notice their FUPA until they lose abdominal weight. But because no one wants to talk about having a chubby pubic area, many women might keep their concerns to themselves.

Is it normal to have a FUPA?

Having a FUPA is nothing to be embarrassed about. For many people, having a layer of fat over their upper pubic area is a natural part of their body shape. Like any other area of the body with fat, a FUPA may fluctuate with weight loss and gain. And like any other area of your body with extra fat, liposuction can be used to reduce FUPA volume—if your FUPA makes you self-conscious. Unfortunately, there are no spot-reduction exercises for FUPAs.

How do you get rid of a FUPA?

The FUPA is one of the easiest areas on the entire body to treat with Liposuction. In less than 1 hour, the extra fat making you self-conscious in leggings, tight jeans, underwear, and bikini bottoms can be significantly reduced. This can be done with usually only two tiny incisions. FUPA liposuction can be safely performed while you are awake and comfortable under local anesthesia. Awake Liposuction avoids the risks and recovery associated with general anesthesia. There is no need to recover from surgery AND anesthesia for FUPA liposuction. Colorado Springs Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Millicent Geers is one of the few Plastic Surgeons who has had specialized training for Awake Plastic Surgery.
So, what are you waiting for??? 

Where can I go for FUPA Liposuction?

Call Flying Horse Medical Center at 719-633-5255 to schedule a no pressure Plastic Surgery consultation with Colorado Springs female Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Millicent Geers. Dr. Geers is a great resource for learning about all kinds of plastic surgery procedures. She has helped countless people achieve the safe, natural, successful results they want. Additionally, Dr. Geers and her team provide detailed before and after surgery instructions to help you best prepare for your surgery and to help you best take care of your treated areas at home to achieve the best result. Silicone scar gel, a compression garment, healing supplements, and all preoperative and postoperative appointments are all part of your all-inclusive plastic surgery package. Contact Dr. Geers today for top-rated Liposuction in Colorado Springs! The best Liposuction results in Colorado Springs are just a phone call away.