Tag: Plastic Surgery

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Avoid bad scarring after plastic surgery

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

Avoid bad scarring after plastic surgery

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

Improving your body contour while minimizing the appearance of scars is the goal of all Plastic Surgery. How your scars will turn out is in part related to how your Plastic Surgeon sutures your incisions but more so how you take care of the scars after surgery. 

Scarring after any type of surgery, including Plastic Surgery, is normal and expected. Your body produces collagen at your incision site to close the wound. Usually this goes as expected. However, your body’s natural healing process can sometimes create excess collagen, causing raised or discolored scars.

Scar Treatment

Silicone scar treatment is a plastic surgery hack for improving the appearance of scars. The two forms are sheeting or gel. Silicone sheeting is a special bandage you place over your scar. Silicone gel is a twice-daily application to your scar. The form of silicone treatment that is best for you will be based on the location of your scar, the length of your car, and your lifestyle.

The duration of scar treatment varies based on your scar and how your body responds. Scars continue to mature and change for up to TWO years after the initial incision. Generally, it’s recommended you use it consistently for several months and even up to two years for best results. While this is difficult for most people to do consistently, the reward is a nearly imperceptible scar. Think of using silicone therapy like wearing braces to straighten your teeth – it takes time and patience, but it will make a big difference in the long run.

So, to sum it up, silicone scar treatment is a non-invasive way to improve the appearance of scars by flattening and fading them over time. And the longer you use it, the better the results may be! Colorado Springs Board-Certified Female Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Millicent Geers provides all of her patients with scar treatment starting approximately 3 weeks after surgery. This scar treatment is included as part of your postoperative care.

Schedule your consultation 

To book your personalized Plastic Surgery Consult with Harvard-, Duke-, and Northwestern-educated Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Millicent Geers, please call: 719-633-5255.

For more Plastic Surgery knowledge, tips, fun facts, and before-and-after photos, follow Dr. Geers on Instagram.

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Choosing your Breast Implant Size

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

Choosing your Breast Implant Size

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

The Rice Test is a Plastic Surgery hack that can help you avoid additional breast surgery due to dissatisfaction with your initial implant size. A desire to change breast implant size is the #1 reason for another operation when it comes to Breast Augmentation.

All right, Goldilocks! There are 3 possibilities when it comes to selecting your breast implant size:

  • Too big
  • Too small
  • Just right

So how do you avoid a size that’s too big or too small for your liking? 

To avoid a breast implant size that is either too big or too small, you need to take your natural dimensions into consideration. The width of your breasts and your starting breast size will determine what additional volume you want and how wide your implant will be for that given volume. You don’t want a rock in a sock. You also don’t want an implant so wide, it gets in the way of your arms. Neither are a good look.

So how does the Rice Test help you avoid the wrong implant size?

The Rice Test is an inexpensive Plastic Surgery hack that works. Buy a cheap 1 lb. box or bag of rice, a pair of pantyhose, and some rubber bands. You’ll also need a bra that is your new goal bra size. Now:

  • Cut the pantyhose just above the ankles to make two pantyhose “baggies.”
  • Add a 1/2 cup of dry rice to the baggie and tie it off with a rubber band leaving a little wiggle room.
  • Mold the rice bag to accommodate your existing breast tissue and place it in the bra.
  • Now put on a tight tank top or t-shirt to check out your new silhouette.
  • Add and subtract rice until you reach your desired size. Make a note of the rice volume.

Remember, the Rice Test is just an approximation, but now you’ll be better able to let your Plastic Surgeon know the size you desire.


Yes, there are 3-D simulators that can virtually “visualize” your new look, but Board-Certified Female Plastic Surgeon Dr. Millicent Geers believes there’s nothing like actually feeling and carrying the weight in your bra. Once you have booked your Implant Breast Augmentation Surgery with Dr. Geers, in order to help you decide on the best implant size for you, you will have the opportunity to try on silicone implant sizers that are specially made to accommodate your existing breast tissue. Fitted t-shirts, tank tops, and bras to wear over the sizers are also provided so that you can adjust your size to your desire and admire your new look!

To book your personalized Colorado Springs Breast Augmentation Consult with Harvard-, Duke-, and Northwestern-educated Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Millicent Geers, please call: 719-633-5255.

For more Plastic Surgery knowledge, tips, fun facts, and before-and-after photos, follow Dr. Geers on Instagram.

 

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Plastic Surgery Tip: Waterproof Mattress Protector

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

Plastic Surgery Tip: Waterproof Mattress Protector

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

A waterproof mattress protector is a Plastic Surgery hack that can save you a lot of hassle, time, and money! Bloody drainage from your incisions after Plastic Surgery can ruin your furniture, car seats, bedsheets, and mattress. Liposuction is the biggest offender when it comes to post-surgical bloody drainage. This drainage is expected and is normal. You can avoid ruining your upholstery, mattress, and bedsheets from drainage stains with a mattress protector. Simply put the mattress cover over the items you want to protect, just throw it in the wash daily to clean it until you no longer have drainage. 

My favorite waterproof mattress protector is made by Avocado* . Why?

  • 100% Organic cotton and feels so soft against your skin. 
  • Avocado’s Organic Waterproof Mattress Protector is breathable 
  • There’s no annoying crinkling sounds when you move
  • You won’t get overheated
  • Perhaps most importantly —  it works! 

In summary, purchasing a waterproof mattress protector should be part of your Plastic Surgery preparation. Carry on smartly.

Schedule your consultation

To book your personalized Colorado Springs Breast Augmentation Consult with Harvard-, Duke-, and Northwestern-educated Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Millicent Geers, please call: 719-633-5255. For more Plastic Surgery knowledge, tips, fun facts, and before-and-after photos, follow Dr. Geers on Instagram.

*Dr. Geers has no affiliation and make no money from Avocado. They simply make an outstanding product I can stand by.

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How you can avoid ruining your plastic surgery results.

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

How you can avoid ruining your plastic surgery results.

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

Excessive swelling after plastic surgery can ruin your plastic surgery results

If your skin stays stretched out from too much swelling, even if your Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon performed the best surgery in the world, your result will not be as good. Specifically, your result won’t be as tight or taut, as it could have been. So, how can you avoid excessive postoperative swelling (also known as postoperative edema)?

How you can reduce swelling

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) or Lymphatic Massage after plastic surgery is a plastic surgery hack that reduces swelling. How, you may ask. 

Let’s use a sponge as an example. After your surgery, fluid collects in the cells of your treatment area. Think of a sponge soaking up water. With compressive kneading movements, manual lymphatic drainage pushes this fluid out of the sponge (your treatment area cells), into the sink, down the drain, and into the pipes (your lymphatic vessels). These pipes then drain into other pipes (your bloodstream) that eventually empty into a reservoir (your kidneys) and you eventually pee this fluid out. 

In addition to reducing post-surgical swelling, Manual Lymphatic Drainage:

  • Alleviates discomfort and soreness
  • Reduces bruising and discoloration
  • Enhances immune function
  • Speeds up the healing process

Lymphatic massage after Plastic Surgery is especially useful after Liposuction, Tummy Tuck, Arm Lift, and Thigh Lift procedures.

Booking your Manual Lymphatic Drainage sessions should be part of your plastic surgery preparation. We have recommendations for excellent Manual Lymphatic Drainage Specialists in the Colorado Springs area.

To book your personalized Plastic Surgery Consult with Harvard-, Duke-, and Northwestern-educated Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Millicent Geers, please call: 719-633-5255.

For more Plastic Surgery knowledge, tips, fun facts, and before-and-after photos, follow Dr. Geers on Instagram.

 

 

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Plastic Surgery: You get what you pay for.

Liposuction-Plastic Surgery Flying Horse Medical Center

Plastic Surgery: You get what you pay for.

Liposuction-Plastic Surgery Flying Horse Medical Center

At factory-like, revolving door, turnstile-type Plastic Surgery offices where you are treated as a number and not a person, often Non-Physician “Surgeon Substitutes” perform part of your surgery to help maximize profits. In these scenarios, the Plastic Surgeon performs some aspects of your procedure and then moves on to the next surgical patient before your procedure is completed. A Non-Physician “Surgeon Substitute” is then left to finish up your case. Using this tactic, the Plastic Surgeon can stuff in more surgeries during the day, sacrificing quality for quantity.

What could possibly go wrong?

Maiming, botching, and death. These factory-like, revolving door, turnstile-type plastic surgery offices can offer you bargain-basement pricing because, just like with diamonds, designer clothing, and designer purses, counterfeits (unqualified Surgeon Substitutes) are cheaper than the real deal.

This lackadaisical approach to patient care and patient safety often starts at the consultation, where the Plastic Surgeon is substituted with a non-medical employee who evaluates your body, makes a diagnosis, and then creates the surgical plan. Sometimes you won’t even meet the Surgeon or know which Surgeon will be performing your surgery until the day of your surgery. How does this make sense?

If you want to save money, do so when deciding between household cleaning items or workout attire, but not when it comes to your one and only body. Skill, experience, and a track record of satisfied patients are more important than a low price. Before you consent to surgery, ask your Surgeon if s/he will have any assistants, and if so, what exactly are their qualifications and which portion of your procedure are they performing. You only get one body. Protect it.

Remember, ain’t nothing like the real thing.

Carry on smartly.

To book your personalized Plastic Surgery Consult with Harvard-, Duke-, and Northwestern-educated Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Millicent Geers, please call: 719-633-5255

For more Plastic Surgery knowledge, tips, fun facts, and before-and-after photos, follow Dr. Geers on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautydoctor365

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Plastic Surgeon Imitators to Avoid

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

Plastic Surgeon Imitators to Avoid

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

In a prior blog, Dr. Geers promised to provide you with a list of Plastic Surgeon Imitators/Knockoffs/Wannabes whom you should avoid when it comes to protecting yourself or anyone you love and cherish. There are a multitude of Non-Plastic Surgeons with no qualms about using you as a surgical guinea pig. They take weekend courses taught by other Non-Plastic Surgeons and some, as seen on at least one website have, “educated” themselves about Cosmetic Plastic Surgery. Refer to this blog at any time if you have any questions about who exactly should NOT be performing your Tummy Tuck, Breast Augmentation with Implants, Natural Breast Augmentation/Breast Augmentation with Fat, Liposuction, Breast Reduction, or any other Plastic Surgery that can have serious complications. 

Please note that Plastic Surgeon Imposters may be “Board Certified,” but that certification is not in the specialty of PLASTIC SURGERY! 

Imitators to Avoid

The following Physicians and non-physicians do NOT have the formal training to be performing Plastic Surgery on your body (or the body of anyone you cherish). Sadly, this list is not exhaustive. 

  1. Obstetricians
  2. Gynecologists
  3. Family Medicine Physicians
  4. Internal Medicine Physicians 
  5. Emergency Room Physicians
  6. Dentists
  7. General Surgeons
  8. Urologists
  9. Pathologists
  10. Radiologists
  11. Nurses 
  12. Nurse Practitioners
  13. Physician Assistants
  14. Medical Assistants
  15. Office Managers
  16. Anyone who may play a doctor on television*
  17. Anyone who is NOT a surgeon and who is also not BOARD ELIGIBLE or BOARD CERTIFIED in PLASTIC SURGERY 

Disclaimer: While to Dr. Geers’ knowledge, no one who has acted as a doctor on television has posed as a Plastic Surgeon, they were included in the list because the thought of having one of them perform your Plastic Surgery procedure is as ridiculous as having any of the other medical personnel who are not Plastic Surgeons perform your surgery. 

Carry on smartly.

To book your personalized Plastic Surgery Consult with Harvard-, Duke-, and Northwestern-educated Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Millicent Geers, please call: 719-633-5255

For more Plastic Surgery knowledge, tips, fun facts, and before-and-after photos, follow Dr. Geers on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautydoctor365

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Beware of Plastic Surgery Imitators

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

Beware of Plastic Surgery Imitators

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

A weekend course in Liposuction, Breast Augmentation with Implants, Natural Breast Augmentation, or [insert any other Plastic Surgery procedure] is not the equivalent of formal Plastic Surgery training.

Formal Plastic Surgery training occurs over a 5-9 year time period. This training is IN ADDITION TO four years of college and four years of medical school. That’s 13-17 years total!

Colorado Springs and Monument, Colorado Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Millicent Odunze Geers, earned her undergraduate degree with Honors from Harvard University and then earned her Doctorate in Medicine from Duke University. Directly after graduation from Duke Medical School, Dr. Geers was accepted into a highly-competitive 7-year Plastic Surgery Residency at Northwestern University. After successfully completing her Plastic Surgery Residency, Dr. Geers completed a 1-year fellowship focused on Cosmetic Plastic Surgery to hone the skills she’d learned in Residency. That’s 16 total years of education!

“Imitation Plastic Surgeons”

It is a ludicrous concept that a Non-Plastic Surgeon would think that by taking a 48-72 hour course in Liposuction, Breast Augmentation, etc., s/he has earned the credentials and right to operate on your body. Believe it or not, these people do exist.

There are a myriad of “Plastic Surgeon” Imitators/Knockoffs/Wannabes who want to perform surgery on your body after dabbling in a weekend course taught by other “Plastic Surgeon” Imitators/ Knockoffs/Wannabes. Aside from not knowing how to properly perform the procedures taught to them in a 48-72 hour course, more troubling is that these “Shortcut Surgeons” don’t know what they don’t know. And that should absolutely terrify you. False confidence when it comes to surgery can be fatal.

Before becoming a Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Geers had already performed thousands of cases as a Plastic Surgery Resident. The type of surgical experience Dr. Geers acquired cannot be gleaned in a 48-72 hour weekend course.

So what exactly is NOT taught in a weekend course?

1. How to observe nuances in anatomy from one person to another and to adjust the surgical plan accordingly. For example, not recognizing that a patient has prominent ribs and then proceeding with Liposuction without making the proper adjustments. This lack of knowledge and experience could lead to puncturing the intestines, stomach, or lungs with the liposuction cannula. This could be fatal or at best, require a long stay (weeks to months) in an ICU.

2. How to detect complications early before they become major issues.


3. How to know when NOT to perform surgery. For example, that abdominal bulge for which you are seeking contour improvement may actually be a hernia, not extra fat. Liposuction in this scenario would potentially be fatal or at best, require a long stay (weeks to months) in an ICU.

In short, don’t trust your one and only body to a Shortcut Surgeon who thinks it’s appropriate to use your body as a surgical guinea pig. Who exactly are these Plastic Surgeon Imitators? Look for a list of these Non-Plastic Surgeons to avoid in an upcoming blog post.

Carry on smartly.

To book your personalized Plastic Surgery Consult with Harvard, Duke, and Northwestern-educated Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Millicent Geers, please call: 719-633-5255

For more Plastic Surgery knowledge, tips, fun facts, and before-and-after photos, follow Dr. Geers on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautydoctor365

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10 Reasons to Remove Your Breast Implants

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

10 Reasons to Remove Your Breast Implants

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

Dr. Millicent Geers

Breast implant removal, also known as breast implant explantation, is becoming more and more common. The reasons for breast implant removal vary.

Below are the top 10 reasons why women are having their breast implants removed.

Weight gain

With weight gain, implants that were once the “perfect” size may now be disproportionate, cumbersome, and not aesthetically pleasing to you due to added weight in the breast area. Removal of your breast implants may take you to a look that is more comfortable to carry and more aesthetically-pleasing to you.

Too big

I have had many women come to me stating that from the get-go, their implants were too big, despite having discussed with their prior Plastic Surgeon that they didn’t want big implants. The most common reason for this is that their prior Plastic Surgeon believed the patient was going to have “I-went-too-small-regret.” In this case, implant explantation can help you take back control over your body.

Implant rupture

If your implants are ruptured, your breasts may become asymmetric in appearance. Removal of the implants can restore symmetry.

Capsular contracture

Capsular contracture can cause breast asymmetry. Capsular contracture squeezes the implant, making it look high and tight on your chest when compared to your other side. Removal of the implants, with or without capsulectomy (capsule removal) can restore symmetry.

Pain or discomfort

Neck, back, shoulder, or breast pain may be caused by implants. Removal of the implants may possibly alleviate this pain if this pain is not due to other reasons.

Animation deformation

If your implants were placed under the muscle, which is where they are placed the majority of the time with implant breast augmentation, you will notice movement of your implants whenever you engage your pectoralis muscles. This movement is bothersome for some women. Moving your implants to a pocket over your muscle or just removing them all together alleviates animation deformity.,

Breast Implant Illness Concerns

No current symptoms, but you are concerned about the possibility of Breast Implant Illness (BII), also known as Autoimmune Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants (ASIA): BIA or ASIA is an autoimmune syndrome caused by an “adjuvant.”  This adjuvant can be a flu, a vaccine, or in the case of plastic surgery, a breast implant. The thought is that an event occurs which hypersensitizes your body, so it overreacts, causing the autoimmune issues. Manifestations may be fatigue, joint pain, muscle aches, and brain fog/cognitive impairment.

Already have symptoms such as brain fog, joint pain, fatigue and your doctor has ruled out Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, or other autoimmune diseases, removal of your breast implants may decrease or alleviate your symptoms. It is important to note that removal of your breast implants does not guarantee improvement of symptoms.

You no longer like the idea of having a foreign body in your body

Sometimes women simply decide that they no longer want a foreign body in their body. Explant surgery achieves this goal.

You no longer have a desire for breast implants

Some women are just over having implants. They want to return to a non-implanted state for no reason other than they just want to – and this is reason enough.

If you are considering implant removal, for whatever reason, Dr. Millicent Geers performs this procedure on a regular basis with beautiful results. Dr. Geers will tailor the surgical plan according to your needs – sometimes implant removal alone is enough. However, for some patients, explant surgery may need to be combined with a breast lift (mastopexy) and/or fat transfer (natural breast augmentation) to achieve a result that will meet the patient’s aesthetic goals. Call 719-633-5255 for your personalized consult with Dr. Geers.

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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.