Surgical Solutions
Face & Neck
Face lift
The face lift, better known as a rhytidectomy, is a procedure specifically attributed to reducing the signs of aging or the creation of a more youthful look on the face through applying surgical focus on the jawline and other elements of the facial region. It can vastly alter the general appearance of the neck and the face, and develop aesthetic benefits which will reduce or remove:
- Sagging in the middle areas of your face
- Deep creases under the eyelids
- Deep lines along the nose that extend to the corners of your mouth
- Fat that has sagged under your jaws and are uneven (jowls)
Along with aging, the slow degradation of the youthful lines and skin tone of your face comes can come about through outside impacts such as stress, or even genetic causes. A surgical procedure will provide the rejuvenated look your face might need, and it can also be carried out with accompanying brow lifts (if the brow has been slowly displaced due to sagging) or eye lifts (to prevent the appearance of drooping or somewhat closed eyelids).
THE PROCEDURE
Our doctor will perform an operation that starts with incisions around the hairline and around the back of the ear. This is done to make the incisions completely unnoticeable to the naked eye, making them seem like normal creases even if visible. Healing thus occurs and scars will form that are effectively unnoticeable, as suturing is done throughout the process.
After incisions around the face and neck regions are made (which are agreed upon beforehand with the client), the doctor will push up excess skin in areas that appear to be drooping or have fallen off, and excess fatty skin will be removed as well. This will allow the skin to smooth out evenly, removing jowls and other unwanted excess skin.
The entire operation is done with local anesthesia and sedation. You will likely spend the night in our spa clinic, which will allow you to rest and be discharged the next day. You’ll also receive professional nursing care during the entire procedure.
POST-OPERATION
Bandages placed over the surgical regions are removed on the following day, and the patient is allowed to shower and wash their hair. More bandages are placed immediately after to reduce swelling. These should be kept on for a further day (24 hours).
Patients will usually feel fine after the facelift, but there will be mild pains. Any leftover bruising should be healed within a week’s time (7 days). You can expect to resume normal working or everyday activities 2 weeks after the initial surgery with make-up, but the final results are only fully realized after 3 months (90 days).
If you are coming from abroad we advise you to stay for 8-10 days in Costa Rica and near our clinic so you can get the attention you need at all times.
Lip Embellishment
In conjunction with the facelift is the possibility of lip embellishment which can be done at the same time. The process involves placing the excess fat taken from other areas of the face which are deemed excessive and adding that (which removes the risk of rejection by the body) to the lips in order to create more embellished and fuller-looking lips.
This helps to create a more youthful and dynamic look for the patient. It’s also entirely safe as you are simply redistributing existing fat from other parts of the face. This is a popular process that many people undergo as the effects of the lip augmentation in this manner are completely permanent.
If you aren’t opting for a facelift procedure, we have other lip augmentation options and surgical procedures available. You may also choose to use other harvesting areas for the source of fat, such as your abdomen, hips, or thigh regions. The alternative options for lip augmentation will consist of lip fillers which are injected into your lip, so do contact us for more information on what you’d like to carry out.
THE PROCEDURE
The process is exactly as explained. During the facelift, the excessive skin is simply redistributed back to the patient through and to the lip region. As the facial and lip regions are under local anesthesia and sedation, the patient shouldn’t feel any pain during the procedure. Our doctor is an experienced surgeon with an extensive medical and surgical background so you can trust her to carry out the procedure as planned.
Alternatively, if you have opted for another fat harvesting site, we will harvest the fat with blunt instruments so as not to produce any more than unnoticeable scars. We prepare the fat, cleanly washing it and placing it on the recipient site. Then the fat will be washed and prepared to be placed in the area that needs the improvement. We will often put in a slightly larger amount of fat than expected, but this is because the body actually absorbs a significant portion of the fat placed directly atop (usually 40-50%), so don’t be alarmed about the size of your lips immediately after the procedure.
POST-OPERATION
Patients who are in just for lip augmentation can leave immediately after the procedure is done. There will be moderate amounts of swelling over the next two day period, but patients can be in public as soon as the next day after the procedure, so long as make-up is applied. The swelling will reduce and the patients will have their permanently augmented lips fully visible and healed in a week’s time maximum.
Eyelid surgery
Eyelid surgery, scientifically known as blepharoplasty, is a surgical procedure that improves the overall appearance and look of the eyelids. Depending on what the goals for the procedure are, the eyelid can be adjusted upwards, downwards, depending on how enclosed or exposed the eyelid currently is. This is useful for who frequently have issues with opening their eyes, or having their eyes looking full. Any sort of functional or aesthetic improvements can be made so long as you are clear with our doctors about what you’d like to do.
In general, eyelid surgery will be able to address fatty deposits that might remain under the eyelids, giving a drooping effect, eye bags, and an excessive amount of skin wrinkling around the eyelid region.
THE PROCEDURE
The entire purpose o eyelid surgery is to give your face a refreshed look by adjusting the eyes to give a defined, youthful, and vibrant look around the eyelid region and thus the eyes. The procedure (Blepharoplasty) is often performed while you are under a local anesthetic and are sedated. Precise incisions are thus made by our doctor within creased areas that naturally fit with your goal for the procedure, whether it is to address a drooping eyelid or the need to lift your eyes. Excess fatty deposits can will thus be adjusted to correspond to the appearance you’re looking for.
All incisions made by the doctor are closed with the thinnest and most unnoticeable sutures, leaving scars that are virtually hidden from sight. At no point in the surgery will your eyeball be affected or touched. We will however still put a lubricating ointment over your eyes so that they stay hydrated and can adjust to the post-surgical eyelid positioning. The entire procedure last about 2-3 hours.
POST-OPERATION
Within the first day of post-surgery, you’ll be given cold compresses that are to be attached to the eyelids and surround areas to reduce the swelling and bruising. The entire surgery is an outpatient one, meaning that if you start the procedure early in the day in the morning, you’ll be discharged and free to go in the afternoon, if you’re comfortable. You can also choose to stay under our care if you feel like it. Some pain that goes along with the procedure as your body has to naturally adjust to the surgery is to be expected, however we do our utmost to ensure you feel as pain-free as possible. You’ll be given medication and sutures are removed within 2-3 days post-op. Although bruising can last for a maximum of 7 days, you can actually get back to doing regular day-to-day activities including work as soon as 4-5 days after surgery. We do still recommend that you take at least a week off so that you can fully heal and feel comfortable.
Repair Earlobes
The result of wearing earrings can actually create a lot of long-term damage to your earlobes, including the general breakage of skin and excessively large holes through consistent use of heavy earrings. Of course, some patients might have opted for a natural stretch procedure with their ears, and in some cases the procedure may take longer if you have created very large skin tunnels. Alternatively, some patients might have deformed or droopy earlobes that need addressing too, and we address all of these various damages through a cosmetic procedure that aims to bring back your ear’s natural look.
THE PROCEDURE
Known as lobuloplasty, the process of repairing your earlobes should actually be done in under an hour’s time. For many patients it can take up to thirty minutes on each ear depending on the extent of the damage. All that is done is an extremely minimal fat graft to actually support and encase your ear with the necessary skin to repair itself and redevelop a natural look.
Depending on the damage on your ears, excisions might be necessary but also may not be. It entirely depends on your unique ear and what needs to be done, so do consult with our doctor to see what needs to be done.
POST-OPERATION
After the procedure, you’ll likely find that you have little to no pain whatsoever, although we will provide you with pain medication if you see fit. Although it may take some time for your ears to heal, usually a week, you should be ready to go to work within 2-3 days. Once again, you’ll be given professional advice depending on the exact surgical procedure you require – so it may be the case that you actually need less or more time to recover.
Hair Transplant
A hair transplant, otherwise known as hair restoration or hair implantation, is a process where hair follicles are placed directly onto balding areas of hair. Depending on the extensiveness of the balding or thinning, a regular surgery will consist of up to 1000-3000 grafts of hair that are displaced from other areas of your body where healthy hair follicles are prevalent.
THE PROCEDURE
The surgery can take up to a full day, depending on how the hair is extracted. Follicles can be taken one by one or through a direct displacement of an area of skin with hair. Once again, referring to the extensiveness of the balding on the hair itself is essential as you may be put under local or general anesthesia.
POST-OPERATION
Your recovery time is entirely dependent on the surgical process and your prior state of balding or thinning. You might experience a light amount of pain, numbness, and soreness, but we will provide you with medical attention and pain medication. Results will take several months to show, often for a period of four to give months as the body will have to slowly accept and grow using the implanted hair follicles. Over time, you’ll find that over the surgically applied location more hair will grow over a period of about six months.
Body
Neck Lift
Similar to the facelift but with a particular focus on the neck, the neck lift addresses particular areas of skin around the neck regions that might be sagging extensively or have fallen down due to natural aging or any other genetic trait present in the patient. The entire procedure is based around improving the contours of the jawline to recreate a youthful look.
As people begin to age, neck bands or platysmal bands are quite a frequent occurrence. These are recognized as neck lines or ‘stripes’ that appear across the front of the neck, and is more informally known as ‘turkey neck’. We’ll be able to reduce this with the neck lift procedure.
THE PROCEDURE
The procedure itself for a neck lift is carried out under local anesthesia and sedation. Primarily, our first point of work is to establish incisions that occur within creases of the neck and facial regions, so as to make them entirely unnoticeable. After that, we will start to perform liposuction over areas that might have excess fatty deposits, removing the unnecessary skin attached to the jawline and neck regions.
Of course, the procedure is taken and done with tremendous care, and depending on the extent of change you’d like, it can last up to 2-4 hours.
POST-OPERATION
The surgical procedure is an outpatient one, so you will be free to leave after resting in our suites, so long as you feel comfortable and ready. We advise applying cold to the areas that were surgically touched so as to reduce swelling and the effects of any bruising occurred.
You’ll also be prescribed with anti-pain medication, but it’s unlikely you’ll need that going past the first day. Sutures are removed after a week’s recovery, and you’ll be allowed to return to work shortly after, usually another week, at which point all bruising is gone.
Liposuction for Arms Abs and Legs
Liposuction is likely the most well-known plastic surgery procedure. It can be applied and used to remove both stubborn and excessive fat around the body, but in particular areas around the arms, abs, and leg regions. The entire process of the surgical procedure is based around removing such fat after making incisions around the areas you’d like to target and take away fat from. This allow you to actually develop and create a body figure that you can be confident and proud of.
THE PROCEDURE
In the procedure, our doctor will make expert incisions that will stay as hidden as possible. This all happens either under general (inpatient) or local anesthesia (outpatient) depending on how much fat you’d like to remove and where. This will all be discussed prior to the procedure, and your doctor will explain to you in detail how the procedure will go, from what lines will be cut and what the final impact will be on your body.
POST-OPERATION
Generally clients can expect swelling and bruising to take place within the first week post procedure, and this period should be used solely for recovery. Medication will be provided for the pain as well, and the use of cold compresses are essential to reducing initial swelling. After the first week, patients are able to go resume ordinary desk work and continue moderate activity, usually while wearing supporting clothing. After around the two month mark, patients should be able to see the full result of the procedure.
Breasts
Augmentation
Breast augmentation is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in the cosmetic world. It’s entirely normal for women to want to reposition, enlarge, or uplift their breasts depending on their current shape and size and their long-term wants.
We’re able to make your breasts look more symmetrical, reduce its sagging look, look firm and locate them higher on your chest, particularly after going through childbirth and menopause.
You’ll be able to wear specific clothes that you might have always wanted to wear, enhancing your figure and matching your breasts to a size that you feel confident and happy with, particularly in how it helps to define your figure.
THE PROCEDURE
Breast augmentation surgery is almost always done under general anesthesia. In very minimal cases will we apply local anesthesia, but this is if the changes are very minimal. A small incision is made over the breast area so as to allow for implants. Before the procedure, you’ll be able to clearly define and decide exactly what you’d like to implant, how it will affect your breast, as well as what incision options are available for your procedure.
Our doctor has had two decades worth of experience with surgical procedures, and will help to create scars that are hidden and almost invisible, even in plain sight.
After incisions are made, a tiny pocket is created behind the breast tissue where an implant can be properly placed to effectuate the change you want, with sutures to round out the procedure. A pocket is created behind the breast tissue, where the implant is positioned. We will then provide you with a supporting surgery bra and gauze bandages for your recovery.
POST-OPERATION
Most often, the surgical procedure itself averages to around two and a half hours. Women often will find that they experience swelling, some minimal bruising, and tenderness, which will all subside after a short time. We’ll also provide you with oral pain medication if necessary.
The key to a great recovery is wearing the surgical bra for at least four to five weeks. You’ll be able to return to your desk job after a week of recovery if needed, but we do advise waiting at least ten days. After that, we hope you enjoy your new breasts and are excite about how they’ll impact your life!
Reduction
Breast reduction surgery aims to adjust the weight, firmness, shape and size of your breasts. The purposes of the procedure are largely to help you feel more comfortable with your breasts, by reducing them to a size that you’re happy with. Breasts that are heavy and disproportional to your figure can put a lot of added stress and strain to other areas of your body, casing long lasting damage. It’s also common for large breasts to cause people a lot of pain and discomfort, especially during exercise. It can also help reduce social stigma that you might be subjected to, allowing you to wear different clothes without being scrutinized. A breast reduction can have long-lasting benefits both physically and mentally.
THE PROCEDURE
We use multiple techniques depending on the size of the reduction you’d like, and what sort of starting size your breasts are pre-procedure. Our most frequented technique of choice is the ‘Pita guy’ technique. Regardless, our doctor will be extremely communicative with you about what you want and what is well adjusted to your body, so please feel free to be extremely open and communicative about what you want changed to your breasts before the procedure.
The procedure consists of creating a hidden incision and accompanying suture after liposuction is done to match the amount of reduction necessary.
POST-OPERATION
Women will usually experience mild breast pains for a few days after surgery, and then milder discomfort for up to two weeks of time. We provide medication and advise to apply cold to the areas that underwent surgery so as to reduce general swelling and bruising. We also further recommend wearing the surgical bra that we will give to you post-surgery for up to five weeks as this is optimal for recovery.
You can likely go back to work within 2-3 weeks’ time, but we would strongly advise not engaging in any strenuous physical exercise for up to a month and a half (6 weeks). Slight scarring will remain after surgery, but they will not be extremely obvious, and are generally hidden from the eye.
Lift
Breast lifts are an extremely common procedure for women who might have entered menopause or after childbirth, which often leads to the ‘sagging’ of the breasts. At the same time, it can be a desired procedure for those who want their breasts to look more pronounced and have a more firm shape. Ultimately, breast lift procedures uniformly address the firmness of the breast and the general ‘falling down’ effect of the breast to make it upright and prone. This is ideal for women who want their breasts to be proportioned to match their own figure.
THE PROCEDURE
The procedure for a breast lift is actually quite similar to a breast reduction procedure. It consists of liposuction of the excessive skin hanging around your breast and tightening the residual breast tissue remaining. Once again, the incisions and cuts actually depend on what your preferences are and how deep and extensive sagging can be for your breasts. You’ll be able to address these issues and how the surgery will go with the doctor beforehand to ensure that you are doing the right procedure for your intended breast lift.
POST-OPERATION
Right after surgery, you’ll be provided with a gauze and an accompanying surgical support bra. The latter will have to be worn for a period of up to 5 weeks, as your breasts will need to recover over time. You’ll experience swelling and bruising within the first week, and moderate pains for which we’ll give you adequate medication to support.
Your nurse will give you extensive recovery advice, but in general we try to recommend not attempting strenuous activity for the first two weeks, and only getting back to desk job work after the first week of recovery.
Fat Transfer
Fat grafting, or fat transfer, is a common process that involves transferring fat cells from one part of the body to another. The idea is to transfer fat from unwanted areas of the body to areas that need supporting fat, such as lips during lip augmentation or for the breasts during augmentation. It can also be used to help reduce the appearance of acne scars over the body as well. Although the results are semi-permanent, they are not life-lasting.
Ideal patients for fat grafting are those who are healthy, who exercise frequently and have a healthy balanced lifestyle with no other extensive medical illnesses.
Facial fat transfer:
If you have lines over your face, including laugh lines, smile lines, crows’ feet, or any other extensive lines, fat can be transferred to these areas to fill out acne scars and the deep lining of wrinkling. Any uneven areas of the face can also be smoothed out using fat grafts.
Breast Augmentation
If you’re looking to increase your breast size a modest amount, then fat grafting can be an option. This is in contrast to using an implant for a larger augmentation, and can work if you have other areas of skin that you can graft that match in terms of skin tone and texture. If you don’t think this is fit for you, a regular implant-based breast augmentation might be more fitting for you, particularly if you’d like much larger breasts or need to make them symmetrical through surgery.
Breast reconstruction
If you have breast defects following lumpectomy for breast cancer, fat grafting is an effective method for filling in these defects. Fat grafting is also an option for total breast reconstruction following mastectomy; however, to achieve sufficient breast volume, this is usually a multistage process that requires at least two to four sequential fat grafting procedures.
Hand Rejuvenation
Fat grafts can be applied to your hands, allowing for any excessive wrinkling to be smoothed over and filled up. This is also perfect for improving the texture of your hands and softening them with more texture.
THE PROCEDURE
The procedure for a breast lift is actually quite similar to a breast reduction procedure. It consists of liposuction of the excessive skin hanging around your breast and tightening the residual breast tissue remaining. Once again, the incisions and cuts actually depend on what your preferences are and how deep and extensive sagging can be for your breasts. You’ll be able to address these issues and how the surgery will go with the doctor beforehand to ensure that you are doing the right procedure for your intended breast lift.
POST-OPERATION
Right after surgery, you’ll be provided with a gauze and an accompanying surgical support bra. The latter will have to be worn for a period of up to 5 weeks, as your breasts will need to recover over time. You’ll experience swelling and bruising within the first week, and moderate pains for which we’ll give you adequate medication to support.
Your nurse will give you extensive recovery advice, but in general we try to recommend not attempting strenuous activity for the first two weeks, and only getting back to desk job work after the first week of recovery.