Dr Mosser, Author at Scott Mosser M.D.

Looking in a mirror one day and saying to oneself, “My face looks so much older than I feel. How can I do something about it?” triggers a process of self analysis, investigation of (many) surgical and non-surgical options, and several difficult decisions. Not the least of these is deciding how best to spend your resources to best effect. It’s important to determine which of your facial features currently draw the most attention to your face and how those features could be improved.

Ask yourself:
- Were your eyes once your most attractive feature but now they appear tired or drawn?
- Were your cheeks once firm and rosy but now sag and appear hollow?
- When once your smile lifted at the corners, does it now struggle against folds of skin at each side of your mouth?
- Does your once smooth and defined jawline appear soft and droopy?
Pull out the family albums and examine photographs of your face over the past ten years (or more) to help you decide what you can gracefully accept in the aging process and what bothers you the most.

Set Goals and Find a Partner
Whether you decide it’s your facial lines and wrinkles, forehead and brow, eyes, nose, jaw or chin, set some priorities or goals before you schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon.That will enable you to target your questions and make the best use of the information your surgeon will give you.Take your photographs with you.

Be prepared to learn about an amazing array of surgical and non-surgical procedures and products to choose from.Make your surgeon your partner in deciding what would best achieve your objectives.
On November 17, 2006 the FDA finally approved silicone breast implants for breast augmentation. This was certainly a momentous day for breast augmentation surgery as it allows for women to have this important option when they consider breast enhancement surgery. Certainly there is a lot to talk about regarding the pros and cons of breast augmentation with saline or silicone implants – much that is beyond the scope of this short blog entry.

All the while that silicone implants have been banned in the United States for cosmetic breast augmentation, they still have been used widely throughout the world, and even were used routinely in the United States for breast reconstruction surgery. Just as automobiles have advanced dramatically in the past 15-20 years, so have silicone breast implants. Now we have a chance for our cosmetic patients to benefit from the knowledge and technical improvements gained in those years.
As a physician I am well aware of the detrimental effect that habitual smoking has on the health of any individual, and when the subject comes up I’m always quick to remind my patients of how much they have to gain by giving up the habit.

However, when I have a patient planning cosmetic surgery, I bring up the subject for a very specific and particular purpose.I strongly advise my patients who smoke to quit smoking for 6 to 8 weeks prior to scheduled surgery and throughout the post-operative recovery period.

Many studies have clearly shown that non smokers or those who quit temporarily have a lower risk of complications from anesthesia and during the operation itself and also far fewer post-operative complications.
Smoking inhibits the flow of blood to the heart, a vital process during surgery when the body is under stress.Smoking is also counter productive when it comes to post-surgical healing.It reduces the blood flow to the cell, inhibits the ability of hemoglobin to carry oxygen, and it reduces the amount of oxygen released to the cells, all processes essential to healing.
I’m aware that it must be all over the internet that the lifespan of a breast implant is 10 years.

And, like all things in medicine, the issue just isn’t that simple. In short, plastic surgeons use a 10-year period to discuss the risk of needing to go back to surgery for some sort of implant-related issue. Because of us choosing this timeline, the common perception is that implants somehow last 10 years and then just run out of steam, but this simply isn’t true. In fact, there is a greater chance that a patient will not have to go back to surgery in 10 years than a chance that she will.

But just how long do they last then? And what are the new complication rates for the more advanced, modern implants? Well that’s a difficult question to answer until we have more data.When the US Food & Drug Administration finally lifted its 14-year ban on silicone breast implants for use in the US in November 2006 it set some restrictions and limitations.One of those was that the manufacturers of the silicone implants are obliged to collect follow-up data on 40,000 implant users for 10 years following surgery.

This was a very conservative step, especially since the FDA approval was based on safety studies carried out over the previous 10 years.The next 10 years will surely settle the question of implant lifespan.

Silicone implants have been in use worldwide without restriction for over thirty years and in the US for reconstructive surgery and approved trials throughout the years of the FDA ban.Studies show that silicone implants are as long lasting and safe as saline implants and that both, while classified as non permanent, can last a lifetime.
There is never a good reason to have more electric plastic surgery than you absolutely need to achieve your aesthetic goals.Don’t ever apply the old adage, “While I’m at it I might as well…”.There are several “mini” plastic surgery procedures which are tailored to correct a specific facial or body feature you wish to improve without being unduly invasive or requiring long recovery periods.

The surgical procedure used to remove excess skin and also to tighten the abdominal muscles is referred to as abdominoplasty, but is more popularly known as a “tummy tuck”.This procedure is most often performed together with a full body resculpture following drastic weight loss or pregnancy or in conjunction with liposuction.There is, however, a modified procedure called the “mini tummy tuck” which can accomplish very pleasing results in specific cases.

How do you know if the mini tummy tuck is for you?Some of these conditions could make you the perfect candidate:
- Following a weight loss program your weight has reached your desired level and is stable but you still carry a roll of extra fat and below your belly button and in the waist area that you cannot get rid of.
- You exercise and eat healthy foods and feel toned but have been unable to firm or tighten your abdomen muscles.
- You’ve never had a weight problem and you’re happy with your general body shape but as you reach middle age you find your weight has shifted to your waist area.
- You are satisfied with your weight and shape, but the skin around your waist and abdomen is loose and flabby so you avoid clothing that reveals this area.
A consultation with a Board-certified plastic surgeon who will explain the various options available and what choices you can make to achieve your goals could be very rewarding.