The Power of Thank You in Plastic Surgery

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Surgeons deal with life and death, and it is important to keep your emotions out of decision making. This contributes to the image of the surgeon as cold and distant. It is a defense mechanism we utilize to “do what needs to be done” without emotionally collapsing. But surgeons are human, and they have feelings, and can have them hurt by the words of a patient.

If I ever get a result that does not meet my standards, and the patient is disappointed or upset, I am totally on their side. I have no harsher critic than myself. I would admit responsibility, and do everything in my power to remedy the situation. Patients understand and are usually grateful, as we are working together to achieve the same goal.

The more difficult situations are where I have done a tremendous job of obtaining a great result, and the patient is dissatisfied. To be yelled at or face anger after having done everything right is very difficult to understand and tolerate. I have never yelled at or been disrespectful to a patient period. It is not in my nature to do so. Ingratitude and an inability to see the truth cannot be argued with. It is a character issue that my words will not resolve.

If you are ever unsure of your results, or feel your goals have not been met, my advice is to be respectful and explain how you feel to your Plastic Surgeon. If they get defensive or are rude or dismissive, find another Plastic Surgeon. You also deserve courtesy and professionalism.

If you are pleased, tell your Plastic Surgeon. The most treasured gift I have ever gotten from a patient has been a heartfelt “thank you.” It means the world to us.

How to be Beautiful at any Age

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With a title like that, what person would not want to read what a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon had to say on the matter. What can’t an expert in cosmetic surgery do to make you beautiful? I can start with the skin, and remove dark spots, improve texture, improve elasticity and skin aging. Using Radiofrequency and lasers, skin can be tightened, unwanted hair can be removed.

I can then move on to injectables, and fill in the facial lines that form over time, plump and reshape the lips, and enhance the jawline and diminish circles under the eyes. Neuromodulators, such as Botox, can soften the wrinkles caused by expressions and muscle movements.

If that is not enough, through surgery I can tighten neck bands, lift the cheeks and brow, remove undereye puffiness and upper lid skin excess. I can get rid of a double chin, fix ears that stick out, make your chin stronger, and transform the shape of your nose.

Surely, after all of that, who wouldn’t be beautiful? This is where the definition of true beauty is important. It has nothing to do with the physical that I can change.

    To be beautiful is to be kind to all, to be charitable, to lift someone’s spirit with a smile. It is to look past others imperfections and see only the good. It is to give yourself 100% to whatever you are doing, and to do it with love.

      The truth is plastic surgery makes no difference to a person if they are not happy with who they are on the inside. There are less extreme ways to make yourself look healthier but also, they will make you healthier in the long run. Using anti-aging skin creams like those provided by ‘Beverly Hills MD Skincare‘, can help give you a cosmetic surgery like result without having to go through painful procedures to smooth out the skin. These products may help you to feel happier and more comfortable with yourself in the interim, where you are working on yourself and your internal happiness.

        This blog will make me no money, but it will make the world a richer place for all of us.

Should you do Injectables with a Nurse Injector or a Plastic Surgeon?

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As a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, I like to think I am very well trained. With degrees from Johns Hopkins and Columbia, as well as training at Columbia Presbyterian, not to mention 19 years of practice, few boast better credentials. So why should you consider my Nurse Injector for your Botox and fillers?

The first reason is that she is less expensive than I am. She also has more availability, as I am in surgery for a lot of hours each week. The convenience and cost factors are nice, but is the quality the same?

I did not inject a single patient while in training, as my Department Chairman would not allow any representatives to come and teach us, for fear of product bias. So all of the fancy degrees did not make me a good injector, I learned from the reps and by treating patients. My Nurse Injector took courses and certification programs to learn before ever touching a patient.

I do many things at Yager Esthetics- consults, post operative visits, minor procedures, and cosmetic plastic surgery. My Nurse Injector just injects and does other esthetic treatments, so it is 100% of what she does.

I established Yager Esthetics in 1997. I would not allow anyone to perform a procedure if it would damage my reputation even 1%. You can be assured that I back my Nurse 100%. I trust her with you.

Do not think I do a bad job or that I don’t want to do injectables- it is fun, and I do it well. There are just not enough hours in my day to treat every patient personally, and by having a well trained Nurse Injector, you can save time and money without sacrificing quality.

Fast Fix For Aging Hands

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As a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and Director of Yager Esthetics since 1997, I have had over 40,000 patients make appointments to see me about improving their appearance.  With performing over 2000 Tummy Tucks, over 5000 Liposuctions, and many thousands of Breast surgeries, I have been very happy in the way I can make the body look younger and better. I have also performed many Facelifts and Eyelid surgeries to turn back the clock on the apparent age of my patients.  Adding skincare, injectables, and RF tightening, this area has also been a success.

Even after all of these procedures, one area that can give away a person’s age is the hands.  As we age, we lose soft tissue volume, especially on the backs of the hands.  They begin to show veins, tendons, and look bony and dry.  As a Plastic Surgeon, I look at the hands to best estimate age.

Over the past several years, I have been perfecting my technique for rejuvenating the appearance of the hands.  Aside from our dark spot treatments, I now have a way to replace that volume in 10 minutes with no true down time.

My first attempt was with fat transfer, but this is uncomfortable, somewhat unpredictable, and leads to tremendous swelling.  My go to treatment uses the injection of an FDA approved organic filler that has been used in the face and body for over 15 years.

One small pinch of local anesthesia is placed on each hand, and a special cannula is used to inject the product in the exact safe plane to provide a natural appearing replacement for the lost soft tissue.  Results are instant, and if proper technique is used, the most common side effect is a bruise which rarely occurs.  No allergies have been seen or reported in my series.

Younger looking hands in 10 minutes.  I don’t know about you, but I am really excited!