El Dorado Hills Plastic Surgery, Sacramento Plastic Surgeon

Why is it called “plastic” surgery?
The word “plastic” comes from the Greek word “plastikos,” meaning “to mold or to shape.” This is the origin of the word plastic. Many objects we use in everyday life are made from plastic, the material of choice since it can be molded or shaped into any desired form.

The term “plastic surgery” refers to surgery that molds or shapes the human body. Unfortunately, despite the latest advances in plastic surgery, we still cannot mold the human body into any desired form. However what plastic surgeons try to achieve through surgery is balance. With balance come beauty and harmony.

Dr. Almonte’s extensive training and experience enables him to examine, evaluate, and create a plan to reshape or sculpt one’s body in order to achieve that balance. Using state-of-the-art surgical techniques, he can reshape one’s nose or chin to balance the face. Or he can reshape one’s breasts or abdomen to balance the overall body shape.

Regardless of the problem, Dr. Almonte’s goal will always be to achieve balance. It is what makes the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery so challenging and exciting. Dr. Almonte recognizes that so much can be done to improve appearance or restore a more normal shape. In doing so he has found that he can truly make a difference in the lives of his patients.

What is the difference between plastic surgery, cosmetic surgery, aesthetic surgery, and reconstructive surgery?
Cosmetic surgery and aesthetic surgery typically refer to the same thing: surgery done to improve one’s appearance. It is surgery to normal structures to enhance shape in order to achieve overall balance. Breast augmentation or rhinoplasty are examples of these surgeries.

Reconstructive surgery is performed to reshape abnormal structures of the body which have resulted from accidents, injuries, infections, cancers or other diseases, as well as congenital or developmental deformities. Breast reconstruction after a mastectomy is an example of this area of plastic surgery.

What should I expect at my initial pre-op visit?
Choosing to have plastic surgery is an important personal decision. It is normal for patients to feel somewhat anxious before surgery. We want to help you understand what to expect so that you may approach your surgery with peace of mind.

Each patient will tolerate pain post-operatively in a different way. While some patients may describe the pain as an ache, others experience greater discomfort. Appropriate pain medications are prescribed for post-operative patients, and these help minimize discomfort. Most facial-cosmetic operations have minimal postoperative discomfort. Liposuction is slightly more uncomfortable, and operations that require elevation or tightening of the muscles, such as an abdominoplasty or breast augmentation, have discomfort equal to that of a C-section.

What are the most common cosmetic plastic surgery procedures?
(The following information is courtesy of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 2006).

How Long Is the Recuperative Period, and When Can I Return to Work?
The length of time it takes to recuperate after plastic surgery varies depending on the procedure performed and the person operated on. Patients generally will require assistance for the first two days. Then most patients are able to care for themselves but may still need assistance if they have small children to care for. The specific lengths of disability are outlined below by procedure. These are approximations and do not include return to exercise.

Procedure	Best Candidate	Length of Procedure	Number of Treatments	Results**	Back to Work
Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)	Protruding abdomen; excess fat and skin; weak abdominal muscles	2-5 hours	One	Permanent	1-3 weeks
Botox	Frown lines and crow's feet	30 minutes	Repeat treatments 4-6 months	Temporary	No downtime
Breast Augmentation, saline	Small, disproportionate breasts	1-2 hours	One	Permanent, possible implant replacement	1-2 weeks
Breast Augmentation, silicone	Small, disproportionate breasts	1-2 hours	One	Permanent, possible implant replacement	1-2 weeks
Breast Lift	Sagging, poorly shaped breasts	1½-3½ hours	One	Long-lasting	1-2 weeks
Breast Reduction	Large, heavy, pendulous, or disproportionate breasts	2-4 hours	One	Permanent	1-2 weeks
Buttock Lift	Sagging skin, excess fat, weakened muscles in thigh/buttocks area	2 hours	One	Long-lasting	10-14 days
Cellulite Treatment (mechanical roller massage therapy)	Dimpled thighs and buttocks	30-45 minutes	Ongoing	Temporary	No downtime
Cheek Implants	n/a	2 hours	One	Permanent	1-2 weeks
Chemical Peel (ranges from light to deep)	Sun-damaged or unevenly pigmented skin	One or multiple	Depends on type of peel	Long-lasting	Depends on type of peel
Chin Augmentation	Receding chin	1 hour	One	Permanent	1-2 weeks
Dermabrasion	Acne, wrinkles around mouth, sun-damaged skin	A few minutes- 1½ hours	Multiple sessions	Long-lasting	7-10 days
Ear Surgery	Protruding or disproportionate ears	2-3 hours	One	Permanent	5 days
Eyelid Surgery	Excess fat, wrinkled, drooping skin of upper eyelids; bags, puffiness under eyes	1-3 hours	One	Long-lasting	Within 10 days
Facelift	Loose skin, deep lines, wrinkles, jowls	2-3 hours	One	Long-lasting	Within 2 weeks
Forehead Lift	Sagging, low eyebrows, forehead creases, frown lines	1-2 hours	One	Long-lasting	Within 10 days
Gynecomastia	Treatment of Enlarged male breasts	2 hours	One	Permanent	1 week
Hair Transplantation	Hair loss with the availability of healthy hair in donor areas	Several hours	Multiple sessions over 1-2 years	Permanent	Several days
Laser Hair Removal	Unwanted hair on face or body	1-2 hours Depends on area	Multiple sessions	Ongoing	No downtime
Laser Skin Resurfacing	Fair, non-oily skin; sun-damaged facial skin, wrinkles around mouth and eyes, acne scars	Variable, up to 1 1/2 hours	One or multiple depending on laser and skin condition	Long-lasting	Variable, up to 14 days
Laser Treatment of Leg Veins	Very small spider veins	30 minutes - 1 hour	Multiple sessions	Permanent	No downtime
Lip augmentation (surgical)	Thin lips	1 hour	One	Permanent	Within 1 week
Lipoplasty (liposuction) suction-assisted	Normal weight with isolated fatty areas	45 minutes - 2 hours	One	Permanent	1-2 weeks
Lipoplasty (liposuction) ultrasound-assisted	Normal weight with isolated fatty areas	45 minutes - 2 hours	One	Permanent	1-2 weeks
Lower Body Lift	Skin laxity without significant fat deposits	Up to 8 hours	One	Long-lasting	Up to 4 weeks
Microdermabrasion	Fine lines, crow's feet, age spots, acne scars	Multiple sessions	2-3 week intervals	Temporary	No downtime
Rhinoplasty	Nose too large, wide, or tip needs reshaping	1-2 hours	One	Permanent	7-10 days
Sclerotherapy	Spider veins	30 minutes - 1 hour	3-4 treatments Injections	Permanent	No downtime
Soft Tissue Fillers 1) Autologous Fat	Folds, lips, frown lines, and facial recontouring	1 hour depending on the sites	Highly variable, repeat treatments	Temporary	1-4 days, Extensive 7-14 days
2) Calcium hydroxylapatite (Radiesse/Radiance)	Nasolabial folds, frown lines, crow's feet, and lips	Less than 1 hour	Repeat treatments 2 years or longer	Temporary	No downtime
3) Collagen	Frown lines, crow's feet, nasolabial folds	Less than 1 hour	Repeat treatments 3-6 months	Temporary	No downtime
4) Hyaluronic acid (Hylaform, Restylane)	Nasolabial folds, forehead wrinkles, smile lines, and lips	Less than 1 hour	Repeat treatments 4 months – 1 year	Temporary	No downtime
Thigh Lift	Loose, excess skin	2 hours	One	Long-lasting	2-4 weeks
Upper Arm Lift	Excess skin and fat on underside of arm	2 hours	One	Long-lasting	1-2 weeks

* National average; surgeon fees are based on ASAPS 2005 Statistics. Fees vary considerably by geographic region. Facility fees, anesthesia and other surgical costs not included.

** With any surgical procedure, a revision or touch-up may sometime be necessary.

EL DORADO HILLS PLASTIC SURGERY CENTER
Dr. Arnold Almonte, D.O.

(916) 941-1556

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Facelift Blepharoplasty Rhinoplasty Chin Augmentation Breast Augmentation Breast Lift Breast Reduction Abdominoplasty Thighplasty Buttock Implants Liposuction Complex Scar Revision Skin Cancer Removal & Repair Burn Surgery Hand Surgery Breast Reconstruction	Facials Massage Therapy Skin Care Botox Restylane & Perlane Laser Treatments	Breast Reduction Abdominoplasty Rhinoplasty & Chin Implant Chin Implant and Neck Lift Breast Augmentation Rhinoplasty Breast Lift Tummytuck & Breast Enlargement

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