Posts

Plastic Surgeon

Plastic Surgery-On becoming a Plastic Surgeon

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

It started with my Grandfather

People often ask me when I realized I wanted to become a doctor, specifically a plastic surgeon. Coming from a medical family, and having a father who was a noted plastic surgeon, I was always drawn to the medical field. It started with my grandfather, Dr. Harry Fleming. He was a small town country doctor in Humboldt, Saskatchewan. He worked long hours, made house calls and often got paid with a baskets of vegetables or a cake or a pie. My father Dr. Joseph Fleming, followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming a plastic surgeon and heading up the Texas Institute of Plastic Surgery. My mother worked at his side for many years as his nurse. As you can imagine, plastic surgery was a common topic of conversation in our house as I grew up. It seemed inevitable that my brother and I would also choose to go to medical school and then go on to become surgeons like our father.

It’s funny how things go full circle. My first year working as a plastic surgeon I had an older gentleman as a patient. He told me that as a young boy he had had his tonsils removed by a Dr. Fleming in Humboldt, Saskatchewan. Yes, my grandfather.

 

Dr. Frank Fleming performing surgery with his father and brother.

Performing surgery with my father, Dr. Joseph Fleming and my brother, Dr. James Fleming.

I had another patient my first year in practice who sustained a critical injury but had no insurance or money to pay me for my services.  Of course, I performed his surgery and never billed him. Every year, on the anniversary of his accident, this patient from long ago, brings me a cake or a pie as a gesture of thanks. Somehow it always makes me think of my grandfather all those years ago, working as a country doctor and getting paid with a basket of vegetables, or a cake, or a pie, and the family legacy that he began.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Raymond_Fleming

 

https://www.plasticsurgery.org/

Botox

Botox – Answers to my patients most common questions.

/1 Comment/in , , , , /by
Botox

Do you have questions about Botox?

 

Botox. Who would think that a substance that is responsible for food poisoning could also make us look more youthful!

Below I’ve listed some of the more common questions I’m frequently asked by my patients.

 

What is Botox?

Botox is a prescription drug and is made by the drug company Allergan. It works by temporarily blocking muscle activity by preventing the transmission between nerve endings and muscle fibers. In lay terms this means that when Botox is injected into your muscle the muscle will temporarily relax.

 

What areas do you treat? 

Common areas treated are:

  • Forehead wrinkles.
  • Frown lines.
  • Crow’s feet.
  • The muscle bands in the anterior neck.

 

What can I expect from my first Botox procedure? 

The procedure is quick and easy, it usually takes about 10 minutes. The first thing I will do is assess your facial wrinkling to make sure that Botox is indicated. I will then mark your face to pinpoint the injection sites. A small fine gauge needle is used to inject the Botox into the target areas. You will feel small pin pricks in the treatment areas. My patients tell me the pain is a 1-2 on the scale of 10.

 

What kind of results can I expect to see? 

Botox does not work instantly, so don’t expect to see immediate results! Results are generally seen anywhere from 1-7 days after the procedure.

Botox is not permanent, it will gradually wear off.  My patients generally return for repeat injections every 3-4 months.

 

Who administers the Botox at your office? 

I administer all of the Botox injections to our patients at Kadlec Clinic Plastic Surgery and Dermatology. The chance of complications can increase when administered incorrectly by an inexperienced injector. Complications might include problems swallowing, problems breathing, muscle weakness, double vision, blurred vision, blindness and drooping eyelids.

 

At what age do people start getting injections? 

It depends. Some of my younger patients are in their early 30’s and use Botox to prevent wrinkles from forming.

 

Do you do Botox parties? 

No. While they sound like a lot of fun I do not think they are safe. For patient safety I believe in maintaining the highest medical standards. This means administering Botox in a safe clean clinical setting with no alcohol involved.

https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/botulinum-toxin

 

For more on patient safety, click the following link:

https://www.plasticsurgery.org/patient-safety

 

Liposucton

Undergoing Liposuction

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

img_4309

What to expect when undergoing liposuction. 

The liposuction procedure will begin with the anesthesiologist administering sedation. A small incision between .5cm-1cm wide will be made. Through the incision a tumescent solution will be injected into the area being treated. This solution contains sterile salt water, anesthetic and epinephrine. The tumescent solution is used to expand the fat layer. This allows for even suctioning. It also provides anesthesia.  The incisions will be strategically placed. Scars from the incisions will fade over time. A thin hollow wand, called a cannula is then inserted through the incisions to suck out the excess fat.  The length of the procedure varies depending which areas are being suctioned. The procedure generally takes 1-2 hours.

Are there different types of liposuction?

I have been performing liposuction for 25 years. Over the years I have seen different types of liposuction come and go. The most widely used type used is the Tumescent method. The Tumescent method has also been around the longest. It is considered the ‘Gold Standard’ to which all other forms of liposuction are compared. None of the newer forms have proven as effective. Some of these so called new and improved forms of liposuction have even ended up being dangerous. They have lead to severe complications for the patients. I use the Tumescent procedure in my practice. I have found no form of liposuction that is superior.

A word about safety

In my practice, safety comes first. I am always cautious of new procedures that are being touted as the latest and greatest. Before I incorporate any new procedure into my practice I like make sure that it is best for my patients. This is why I do procedures with a long track record of success. I don’t believe patients should be used as guinea pigs to test out new and potentially unsafe procedures.

 

https://www.plasticsurgery.org/patient-safety

A final word

It is important to keep in mind that ultimately, what is most important in this and any other cosmetic surgery procedures is the skill and experience of the surgeon.

https://Frankflemingmd.com

 

 

The ever popular Mommy Makeover

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by
image

The Mommy Makeover

 

A big section of my practice is devoted to Mommy Makeovers. What I hear from my patients is that despite returning to their pre-baby weight and sticking to a healthy diet and exercise regimen, they have become discouraged because their body is not returning to what it once was. Since they are not happy with the way they look, their self-esteem and confidence has been eroded. Pregnancy changes a woman’s body. Particularly the breast and tummy areas. During pregnancy it is normal to gain weight. The breasts become larger which stretches out the skin. The result is that once the pregnancy weight has been shed the breasts will have often lost their fullness and be left saggy. The abdomen also becomes larger during pregnancy, and the skin here becomes stretched out too. Additionally, the muscles of the abdomen may separate which is known as known as diastasis recti. Once the pregnancy weight has been shed there will often be a lot of loose saggy skin left over.

The Mommy Makeover isn’t just one procedure. It’s a combination of procedures to bring the body back to the shape it was pre-pregnancy.The two procedures that generally make up a Mommy Makeover are the breast lift and the tummy tuck. The breast lift will return the breast to it’s pre -pregnancy contour. With a breast lift, sometimes patients will choose to have a breast lift with implants. The tummy tuck procedure will address the loose skin left on the abdomen. An incision will be made below the bikini line and the loose skin will be pulled tight. If my patients have had their abdominal muscles separate during pregnancy, then I can tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall during the surgery.

Roughly 325,000 Mommy Makeovers are performed each year. My patient’s who come to me for Mommy Makeovers are women who are devoted to their children and their families. They give of themselves on a daily basis and rarely put themselves first.  They’ve come to me because they’ve decided to do something nice for themselves.

   If you would like to schedule a consultation give our office a call at 509-942-3190.

https://frankflemingmd.com/

https://www.plasticsurgery.org/patient-safety

What this Plastic Surgeon wants you to know about Breast Augmentation surgery.

/2 Comments/in , , , , , /by
Breast augmentation

Breast augmentation

 

 

Breast augmentation surgery is one of the most common surgeries that I perform. In the past 25 years I have done thousands of augmentations.

Here are some things I’ve learned.

Women seek breast augmentation surgery for several reasons. They may want to restore breast volume that has been lost as a result of pregnancy and breast feeding. They may want to restore volume after major weight loss. They may want to balance out breasts that are two different sizes. They may want to augment underdeveloped breasts. They may have had a mastectomy and are seeking to reconstruct their breast or breasts. Whatever the goal, each of my patients has their own set of reasons that is unique and personal to them.

The benefits of a breast augmentation often goes far beyond just appearance. It can go a long way in boosting self-esteem. Such psychological effects are immeasurable. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons found that breast augmentation surgery has a 95% satisfaction rate. Read more