|
|
| Summer is just around the corner, and Pousti Plastic Surgery Center is hosting special events to help you get ready!
Summer Laser Hair Removal Special
Call our office for summer pricing! (858) 454-6888
La Mesa Botox Party – April 1!
RSVP by calling (619) 466-8851 — there will be special pricing on Botox®!
Custom Bathing Suit Party in La Mesa on April 8 at 5 PM! – Get ready for summer with a custom bathing suit!
Come join us on April 8th at 5pm in La Mesa to get measured for your custom bathing suit. Bring a friend! All different styles, colors, fabrics!
We hope to see you there! Limited space so please RSVP by calling 619-466-8851
Posted in Cosmetic Surgery
|
| Gynecomastia is an abnormal enlargement of breast tissue in men, which can be present on one or both sides. Gynecomastia is fairly common and can be found in about 10% of the adult male population. The onset usually occurs during puberty and subsides within a year or so. The characteristics are enlargement of breast tissue or glands, typically under the nipple area that is benign. The cause is generally unknown but may be caused by hormonal imbalance, medications, inefficient filtration of estrogen by the liver.
Men or boys who exhibit a good amount of fat on their chest may appear as if they have gynecomastia, but typically with diet and exercise the fat will subside. This is called pseudogynecomastia. As for the men and boys who have fat pockets that are resistant to diet and exercise will need treatment for true Gynecomastia.
While gynecomastia is not a serious medical condition it can be painful at times and cause embarrassment among those who have developed it. Treatment of Gynecomastia can be done surgically or with liposuction. The goals of the surgery are to reconstruct the contour of the chest and to search for any cancerous lesions. Most of the time the tissue is benign, however it is highly recommended to have the tissue examined.
The first step to diagnosis of true gynecomastia is to contact a board certified plastic surgeon and set up a consultation to see if you are a good candidate for gynecomastia surgery. A good candidate is healthy, have realistic expectations of surgery, or within healthy a healthy weight, are bothered by feminine look of their chest and breast development has not changed for a good amount of time.
Usually the primary concern and cause is the excess glandular tissue and skin. Removal of the tissue can be done in a couple ways. It can be excised by being cut out, liposuction or done in conjunction of each other. The incisions are made either along the line the areola, to hide the scarring, or in the underarm area.
Breast reduction surgery for gynecomastia is performed on an outpatient basis and the surgery usually last no longer the one hour, but a more extensive surgery can take longer.
When considering surgery it is very important to choose a board-certified plastic surgeon with a great deal of experience in male breast reduction. This will help you feel comfortable knowing that your surgeon has the knowledge, skill and experience to provide you with the results you want while providing safety throughout the procedure.
Posted in Cosmetic Surgery
|
| It seems like now-a-days it is getting harder and harder to go out to eat and find any healthy item on the menu. However, restaurants are finally providing healthier options for the health conscious with foods that tastes great without adding inches to your hips and thighs. Let’s review the basic below to help you feel more confident about the choices you make when eating out.
Enjoy, Don’t Indulge
It’s all about portions! Think quality not quantity and keep your meal sizes small by:
- Don’t skip meals – Skipping meals during the day just because you know you are going out later will only make you overeat and consume 100’s of extra calories. When skipping meals your body going into what is called “starvation mode” which in turn slows down your metabolism making it harder for you to burn calories and fat through out the day. So make sure to eat small little meals through out the day.
- Share dishes – Sharing dishes not only cuts down on portion size of your meal to the appropriate size, it’s cost effective as well.
- Skip the pre-dinner bar visit – Try to have reservations if possible, this way you don’t have an opportunity to get a pre-dinner drink at the bar. Drinking before a meal not only make it harder for your body to digest food but it has been proven to increase your appetite witch leads to overeating.
- Ask for a To-Go box at the beginning of dinner – Most of us have been taught to eat everything that is on our plate to avoid wastefulness. However, portion sizes have doubled at restaurants leaving us to consume twice the amount of calories. By asking for a To-Go box at the beginning you can put half of your meal away and surprisingly you might feel satisfied after the meal instead of stuffed. PLUS…you have leftovers for the next day!
The Good vs. The Bad
It can also be tricky at times trying to figure out what is healthy versus unhealthy based on how the foods are prepared. You also want to monitor your condiments which can surprisingly be the unhealthy part of the meal. Here are some foods to help you make wiser decisions.
|
Balsamic vinegar, salsa, soy sauce, tomato sauce, mustard and lemon
|
vs.
|
Ranch dressing, alfredo sauce, vodka sauce, buttery based sauces and creams.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Steamed, fresh, baked, roasted, poached, lightly sauteed or stir fried.
|
vs.
|
Fried or sautéed (in butter)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lean steaks such as tenderloin, club, sirloin and chicken.
|
vs.
|
Fatty cuts of steaks such as rib eye, porterhouse, ribs, and briskets.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fruit and sorbets
|
vs.
|
Ice cream, milk shakes and pie
|
What’s for Breakfast, Lunch and Desert?
Here is a quick little reference to help you make more decisions at each meal.
Breakfast:
- Opt for oatmeal, high fiber cereals, over pastries and donuts.
- Ask for eggs to be prepared poached, scrambled or hard boiled.
- Choose 100% whole grain or whole wheat toast over white bread.
- Whole grain pancakes over regular. Top with jelly, low-fat yogurt or fruit…
- Skip on the muffins (Starbucks banana muffins = 400 calories)
Lunch:
- Sandwiches on whole grain breads
- No butter, cheese, mayonnaise, or gravy.
- Choose turkey or ham, they only contain 1-2 grams of fat per serving unlike salami or pastrami which packs 6-8 grams of fat per serving.
- For salads, skip the croutons and bacon bits and for sunflower seeds and chicken.
- Skip the chips and ask for a piece of fruit.
- Drink water or unsweetened tea instead of soda and fruit juices.
Dessert:
- Fruit is your best option
- Sorbets and yogurts
- ½ cup of cool whip and fresh berries
- Angel food cake with strawberries (150 calories per serving)
Making these healthy decisions will not only help with your waist line but help your heart as well!
Posted in Cosmetic Surgery
|
| For many of us, the reality of living a lifestyle that allows us to eat 5 small-well balanced meals a day, exercise 3-5 times a week and get the recommended eight hours of sleep a night isn’t possible, more like the impossible. But if you are considering plastic surgery here are some reasons why living a healthier lifestyle will help you prepare and recover from surgery and achieve the body you’ve always wanted.
Why Nutrition and Plastic Surgery go together?
Do you ever think about why you eat? This is an important question to ask yourself, especially if you are looking to make healthy lifestyle changes, which can greatly improve the way you feel and your appearance. The modern diet lacks the recommended daily allowances of essential vitamins and minerals required to support the body in healing efficiently and effectively. That’s why it’s important to eat with a purpose not just to settle an appetite. To promote excellent results and optimal healing you can do this by eating and supplementing your diet with the following foods and vitamins.
Meat and more meat!
Protein is not just an essential nutrient, but the largest component in the body after water. Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are essential in building and repairing various parts of the body. They also travel around the body as hormones, red blood cells and enzymes. In order for the body to restore and repair tissues that have been damaged by surgery you want to make sure that you are eating enough protein in your meals prior to and after surgery. Eating proteins prior to surgery will help build your immune system and red blood cells, both, which are fundamental to your recovery after surgery. Here is a list of high quality lean proteins:
Animal Proteins
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Fish
- Eggs
- Low-Fat Dairy
Plant Proteins
- Soybeans (also tofu)
- Nuts
- Beans
- Whole grains
- Seeds
H2O
The human body is comprised of 60-75% water and every system in your body relies on water; which includes your digestive system, metabolic hormones and skin. After surgery many patients may encounter constipation due to the anesthesia and the narcotics taken after surgery. Water consumption performs an important role in digestion by helping the body eliminate solids, toxins, impurities and bacteria from our body. In turn, this helps speed up the healing process after surgery and release any uncomfortable bloated feeling that may occur. Not only does water keep us healthy and remove toxins from our body; it contains zero calories, is an excellent appetite suppressant and helps metabolize stored fat. If you are looking to lose a couple extra pounds and find something that will help you control your appetite, water is your answer.
Many people don’t realize it, but the amount of water you drink each day has a direct effect on how healthy your skin is. Drinking enough water can help keep your skin be plumper, moister, younger looking, and free from acne and blemishes. Unfortunately the skin is one of the first organs on our body to suffer from a lack of regular water intake. Not getting enough water each day can result in dry skin problems, acne, and premature lines and wrinkles. However, for many of us we still struggle from acne, premature lines and wrinkles. If this sounds like you a TCA peel can be very effective in removing scars and wrinkles and help increase collagen production for healthier younger skin.
Vitamins
As talked about early, most of us eat foods that are deficient in vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy body. One way to combat this is by taking a multi-vitamin to ensure that we are getting the nutrients needed for tissue repair, normal hormone production and metabolic functioning. Below is a list if supplements that will help prepare the body for surgery and for recovery:
Start approximately 2 weeks PRIOR to surgery:
- Multivitamin: High potency, Antioxidant-rich, mineral-rich vegetable source.
2 tabs per day
- Vitamin C: Promotes wound healing, protects against bruising; antioxidant protection.
1000 mg per day.
- Zinc/Glutamine: High tissue concentrations of these nutrients prior to surgery aids in faster healing time and in the rebuilding of tissues. Zinc: 1 tsp. twice a day, Glutamine: 1 tsp. twice a day
Post Surgery (make sure to get Dr. Pousti’s approval prior to starting any of these)
- CoQ 10: Stimulates cell growth 1 tab twice a day
- Glutamine: Helps prevent tissue/protein catabolism (breakdown) after surgery
1 tsp. twice a day
- Arginine: Helps in wound healing and stimulates collagen.
1 tab three times per day
- Vitamin C: Essential vitamin that aids in wound healing and collagen.
2 capsules per day
- Glucosamine: Glucosamine is an important building block needed by the body to manufacture specialized molecules required for wound healing.
1 tab twice per day
- Arnica 30X: Homeopathic; helps reduce discomfort, bruising, and swelling of soft tissue.
- To avoid constipation, WATER, eat fruit, and supplement with Milk of Magnesia, or Smooth Move Tea, or laxative of choice.
Exercise
Many researchers have confirmed that those who exercise regularly before surgery not only look and feel better but recover much quicker then those who don’t exercise. It’s no surprise that those who have a healthy lifestyle do better in the long run after certain types of plastic surgery such as liposuction. Liposuction is meant for body contouring, not weight loss. The patients that have the best results are the ones who are close to their reasonable body weight. Creating good lifestyle habits before surgery will help ensure that you maintain your results by decreasing your chances of gaining weight back. Another benefit of exercise besides the cardiovascular benefits is exercise, consisting of both weights and aerobics will activate and rejuvenate the skin, while improving circulation. This increased circulation helps deliver nutrients to skin cells, wiping away damaging toxins as well as produce an excellent condition for collagen production.
Dr. Tom Pousti and staff are here to support you in reaching your goals. Please visit our website regularly to get your:
Daily/Weekly Motivations
Exercise Tips
Health Myth Busters
Nutritional Tid-Bits…and much, much more!
Posted in Cosmetic Surgery
|
| Having children and being a mom is a blessing. Being a mother can be a tough job and it can be tough on your body. Unfortunately with childbearing and breast-feeding comes unwanted changes on your body like stretch marks, loose skin, saggy breasts, and weight gain. It is essential for a mother to take good care of her family as well as herself.
Self-confidence is key when it comes to being a mom.
Each mommy makeover is unique and costumed to benefit each individual woman’s needs. Mommy makeovers are designed to counteract the physical effects of childbearing and nursing or breastfeeding. Every makeover is different and may require multiple procedures to achieve the best results possible.
During your consultation, your plastic surgeon will examine you and discuss the options available for you to begin your transformation. A mommy makeover may include procedures such as a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), breast augmentation, breast lift (mastopexy), breast reduction, or liposuction.
Exercise and a healthy diet are beneficial during and after pregnancy. Your plastic surgeon will recommend that you be at your goal weight or that you lose as much weight as you can before having the procedures done to get the best results possible. This is to ensure a long-lasting result and avoid any further surgery. Fortunately, as a result of a mommy makeover, many women find themselves motivated to maintain their new and improved look. They feel sexier, happier, and ultimately more confident.
Makeovers require a good amount of recovery. We recommend 4 weeks of taking it easy and following pre-op and post-op care instructions. As long as you follow the doctors orders, expect amazing and complication-free results. Healing time can vary from patient to patient. Look at it as 4 weeks of sacrifice and the rest of your life for you to enjoy the new you!
Posted in Cosmetic Surgery
|
| All of us have talked about wanting to lose weight, have spent $100’s of dollars on products and fitness magazine but just can’t find the time to get started and the excuses just keep coming. It is not a matter of we can’t or don’t have time, it’s a matter of MOTIVATION! Below you will find 8 different ways to help you start your journey to a healthy and fit lifestyle and help you stay motivated along the way!
Make working out a priority in your life.
The things that are most important to us are given the time and dedication it requires. Working out is the same. It needs to be scheduled and put in your calendar so that you make the time to go. Just like anything else in life we need to make sacrifices to make certain things fit into our life. Try getting up a little earlier in the morning and walk around your neighborhood for 15 minutes to begin with. Then from there add 10 more minutes and so on and so forth. Before you know it you are up and moving and MAKING time to benefit your body. Remember working out is a lifestyle change not a quick fix.
Set attainable goals.
Try to set goals that work for you and not your friend. Everyone’s body is different and the time and dedication people have are different. The more realistic you are about your goals the less likely you are to fail. This in turn will encourage success and motivate you to keep moving forward. Try setting a long-term goal and short-term goals throughout the process. The short-term goals will help be your gauge in attaining your long-term goals. It is here where you adjust your activity level and food intake so that you stay on track.
Start off slow.
The first day of working out our adrenaline is pumping, we have our new sneakers on and our ipod is full of new workout songs, but what happens to many of us is we go to hard to fast and regret it the next couple of days, sometimes a week. Make sure you listen to your body and workout as if you haven’t worked out before. If you haven’t worked out for a while your muscles will be de-conditioned and don’t need much for a workout the first couple of week. Try doing a full body workout 3 times a week for the first couple weeks, then start splitting your body parts up.
Vary your Routine
Our bodies are very amazing machines! It only takes our bodies about 3-4 weeks to figure out what we are trying to do and it will begin to plateau. We want to make sure we are constantly shocking our body and introducing it to new and different types of exercises. You can do this by changing your sets, reps, weight and intensity. Also, try to find a fun class that you and some friends can go to. Before you know the class will be over and you will have burned 100’s of calories while having fun.
Keep a journal
Keeping a journal helps you hold yourself accountable. It’s also a good reminder of where we began and where we are currently. It is very easy to forget what it was like when the journey began unless we have some reference point. Your journal can consist of the different exercises you do, the types and amount of foods you are consuming and how you were feeling that day. Taking pictures of your progress is another way to journal. It’s amazing how easily we forget what we looked like in the beginning and to see the transformation that begins when we’ve been consistent and dedicated to a healthy lifestyle.
Use a buddy system
Having a friend or a family member as our support and workout buddy really helps on those days you really don’t feel like going to the gym or working out. Not only are you holding each other accountable to start moving, but you are holding each other accountable while at the gym. Having someone there helps give us that extra motivation and push. For those who are competitive this might help you achieve your goals faster. You don’t want to see your workout partner progressing any faster then you, do you? Remember to keep it healthy and fun since this is a lifestyle decision not a New Year’s Resolution.
Get enough sleep
Lack of sleep is the quickest thing to destroy your workout routine. You are more then likely to overeat to get the energy lost from sleep and possibly skip the gym. Lack of sleep also slows down our metabolism and doesn’t allow our body to properly burn fat. When you are sleeping your body is going to work repairing any tissue damage and burning fat. If you don’t get enough sleep this will delay the fat shedding process. Make sure you are getting enough water throughout the day as well. Dehydration can bring on much fatigue and trigger us to eat when we are actually thirsty.
Be patient!
The longer it takes to come off the longer it is going to stay off. We live in a society where faster is better but that method doesn’t apply to the body when losing weight. There is a healthy way to lose weight and an unhealthy way to lose weight. Losing weight at the rate of 1-2 pounds per week is a very healthy rate and the success of keeping that weight off is very high. Losing anymore weight then that can start to become harmful to the body and is weight that more then likely is to come back on down the road. Making healthy lifestyle habits don’t just happen overnight. It’s like that saying “It’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks.” So don’t expect to lose the weight overnight and don’t expect the process to be easy. Remember, good things in life never come easy but they are always worth it in the end! It can be the one thing that saves your life!
Posted in Cosmetic Surgery
|
| It seems like today there are 1000’s of plastic surgeons to choose from, but what do you begin looking for when checking the qualifications of a doctor and how do you know if they are right fit for you. This article is to help guide you on your search to find the right doctor that suits your needs and how to stay clear from those who are not qualified.
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon vs. Cosmetic Surgeon
There are many doctors who perform “cosmetic surgery” but are not Board Certified Plastic Surgeons at all. These are two very different levels of training, certification and practice. Here is what differentiates the “cosmetic surgeon” from the “plastic surgeon”.
Board certified plastic surgeons are certified by The American Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons and are the only members of The American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS). ASPS is the largest plastic surgery specialty organization in the world. Only members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons may display the ASPS Member Surgeon Logo. This symbol of excellence in plastic surgery is what to look for when deciding on a surgeon. It tells you that you are choosing a physician who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. By being apart of this organization signifies quality care to plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of preparation, morals, physician practice and study in plastic surgery. The society advocates for patient well-being, such as requiring its members to operate in accredited surgical facilities that have passed scrupulous external review of equipment and staffing.
In order to become a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, the plastic surgeon must complete a rigorous school schedule that can take up to 15-17 years. Dr. Pousti has attended 4 years of college, 4 years of Medical School, 5 years of General Surgery training, and 2 additional years of Plastic Surgery Training. The board certification process starts with the correct amount of training and then proceeds with reviewing the surgeon’s patient cases and a written test as well as an oral test. Dr. Pousti is board certified in General Surgery as well as Plastic Surgery.
Cosmetic surgeons go through medical school and a residency program (which could be Dermatology, Ear/Nose/Throat, OBGYN, etc.) but do not go through any further training. Obtaining training for cosmetic surgeons is done through workshops, seminars and lectures not thru a “board” who oversees the training
Hospital Based Surgical Centers vs. In Office Surgery Centers
Because of the popularity of plastic surgery today, the number of office-based surgery centers are on the rise. Hospitals will give privileges ONLY to surgeons who have had the correct training. Those surgeons performing “cosmetic surgery” who are not trained and/or board certified in plastic surgery, will not be given privileges to perform surgery in a hospital based surgery center and so will have to build a surgical suite in their office.
What are the pros of having surgery at a hospital based surgery center?
• Safety.
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR!!! Being on the campus of a hospital can put patient’s minds at ease in regards to if there happens to be an emergency. IF there is an emergency, the patient can be transported right over to the hospital in comparison to a patient having surgery in an office suite and having to be transported to the hospital in the case of an emergency.
• Anesthesia.
At a hospital based surgical facility, there are strict rules about who will administer the anesthesia to the patients. Anesthesiologists are authorized to administer anesthesia in hospital based surgical facilities vs. nurse anesthetists who can assist the surgeon with anesthesia in an office setting.
• Dependable.
Scheduled surgery times are not likely to be delayed or bumped.
• Comfortable.
Patients can relax in a pleasant environment, far from the pre or post op patients coming in for scheduled appointments.
• Advanced.
Surgery Center boasts the newest high-tech medical equipment. Patients can be confident in the knowledge that their physicians are able to treat them using the most advanced surgical tools available.
A review of surgeries performed in U.S. doctors’ offices has concluded that death or injury is 10 times more likely in that setting than at a Same Day Surgery Center based inside a hospital, according to a study published in the prestigious Journal Archives of Surgery, September 2003.
The researchers found that 66 adverse events occurred per 100,000 procedures performed in offices compared to 5.3 problems per 100,000 procedures performed in outpatient surgical centers. The death rate per 100,000 procedures was 9.2 in offices and 0.78 in the centers, it said. In the study some of the recorded deaths were caused by anesthesia and others by procedures that went wrong, such as an endoscope perforating the esophagus or colon. Following the above study, the Florida board of quality control has forbidden all surgeons from performing cosmetic surgeries in their offices even though such practice saves money.
Posted in Cosmetic Surgery
|
|
|
|
|
