Want Plastic Surgery to Lift, Firm, Enlarge, or Reduce Something? | The Woodlands Plastic Surgery

Consider this: The field is changing fast. According to Dr. Bryan Correa, a plastic surgeon transforming patients from his office in The Woodlands, new tools and techniques mean safer, better-looking results than ever before.

Take breast augmentations – part of the popular mommy makeover surgery. Liquid silicone implants were once the norm, but unnoticed ruptures were problematic. Today, the use of “gummy bear” implants has made implants safer than ever. Known to hold their shape even when cut, these new gel-type implants are extremely safe.

Far from the only procedure to evolve, Brazilian Butt Lift surgery has also changed rapidly in recent years, underscoring the importance of excellent surgeons of high integrity, invested in up-to-date and safe practices. Dr. Correa attended Baylor College of Medicine, one of the most prestigious and sought-after plastic surgery programs in the country. He is also board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, a credential he emphasizes as critical to seek in your search for your own surgeon.

A nonsurgical revolution in the application of anti-aging and skin-tightening creams for the body has also arrived. Certain topical preparations have become immensely effective in tightening skin and addressing aging. Contouring technology and treatments like radio frequency, ultrasound, microneedling, and other skincare techniques can help slow the aging process on other parts of the body, not just the face, to make you look your best.

Looking Good

“With strategic use of surgical and nonsurgical techniques we can maximize each operation so the patient’s top priorities get the best result,” said Dr. Correa. Instead of expecting patients to know which surgeries they need, he listens deeply during the consultation to understand the desired look. Once the picture emerges, Dr. Correa explains the best way to get from where the patient is to where they want to go. Sometimes, patients learn that they don’t need surgery they thought they did, or that another would work better.

The doctor provides a detailed roadmap, or plan for which surgeries should be performed and what to expect from each, by the end of every consultation, suggesting surgeries which may work best when combined for gorgeous results. A breast augmentation patient worried about their midsection might add liposuction during the same surgery, for example, without added recovery time.

“Certain operations are synergistic and the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. If you do both it makes everything look better. The body frames the breasts, and the breasts reveal the abdomen so when you do them together it makes them look best,” said the doctor.

A married family man who spends his free time shuttling his two small children to baseball, soccer, and gymnastics, Dr. Correa also finds time to practice classical piano and sculpture. That last personal hobby may be directly related to his success as a surgeon, since every procedure is not just precise science, but art that lasts a lifetime.

Top Four Plastic Surgery Myths, According to Dr. Correa

Can you breastfeed if you’ve had implants?

Yes! Implants are placed behind the breast, away from where milk is produced.

Could my body “reject” implants?

No. What some call “rejecting” an implant are really two different things. One is an infection, and the other is a wound-healing problem which creates scar tissue.

When the body heals around an implant, it’s like healing around surgical incision. If it heals poorly – which we call capsular contracture – it can be treated, revised, or otherwise addressed, just like any other bad scar in your skin.

We know that the best way to encourage good healing is to use meticulous sterile technique, and also that certain techniques are safer than others – such as using an incision underneath the breast, and placing the implant beneath the muscle. We also know the surgical solution to infection: remove the implant and wait for any infection to clear before the implant is placed again. With scar tissue its similar: remove the scar tissue and exchange the implant.

Should implants be replaced every 10 years?

That advice is based on old liquid silicone implants. The new gummy bear implants are a gel instead of a liquid. You can leave them alone forever if they’re not causing a problem. If you have questions or concerns over your implants, a screening MRI can prove the implant is ok or not, helping you avoid unnecessary surgery, but implants today are safer than they’ve ever been. The rates and consequences of rupture are lower now than ever before.

After liposuction, does fat come back somewhere else?

No. Even though you can still gain and lose weight all over, if you gain weight again, your body gains it back in the exact same way as it did before. After liposuction, you are starting from a different shape and weight, so the change can look differently, but fat does not preferentially go somewhere else on your body. The best approach is to work to maintain a stable weight after liposuction.

Dr. Correa’s Five Steps to Choosing a Great Plastic Surgeon

Listen for glowing word-of-mouth referrals from someone you know who had the operation you want and had a good result.
Visit the surgeon’s before-and-after gallery for the operation you have in mind. You should love what you see.
Read the surgeon’s reviews. Do people have great things to say?
Check their certification. “They must be board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery,” said Dr. Correa
Have a consultation. Expect an in-person exam, a surgical plan of action, and an accurate price quote before you leave. Pay attention to how you feel about the experience and the surgeon.

If everything on this list is a green light, then move forward with confidence!