Have you been thinking for some time about having a cosmetic surgical procedure—perhaps a breast augmentation, a tummy tuck or a facelift—and the only thing holding you back is how to pay for the procedure? Our office realizes that these procedures are costly–some more so than others–and financing is often the best option for the patient. For this reason, Dr. Delia makes available to prospective patients the option of financing their procedure(s)thru Care Credit.

Care Credit is a financing company that is geared toward an individual’s health and beauty needs. One applies via phone or online for a line of credit to cover the procedure in question, and once the account is established, the patient receives a card similar to a credit card and uses this to pay for their surgery. The patient is then billed a low minimum monthly payment and, depending upon the surgery performed, payments can oftentimes be extended for up to 60 months. This is a win-win situation in that patients do not have to wait for the procedure to be done and can pay it off gradually to lessen the impact on their finances. In addition, there are no enrollment fees and there is no penalty for prepayment.

Feel free to call our office at 781-341-8000 for more information or just click here to learn more about Care Credit’s payment plans.

One of the most common reasons for re-operation after breast augmentation is for purposes of size change–usually to become larger. At the Baystate Center for Plastic Surgery, Dr. Delia takes every effort to avoid this additional surgical procedure by actively involving patients in the decision-making process. During the initial consultation, patients goals are discussed, measurements are taken, and patients examined. A fitting bra may then be used with a variety of breast implant sizers until the desired shape and size is achieved. A second visit is then scheduled giving the patient time to think about her choice and the sizing process is again repeated. A discussion ensues regarding anatomical concerns Dr. Delia then discusses anatomical concerns which are unique to each patient and advises regarding concerns about type of implant implant(silicone vs. saline), the choice of shape for the implant(round vs. teardrop), and other technical problems are all addressed. After the second consultation for breast enhancement surgery, most patients feel comfortable with their choices and have narrowed down the size of the implant they prefer (to within 25 cc or so which typically represents only a small fraction of a cup size). However, if there is still a concern, some patients will be asked to schedule another visit to finalize the most appropriate options for their breast enlargement surgery.

At Bay State Center for Plastic Surgery, we never pressure patients into making quick decisions. We want happy, satisfied patients. We engage them in the process and have them actively participate in breast implant selection. We also make sure the patient understands any concerns the surgeon may have regarding their choice. With this approach, we find patient satisfaction to be very high and re-operations for breast augmentation surgery are kept to a minimum

Hyaluronic acid fillers, such as Juvaderm(Allergan) and Restylane(Medicis) have been used for some time for facial rejuvenation. These products have been subjectively thought to provide excellent results with good safety, longevity by many plastic surgeons and dermatologists. Objectively, however, longevity of these products have not been well documented.
A recent study in a major peer-reviewed journal of plastic surgery has demonstrated excellent persistence of these fillers in the tear trough area ( the depression between the lower eyelid and cheek) through use of 3-dimensional imaging.
This is an area where patients may look tired and aged with bagginess of the lower eyelids and loss of soft tissue volume of the cheeks over the years. Although, there may be other surgical options such as an eyelid lift (blepharoplasty), for those more interested in nonsurgical treatments , hyaluronic acid fillers continue to represent an excellent option with good longevity, particularly in the tear trough area.
Stephen Delia, m.d.

June is just around the corner, bringing with it the busy summer wedding season. While all brides have that special glow and look beautiful on their special day, they still worry about how their wedding photos will look when mounted in that all-important album sitting on the coffee table.

With the growing trend for couples to marry later in life rather than earlier, today’s brides often look to non-surgical cosmetic rejuvenation procedures prior to their wedding day. Some choose to diminish their frown lines or crow’s feet with Botox, plump their lips with a temporary filler such as Juvederm, or soften facial lines with a filler such as Radiesse or Restylane. Mothers of the bride or groom are oftentimes interested in the same sort of temporary, non-surgical treatments prior to the wedding—or use their daughter’s or son’s upcoming wedding as the impetus to finally schedule that cosmetic surgical procedure they have been thinking about for a long time.

Should you, the bride, or your mom choose to have a non-surgical or surgical procedure done prior to the wedding, keep in mind it is important to have these treatments several weeks (and in the case of cosmetic surgery, a few months) prior to the wedding date to achieve optimal results.

A recent clinical study compared levels of patient satisfaction regarding the choice of silicone vs. saline breast implants after postmastectomy breast reconstruction. The results of this study revealed a higher level of satisfaction in those patients who chose silicone implants. In fact, the study statistically indicated a significantly higher overall satisfaction with their breast reconstructions. In addition, the patients who chose silicone implants indicated improved psychological well-being and a greater sense of physical and sexual self-esteem.

The choice, however, is not always an easy one for women. This may in part be due to the media’s past portrayal of alleged silicone-related complications and the resultant public perception. Yet, after thorough review of current medical literature on the subject and the fact that the F.D.A. has once again deemed the use of silicone in breast implants safe, many women do opt for silicone implants in their post-mastectomy reconstructive surgeries as well as for cosmetic breast augmentation. Considering the results in the previously mentioned study, these women are apparently very satisfied with their outcomes and the choice they made.

Stephen Delia, M.D.