Total Body Surgical Blog

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  After a two week hiatus....it is good to be back.  2012 will be an exciting year.  Lots of changes on the horizon for all of us.  Total Body Surgical will be entering its second year of service to Northeastern Oklahoma and the surrounding areas. Our success is all thanks to you.  Unless the Mayans are correct, we expect this year to be a banner one with many new changes to serve you better and MAYBE a few surprises!! 

New changes are happening this year for us.  This installment is to explain them.  Next week we will get back into the meat.

First of all, we will be adding to our team in the next few weeks.  We will be adding an ultrasound tech.  Why??  Well, as many of you know, I have been doing the pre and post treatment vein ultrasounds and quite frankly, it has become too busy for me to do them and keep up with everything else.  Our new tech will specialize in venous studies and as things in the vein center continue to grow, will take over more responsibilities with insurance and the daily running of the center.  Venous disease is way underdiagnosed and the Northeastern Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri are underserved when it comes to the newer techniques in varicose vein treatments.  We offer them all and as the word gets out and we continue to get great results we will need more help.

Second, we will be adding a new person at the front desk.  This is greatly needed to serve you quicker when you come in, answer phones better, and allow us to provide the service you have come to expect at Total Body Surgical.  We strive to be the best at everything we do.  We hate to make people wait and know your time is important.  I feel that the addition of our new staff will help us get closer to our goal.  Be assured that these new faces will be just as friendly and nice as Mekala, Myranda, and Janet are now.... or we won't hire them!!

Third, physical changes.  As many of you know, our corner in Grove has been undergoing massive change for the better.  The old hospital is gone, the old intersection....gone...and the new shopping center is well under construction.  The intersection, which has hindered access for several months is now finished with new curbing and asphalt.  It looks great and will serve all of us much better than the old one....thank you Grove!!  We plan to make some cosmetic improvements to the outer office, and, as you know, the interior is very nice.

Fourth, I will be making more YouTube clips.  We plan to film procedures, pre and post op instructions and more.  We will attach them to the web site so that you will have a better understanding of what goes on during your procedure and help address your questions and fears.

These are the changes we are working on for 2012.  Keep and eye out for the surprises!! 

The next few weeks I will talk a little about common General Surgical problems.  These may not be as fun as the Cosmetic and Vein discussions but are just as important, if not more so.

First we will talk about one of the more common problems...the gallbladder, then hernias, then endoscopy.  By that time we will be heading into spring.  I am working on some great pricing for "mommy makeovers" for spring that will include breast work, tummy tuck, and liposuction....very exciting.

Talk next week....Happy New Year!!

Last week we discussed more common general surgery procedures that can be performed with Cosmetic procedures.  What else can be done???  It is hard to come up with a complete list there are so many. 

Here are some suggestions:

Many people have a fear of needles.  While anesthesia is administered for other elective surgery, it is a great time to place dermal fillers in the nasolabial folds, marrionette lines, or even augment the lips.  Of course Botox can be injected as well.

More substantial procedures can be done as well.  Breast augmentation can be added to elective laparoscopic procedures such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy, small laparoscopic hernia repairs, many gyn procedures and so on.  Of course if the primary procedure is being done due to infection or obstruction or other serious illness, this is not possible.

Laser skin resurfacing can be done while under general anesthesia for non-emergent procedures as well.  This allows the procedure to be done without the discomfort sometimes associated with resurfacing.  Light therapy for sun spots or closure of facial veins can also be done.

Arm reductions, small area liposuction, face work, injections, laser work, tummy tucks, breast augmentation can all be added to general surgical procedures when the procedure is purely elective. 

What are the advantages of combining procedures??  As we discussed last week, the advantages are many.  First of all, a single anesthesia is very advantageous, lowering risk by limiting the number of anesthetic exposures.  Secondly, a single surgical recovery is much better than multiple ones.  The recovery is simultaneous.

There it is, short and sweet.  Procedures can be combined if desired and safe.  Come see us at Total Body Surgical and we can discuss what is possible.  Call 918-786-7780 or fill out a contact form and we will call you!  Don't forget our special pricing on liposuction, lap bands, nail fungus, and fillers.

We are also planning Botox events in Grove and in Tulsa this month to be ready for the holidays.  Special pricing will be offered at these events.  Sign up using a contact form and we will inform you of the dates and times....or you can call.

More next week!  Oh, and like us on facebook!

I here it all the time....if I had only known, I would have had a tummy tuck when I had.....fill in the blank.  I must say that one of the great things about having experience and credentials in two fields (General and Cosmetic Surgery) allows me to offer a number of options that many cannot.  Of course Cosmetic procedures can be combined.  We do it all the time...tummy tuck with liposuction....face lift with eyelid surgery....tummy tuck with breast lift or augmentation....and the list goes on.  I will usually combine procedures as long as it takes less than around 4 hours.  I feel that this is a safe limit for anesthesia and for me this is about the limit of concentration for me and the surgery crew.  If I think adding procedures can be done in this time limit and it makes sense, we can do it.  If not, we divide the procedures into different days.
But what about combining cosmetic and Non-cosmetic procedures??  At Total Body Surgical we do them all the time.  It saves time and money for our patients.  One anesthetic and one recovery period gets people back to normal quickly instead of doing both twice.

The most common combination is a hysterectomy and tummy tuck.  This is an ideal combination.  The incision for a hysterectomy is low and transverse in the abdomen.  The tummy tuck incision is in the same area.  Hysterectomies are usually a fairly quick procedure and when combined with a tummy tuck the 4 hour time limit is more than enough time to do both, with considerable time to spare.  At Total Body Surgical we enlist (or are enlisted by) the OB/GYN surgeons Dr Thomas or Dr Dietz.  Most women having hysterectomies have had one or more children with the common pooch, stretch marks, and loose skin that goes along with it.  It is the perfect combination....one anesthesia....one recovery.

The second most common is hernias and a tummy tuck.  Many people have belly button, inguinal, or incisional hernias that need to be fixed.  These repairs can be done in conjunction with a tummy tuck very easily.  Depending on the size and location of the hernia I can either fix it laparoscopic or open.  The incisions are not made through the skin as the skin is moved out of the way during the tummy tuck.  The repair can be done with mesh if needed and AGAIN, one anesthetic and one recovery period!! 

The third procedure is the cholecystectomy.  The most common general surgical procedure can easily be done in conjunction with a tummy tuck.  The skin is moved as with a normal tummy tuck, then the gall bladder is removed through laparoscopes and the tummy tuck is completed.  There is no sign of the procedure afterwards and only one anesthetic and one recovery. 

Procedures that do not fit with cosmetic surgery are bowel surgeries.  These procedures are "dirty" procedures by nature due to bowel contents and just don't fit due to infection risks.

Sooo, if you were thinking about a tummy tuck and then had the bomb dropped that you also need a cholecystectomy or hysterectomy or hernia....come see us at Total Body Surgical and we may be able to save you time and money.  Check our portfolio page and see if you can pick which tummy tucks were combined procedures....there are some!!!

Call 918-786-7780 or fill out a contact form and we will call you.  Don't forget our special offers on liposuction, treatment of nail fungus, lap bands, and fillers.  Please feel free to write comments or suggestions for other blog topics AND like us on FB!!!