- Medical Weight LossChildbearing can stretch your abdominal wall. Massive weight loss can cause the same thing. Unfortunately, diet and exercise do nothing to repair the underlying connective tissue, so it doesn’t snap back into shape. The stretched-out tissue has to be tightened and the excess skin removed surgically. The results are dramatic and permanent. If you desire a tummy tuck Scottsdale plastic surgeon Dr. Patti Flint can help.
- ElectrocardiogramDr. Flint meets with you in consultation to listen to your goals. After she performs an exam, she recommends a procedure that will accomplish your goals. Before surgery, you must obtain lab work and, in some cases, a chest x-ray and EKG. You also need to arrange for someone to drive you to and from the surgicenter.
- Pregnancy
- Labor and DeliveryMany women hope that liposuction alone can correct the changes they’ve experienced after childbirth, but this is rarely the case. Please do not waste your time or money on liposuction if you have lax or excess skin on your abdomen. No matter what anybody tells you, the procedure does nothing to shrink your skin significantly. Neither can strict dieting or 1,000 crunches. Liposuction can, however, help address pockets of fat and refine body contours when performed in tandem with a tummy tuck.
- Anxiety
- UltrasoundLiposuction is not a weight-loss tool. For safety reasons, it cannot be performed on patients who are significantly overweight, or to remove exceptionally large volumes of fat. While other surgeons currently offer many types of liposuction, Dr. Flint feels that the procedures involving laser heat or ultrasound energy to treat fat may damage stem cells and burn the skin. She prefers to remove fat with non-heated tubes.
- X-Rays
- General SurgeryWhile Dr. Flint was born and raised in California and completed her undergraduate education there, she moved to Phoenix to complete her general surgery training. “During those five years,†she says, “I learned a lot about the area and knew I wanted to come back to the Phoenix area to establish my practice. I was amazed at the number of plastic surgeons who practiced there, as well as the quality of work they were doing. I wanted to be held to that standard and to be in a geographic area where plastic surgery was embraced. And let’s face it, the weather is not bad either!â€
- Wound CareDr. Flint takes every precaution to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible after surgery. Some postoperative soreness, bruising, and swelling are normal. Wound care, nutrition, and medication can all contribute to the healing process.
- BotoxIf wrinkles or creases on the forehead or between the eyebrows are causing you to look angry or worried, BOTOX® Cosmetic injections can be an excellent option to achieve a more refreshed, approachable appearance. Lines around the eyes and forehead form as a result of muscle contractions. When contractions become habit, these “expressions lines†are apparent even when a person’s face is at rest. BOTOX works by preventing the muscles responsible for forming wrinkles from working so hard. In turn, expression lines diminish significantly or can even disappear for several months.
- Brow LiftBoard certified anesthesiologists are used to provide safe general anesthesia. The procedure takes approximately 90 minutes, but is frequently combined with a cheek lift surgery, a facelift, or a brow lift, which makes the surgery longer. Discomfort is mild. The swelling and bruising that occur take approximately three weeks to resolve. You cannot wear contacts for a minimum of two weeks, and you must avoid heavy reading and computer work that causes eye strain for two weeks.
- Eyelid SurgeryExcess skin, lax muscle, or bags can occur at any age, and sometimes are related to familial traits more than aging. The time to consider eyelid surgery is whenever the appearance of your eyes bothers you. Dr. Flint designs the surgery to recreate the look you had at a younger stage of life. She does not change your eye shape so that you look different to friends and family. Natural-appearing results are the best results, in Dr. Flint’s opinion.
- LiposuctionTo remove excess skin and fat from your abdominal wall, outer thighs, and buttocks, Dr. Flint makes an incision that courses low across your abdomen around to above your buttocks and continues across your lower back. Body lifts are designed to improve the overall shape of your abdomen, thighs, and buttocks. Excess fat and skin are removed and the underlying muscles of the abdominal wall are tightened, resulting in a flat abdomen. This procedure is often combined with liposuction of other areas.
- Breast AugmentationDr. Patti Flint believes that your breast augmentation results should look and feel completely natural. In her nearly 20 years of experience performing breast augmentation, she has come to prefer round silicone gel implants and uses them almost exclusively.
- Breast ReductionWomen who have had a breast reduction frequently report a near immediate relief of the discomfort in their neck, back, and shoulders following the procedure. It becomes much easier to exercise, as well as to find bras and clothing that fit more comfortably. The scar pattern from the reduction surgery varies, depending on how much reduction your breasts require and how large your breasts were before the surgery. Most women find the improvement in size and shape well worth the trade-off of having a scar. Furthermore, the scars generally fade nicely with time.
- Breast LiftA breast lift corrects the bothersome effects of sagging breasts, removing excess skin and reshaping the breast tissue into a rounder, more aesthetically appealing position. This procedure can also downsize a stretched or large nipple/areola complex and move it into a forward-facing position higher on the breast and chest wall.
- RhinoplastyRhinoplasty involves changing the size, shape, and/or position of your nose. If you are experiencing breathing problems, straightening or removal of a deviated septum may also be performed. The changes in shape and size that can be accomplished are wide-ranging. Humps on the surface of the nose can be removed, and nasal tips can be made less bulbous or protuberant. The width of your nasal passages can also be narrowed. Dr. Flint can change your nostril shape to decrease flaring as well.
- Plastic SurgeryYour experience at Dr. Patti Flint‘s plastic surgery practice is extremely important to us. We are aware that the decision to pursue elective aesthetic treatments or surgery can be a daunting one. Outlined below are some of the things that are unique about our practice and very beneficial to anyone considering a consultation.
- Thigh LiftThe thigh lift in Scottsdale is performed under general anesthesia and takes approximately two hours. You are allowed to return home approximately 90 minutes following the procedure, but an overnight stay in the attached facility is available if desired. You need to be up and walking the night of the procedure, but more strenuous exercise is not allowed for four weeks. Most patients return to work within two weeks. The scars are well hidden in the groin crease and fade nicely over about one year.
- Face LiftHow does Dr. Flint get such natural results with her facelift procedures? She repositions facial tissues into areas they lived in during an earlier time in your life, not into unnatural positions where they never lived. Additionally, she uses a double layer technique, so the deeper tissues of the face that sag, causing jowls and sagging necks, are snugly tightened, but the skin is gently re-draped with no tension. The deep tissues are moved up, because that is where they were in early adulthood, but the skin goes back. No tension should ever be applied to the skin as it can distort your ear or hairline, creating an unnatural tightness in your face.
- BlepharoplastyThe blepharoplasty procedure involves removing excess skin from the upper and lower eyelids through well hidden incisions in the crease of the upper lid and just underneath the lashes of the lower lid. Eyelid surgery can correct drooping upper lids and puffy bags below your eyes. These features may make you look older and more tired than you feel. They may even interfere with your vision. In some patients, this procedure can diminish the appearance of dark circles under the eyes.
- AbdominoplastyI am writing this letter to you to thank you and let you know how happy I am that I chose you as my plastic surgeon for my recent abdominoplasty. I am thrilled with the results, and if I opt for another procedure in the future I will definitely choose you to perform my surgery.
- Nose Surgery
- Body LiftA body lift can remove excess skin and fat from your lower torso (abdomen, outer thighs, and buttocks) at the same time. The results can be life-changing, which is one of the reasons Dr. Flint enjoys performing this procedure. If you have lost weight and are frustrated with the excess skin you are left with, schedule a consultation with Dr. Flint.
- Breast SurgeryDr. Flint meets with you to discuss your goals regarding your breast surgery. Then she examines you, discusses your options, and makes her recommendations. She answers all of your questions at this time. Then you are given information regarding the fees and an opportunity to select a date for your surgery, if you so desire.
- Lip AugmentationOur upper lips lengthen as we age, creating an imbalance in the appearance of our mouths. In addition, the red portion no longer shows as much as the lip turns in toward the teeth. Many providers advise patients that lip augmentation is a good option in these situations. I could not disagree more! Augmenting a lip that is too long magnifies the problem and draws attention to a feature that is not aesthetically appealing already.
- Body ContouringBody contouring procedures are often pursued by a wide variety of Arizonans, from those who have been successful with massive weight loss, to those who have stubborn areas of fatty deposits that don’t respond to diet and exercise, to women who want their pre-maternity curves back. The results can be quite dramatic. If you have been frustrated by an inability to attain the shape you desire, it is a good idea to consider a consultation with Scottsdale plastic
- Gynecomastia
- Cosmetic Surgery€œI have designed my practice to help people who are like me,†says Patti Flint, MD. “I cater to those who want to look as good and as natural as they can at any given age. It is a tall order, but I have always said, ‘If I can’t do the procedure and make it look natural, I am not going to do it.’ I have always wanted to emphasize exemplary service. Therefore, my staff and I treat patients like family. We work diligently to gain your trust and to maintain it. I strive to provide a wide spectrum of cosmetic surgery procedures and treatments, and I am committed to continuing medical education that allows me to stay very current.â€
- Skin CancerHowever, wrinkles, acne, pigmentation problems, and slack skin can cause a man to look older than his age. Men are also twice as likely to die from melanoma, a grim statistic that results from lax skincare habits among too many men. You need to take care of your skin if you want to be healthy and look good.
- Acne Treatment
- Lesions
- Chemical PeelsAs you age, skin loses its natural elasticity and ability to fight gravity, although it happens to everyone at a different rate. The time you spent outdoors in the sun, wind, and other harsh elements can also enhance unsightly wrinkles or dark spots. As a result, your face is particularly prone to the inevitable slowing of cell turnover that occurs with age. New facial skin cells take longer to regenerate and old cells stay on the skin surface longer. Chemical peels use solutions to help smooth the texture of your facial skin by removing the old skin cells and encouraging younger skin cell production.
- Skin CareDr. Flint is proud to provide her patients with one of the newest and most exciting advancements in the field of laser skin care, the Sciton Joule laser. This leading-edge platform with its multifaceted laser has the ability to address a number of skin issues as well as help reverse visible signs of aging and sun damage.
- Physical TherapyHealth insurance covers this procedure in a minority of patients. Insurance companies require that you meet all of their criteria prior to granting authorization. For example, you must be at or near your ideal body weight, and you must have experienced no relief from non-invasive treatments such as physical therapy and use of anti-inflammatory medicine such as ibuprofen.