Summit Plastic Surgery & Dermatology

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Glen Meade, Wilmington

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Our Procedures 13

Our Procedures

Plastic Surgery: Breast Enlargement

Breast Augmentation, technically known as augmentation mammoplasty, is a surgical procedure to enhance the size & shape of a woman’s breast for a number of reasons

By inserting an implant behind each breast, surgeons are able to increase a woman’s bustline by one or more bra cup sizes. If you’re considering breast augmentation, this will give you a basic understanding of the procedure–when it can help, how it’s performed, & what results you can expect. It can’t answer all of your questions, since a lot depends on your individual circumstances. Please ask your surgeon if there is anything you don’t understand about the procedure. Schedule a consultation today! View our Breast Augmentation patient photo gallery

To correct a reduction in breast volume after pregnancy

As a reconstructive technique following breast surgery

The Best Candidates for Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation can enhance your appearance & your self-confidence, but it won’t necessarily change your looks to match your ideal, or cause other people to treat you differently. Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations & discuss them w/ your surgeon

Silicone Breast Implants

Silicone breast implants have now been approved by the Food & Drug Administration for use in breast augmentation. The newest generation of silicone breast implants, which have been used safely for many years around the world, are now available in the United States. Today’s silicone implants feature cohesive gel technology, allowing them to hold together uniformly while imparting a natural shape & feel to the breast. Many women believe silicone implants feel more natural than saline implants when used in breast augmentatio

To enhance the body contour of a woman who, for personal reasons, feels her breast size is too small

To balance a difference in breast size

Types of Implants

A breast implant is a silicone shell filled w/ either silicone gel or a saltwater solution known as saline. Because of concerns that there is insufficient information demonstrating the safety of silicone gel-filled breast implants, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that new gel-filled implants, at the present time, should be available only to women participating in approved studies. Some women requiring replacement of the implants may also be eligible to participate in the study

Plastic Surgery: Breast Lift

If you’re considering a breast lift…

Over the years, factors such as pregnancy, nursing, & the force of gravity take their toll on a woman’s breasts. As the skin loses its elasticity, the breasts often lose their shape & firmness & begin to sag. Breastlift, or mastopexy, is a surgical procedure to raise & reshape sagging breasts–at least, for a time. (No surgery can permanently delay the effects of gravity.) Mastopexy can also reduce the size of the areola, the darker skin surrounding the nipple. If your breasts are small or have lost volume–for example, after pregnancy–breast implants inserted in conjunction w/ mastopexy can increase both their firmness & their size

The Best Candidates for a Breast Lift

A breast lift can enhance your appearance & your self-confidence. Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations & discuss them w/ Dr. Ricciardelli

Plastic Surgery: Male Breast Reduction

A word about breast reduction, also known as Gynecomastia, in men

Gynecomastia is a medical term that comes from the Greek words for “women-like breasts.” Though this oddly named condition is rarely talked about, it’s actually quite common. Gynecomastia affects an estimated 40 to 60 percent of men. It may affect only one breast or both. Though certain drugs & medical problems have been linked w/ male breast overdevelopment, there is no known cause in the vast majority of cases

The Best Candidates for Gynecomastia Correction

Surgery to correct gynecomastia can be performed on healthy, emotionally stable men of any age. The best candidates for surgery have firm, elastic skin that will reshape to the body’s new contours

Plastic Surgery: Eyelid Surgery

If you’re considering eyelid surgery…

Eyelid surgery (technically called blepharoplasty) is a procedure to remove fat–usually along w/ excess skin & muscle from the upper & lower eyelids. Eyelid surgery can correct drooping upper lids & puffy bags below your eyes – features that make you look older & more tired than you feel, & may even interfere w/ your vision

Schedule a consultation today!

View before & after pictures

The Best Candidates for Eyelid Surgery

Blepharoplasty can enhance your appearance & your self-confidence. Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations & discuss them w/ Dr. Ricciardelli

Plastic Surgery: Ear Shaping

If you’re considering ear surgery

Ear surgery, or otoplasty, is usually done to set prominent ears back closer to the head or to reduce the size of large ears

Schedule a consultation today!

View before & after pictures

Other Ear Problems

Besides protruding ears, there are a variety of other ear problems that can be helped w/ surgery. These include: “lop ear,” when the tip seems to fold down & forward; “cupped ear,” which is usually a very small ear; & “shell ear,” when the curve in the outer rim, as well as the natural folds & creases, are missing. Surgery can also improve large or stretched earlobes, or lobes w/ large creases & wrinkles. Dr. Ricciardelli can even build new ears for those who were born without them or who lost them through injury

More Natural-looking Ears

Most patients, young & old alike, are thrilled w/ the results of ear surgery. But keep in mind, the goal is improvement, not perfection. Don’t expect both ears to match perfectly-perfect symmetry is both unlikely & unnatural in ears. If you’ve discussed the procedure & your expectations w/ the surgeon before the operation, chances are, you’ll be quite pleased w/ the result

Plastic Surgery: Facelift

If you’re considering a facelift

A facelift can’t stop the aging process, but it does “set back the clock,” improving the most visible signs of aging by removing excess fat, tightening underlying muscles, & re-draping the skin of your face & neck. Two other procedures, S-lift & necklift may also be an option for you. These are less invasive procedures, that have a little less recovery & cost. All these procedures address specific areas w/ different results. A consultation w/ Dr. Ricciardelli can help you decide which procedure is best for you.

Schedule a consultation today!

The Best Candidates for a Facelift

Most patients are in their forties to sixties, but facelifts can be done successfully on people in their seventies or eighties as well. Bone structure & skin elasticity will play a role in your end result. A facelift can make you look younger & fresher, & it may enhance your self- confidence in the process

Plastic Surgery: Facial Implants

If you’re considering facial surgery

Plastic surgeons use facial implants to improve & enhance facial contours. Frequently, these implants will help provide a more harmonious balance to your face & features so that you feel better about the way you look

What to Expect from a Facial Implant

Facial implants can enhance your appearance & bolster your self esteem. If you are looking for improvement, not perfection, in your appearance & are realistic in your expectations, you may find that a facial implant is the right choice for you

Cheek Surgery

Cheek implant surgery usually takes about 30 to 45 minutes. When cheek implants are being placed in conjunction w/ another cosmetic procedure, such as a facelift, forehead lift or eyelid surgery, the implants may be inserted through the incisions made for those procedures. Otherwise, an incision will be made either inside your upper lip or your lower eyelid. A pocket is then formed & an implant is inserted

Chin Surgery

Insertion of a chin implant may take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. During the procedure, the surgeon selects the proper size & shape implant to enhance your appearance & inserts it into a pocket over the front of the jawbone. The small incision to create the pocket & insert the implant is placed inside the mouth (along the lower lip) or in the skin just under the chin area

Lower-Jaw Surgery

Insertion of a jaw implant usually takes about one to two hours. Internal incisions are made on either side of the lower lip to provide access for creating a pocket into which the lower-jaw implant can be inserted. Dissolving sutures are used to close the incisions

Plastic Surgery: Forehead Lift

If you’re considering a forehead lift

A forehead lift or “browlift” is a procedure that restores a more youthful, refreshed look to the area above the eyes. The procedure corrects drooping brows & improves the horizontal lines & furrows that can make a person appear angry, sad or tired

The Best Candidates for a Forehead Lift

A forehead lift is most commonly performed in the 40-60 age range to minimize the visible effects of aging. However, it can also help people of any age who have developed furrows or frown lines due to stress or muscle activity. Individuals w/ inherited conditions, such as a low, heavy brow or furrowed lines above the nose can achieve a more alert & refreshed look w/ this procedure. Forehead lift is often performed in conjunction w/ a facelift to provide a smoother overall look to the face

The endoscopic forehead lift

Typically, an endoscopic forehead lift requires the same preparation steps as the traditional procedure: the hair is tied back & trimmed behind the hairline where the incisions will be made

The classic forehead lift

Before the operation begins, your hair will be tied w/ rubber bands on either side of the incision line. Your head will not be shaved, but hair that is growing directly in front of the incision line may need to be trimmed

Plastic Surgery: Liposuction

If you’re considering liposuction

Liposuction is a procedure that can help sculpt the body by removing unwanted fat from specific areas, including the abdomen, hips, buttocks, thighs, knees, upper arms, chin, cheeks & neck. During the past decade, liposuction, which is also known as “lipoplasty” or “suction lipectomy”, as benefited from several refinements.

Although no type of liposuction is a substitute for dieting & exercise, liposuction can remove stubborn areas of fat that don’t respond to traditional weight-loss methods.

The Best Candidates for Liposuction

To be a good candidate for liposuction, you must have realistic expectations about what the procedure can do for you. Liposuction can enhance your appearance & self confidence. The best candidates for liposuction are normal-weight people w/ firm, elastic skin who have pockets of excess fat in certain areas. You should be physically healthy, psychologically stable & realistic in your expectations. Your age is not a major consideration; however, older patients may have diminished skin elasticity & may not achieve the same results as a younger patient w/ tighter skin

Plastic Surgery: Nose Surgery

If you’re considering rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty, or surgery to reshape the nose, is one of the most common of all plastic surgery procedures. Rhinoplasty can reduce or increase the size of your nose, change the shape of the tip or the bridge, narrow the span of the nostrils, or change the angle between your nose & your upper lip. It may also correct a birth defect or injury, or help relieve some breathing problems.

View Before & After Photos of Rhinoplasty.

If you’re considering rhinoplasty, a consultation w/ Dr. Ricciardelli will give you a basic understanding of the procedure-when it can help, how it’s performed, & what results you can expect. Dr. Ricciardelli is double boarded certified in ear, nose & throat & plastic surgery.

Schedule a consultation today!

The Best Candidates for Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty can enhance your appearance & your self-confidence. Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations & discuss them w/ Dr. Ricciardelli

Plastic Surgery: Tumescent Technique

If your surgeon recommends the tumescent technique

The tumescent technique is a relatively new liposuction method that can reduce post operative bruising, swelling & pain. Because blood loss is minimized during tumescent liposuction, use of the technique reduces the chance that a blood transfusion will be needed

n the tumescent technique, areas of excess fat are injected w/ a large amount of anesthetic liquid before liposuction is performed. The liquid causes the compartments of fat to become swollen & firm or “tumesced.” The expanded fat compartments allow the liposuction cannula to travel smoothly beneath the skin as the fat is removed

Candidates for Tumescent Liposuction

Any person who is a candidate for traditional liposuction is also a good candidate for the tumescent technique. Although the technique can be used on any area of the body, it is commonly used on areas that require enhanced precision, such as the face, neck, arms, calves & ankles

Plastic Surgery: Tummy Tuck

Abdominoplasty, known more commonly as a “tummy tuck”, is a major surgical procedure to remove excess skin & fat from the middle & lower abdomen & to tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall. The procedure can dramatically reduce the appearance of a protruding abdomen often created by pregnancy. But bear in mind, it does produce a permanent scar, which, depending on the extent of the original problem & the surgery required to correct it, can extend from hip to hip

Schedule a consultation today!

If you’re considering abdominoplasty

If you’re considering abdominoplasty, a consultation w/ Dr. Ricciardelli will give you a basic understanding of the procedure-when it can help, how it’s performed, & what results you can expect

The Best Candidates for Abdominoplasty

The best candidates for abdominoplasty are men or women who are in relatively good shape but are bothered by a large fat deposit or loose abdominal skin that won’t respond to diet or exercise. The surgery is particularly helpful to women who, through multiple pregnancies, have stretched their abdominal muscles & skin beyond the point where they can return to normal. Loss of skin elasticity in older patients, which frequently occurs w/ slight obesity, can also be improved

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