Dr Sue Thistlethwaite offers a variety of surgical and non-surgical procedures to address problem areas and enhance your natural features. Whatever your goal, Dr Thistlethwaite offers a low-pressure, understanding atmosphere and advanced surgical techniques backed by 20 years of experience.

With any of the procedures outlined below, a good and complication-free outcome is most likely in a non-smoking patient with good general health. Smoking compromises wound healing, leading to the potential problems of wound breakdown and infection.

Most surgical procedures can either be done as day surgery or with an overnight stay in the hospital. While Dr Thistlethwaite usually conducts surgery under general anesthesia, some procedures can be done under local anesthesia if a patient requests it.

Some procedures still have some Medicare coverage, as detailed in the explanation of the procedure. Full costings will be given to each patient at the time of your consultation with Dr Thistlethwaite, and this will detail how much is covered by Medicare and your health fund.

• Scar Revision
• Ancillary – Fillers/Anti Wrinkle Injections
• Laser resurfacing
• Products to Improve the Appearance and Feeling of Skin

• Abdolipectomy (Abdominoplasty)
• Liposuction
• Body Lift Post Weight Loss
• Arm Reduction
• Thigh Reduction
• Trunk/Buttock lift

Breast

Many women associate their breasts with their femininity. Therefore, it’s no surprise that women seek full, firm breasts, or to regain the figure they had before pregnancy, significant weight loss, or a lumpectomy or full or partial mastectomy. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some women suffer health problems and discomfort from oversized breasts, or men suffer embarrassment from gynaecomastia (excess breast tissue). Whatever your goals, Dr Thistlethwaite can help you achieve them.

Augmentation

A breast augmentation is an excellent choice for those seeking to increase the volume of small breasts, correct asymmetry, or restore size after pregnancy, weight loss or mastectomy (either partial or full).

Several approaches are possible in performing a breast augmentation. The incision can be inframammary (in the crease of the breast), areolar, or axillary (in the armpit). The shape of the implant can be varied with high, moderate, or low-profile round implants, as well as anatomical (teardrop-shaped) implants. The surface of the implant can be either textured or smooth. The choice of implants, and their size, are determined at the time of your consultation with Dr Thistlethwaite and are determined by the patient’s preference, the look you wish to achieve, your body build, and your chest wall width.

During the procedure, an incision is made in a predetermined position. A submuscular or subglandular plane is dissected and the implant is inserted into the space produced. Which plane is used is determined by the patient’s preference, the look they wish to achieve, their body build, and the degree of breast ptosis (drooping) present, which determines the position of the nipple in relation to the rest of the breast tissue.

Although a popular procedure, augmentation is not without its risks. Acute complications, such as bleeding, infections, and wound healing problems, are rare. They will be discussed in depth at your consultation with Dr Thistlethwaite, as well as the long-term possibilities of implant rupture and capsular contracture.

Following breast augmentation surgery, the wounds will be healed within two weeks. If you have an office job, you can return to work in one to two weeks after surgery, and two to three weeks if your job is of a more physical nature. You can resume low-impact physical activity in one to two weeks, and high-impact physical activity in three to four. Generally, scar resolution occurs at about three months after surgery.

Breast augmentation does not affect a person’s ability to breast-feed, nor their nipple sensation or the detection of breast lumps. Patients with breast implants will be able to undergo normal ultrasounds and mammograms.

This surgery is not covered by either Medicare nor your health fund. However, if a breast augmentation is performed to correct significant breast asymmetry or as part of a reconstructive procedure, it will be partially covered by Medicare and your health fund.

Breast Reduction

Patients most frequently request breast reduction as a way to relieve significant neck and back discomfort produced by the weight of the breasts. Breast reduction can also relieve such problems as sweating beneath the breasts, which can produce rashes in hot weather, as well as difficulties exercising due to the size of the breasts.

The breast reduction procedure involves reducing fat and glandular tissue and skin to make the breasts smaller. It also lifts the breasts so they are restored to their normal position on the chest wall and the nipple is placed at the correct height in relation to the breast mass. Liposuction to the lateral chest wall is sometimes utilized to enhance the cosmetic results.

In current breast reduction techniques, the nipple always remains attached to the underlying breast tissue to maximize the preservation of nipple sensation and the change of breast-feeding in the future.

The classic scarring after a breast reduction is T-shaped, with a transverse inframammary scar, a vertical scar extending from the nipple to the base of the breast, and a scar around the areolas. However, the procedure can now often be done with just a vertical scar running from the nipple to the base of the breast, and a circumareolar scar. Whether this can be done on a specific patient is determined by the extent of the reduction, the patient’s build, and the amount of excess skin present. This will be assessed during your consultation, and the patient will be told exactly where the scars will be, as well as their exact length.

Breast reduction surgery requires an overnight hospital stay. It is performed under general anesthetic, and oral medication such as panadeine controls the pain.

Wound healing after breast reduction surgery takes two weeks. If you work in an office, you can return to work in one to two weeks, and two to three weeks if your work is more physical. You can resume low-impact physical activity in one to two weeks, and high-impact physical activity in three to four. Scar resolution will occur within six to nine months after surgery.

Breast reduction surgery remains on the Medicare schedule; therefore, its cost is partially covered by Medicare and the patient’s health fund.

Following breast reduction, nipple sensation is usually fully preserved. Breast-feeding is possible after breast reduction in up to 60 percent of cases. Rather than having an adverse effect on the future detection of breast lumps, breast reduction makes it easier to self-examine the breasts and to have a mammogram.

Mastopexy

Mastopexy is a procedure to correct the sagging of the breasts that can occur as a result of pregnancy or significant weight loss. During the procedure, the breast mound is lifted and tightened to correct its position and projection on the chest wall, and the nipple/areola complex is restored to its position on top of the breast mound, not below it. A mastopexy is often combined with a small breast augmentation to restore volume.

Mastopexy is always done with a vertical scar extending from the areola to the inframammary crease and a circumareolar scar. The surgery requires a day and sometimes an overnight stay at the hospital.

Pain during this surgery is not excessive, and pain is usually well-controlled with oral painkillers such as Panadeine.

Wound healing following a mastopexy usually takes about two weeks. If you work in an office, you can return to work in one to two weeks, and two to three weeks if you work is more physical. You can resume low-impact physical activity in two weeks after surgery, and high-impact activity in three to four weeks. Scar resolution usually occurs within three to six months.

Mastopexy is partially covered by Medicare in some cases, for instance if the breast deformity is post-pregnancy and within a certain timeframe from the last pregnancy.

Nipple sensation is unaffected by mastopexy. Breast feeding is usually unaffected as well, though pregnancy may stretch tissue slightly and recreate some of the deformity corrected by the mastopexy.

Gynaecomastia

Gynaecomastia corrects the incidence of excess breast tissue in males. This condition is usually without any apparent cause, but sometimes it is related to hormonal irregularities or steroid use.

The surgical procedure involves the removal of excess breast tissue, either by excision, liposuction, or a combination of the two. If liposuction alone is performed, the procedure is performed through a small puncture wound approximately three to four millimeters long, which is hidden in a skin crease. If excision of breast tissue is required, the procedure is done through an areolar incision along the inferior aspect of the areola. There is never an extension of this scar onto the skin of the breast. Both of these approaches leave very inconspicuous scars.

Gynaecomastia is performed as day surgery. Oral medication adequately controls the pain of the surgery. Wound healing occurs in about 10 days. If you work in an office, you can return to work within one or two weeks after the surgery, and three to four weeks if your work is more physical. You may resume low-impact physical activity in two weeks after surgery, and high-impact activity in three to four weeks. The scars will resolve in two to three months.

The cost of gynaecomastia is still partially covered by Medicare, plus the patient’s health fund.

Nipple sensation is not affected by the procedure. Once corrected, there will be no recurrence of the gynaecomastia, unless steroid use is continued.

Asymmetry

Breast asymmetry can occur naturally or as a result of a condition such as Poland’s Syndrome. It can be surgically corrected by either inserting an implant in the smaller breast, or performing a reduction or a breast lift on the larger one.

Reconstruction

A variety of procedures are available for breast reconstruction, and the choice will depend on the extent of the initial surgery (whether it was a lumpectomy or partial/complete mastectomy), the size of the other breast, whether radiotherapy was utilized, and the patient preference. The procedures Dr Thistlethwaite utilizes include the revision of the lumpectomy scar, augmentation, tissue expansion, and various flaps or surgery to the other breast to reduce or lift it to restore symmetry. Nipple reconstruction may also be necessary, and this will be discussed at your consultation.

back to top

Body Contouring

Body contouring procedures are required to correct the effects on the body of pregnancy, large weight loss, or genetically determined localized fat pads by removing the excess tissue and tightening and lifting the stretched tissue.

Abdolipectomy (Abdominoplasty)

Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, corrects an excess amount of skin/subcutaneous tissue in the abdominal area, especially involving the lower abdomen, which has developed after pregnancies or a large weight loss.

During abdominoplasty surgery, Dr Thistlethwaite removes the excess skin/fat from the middle/lower abdominal wall, and tightens the underlying muscles to create a flatter appearance to the abdominal wall. This may be combined with liposuction to improve the cosmetic result.

The abdominoplasty scar lies just above the pubic hairline, with the length of the scar depending on the amount of excess tissue to be removed and the build of the patient. Dr Thistlethwaite can indicate the exact length of the scar after she examines the patient at the time of the consultation. A full abdominoplasty will also leave an umbilical scar, but this is not required in a more limited, sub-umbilical abdominoplasty.

Abdominoplasty surgery requires an overnight hospital stay and is performed under general anesthetic. Following surgery, patients generally complain of tightness rather than pain. Any discomfort is relieved by painkillers.

Following surgery, wound healing will occur within two weeks. If you work in an office, you can return to work in one to two weeks after surgery, and two to three if your work is more physical. You can resume low-impact physical activity in one to two weeks, and high-impact physical activity in three to four. Scar resolution will occur within six to nine months.

Abdominoplasty is still on the Medicare schedule, and therefore is partially covered by Medicare as well as the patient’s health fund.

Liposuction

Liposuction is helpful in treating fat pads on various parts of the body which cannot be shifted or removed with either diet or exercise.

Prior to the liposuction procedure, the areas to be suctioned are carefully marked, with the areas requiring the most suction highlighted. Fluid is then infiltrated into the areas, which works to reduce the bleeding and to facilitate the suctioning of the fat.

Various techniques are available for the suction process. Dr Thistlethwaite utilizes small cannulas for liposuction, which minimize the length of the incision scars and which, she feels, reduces the possibility of irregular results.

Liposuction leaves three- to four-millimeter scars which are placed in the natural skin lines or creases to minimize their appearance.

The procedure is performed as day surgery and is usually performed under general anesthetic.

Following liposuction, the suctioned area will feel bruised, but oral pain relief is adequate to control this. The resolution of bruising and wound healing will come in a week and a half to two weeks after surgery. If you work in an office, you may return to work in one week, and two weeks if your work is more physical. You may resume low-impact activity immediately after liposuction, but should wait two weeks to resume high-impact physical activity.

Most liposuction procedures are rated as purely cosmetic, and are therefore not covered at all by Medicare.

At your consultation with Dr Thistlethwaite, the suitability of the site for liposuction will be assessed. The extent of the possible improvement through liposuction will also be evaluated. Patients’ suitability for liposuction is determined based on patient age, their skin tone, and their body’s build.

Patients are often curious about the possible recurrence of the fat pad removed during liposuction. If the fat pads are secondary to hereditary/hormonal influenced—for example, those on the postero lateral thighs of some women—they will not recur. However, if the fat pads are of a more generalized natural and truncal in distribution, they may well return with further weight gain. Dr Thistlethwaite will give advice about this at the time of your consultation.

Body Lift Post Weight Loss

Following large amounts of weight loss, surgery may be required to remove the excess skin left by the weight loss, and also to lift certain structures back to their original positions. The procedures included in this type of surgery are abdominoplasty, arm reduction, thigh reduction, trunk lift, and buttock lift. These procedures are often combined, and a couple are done during the same session.

Post weight loss body lift procedures will leave scars in the affected area. Arm reduction scars will either be in the axilla (armpit) or longitudinally oriented along the underside of the arm. The position of the scarring depends on the amount of tissue which has to be excised. The thigh reduction scars are located either in the groin or longitudinally orientated along the inner thigh. Again, the site depends on how much tissue has to be removed, and its distribution. The trunk lift will yield a scar that is orientated across the posterior trunk and its position will be determined by site of excess fold of tissue, and the buttock lift will leave a scar orientated across the trunk, just above the buttocks.

If only one procedure is done at one session, the patient will only stay a day at the hospital. However, if more than one procedure is done at the same time, an overnight stay will be required.

Following a body lift, patients tend to complain of discomfort rather than pain, and this is handled by oral medication such as Panadol.

Wound healing will occur in two weeks. If you work in an office, you may return to work in one to three weeks, and two to four weeks if your job is more physical. You may resume low-impact physical activity in two to three weeks and high-impact physical activity in three to four weeks. Scar resolution will occur in three to six months. These variations in recovery time relate to which specific procedures have been done. Arm reduction is at the short end of the recovery time, whereas thigh reduction is at the longer end.

All of the procedures that may be part of a body lift are partially covered by Medicare as well as the patient’s health fund.

Arm Reduction

A brachioplasty, or an arm reduction, corrects the loose skin that occurs secondary to age or significant weight loss. Excess skin is marked and removed, and the wound is closed leaving a scar in either the axilla or longitudinally along the undersurface of the arm, which is determined by both the amount and distribution of the excess tissue present. In arms that patients perceive as too fat with no excess skin present, liposuction can be used to reduce the size of the arms.

Thigh Reduction

Patients can have medial fat pads on their thighs, which worry them cosmetically and can irritate as they can rub against the adjacent thigh when walking and cause chafing. This can be corrected with day surgery Liposuction.

In patients who have lost large amounts of weight, they can be left with significant amounts of excess skin in their thighs. This can be removed with thigh reduction which is performed through either a groin incision or a longitudinal incision along the medial aspect of the thigh. Which one is used is determined by the amount of excess tissue present and its distribution along the thigh. This usually requires an overnight stay in hospital but can sometimes be done as day surgery.

Trunk/Buttock Lift

Weight loss can create skin redundancy, producing folds in posterior trunk or sagging of the buttocks. Trunk lift is performed through an incision transversely oriented across the trunk, its position being determined by the position of maximum skin redundancy. Sagging buttocks can be corrected with a buttock lift, which is usually done through an incision just superior to the buttocks extending across the trunk. However, it can occasionally be done through buttock crease lines at inferior aspect of buttock. Both these procedures can usually be done as day surgery.

back to top

Facial Rejuvenation

Many men and women seek facial rejuvenation procedures to restore a more youthful appearance to their face or when they feel that they are looking older than their contemporaries and wish to correct this.

Blepharoplasty

Blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery is performed to remove excess skin in both the upper and lower eyelids, and this is often combined with partial removal or repositioning of the fat pads around the eye which can produce bulging particularly in the lower eyelids.

During upper eyelid surgery, Dr Thistlethwaite excises excess skin through an incision positioned along the upper eyelid crease. She will also perform a conservative removal of protruding fat pads.

Lower eyelid blepharoplasty involves either laser resurfacing of the lower eyelid skin combined with transconjunctival removal of fat pads, or excision of excess skin through an incision just below the lower eyelid lashes plus conservative removal or repositioning of the fat pads in the lower eyelid area. Which of these techniques is used depends on the amount of excess skin present.

Blepharoplasty requires a day’s stay at the hospital. Usually it is performed under general anesthetic., but can be performed under local anesthetic. in certain circumstances. Patients should expect moderate discomfort after surgery, which is adequately controlled by oral medication.

Wound healing after eyelid surgery occurs in four days, and the resolution of bruising and swelling will occur in seven to 10 days. If you work in an office, you may return to work in seven to 10 days or in two weeks if you work is more physical. You may resume low-impact physical activity two weeks after eyelid surgery and high-impact activity in three weeks. Scar resolution will occur within two to three months.

Most blepharoplasty procedures are classified as cosmetic, and therefore have no Medicare coverage. However, if there is so much excess skin in the upper eyelids that it hangs over the eye and obscures vision, there is some Medicare coverage available.

Browlift (Forehead Lift)

A browlift, or forehead lift, corrects the sagging of the eyebrows below superior orbital rim — a condition that accentuates any excess skin on the upper eyelids.

The browlift procedure involves lifting the patient’s eyebrows to the correct height, minimizing forehead lines, and removing the glabellar frown lines. The surgery can either be performed “open,” where the incision is in the hairline across the brow, or can be performed endoscopically, where three small incisions within the hairline are utilized. Which procedure is used depends on the patient’s preference and the main deformity present and therefore which approach will best solve the problem.

This procedure requires a day stay at the hospital and is performed under general anesthetic. Following surgery, patients usually complain of a tight feeling, but oral medication provides adequate pain relief.

Following a browlift, wound healing will come within 10 days. Swelling and bruising will resolve in 10 days to two weeks. If you work in an office, you may return to work in two weeks and in two to three weeks if your work is more physical. You may resume low-impact physical activity in two weeks and high-impact activity in three to four weeks.

This procedure is classified as fully cosmetic, and therefore there is no Medicare coverage.

Liplift

The upper lip tends to lengthen with age, and this causes less of the mucosal portion of the lip to be exposed, giving the appearance of a thin, long lip. Thin lips may also be hereditary.

In a liplift, the upper lip is shortened or lifted with either a subnasal incision, if the skin portion of the upper lip is too long, or with an incision at the skin/mucosal junction if the patient wants more of the mucosal portion of the lip to show or to eliminate the perioral lines caused by aging or smoking. Scarring will be either at the base of the nose or at the junction of the skin and colored portion of the lip.

A liplift requires only a day stay at the hospital and is usually performed under local anesthetic, though it can be performed under general anesthetic if the patient requests it.

Pain following a liplift is minimal, usually fully covered by oral medications. Wound healing following the procedure will occur within six days and scars will resolve in three months. If you work in an office, you may return to work in one week; if your work if more physical, you may return in one to two weeks. You may resume low-impact physical activity in one to two weeks and high-impact physical activity in two to three weeks.

A liplift is classified as a fully cosmetic procedure; therefore there is no Medicare coverage.

Facelift/Necklift

A facelift/necklift is used to correct the sagging of the face/neck tissues that occurs with aging and/or weight loss. The procedure acts to lift and tighten the internal structures and then any excess skin present after the tightening is removed.

In a limited facelift, the scarring is confined to the preaurcular incision. A full facelift will require a more extended incision, which includes a preauricular incision but also extends into the temple, and also the postauricular crease. The extent of the procedure is determined by the amount of excess skin and sagging, and also by patient preference.

A facelift/necklift requires a day stay at the hospital and is usually performed under general anesthetic., but occasionally will be done under local anesthetic. Pain following surgery is not excessive and fully controlled by oral medication.

Wound healing will occur in seven to 10 days, and the resolution of bruising or swelling will occur in about two weeks. Scar resolution will occur within three months. If you work in an office, you may return to work in 10 to 14 days after surgery, or two to three weeks if your work is more physical. You may resume low-impact physical activity in two to three weeks and high-impact physical activity in three to four weeks.

Facelift/necklift surgery is classified as fully cosmetic; therefore, there is no Medicare coverage.

Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty surgery can change the shape of the nose in patients dissatisfied with their nose, and it can be combined with the correction of breathing abnormalities.

The procedure involves the alteration of the shape of the nose combined with correction of the airway, improving its cosmetic appearance and function. Rhinoplasty surgery is performed either through an internal approach within the nostril, or via an external approach through the columellar (the vertical support between the two nostrils). Which approach is used depends on the deformity present and the expectation of the patient. The external approach is required if a lot of work to the nose’s tip is needed, but the internal approach can be used if the deformity is mainly confined to the dorsal hump or to correct deviation of the nose.

Rhinoplasty surgery requires a day stay at the hospital and is performed under general anesthetic. Patients experience discomfort rather than pain after the procedure, and this can be relieved by oral medication.

Wound healing will occur within six days of surgery, and at this point the splint can be removed. The resolution of bruising will occur in seven to 10 days, and swelling will resolve in four to six weeks. If you work in an office, you may return to work in one to two weeks after rhinoplasty surgery, or two weeks if your work is more physical. You may resume low-impact physical activity in two weeks and high-impact activity in three to four weeks.

If the nose’s deformity was caused by trauma, rhinoplasty will be partially covered by Medicare.

Imaging is available at Dr Thistlethwaite’s practice. This is particularly useful for rhinoplasty, because patients can preview the appearance of their nose after surgery.

Malar/Chin Implants

Malar or chin implants are useful for patients who feel their cheekbones are too flat or their chin is retrusive. Malar implants are utilized. to augment the upper cheek and therefore give the patient more defined cheekbones. Chin implants are utilized in patients who lack chin projection and have normal dental occlusion.

In both malar and chin implants, the procedure is performed through the mouth. This leaves no external scarring.

The implants are made of silicone and come in a variety of shapes and sizes for both locations and to suit each patient.

Facial implants require a day stay at the hospital and are implanted under general anesthetic.

Wound healing will occur within five to six days, and swelling will resolve in two weeks. If you work in an office, you may return to work in two weeks; if your work is more physical, you may return in three weeks. You may resume low-impact physical activity in one to two weeks after surgery, and high-impact activity in three to four weeks.

Facial implant procedures are classified as purely cosmetic and therefore have no Medicare coverage.

Submental Lipectomy/Neck Liposuction

Excess fat beneath the chin can be treated with either liposuction via a small 3mm incision, or excision via a small incision in the submental crease. Which is chosen depends on the distribution of fat – if subcutaneous, liposuction will remove it adequately. However, if fat is submuscular in location, excision of it is required. The preoperative examination will determine which is required in each patient’s case. The surgery, in either case, is performed as day surgery and wounds are healed within one week. Bruising and swelling will resolve within two to three weeks. Pain is minimal.

Otoplasty

Otoplasty (ear surgery) can be used to correct overly prominent ears or ears that are poorly developed or without anti-helical folds. During the procedure, ears are made less prominent by recreating the fold in the ear that is poorly developed or missing in some individuals. The procedure yields a scar that is hidden along the posterior crease of the ear.

Otoplasty surgery requires only a day stay at the hospital and is usually performed under general anesthetic., though it is occasionally done under local anesthetic. Pain following the procedure is satisfactorily controlled by oral medication.

Following ear surgery, the dressing will be removed in six days and wounds will heal in 10 days. Swelling will resolve in two to three weeks, and you may return to work or school in one to two weeks. You may resume low-impact activity in one to two weeks, and high-impact activity in three to four weeks.

Otoplasty is partially covered by Medicare, plus or minus your health fund.

Laser Resurfacing

Laser resurfacing acts to resurface the skin by removing damaged outer skin layers and is useful to treat sundamaged skin, some superficial wrinkling of the skin, such as that produced by smoking in perioral areas, and is useful to reduce the prominence of some scarring, such as that produced by acne.

It is performed as day surgery and the lasered areas will heal within four to five days. However some redness will persist for four to six weeks, but this is easily concealed with makeup. Sun exposure of the treated areas must be avoided and sunblock used over them for three months.

Ancillary – Injectable Fillers, Anti Wrinkle Injections, and Fat Transplant

Various agents can be utilized. to augment or soften the results of facial cosmetic surgery, or they can be used instead of more extensive procedures. These include the use of fillers such as fat grafts from the patient or injectable fillers, which can be utilized. to increase the volume of the lips or to diminish folds such as those present in the nasolabial region.

Other agents such as anti wrinkle injections can be used to eliminate muscle induced wrinkles. These products are all used in Dr Thistlethwaite’s practice and their potential use will be discussed as part of any facial-rejuvenation consultation as will any potential problems or risks with their use.

back to top

Skin Treatments

Skin assessment can be performed at Dr Thistlethwaite’s practice and advice given about the use of skin treatment products to improve the skin’s texture and appearance. The possible use of other treatments such as mild facial peels such as glycolic acid or the use of laser resurfacing of the skin can also be discussed in relation to improving the skin’s appearance and texture. Adjunctive treatments such as anti wrinkle injections to reduce muscle-induced facial wrinkles, and fillers such as fat grafting or injectable fillers, are also available to treat specific skin problems.

Dr Thistlethwaite is also very happy to assess skin lesions and excise them, usually as office surgery, if excision is warranted or if the patient requests excision of a lesion after being advised of the resultant scarring.

Scar Revision

Once a scar is present, it can never be removed; however, there are many things that can be done to improve the appearance of scars and to make them less noticeable. Dr Thistlethwaite will fully assess any scar you are concerned about, and give you an honest assessment as to whether the scar can be improved by surgery and how much it will be improved.

Most scar revisions do not require hospitalization and can be done as office surgery. They are usually done under local anesthetic., but can be done under general anesthetic. if requested.

If the scar is on the face, the wound will heal in six days. If it is on the trunk, it will take two weeks. Surgical scarring will resolve in three months. If you work in an office, you may return to work one week after the procedure; if your work is more physical, you may return in one to three weeks. You may resume low-impact physical activity one week after scar revision, and high-impact activity in two to three weeks.

Ancillary – Fillers/Anti Wrinkle Injections

As facial fat atrophies with age and support tissues sag, folds and creases in the face become apparent. Fillers such as collagen or fat can can be used to fill up these areas and restore a smoother appearance to the face. Wrinkling produced by excessive muscular activity, on the other hand, can be removed with use of anti wrinkle injections, which will weaken the muscle and smooth the area out for three to six months.

Laser Resurfacing

Facial rejuvenation can also be attained through laser resurfacing, which uses a laser to remove damaged or wrinkled skin, layer by layer. Most commonly used to correct fine lines around the mouth or eyes, it can also treat facial scars or uneven pigmentation. This method is more long-lasting than a mild facial peel, but can also require more recovery time.

Products to Improve the Appearance and Feeling of Skin

There are many ways to rejuvenate one’s face, and not all of them are surgical. Dr Thistlethwaite has a variety of products that can improve your skin, and can counsel you on which would be optimal for you. Contact Dr Thistlethwaite’s office today!

back to top