Hyaluronic Acid Filler for Lip Enhancement
Dr. Steve Laverson demonstrates how hyaluronic acid can be applied to enhance volume in the lips. This treatment is completely safe and typically can lasts for about 6 months, and is completely reversible.
Blog
Plastic Surgery Reality: The “RE-DO”
Plastic surgeons’ web domains are peppered with some truly amazing “before and after” photos of successful outcomes, feelbeautiful.com included.
However, consumers should understand that although most results were achieved after one procedure, some required two or more operations. Subsequent procedures usually involve some sort of correction for an imperfect feature after the first surgery.
Human tissues are soft and elastic. Cosmetic surgical sculpture rearranges, augments, or reduces sizes and shapes. Healing occurs over time, and the nature and amount of scarring and settling cannot always be predicted. The human body is dynamic. We move and stretch body parts in ways that cannot always be factored in when planning and performing cosmetic surgery. The materials we work with such as implants and sutures are imperfect, and subject to failure or extrusion. Interactions between these materials and surrounding structures develop over time. Add to this uncertainty the individual variability among us, and it’s obvious the precise outcome in any given situation can be visualized in advance, but doesn’t always materialize as expected.
For surgeons, finely tuned judgment, experience, and caution are important to consistently deliver the most beautiful and trouble free results. For patients, approach your cosmetic procedure with an understanding that more than a single session of surgery may be required to achieve a result you’re pleased with. In Dr. Laverson’s practice, revisions are most often minor office procedures to improve the result or correct a bothersome issue. Sometimes however, a return to the surgery center is necessary. Major medical complications are rare, but also a possibility.
The best preparation is to become educated about the procedure you are considering. Understand what types of revisions may be necessary and how much additional cost and recovery time is usually involved. Choose a surgeon who will partner with you in an effort to achieve the best result in case a secondary adjustment is indicated.
Social Communications
We are 100% committed to providing our current and prospective patients with great communication in various forms. For that reason, we have set up a multitude of media spectrums available to the public. Here is a current list of our media outlets:
- Our Blog (you’re on it now) includes stories, articles, and trends in cosmetic surgery.
- Our YouTube Channel showing testimonials, and informational plastic surgery videos.
- Our Facebook Page where you can become a fan!
- Our Twitter Page
It is important to be able to communicate with everyone and for that reason we have adapted to these various forms of media outlets. Each resource offers a different approach to getting questions answered, learning about current specials, and the ability to stay up-to-date with what is going on in cosmetic medicine. If you know of any other venues that we should use to get the word out about plastic surgery, please let us know!
Don’t Let the GLUE fool YOU!
Wow, MY plastic surgeon doesn’t use stitches, he uses a new glue!
Tissue adhesives have been around for years. One of the most commonly used is the Johnson and Johnson product DERMABOND, a polymer that adheres to skin for a week or so during the period of early healing. While DERMABOND is an alternative to superficial stitches, it is not necessarily better than stitches for a variety of reasons. First of all, deep stitches are still required to remove tension from the closure and align skin properly. DERMABOND is quicker to apply than detailed insertion of numerous superficial stitches, so it definitely saves time. If you’re interested in a quicker procedure, this may be an advantage. DERMABOND is more expensive than sutures, but for precision tissue alignment, it is not as good as sutures, which facilitate unsurpassed accuracy. Provided the superficial sutures are quickly absorbed or removed within a week or so of placement, suturing a wound closed is still the GOLD STANDARD for quality
San Diego Plastic Surgeon Discusses Online Reputation Management in ASAPS Article
Plastic Surgeon in San Diego Discusses the Importance for Good Online Reputation Management
In a recent article for the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), Dr. Steve Laverson, a plastic surgeon in San Diego, says online reputation and identity management have become increasingly important in the dynamic and volatile database of information on the Internet. Dr. Laverson offers pointers to maintain high standards and ethical practice for cosmetic surgeons to consider while growing their online presence. Also discussed are patient use of online physician review sites.
Dr. Steve Laverson was recently published by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) discussing the need for consistent and proactive reputation management online among medical professionals. At his San Diego plastic surgery practice, Dr. Laverson provides a range of aesthetic services including breast augmentation and facelift as well as non-surgical enhancements like BOTOX® Cosmetic. The ASAPS article by Dr. Laverson provides tips for surgeons to define their professional identity on the Internet, and to build quality and integrity at their practice. He names several elements to benefit plastic surgeons online, and to benefit patients seeking more information about procedures such as liposuction in San Diego.
The constantly evolving Internet is a potentially outstanding resource to patients for information and for medical advice. Still, Dr. Laverson says preserving a consistent reputation for excellent results, a dedicated staff, and a personable bedside manner require consistent attention. He recommends that an offensive strategy includes peerless character and ethics, diligent customer service that exceeds expectations, avoiding confrontations and adversarial interactions, and engaging with patients on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Dr. Laverson also says posting educational material regularly on blogs or other publications can increase web visibility and credibility.
Dr. Laverson also suggests defensive measures, such as keeping good company online, being professional, and never disclosing private patient information. He says by consistent ethical behavior both online and in person, doctors can help ensure their name represents integrity. For patients, Dr. Laverson says researching a surgeon’s credentials can help avoid problems, and achieve the best results possible. He says online tools such as review sites are an excellent source of valuable information.
Dr. Laverson recommends that physicians participate in online conversation about themselves: “Patients should understand that sources of information online are often anonymous, and not always accurate. Most sites require a user generated name and password, but do not verify posted statements. Positive reviews may be traded for discounted or free services, written by friends, family, and employees, or by office staff who e-mail them to satisfied patients to upload, implicitly in exchange for service. Negative reviews may not reflect the actual quality of care, but may be patients disgruntled about their illness, their bill, an office staff member having a bad day, or a complication they’ve experienced that is no fault of the doctor. Negative physician reviews have also been authored by jealous, bitter, or insecure physician competitors.”
Whether doctors are providing general surgery in New York or breast augmentation in San Diego, Dr. Laverson says high professional standards are essential for development of the medical community and securing the health and safety of future generations. “Purchasing decisions are strongly influenced by statements and other online content, so it should be important for plastic surgeons to maintain a good reputation on the web.”
About Steve Laverson, MD, FACS
Dr. Steve Laverson attended the United States Naval Academy on a Congressional Appointment and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Maryland. He earned his medical degree from the University of Maryland Medical School at Baltimore, after which he spend ten years in postgraduate training at institutions across the country including Johns Hopkins, the University of Pennsylvania, Emory, the University of California Los Angeles, and the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Laverson was Chief Resident in General Surgery at Martin Luther King Jr. General Hospital in South Central Los Angeles, and trained in plastic surgery in the Long Island Plastic Surgical Group. He is board-certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
Located at 477 North El Camino Real, Suite D-304 in Encinitas, CA, Dr. Laverson’s practice can be reached at (760) 753-6464. It can also be contacted online via the website feelbeautiful.com or facebook.com/feelbeautiful.
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