New recommendations can be seen here with regard to PIP breast implants. PIP was a French breast implant company that was found to be using less than optimal silicone and therefore was investigated regarding health risks. The link above explains the recommendation from the French Health Minister to have PIP implants removed because of inflammatory…
Read Full ArticleAs we begin to utilize our new Blog on our website at the Montecito Center for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in Santa Barbara, I want to touch on a question that I frequently get asked- “Should I use saline breast implants or silicone breast implants for my breast augmentation?” While this is somewhat of an involved…
Read Full ArticleWhile hiking in the back country, Dr. Lowenstein discusses scarring as it can be found on aspen trees as well as skin. By utilizing meticulous technique and plastic surgery principles, Dr. Lowenstein minimizes the appearance of incisions and scars in our Santa Barbara plastic surgery practice.
Read Full ArticleAn updated statement by the FDA today has lead to a wealth of sensational news about breast implants causing cancer. While there is an association with SOME breast implants (those rarely used by Dr. Lowenstein) with a rare form of lymphoma, the current statistics support an incidence of 33 cases in 1,000,000 breast augmentation patients.…
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Trends come and go- in fashion, in food, and believe it or not… in breast implants. Before there were shaped implants, the fluctuation between preferences for smooth and textured surfaces of breast implants seemed to change every few years. With the introduction of anatomic or shaped implants a few years ago, the shape of the…
Read Full ArticleBreast augmentation is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures. The use of FDA-approved saline or silicone breast implants can accentuate your shape, as you know. What you might not know is just how safe this body-enhancing procedure is. Many patients question the potential association between breast implants and cancer. This question has become…
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Breast augmentation is not merely a popular plastic surgery procedure; according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, it was the leading procedure of 2019. More breast augmentations were performed than liposuction, eyelid rejuvenation, and facelifts. And this happened amidst an FDA recall of a small category of textured breast implant devices. Because this procedure…
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Yesterday I did three breast implant operations at my plastic surgery center here in Santa Barbara. One of them was what we call a primary breast augmentation, which means I operated on a woman who did not previously have breast implants and I did her breast augmentation for the first time. The other two patients…
Read Full ArticleI’ve been given permission by one of my patients who came for breast augmentation in Santa Barbara to post a video of the transition between her pre-operative breast form and her post-operative breast form. This video is on our YouTube Channel, “videoplasticsurgergery” with several others.-Dr. L
Read Full ArticleTuberous breasts are more common than you would think- a large part of my Santa Barbara plastic surgery practice involves reshaping breasts to a more aesthetic shape, and I see patients with tuberous breasts with great frequency. Tuberous breasts are often referred to as constricted breasts, because it seems that part of the breasts (most…
Read Full ArticleWe have been very happy with our TouchMD system over the past few months, and patient reaction to this remarkable software has been outstanding. With TouchMD patients are able to log into their own web portal and view information about our practice as well as a multitude of different plastic surgery procedures. Everything from videos…
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For patients considering breast augmentation, a common question found both on line and in person has to do with implant size. Deciding what size and type of breast implant to use in a breast augmentation can be confusing and daunting, but should not be. As many know, breast implants can come in various sizes, textures,…
Read Full ArticleIt seems that more and more and more surgeons are performing breast augmentation in the same techniques that Dr. Sheffield and I have been proponents of for quite some time. The dual plane breast augmentation seems to be gaining favor by many plastic surgeons around the country. On of the most respected breast surgeons in…
Read Full ArticleWe have just reviewed our breast implant data and found some pretty great findings here at Montecito Plastic Surgery. Patients who have had the opportunity to discuss my breast augmentation techniques with me are well aware of the advantages of the dual plane pocket and the use of the gold standard Mentor breast implant. Our…
Read Full ArticlePatients spend a lot of time in the office discussing size of the breast implant that they want. Nearly every day I hear patients say one of two things. Everybody seems to have a friend that tells them that you always wish you went bigger, or that you always wish you went smaller. It’s very…
Read Full ArticleA common question about breast augmentation is about whether nipples get numb following breast augmentation. While it is not the breast implant itself that causes numb nipples, it is possible that the nerves that supply sensation to the nipple can be damaged during the breast augmentation. These nerves come from the chest around from the…
Read Full ArticleSANTA BARBARA PLASTIC SURGERY DETAILS- PLASTIC SURGERY OF THE BREAST For those Santa Barbara plastic surgery patients who are interested a bit more on the technical side, the following is from a lecture series that I give operating room staff and residents on intra-operative procedure for various types of breast surgery, with some accompanying background…
Read Full ArticleWe are seeing more and more women come from Beverly Hills and Hollywood to have their plastic surgery in Santa Barbara. I find this a very interesting phenomenon. I’ve never been one to gawk at celebrities- I see them as people just like you and I, with very interesting careers. (I have some friends, whoever,…
Read Full ArticleDeciding on any plastic surgery, especially breast augmentation, is a very personal decision and one not to be made casually or lightly. Finding the right operation, and having it performed by the right surgeon, is key to increasing your likelihood of a long lasting and great result. We have seen so many patients over the…
Read Full ArticleWith every breast augmentation patient in Santa Barbara, I go over the various types of breast implants, the various pockets that breast implants can be placed in, and additionally the different incisions that can be used to place the breast implant into the breast pocket. With respect to this last issue, I think there is…
Read Full ArticleA mommy makeover is a very vague term that can mean lots of things, and can be performed on women who have had children or not. Usually, mommy makeover corresponds to a combination of breast enhancement and body contouring…. but there are many ways to do both. In my Santa Barbara plastic surgery practice, we…
Read Full ArticleIt’s Sunday morning and I’m in the spending the weekend in Dallas with my good friend and accomplished plastic surgeon Dr. David Genecov. David and I have known each other for a long time and have collaborated on many projects involving plastic surgery presentations and plastic surgery education on the national scene. The main reason…
Read Full ArticleToday we tried out the Keller Funnel which is a great tool that allows me to place a silicone gel implant through a very small incision. Additionally and perhaps more important, the implants is placed directly into the funnel, and then via the funnel is placed directly inside the pocket without ever being touched by…
Read Full ArticleSo many patients come to the office wanting a “proportionate” outcome, and one of the things I’ve learned over the past 17 years of practice (has it been that long?!?!) is that proportionate means something different to each patient. When a breast augmentation patient here in Santa Barbara tells me that they are looking for…
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The female body is truly something to be celebrated. Many women feel that their breasts provide a special and personal feature, as their curves help to accentuate your feminine physique. But when the size, setting and proportion of your breasts begin to change, it can sometimes affect self-confidence. Whether you have had small breasts your…
Read Full ArticleAs many of you know, following Dr. Sheffield’s retirement at the end of last year, some gentle transformations have kept us busy at Montecito Plastic Surgery. New paint adorns the walls, and new furniture can be found throughout the office. This week, the finishing touches will be placed with new flooring in two exam rooms.…
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I was recently asked by a friend what I thought was the thing that sets us apart from other practices in the area. My answer was twofold- I think it is a combination of technology and experience. The two examples that I gave were the Keller Funnel and CoolSculpting. We have the most experience with…
Read Full ArticleThere was a lot of coverage today of the news that a certain type of lymphoma has been found in a relative few women with breast implants. Much of the coverage, as expected, lacked the actual information put out by the FDA. My particular interest is in doing the right thing for my patients, and…
Read Full ArticleIn the course of my discussions about creating the most natural appearing breast augmentations, I always review the reasoning that I use the dual plane technique with my patients. A lot of information about breast implants can be found on the breast pages of my website, but I want to reiterate why this technique seems…
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The decision to undergo breast augmentation leads to a series of complex choices that are very important to consider — from implant type to size and placement. Your implant type selection is one of the primary ways to tailor your procedure to your aesthetic goals. With many different options to navigate, Montecito Plastic Surgery wants…
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