Cosmetic Surgery: Promises and Pitfalls™

Minimally and Non-Invasive Procedures

PROMISES

With a minimum of risk and little or no downtime, a variety of procedures, products, manipulations, etc. promise a dramatic improvement in ones appearance.


 

PITFALLS

  • Generally the terms "non-invasive" and "minimally invasive" are designed more for marketing than therapeutic value. Certainly these are far more inviting terms than "surgery".
  • High tech names suggest a new approach and an expectation of effectiveness. For example, if "laser"or "endoscope" is mentioned, cutting edge technology and superior results are implied. This may or may not be the truth but the patient may have difficulty separating hype from reality.
  • Though these individual procedures may be inexpensive, multiple treatments are common and the cost adds up. Often the cost of multiple such procedures may be comparable to the cost of surgery.
  • Many of these procedures may be effective in combination with surgery, but alone may be futile.
  • The old adage "sounds too good be true" is important to remember when presented with a minimal procedure that produces wonderful results. Certainly a second opinion may be helpful to put things in perspective.

OUR APPROACH

  • For minimal deformities, some minimally invasive or non-surgical procedures are available and certainly should be considered. It is helpful to have more than one opinion, and especially helpful to consult a plastic surgeon certified by ABPS, since he/she put various treatments into perspective, including cosmetic surgery. We include in our consultations those non-surgical that we have determined to be both effective and safe.
  • We have found some non-invasive procedures to be of little, if any value. For Example:
  • We recommend and use minimal incision surgical procedures when indicated. For example:
    • Injectable fillers and peels for wrinkles
    • Botox for dynamic lines
    • Topical treatments for various skin conditions.
    • Short scar facelift approach is used when a facelift is indicated, but the neck requires limited skin advancement and removal.
  • We recommend patients get more than one opinion when considering cosmetic surgery. This is especially true when a procedures "sounds too good to be true."

 
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Offices of Drs. Harlan Pollock and Todd Pollock
8305 Walnut Hill Lane, Suite 210
Dallas, TX 75231
(214) 363-2575
1105 North Central Expressway, Suite 2310
Medical Offices 2, Allen, TX 75013
(214) 509-0270
Dallas Map: Across from
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
Allen Map: In the
Presbyterian Hospital of Allen complex

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