PROCEDURES
Dr. Kim Chi Vu offers a full range of surgical procedures which include, but are not limited to breast augmentation, tummy tuck, liposuction, body lifts, face lift, brow lift, rhinoplasty, and eyelid surgery.
She is also interested in pursuing areas of post-bariatric surgery and plastic surgery for men. Dr. Vu feels that these two areas have not been given much attention due to their sensitive nature of lack of media attention.
“I feel that everyone has his or her own reason to wish or desire to look good, feel better and be confident about themselves.”
Dr. Vu welcomes you to review the information regarding her most popular procedures or call the office to inquire about other procedures you may be interested in. We also highly recommend scheduling a consultation with Dr. Vu to learn about your surgical options. For more information or to schedule your consultation, call our office at 503-601-2910 option 2.
“It is very gratifying for me to have the opportunity to show my techniques to my patients and I feel very honored and privileged that my patients have the trust in me to help them look and feel more beautiful."
FACE PROCEDURES
Wipe away the years or unwanted appearances with the help of Dr. Vu and these facial procedures. These cosmetic procedures can help reduce wrinkles, remove fat and loose skin, and reshape your face so that you’ll love what you see in the mirror.
If you’re looking for a non-surgical approach, Dr. Vu also offers treatments and products. Botox and Juvederm are injectable treatments that help improve and reduce lines and creases, and restore a smoother, more youthful appearance.
If you’ve experienced sun damage, have skin that is dry or oily, or are just looking for a healthier skin care regimen, The Vu Center offers great skin care products by Obagi and Epionce. Dr. Vu also offers the VI Peel which is a highly effective chemical peel that restores and rejuvenates all skin types.
Wipe away the years or unwanted appearances with the help of Dr. Vu and these facial procedures. These cosmetic procedures can help reduce wrinkles, remove fat and loose skin, and reshape your face so that you’ll love what you see in the mirror.
If you’re looking for a non-surgical approach, Dr. Vu also offers treatments and products. Botox and Juvederm are injectable treatments that help improve and reduce lines and creases, and restore a smoother, more youthful appearance.
If you’ve experienced sun damage, have skin that is dry or oily, or are just looking for a healthier skin care regimen, The Vu Center offers great skin care products by Obagi and Epionce. Dr. Vu also offers the VI Peel which is a highly effective chemical peel that restores and rejuvenates all skin types.
Also Known As: Eyelid Surgery
Do you have droopy eyelids or unsightly bags beneath your eyes? Are they making you look older than you are? These unwanted features can give the illusion that you are older more tired than you actually feel, and in some cases even interfere with your vision. Now you can refresh your look, and your face, with a Blepharoplasty, or Eyelid Surgery. Eyelid surgery (technical term blepharoplasty) is a procedure to remove redundant fat, skin, and sometimes muscle from the upper and lower eyelids. Eyelid surgery can correct drooping upper lids and puffy bags below your eyes.
Also Known As: Nose Surgery
Do you feel your nose isn’t proportionate to the rest of your face, or simply just doesn’t fit?
Have you suffered a nose injury or a birth defect that needs repair? No matter what the reason might be, with a rhinoplasty surgery for nose reshaping from Dr. Kim-Chi Vu, your nose will have new appeal and your face will be in proportion.
A forehead lift or eyebrow lift is a procedure that restores a younger, refreshed look to the area above the eyes. The cosmetic procedure corrects drooping brows and improves the horizontal lines and furrows that can make a person appear angry, sad or tired. In a forehead lift, the muscles and tissues that cause the furrowing or drooping are removed or altered to smooth the forehead, raise the eyebrows and minimize frown lines.
A good candidate for Chin Augmentation has a small or receding chin, a chin that looks too small in comparison with other facial features and possibly makes the nose appear longer, or someone with a desire for increased chin prominence. The intended result is an improved profile, and a more attractive jaw line that creates a better balance between the chin and other facial features.
Additional procedures that would enhance the result are: Liposuction of the neck, nose reshaping (Rhinoplasty), Neck Lift, or Laser Skin Resurfacing.
Have you noticed over the years that your face has started to show the effects of gravity, sun exposure, and years of facial muscle movement, such as smiling, chewing and squinting? Are you seeing unsightly lines that didn’t exist just a few years ago?
As you age, the underlying tissues that keep your skin looking youthful and smooth, begin to break down – often leaving laugh lines, smile lines, frown lines, crow’s feet or facial creases over the areas where this muscle movement occurs.
BOTOX® Cosmetic (onbotulinumtoxinA) is the first and only FDA approved product that temporarily treats crow’s feet on the sides of your eyes, and frown lines located in between your eyebrows. Botox is injected into the muscles between the brows and the area around the sides of the eyes to improve the look of these lines.
The results, frequency of treatment, and number of units of Botox injected, varies from patient to patient. This will be discussed after a proper evaluation and consultation at The Vu Center. Injection treatments are very quick and performed in office by Dr. Vu.
Over time, our skin starts to lose elasticity and lines and wrinkles start to form on our faces. Fortunately, there is Juvéderm to restore a more youthful appearance by lifting, plumping, and smoothing different areas of the face. Juvéderm is an injectable gel that fills facial lines and creases, adds volume and contour to the cheeks, and plumps the lips for a fuller smile.
This is a non-surgical cosmetic procedure that is done quickly in the office and delivers instant, long-lasting results. The results, frequency of treatment, and volume of Juvéderm injected varies from patient to patient. This will be discussed after a proper evaluation and consultation at The Vu Center.
VI Peel® is a new generation skin resurfacing, chemical peel, that improves skin texture, tone, and color. It’s formulated for anti-aging, rejuvenating, and restoring a variety of skin types. VI Peel® softens lines, wrinkles, and rough skin, reduces age spots and sun damage, and gives a more even skin tone.
The Vu Center also offers the VI Peel® Precision Plus Peel. It includes all the benefits of the regular VI Peel® but contains an extra booster that specifically targets pigmentation, sun damage, and acne scarring.
Both the VI Peel® and VI Peel® Precision Plus treatments are quick, virtually pain free, and done in the office where a chemical solution is applied to the skin. It helps remove the top layers of skin, revealing fresh skin layers with little downtime but long lasting results and prevention of future skin damage. Your skin will begin to peel and exfoliate usually three to seven days after the chemical peel is applied. Results and level of peeling varies from patient to patient. You will be given a take home kit with the essential products and instructions to ensure optimal results and care. A proper evaluation and consultation at The Vu Center will help determine which VI Peel® is suitable for you.
BREAST PROCEDURES
To achieve aesthetic beauty in your breast, you need harmony between the breast skin envelope, the volume of the breast parenchyma tissue, and the nipple position. During your consultation, Dr. Vu will address these factors. Then, based on the breast examination and measurements, her goal is to provide you with proper information and recommendation of breast surgery options depending on what your concerns and desires may be.
A breast augmentation is a procedure that allows you to have beautifully proportionate breasts with the right volume and shape to help you look your best. Have more confidence than you have had in years, feel a surge of self esteem, and turn heads wherever you go with a breast augmentation from Dr. Kim-Chi Vu, The Vu Center’s plastic surgeon.
Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure for breast enhancement to restore the natural and aesthetic beauty of the breast. In order to recapture that natural beauty, we want to achieve harmony between the breast skin envelope, the volume of breast tissue (parenchyma), and the nipple position. During your breast augmentation consultation, Dr. Vu will address all the breast augmentation issues with you.
Based upon the breast augmentation examination and breast measurements, you will be provided with the proper information and recommendations by Dr. Vu. We will also go over the different options for your breast enhancement depending on what your concerns are and what your desires may be.
Breast volume and projection are enhanced during a breast augmentation surgery by using breast implants. The breast implants used in breast augmentation can be placed in either a submuscular position or subglandular position. At The Vu Center, our implants of choice are saline implants and silicone gel implants. Both types are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States.
During the surgery, an incision will be made on your breast to create the pocket for the implants. This incision will either be along the periareolar, the inframammary fold, or an axillary approach.
Consideration in choosing the implant will be influenced by the amount of natural breast tissue you have, your existing breast size, and the breast size you hope to achieve. In addition, your overall body size and height, as well as your chest wall dimension, will also be taken into consideration when choosing an implant in order to make it more proportional to your body.
Also Known As: Breast Lift
Have you lost your “youthful” breasts? Have you developed “droopy nipples” or lost volume and perkiness in your breasts due to age or childbirth? Is it time for a “Mommy Makeover?” A breast lift procedure from Dr. Vu will have you looking and feeling better about yourself than you have in years.
Breast lift surgery (mastopexy) removes excess skin, repositions the breast tissue (parenchyma), and moves the nipples back to a more aesthetic position. The causes for mastopexy surgery can be breast ptosis, droopy nipple, or loss of volume due to hormonal changes from pregnancy, weight loss, or simply the aging process.
In some cases, a breast augmentation with implants may need to be combined with a breast lift surgery to achieve more volume and projection. The surgical approach for breast lift surgery may be either circumareolar, circumvertical, or circumvertical inverted. This depends on the amount of excess skin that needs to be removed to give you more youthful breasts.
During your initial consultation, Dr. Vu will discuss the surgical procedure with you and provide you with the proper information and recommendations to make the decision on the right breast surgery for your needs and desires.
Are your breasts too large? Do your breasts cause you pain and discomfort? Do you experience backaches, neck or shoulder pain due to the excess weight of oversized breasts? Do they limit your physical activity? Is buying a bra a hassle?
Breast reduction (reduction mammoplasty) is the removal of excess breast tissue and skin, and repositioning of the nipple areolar complex to allow your breasts to be more proportionate to your body. Large breasts may interfere with your daily activities due to back pain, neck and shoulder pain, posture problems, and rashes under the inframammary fold where maintaining hygiene may be difficult.
The goal for breast reduction surgery is to remove the excess breast tissue to achieve symptomatic improvement. The amount of breast tissue and skin removal will determine the end result of the scar placement. Surgical scars will either be circumvertical or circumvertical inverted. In the case of a circumvertical scarring, the scar will be around the nipple areolar complex and extend vertically down the breasts. With circumvertical inverted scarring, the scar will extend further horizontally along the inframammary fold.
Are you a cancer victim? Have you suffered a debilitating disfigurement due to a mastectomy? Are you ready for breast reconstruction to restore your sense of self?
Breast reconstruction is primarily for patients who have had a mastectomy, secondary to breast disease or breast cancer. The breast tissue and nipples are excised by the general surgeon and the plastic surgeon then performs breast reconstruction to help recreate a breast mound to achieve a natural-looking breast.
This process will require appreciative communication between the breast surgeon and plastic surgeon. Reconstructive options may involve a tissue expansion followed by implant placement, a TRAM FLAP (Transverse Rectus Abdominis Myocutaneous Flap), Latissimus Muscle, or an Implants Free tissue transfer.
Exchange & Removal
WHO IS A CANDIDATE?
Those who desire to have previously placed breast prostheses (implants) removed for symptomatic, medical, or legal reasons and wish to have new implants inserted.
INTENDED RESULTS
- Removal of implants
- Possible removal of capsules (scar tissue) and residual silicone
- Placement of new implants
PROCEDURE DESCRIPTION
- If only the prostheses are being removed and replaced by new ones, the operation can be done under local anesthesia, sedation and local anesthesia, or general anesthesia.
- If the capsules or scar tissue around the prostheses are also being removed, sedation and local or general anesthesia will be required.
- Usually the operation will be performed through the old incision (scar).
OTHER OPTIONS
A breast lift (mastopexy) is an additional procedure that might enhance the result.
BODY PROCEDURES
If you have excess subcutaneous fat or excess skin laxity that is resistant to diet and exercise, then a body contouring surgery may be appropriate for you. These body contouring procedures could be beneficial if you’ve experienced major weight loss, body changes due to childbirth, or if you simply want to change the way your body looks and feels.
Also Known As: Tummy Tuck
Have you had children or gained a few pounds over the years that exercise just can’t seem to touch? Are your jeans too tight, or do you feel self conscious about wearing a bikini?
A waist-reducing tummy tuck may be an option for you to consider, especially if you have stubborn belly fat that refuses to shrink with diet and exercise.
An abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia and there are several options for the type of abdominoplasty you could receive. During your initial consultation, the doctor will go over these options with you and help you decide which cosmetic procedure will deliver your desired results.
Butt augmentation is the enhancement and augmentation of the female buttocks. This plastic surgery procedure is chosen by 98 percent of our patients who elect for a liposculpturing procedure. Butt augmentation, also known as Autologous Fat Transfer (AFT) or Brazilian Butt Lift, involves the use of the patient’s own fat from a liposculpturing procedure, which is then used to augment the volume and enhance the shape of the buttocks for the individual patient.
The use of fat to enhance the shape and increase the volume of the buttocks is the preferred and best approach for the aesthetic enhancement of the buttocks. We first sculpture out the most aesthetically pleasing buttocks with liposculpturing. The fat is collected during the liposculpture procedure, processed, and concentrated. We then use our special technique to strategically position the fat into the fatty tissue of the buttocks, resulting in the ultimate buttocks that our patient desires.
The procedure goes far beyond merely adding fat to the buttocks region. We perform a careful evaluation of the individual patient’s buttocks in order to plan the best surgical approach to achieve the optimal results. The individual surgical approach is tailored to achieve the ideal buttocks in the female patient. These principles are carefully applied based on the desired results of the patient. The individual goals of the patient combined with a careful and thorough surgical approach will translate into the creation of a beautiful and ideal result of the buttocks region.
Unlike synthetic implants, the final result not only looks normal, but it also feels normal in every way. The fat is autologous, meaning that it comes from the patient directly, thus eliminating any risk of rejection and scarring. The fat used for transplantation to the buttocks is living tissue, meaning that it goes far beyond what a temporary filler can accomplish. The majority of the fat is able to re-establish it’s natural blood supply in the buttocks to stay alive.
It is expected that you will keep 70 to 80 percent of the fat that is transplanted. After three months, you will see the permanent results, regardless of any changes in diet and exercise. The beauty of this cosmetic procedure is that more fat can be safely added at later times if that is what you desire.
Proper buttocks enhancement with the use of fat must not only be performed with a thorough understanding of the ideal anatomy of the buttocks, but the plastic surgeon must also give careful consideration to the surrounding anatomy. To optimize the natural beauty of the buttocks, a butt augmentation may also be combined with liposculpturing of the surrounding areas, such as the waistline and lower back.
Do you starve yourself or work out to the point of exhaustion? Do you have abdominal fat that just won’t go away? Are you tired of not seeing the results of your efforts?
If you have excess subcutaneous fat that is resistant to diet and exercise and you wish to change the contours of your body, then liposuction surgery may be appropriate for you.
Common areas where patients choose to receive liposuction include:
- The anterior part of the neck (under the chin)
- Upper arms and armpits
- Male chest/breasts
- Trunk
- Abdomen
- Waist
- Hips
- Thighs
- Inner knees
- Calves
- Ankles
Most patients are near normal weight and they desire permanent contour changes, and improved techniques now allow larger amounts of fat removal.
Liposuction can be useful to heavier patients as a means of reducing risk.
Have you experienced significant weight loss due to gastric bypass surgery or weight loss due to exercise?
Are you experiencing excess skin laxity throughout the trunk, abdomen, and back region?
Are you embarrassed to be seen at the beach, in the gym, or in the pool?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may want to consider a body lift procedure. In addition to the situations listed above, you may be experiencing abdominal wall weakness as a result of rectus diastasis, which can cause you to have an appearance of abdominal bulge.
The overall excess of redundant skin tissues may be a hindrance to your daily activities and physical appearance.
Despite extravagant weight loss, you may be finding it more difficult to fit into smaller-sized clothes, or to exercise properly.
An abdominoplasty surgery alone may not be sufficient, however, a circumferential body lift surgery removes excess skin and fat from the abdomen, flank, and the back regions and results in a more contoured look throughout the trunk region.
Do you have excess subcutaneous fat and excess skin laxity around the arm region? Does it refuse to disappear, no matter how much you diet and exercise? Have you experienced a large amount of weight loss and have sagging skin around your arms as a result? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, and you wish to change the contours of your arms, then an arm lift (Brachioplasty) may be appropriate for you.
After having a significant amount of weight loss secondary to gastric bypass surgery or losing the weight through exercise, you may end up with excess skin laxity throughout the thigh and leg region. The excess skin tissue may be a hindrance to your daily activities and physical appearance.
You may not be able to wear smaller sized clothing like you had hoped you would after losing the weight, and you may not be able to exercise properly, which then prevents you from toning your body. Thus, thigh lift surgery may be ideal to remove the hanging, redundant skin and achieve an aesthetic looking thigh.
Designer Laser Vaginoplasty
Dr. Vu is pleased to announce the latest in female intimacy surgery — laser vaginal rejuvenation and designer laser vaginoplasty for vaginal tightening and labiaplasty surgery.
With time or childbirth, many women experience vaginal relaxation, or a “loose vagina,” which destroys the feeling of intimacy women love, as well as sexual gratification.
With laser vaginal rejuvenation and designer laser vaginoplasty procedures by Dr. Vu, you can now benefit from the latest technology and techniques to correct problems with female genitalia. Whether you desire vaginal surgery for a tighter vagina or you are want to improve your aesthetic appearance with a labiaplasty procedure, these latest techniques ensure a quick surgery as well as a rapid recovery.
Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation
Have you lost the intimacy in your sexual relationship? How about passion, spontaneity, and your own sexual gratification? We hear this from many patients suffering from vaginal relaxation or “loose vagina.” Whatever the cause, you can now have a tighter vagina with Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation® (LVR®).
Millions of women suffer from vaginal relaxation and are too embarrassed to discuss it. While it’s easy to feel afraid or embarrassed, it’s important to know that Dr. Vu at The Vu Center in Portland is here to listen. As a woman, Dr. Vu can understand what you are going through and how important intimacy and sexual gratification is for a normal and healthy relationship. Dr. Vu understands the emotional and physical needs you have as a woman, and she is here to help you recover your sexual gratification.
With a laser vaginal rejuvenation procedure, you can have the intimacy you long for and the sexual gratification you desire. This cosmetic procedure can restore vaginal sensitivity, and you can put the passion and spontaneity back into your love life. With help from this procedure, sex can be enjoyable again, as it was intended to be.
Want the Intimacy and Spontaneity Back?
Vaginal relaxation is the loss of the optimum structural architect of the vagina. In the vaginal relaxation process, the vaginal muscles become relaxed with poor tone, strength, control, and support. The internal and external vaginal diameters can greatly increase. Additionally, the muscles of the perineum (the group of supporting muscles right outside the vaginal opening at the bottom) thin and separate in the midline, producing a weakened, poorly supportive, and thinned out perennial body.
Under these circumstances, the vagina is no longer at its physiologically optimum sexual functioning state. In short, the sensual side of female sexual gratification is diminished. Thus, vaginal relaxation has a detrimental effect on sexual gratification because of the reduction of sexual feelings or pleasure.
LVR is the modification of a gynecological surgical procedure used for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence. Our laser techniques result in gentle precision procedures with controlled accuracy that ensures a relatively bloodless surgery. Our pioneered techniques result in rapid healing and resumption of daily activities in a short period of time.
Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation will effectively enhance vaginal muscle tone, strength, and control in a simple, one-hour outpatient procedure. It will also effectively decrease the internal and external vaginal diameters, as well as build up and strengthen the perineal body.
What all of that means is that this is a vaginal tightening surgery by laser designed to give you a tighter vagina. When you suffer from vaginal relaxation, the muscles are relaxed and have poor tone, strength, and control. The internal and external diameters increase. The muscles of the perineum are weak and poorly supported. Under these circumstances, the vagina is no longer at its optimum physiological state. As a result, the sensual side of sexual gratification is diminished because the vaginal walls have collapsed, leaving you with a “loose vagina.”
LVR was designed to enhance sexual gratification for women who, for whatever reason, lack an overall optimum architectural integrity of the vagina.
Our mission is to empower women with knowledge, choice, and alternatives. We encourage our laser vaginal surgery patients to participate in their healthcare and surgical design. In one of our patient surveys, women were asked the question “Do women want to be loose or relaxed or do women want to be tight?” In this survey, 100% of women answered that they want to be tight. LVR can accomplish whatever you desire.
We have learned a tremendous amount from listening to women. From all over the world, women come to us for vaginal tightening surgery because they want knowledge, choice, and alternatives. Women want their plastic surgeon to listen to them and provide viable solutions. Women throughout this nation and the world have told us that Kegels do not provide the vaginal tightening they want, but no one is listening. Women who have had children want a solution to rejuvenate the vagina and achieve the best sexual experience possible. For women with no children, solutions are available through design modification to help them achieve their desires.
No one wants to age or lose optimal function anywhere, and this includes the vaginal and vulvar structures. LVR is the solution. We have found that the vaginal and vulvar issues women are self-conscious about can be solved with LVR. For vaginal rejuvenation in Portland and the Pacific Northwest, Dr. Kim-Chi Vu has the experience you can trust.
Patients with involuntary loss of urine with coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising, or sex can have their stress urinary incontinence corrected along with enhancement of sexual gratification.
Women are multiorgasmic. The female sexual response cycle is unimpeded by a required refractory period that prevents successive orgasms in the male. Principal understanding of the physiology of the human sexual response emanates from observational research studies by William H. Masters, M.D. and Virginia E. Johnson. The researchers tested 382 women and 312 men in more than 10,000 episodes of sexual activity. They also studied more than 7,500 cycles (one cycle is an individual episode of sexual activity) of female sexual response during intercourse, masturbation, or oral sex. They were the first researchers to put forth a four-stage model that described and explained these natural physiologic changes. The four stages are excitation, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.
We developed the LVR program by listening and caring about the needs of women in this area of sexual gratification. We also integrated the historical research of Masters and Johnson into the ultimate individual design of each of the laser surgical procedures. Women of the world inspired all of the surgical designs. For this, our team, as well as present and future patients, thank the “true pioneers” and inspirational forces that made Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation a reality.
LVR is a one-hour outpatient surgical procedure designed to enhance sexual gratification. According to Master and Johnson, sexual gratification is directly related to the amount of frictional forces generated. We can accomplish this with Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation. This procedure utilizes a reconstruction process of vital areas of vaginal relaxation that are essential to sexual gratification, namely the outer third of the vagina, the orgasmic platform, internal and external vaginal diameter, introitus, and perineal body.
MALE PROCEDURES
Men everywhere are taking advantage of plastic surgery to improve their looks, achieve better health, and boost their confidence in the boardroom, speaking engagements and in their personal life. These socially acceptable procedures are being used by men everywhere in all walks of life. There are a number of reasons why you may decide to choose cosmetic surgery, and if it’s something you’re considering, then The Vu Center in Portland can help!
Ready for a rush of confidence and a surge of self esteem? Ready to look better than you have in years and feel better about yourself than you can remember? Ready to look great in a suit or in the gym?
Review these highly popular Men’s Plastic Surgery procedures performed by our talented plastic surgeons!
Do you starve yourself or work out to the point of exhaustion? Do you have abdominal fat that just won’t go away? Are you tired of not seeing the results of your efforts?
If you have excess subcutaneous fat that is resistant to diet and exercise and you wish to change the contours of your body, then liposuction surgery may be appropriate for you.
Common areas where patients choose to receive liposuction include:
- The anterior part of the neck (under the chin)
- Upper arms and armpits
- Male chest/breasts
- Trunk
- Abdomen
- Waist
- Hips
- Thighs
- Inner knees
- Calves
- Ankles
Most patients are near normal weight and they desire permanent contour changes, and improved techniques now allow larger amounts of fat removal.
Liposuction can be useful to heavier patients as a means of reducing risk.
Have you experienced significant weight loss due to gastric bypass surgery or weight loss due to exercise?
Are you experiencing excess skin laxity throughout the trunk, abdomen, and back region?
Are you embarrassed to be seen at the beach, in the gym, or in the pool?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may want to consider a body lift procedure. In addition to the situations listed above, you may be experiencing abdominal wall weakness as a result of rectus diastasis, which can cause you to have an appearance of abdominal bulge.
The overall excess of redundant skin tissues may be a hindrance to your daily activities and physical appearance.
Despite extravagant weight loss, you may be finding it more difficult to fit into smaller-sized clothes, or to exercise properly.
An abdominoplasty surgery alone may not be sufficient, however, a circumferential body lift surgery removes excess skin and fat from the abdomen, flank, and the back regions and results in a more contoured look throughout the trunk region.
Also Known As: Male Breast Revision
Men, are you tired of the way you look in a t-shirt? Are you catching flack at the gym? Is your wife giving you a hard time about borrowing her bra? Now you can improve your looks and confidence with Male Breast Reduction surgery. Do not be embarrassed about your condition. It is estimated that between 40% and 60% of the male population suffer from enlarged breasts and a Gynecomastia procedure is the answer to your condition.
Male breast enlargement — commonly referred to as man boobs — can be caused by many things, ranging from liver or hormonal imbalances and steroids to alcoholism or heavy marijuana use. Depending on the degree of enlarged breast tissues, surgery for removal of breast tissues may either be liposuction alone or a combination of liposuction with direct excision of breast tissues.
This cosmetic procedure may be unilateral or bilateral, which your doctor will explain during your consultation. The enlarged breast tissues are usually benign and may spontaneously resolve itself. However, those that persist into adulthood may need further workup to rule out malignancy or other treatable cause. Thus, a consultation with an endocrinologist may be necessary before pursuing surgery.
The recovery and outcome are highly satisfactory, giving back the male chest appearance, which may improve one’s confidence.
Also Known As: Tummy Tuck
An abdominoplasty, or a tummy tuck, is a procedure that most people associate as a procedure for women. However, that isn’t always the case. Plastic and cosmetic surgery is performed on both men and women, and there are many procedures that can benefit both, including the tummy tuck procedure. The goal of this procedure is to tighten and tone the midsection, giving the individual a more attractive appearance.
Wipe away years or unwanted appearances with the help of Dr. Vu and facial procedures such as face or neck lift, eyelid surgery, or rhinoplasty. These procedures can help reduce wrinkles, remove fat and loose skin, and re-shape your face so that you’ll love what you see in the mirror.
If you’re looking for a non-surgical approach, Dr. Vu also offers treatments and products. Botox and Juvederm are injectable treatments that help improve and reduce lines and creases and restore a smoother, more youthful appearance. VI Peel treatments are a fast and sure way to wipe away years of sun damage and acne scarring.
For more information on facial procedures and treatments, click on Face Procedures and see all the facial surgeries and treatments that Dr. Vu can offer.
HAND PROCEDURES
Dr. Vu’s exceptional knowledge in her field comes from her surgical experiences, as well as her dedication to continuing her education by attending local and national meetings in the field of plastic surgery throughout the year. Dr. Vu also has a background in hand trauma, which is a valuable complement to her work with plastic and cosmetic surgery. While very different in some respects from carefully choreographed cosmetic procedures, the emergency surgeries she performs on hand trauma patients keep her surgical skills at the highest level.
“My work in cosmetics and trauma complement one another. Trauma keeps me attuned to the minute level of detail that will restore function to an injured hand, while cosmetic work requires an aesthetic, almost artistic, appreciation of how the body works.”
The use of our hands is essential to our day-to-day functions, from typing on a keyboard to grasping a cup of water. When pain or injury limits our hands from these everyday tasks, it can take a toll on our lives. Dr. Vu is here to help. Hand injuries and conditions that Dr. Vu can provide treatment for include, but are not limited to: fractures, lacerations, tendon or nerve damage, carpal tunnel syndrome, and trigger finger. Dr. Vu accepts most major insurances, and her staff will gladly assist you in your insurance authorizations and verifications.
A hand fracture is a break or crack in the bones of your hand, also known as your metacarpals. Fractures can also occur in the bones that make up your fingers. Hand fractures are commonly caused by some kind of forceful impact to your hand or fingers. Some examples include car accidents, sports injuries, falling and landing on your hands, or punching a hard object.
There are different types of fractures:
- Non-displaced: when the bone cracks or breaks but it stays aligned and in place.
- Displaced: when ends of the broken bone are separated and not aligned.
- Comminuted: when the bone is broken in multiple different places.
- Open fracture: when the bone breaks through your skin and is exposed.
Typical signs and symptoms of a hand or finger fracture are:
- Pain or tenderness in the injured hand, especially when moving your hand or touching the injured area
- Presence of bruising, swelling, or a bony bump
- Weakness, numbness, or tingling of the hand or finger
The best way to determine if you truly have a fracture is to get an X-ray, CT scan, or an MRI of your hand. These images of your bones will help determine what type, the location, and the severity of the fracture. This will also help determine which treatment plan is most suitable for your injury.
Treatments of hand fractures include:
- Immobilization: Your injured hand or finger may be treated by immobilization with the use of a cast, splint, or buddy taping. These methods keep your hand or finger from moving and hold the broken bones in place while healing.
- Surgery: Surgical treatment may be a more suitable treatment option to help achieve better alignment and bone position. The most common surgeries for hand fractures are open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) or percutaneous pinning.
Lacerations and open wounds are types of injuries where the skin is torn, cut, or punctured (an open wound), or where blunt force trauma causes a contusion (a closed wound). In pathology, these types of injuries specifically refer to a sharp injury that damages the dermis of the skin. Wounds are commonly caused by accidents or injuries, or physical, muscle, or skin conditions.
Common lacerations and wounds include:
- Incisions or incised wounds: caused by a clean, sharp-edged object such as a knife, razor, or glass splinter.
- Lacerations: irregular tear-like wounds caused by blunt trauma. Lacerations and incisions may appear linear (regular) or stellate (irregular). The term laceration is commonly misused in reference to incisions.
- Abrasions (grazes): superficial wounds in which the topmost layer of the skin (the epidermis) is scraped off. Abrasions are often caused by a sliding fall onto a rough surface.
- Avulsions: injuries in which a body structure is forcibly detached from its normal point of insertion. A type of amputation where the extremity is pulled off rather than cut off.
- Puncture wounds: caused by an object puncturing the skin, such as a splinter, nail or needle.
- Penetration wounds: caused by an object such as a knife entering and coming out from the skin.
- Gunshot wounds: caused by a bullet or similar projectile driving into or through the body. There may be two wounds, one at the site of entry and one at the site of exit, generally referred to as a “through-and-through.”
- Hematomas: also called a blood tumor, caused by damage to a blood vessel that, in turn, causes blood to collect under the skin. Hematomas that originate from an external source of trauma are contusions, also commonly called bruises.
- Crush injury: caused by a great or extreme amount of force applied over a long period of time.
Treatment and care for your lacerations and wounds:
If a laceration or wound is severe, sutures may be required to close those wounds. Surgical treatment may be required for tissue, nerve, or muscle damage.
It is important to continue monitoring your laceration and wound until it heals completely. Keep the site clean and dry and change any bandages or dressings daily as instructed by your doctor.
If at any time there is excessive bleeding that will not stop with pressure, or if there are any signs of infection (increased redness and swelling, red or purple streaking spreading from the wound, pus or drainage, fever), then contact your doctor or go the emergency room immediately.
Soft tissues in the hand include tendons, ligaments, vessels, and nerves which all help with the movement, sensation, and stabilization of the hands. Injuries to these soft tissues typically cause weakness to the hand and fingers and disable simple motions, although, symptoms can be even more severe. Soft tissue injuries can be strained by overloading and excessive everyday use of the hands and fingers, but are typically caused by lacerations and cuts from sharp objects.
Tendon Injuries: Extensor and flexor tendons of the hand help the hands and fingers flex and extend — this is important for grasping/gripping and letting go of objects. Partially severed or completely cut tendons typically cause partial or total loss of mobility to the injured hand and fingers. Other symptoms include: an open wound at the laceration site, inability to straighten or bend the injured finger, and/or pain and numbness.
Ligament Injuries: Ligaments are tissues that are attached to the bones and joints and work to stabilize and give strength to the joints. Ligament injuries are common because they can be caused by excessive everyday motions and activities that may strain or tear the ligaments. Symptoms of ligament injuries are pain and instability of the hand and fingers, as well as abnormal movement of the injured joint.
Vessel Injuries: Blood vessels carry blood to and from the heart and throughout the body. If a main vessel in the hand or fingers is cut, then it is important to see a doctor urgently to determine if surgical repair is necessary to stop the vessel from bleeding. If the laceration is not severe, then elevation and local pressure may stop the bleeding. That being said, if the vessel is not treated or repaired and bleeding continues, then the hand or finger may become necrotic from lack of blood supply.
Nerve Injuries: The nerves in the hand and fingers are connected to the brain where messages are relayed about sensations and commands that tell the hands and fingers what to do. Nerves can suffer minimal injuries from strains and pressure or more severe injuries caused by tears or cuts to the finger. Numbness, weakness, and pain are common symptoms, as well as a lack of sensation or delayed motions due to the fact that the signals cannot travel from the brain to the hand.
Soft tissue injuries are diagnosed by physical examinations and can be detected with an MRI scan. If the injury is mild, then non-surgical options can help with treatment such as: splinting, RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation), and NSAID medications. When an injury is more severe and caused by cuts and lacerations, then surgical treatment is the best option to repair the tendon, ligament, vessel, or nerve.
The carpal tunnel is a small area/tunnel in the wrist. It is filled with ligaments, blood vessels, and the median nerve, which all pass through the carpal tunnel from the arm into the hand.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is when the ligaments that make up the carpal tunnel become swollen and irritated. This causes painful pressure on the median nerve.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is most commonly caused by repetitive or forceful motion of the wrist that increases the pressure placed on the median nerve. For example, you may experience carpal tunnel syndrome from factory or assembly line work, or typing on a keyboard.
You are at higher risk of having carpal tunnel syndrome if you’re pregnant, have diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, or have had previous injuries to your wrist. Signs and symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome may come and go and may have different levels of intensities.
There are many symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome that you may experience, including:
- Dull, aching, pain, numbness, tingling, or a burning sensation in your hand mostly felt in the thumb, index, and middle fingers
- Sharp, shooting pain that may radiate up your forearm and even shoulder
- Stiffness, cramping, or weakness that makes it difficult to do simple everyday tasks that involve gripping and grabbing objects
- Swelling of the hand and wrist
- In addition to a physical exam and evaluation of your personal health and work history, a nerve conduction study (NCS) can determine if you have carpal tunnel syndrome. This measures the electrical activity of your muscles, speed of your nerve impulses, and how well the nerves control the muscles of your hand.
If signs and symptoms do not go away on their own, then treatments of carpal tunnel syndrome include:
- Wearing a splint or brace to help immobilize your wrist to decrease motion and pressure on the median nerve
- Hand therapy and exercises to help strengthen your wrist. Your therapist may also recommend a TENS unit that will stimulate pulses to your hand/wrist to help alleviate pain.
- Steroid injections that relieve pain, as well as reduce inflammation and swelling
- Surgery to release and cut the carpal ligament to give more space and ease pressure off of the median nerve.
A ganglion cyst is a lump under the skin that is filled with a thick, jelly-like fluid. It may grow on the thin outer covering of a tendon. A tendon is a tissue that connects muscle to bone. It may also grow on a joint capsule, which is an area where two bones join together, such as the wrist or fingers. Ganglion cysts may also grow on the back of the knee, the foot, the ankle, or the finger. The cause of a ganglion cyst is unknown. However, certain people may be more likely to develop a ganglion cyst. These people include those who overuse, injure, or bump their hand, wrist, fingers, or ankles more frequently than others.
Common signs and symptoms of a ganglion cyst include:
- Dull ache or tenderness around the affected joint
- Firm, fluid-filled lump. The lump may become smaller or larger over time or it may go away on its own and come back again. It may feel like one large lump or a cluster of smaller lumps.
- Numbness, swelling, or muscle weakness around the affected joint.
- Pain that may be made worse by use or movement of the affected joint. Although, a ganglion cyst may not be painful at all.
- It is important to see a provider if you develop a lump near any of your joints. Your provider will do a physical examination of the affected area and may recommend tests such as an ultrasound or an x-ray. These tests show a picture of your joints and muscles and will help find any cysts or joint problems.
You may be told that no treatment is needed since ganglion cysts often go away in time. Even with treatment, your cyst may go away and then grow back later. If you would like to treat your ganglion cyst, you can try one or more of the following options:
- Watch and wait: If you are waiting for your ganglion cyst to go away, then do not try to break it yourself. Pressing, poking, or slamming hard objects on it can hurt you, and usually will not make it go away.
- Splint: Your caregiver may tell you to put a splint on the joint with the ganglion cyst. You may wear a splint to rest your joint and limit movement, and doing so may help your ganglion cyst to decrease in size.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine (NSAIDs): these may help decrease pain and inflammation (swelling). Always read the medicine label and follow the directions on it before using this medicine.
- Needle aspiration: this drains the fluid out of the ganglion cyst. During this procedure, a needle is put into your cyst and the fluid is removed and sent to the lab for tests. Next, a steroid medicine may be injected into the cyst to decrease inflammation (redness and swelling). Caregivers may add local anesthesia to the steroids to help decrease pain.
- Surgery: Surgery may be completed if your ganglion cyst is causing pain or is limiting your joint movement. You may also elect to have plastic surgery if other forms of treatment have not caused your ganglion cyst to go away. Surgery is usually performed in the clinic or in a surgical center or hospital. The ganglion cyst and possibly a small amount of tissue around it may be removed. You may need to wear a splint after surgery to limit joint movement and help the area to heal.