Satisfied Patients Tell Their Stories

As cosmetic surgeon in Southwest Florida, nothing makes me feel better than receiving grateful comments from satisfied patients about my work and results.

Here are a few I have received recently. Incidentally, no one was paid to provide these reviews. They all are voluntary. 

"My friends and family kept telling me I was crazy.  They said, “You look great” and “You’re being too critical” but, that’s not how I felt.  I found myself making things up to reply to comments such as; “Are you ok?” “you look tired” You look sad”, etc.  I would tell people I hadn’t slept well or that my allergies were bothering me when the truth was I felt great!  I was sick and tired of looking sick and tired but didn’t know what to do or where to start.  Then I met Dr. Brueck…He had been recommended to my son to have a spot removed from his face.  The results were fantastic so on his last follow-up appointment I mustered the courage to ask him about my concerns.  He told me that I didn’t really need everything I thought I did.  With a few minimally invasive procedures he could have me looking happy again.  From that moment on he had my full trust and I never looked back.  He preformed an upper eyelid lift and fat graph to fill the loss of volume in my cheeks and around my mouth.  Now I look as happy as I feel and will be forever grateful.  God has truly blessed you with a talent for this work as well as a kind, supportive staff.

You rock Dr. B!!" - JT

"I visited many doctors but after meeting w/ Dr. Brueck I knew he was the right doctor.  I know I made the right decision because my surgery went to smooth and I could not be happier with the results.  The care from pre-op to post-op has been incredible.  Special thanks to Dr. B, Chi 7 Debbie for making this the best choice!" - MS

"I have found Dr. Robert Brueck to be professional and experienced.  He did my breast augmentation and eyelift and I was extremely happy with his work that I went back to him for a mini facelift.  His staff also has treated me very well and the surgical staff treated me like gold.  I would recommend Dr. Brueck and his staff to all my friends and family." - PG

There are more like these on the "Testimonials" page of my website, if you are interested. Thanks.

Does heartburn cause Cancer?

Those of you who follow this blog and read my website know I don't concern myself only with plastic surgery.

For example, it has recently been learned that acid reflux, or "heartburn" can increase your risk of throat cancer.  

Researchers believe the acid reflux from your stomach causes the cells in your esophagus to change over time and pre-dispose to developing cancer.  

Taking over the counter medications for gastric reflux CAN decrease the risk of cancer by as much as 40%.  

I take omeprazole once a day and trust me, it does make a difference.

How to get the best price on plastic surgery without sacrificing results.

Individuals that consider plastic surgery have many decisions to make. You must choose a procedure, find a nearby facility and find a surgeon you trust. During your plastic surgery consultation, you'll likely have many other concerns to bring up. With all this planning, the last thing you may want to worry about is how much it will cost you and if you are getting the lowest price i keeping with quality.. Here are some tips on how you can make sure you're getting the best bang for your buck without sacrificing quality or safety:

Shop around

Before you agree to a plastic surgery procedure, do some researchinto the average cost of the operation you are considering. The best time to do this is early on in your planning oprocess.Price may help you decide what type of procedure you want. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAP) has a web page that lists average costs for the most popular procedures. You may find that Botox injections, which have an average costy of $328 per injection are more within your budget. The web page includeslinks to descriptions of each procedure, so you can decide if a facelift, with a higher average cost of $6,408, is better value because of its longer-lasting results.

Speaking of research, research your doctor, too. Not all doctors are equal. They have different training, different expereience, different certification and different patient approval ratings. Your best coice is a board certified plastic surgeon.

Don't be taken in by credit card offers.

Some doctors may encourage you to open a health credit card account to cover some of the costs of your cosmetic surgery. While these credit cards may be useful for some patients, they can be as seductive as any other credit card account. They often have unanticipated consequances, such as rapidly increasing interest rates. Your plastic surgeon can advise youabout financing your surgery, but he or she should not encourae you to take on more debt than you realistically can afford.

Impulse purchases are dangerous.

Emails from companies like Groupon and Living Social often temptingly promote discounted plastic surgery procedures. These may be okay for you IF you alreasdy have done your homework. Don't let the offer substitute for your good judgement. The decisio othave plastic surgery should only be made after discusssing your options with  board certified plastic surgeon, not just because you have been offered a "great" deal.

Beware of "too good to be true" 

If a plaastic surgery deal sounds too good to be true, it probaly is. Unfortunately, unscrupulous individuals will try to make a quaick buck with "back-alley" plastic surgeries. They rarely have the training or experience to perform a successful surgical procedure. They must be avoided. ASAPS offers a "find-a-surgeon" tool on its website. Use it to find a qualified board certified cosmetic surgeon in your locale.

No insurance? You still may be able to negotiate.

Unless your plastic surgery is a medical neccessity, it will not becovered by insurance. Your fees will have to be borne by you personally. There is an up-side your plastic surgeon your pto this. Since he or she is not bound to insurance reimbursement rates, your plastic surgeon may be able to offer a good price, or suggest alternative approaches that will achieve your desired reslts at lower cost. 

As a plastic surgeon in Southwest Florida, I encourage my patients to give me a ball park estimate of what they are prepared to invest in looking and feeling better. Then we try to workout something that both meets thir desire and their budget.

Med-Spas come under new scrutiny

There has been an explosive growth in med-spas.  This growth is fueled by people's desires to look better but without going under the knife.  How many med spas were there in 2003? 471. Now there are 1750!  There also is the desire to get away from insurance claims/red tape because of increasing paperwork and decreasing revenue ie. Obamacare. 

State regulators are stepping up their scrutiny of med spas.  Some states require them to be licensed.  States also are restricting who can and can not perform medical services.  Who can do liposuction, laser treatments, Botox and fillers.  

Some states have experienced serious complications, even death and are now clamping down.  In Maryland, one lady died and two became seriously ill with strep infection following liposuction.  Florida, where I practice board certified plastic surgery in Fort Myers,  now requires liposuction of amounts less than two pounds be done in state approved/licensed surgery centers. 

Complications from these outpatient “spa” treatments is on the rise.  A survey of dermatologists in 2007 found 56% of 271 responding doctors found an increase in complications from these spa treatments.

I guess it all comes back to you. Be aware – be cautious – do your homework.  After all, it is your body – your face.

Sunscreen Daily Turns Back the Hands of Aging

Sunscreens are common almost everywhere particularly in warmer climates, such as Southwest Florida, where this plastic surgeon practices.  

Now, there is bonafide research showing daily use of sunscreen can lessen wrinkles in skin.  Results of the study recently appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine. 

This study involved 903 adults under the age of 55 living in Nambour Australia.  

All participants were given sunscreen of 15+ SPF.  Half used it daily and the other half were told to use it as you normally would.  Researchers took silicone impressions of the backs of the participants hands at the beginning of the experiment and after 4 ½ years.  

The results showed people instructed to apply sunscreen daily showed 24% less aging as measured by coarseness and fine lines.  There you have it!  Some concrete evidence that sun block helps prevent skin aging.

Don't let Summer get the better of you

Summer is the time lots of us hit the road for distant places. 

When long road trips are on your schedule, be sun-wary.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that you're protected from the sun while in  

in your car. Even with the windows up, harmful UV radiation can get through to 

 you. 

It's wise to apply sunscreen, especially on the side of your face exposed the sun. Bring along sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher when you hit the road this season. 

(Although, higher than SPF 35 is pretty much wasted protection. If you can get higher SPF without paying more for it, it won't hurt to use it. It's just not worth a higher price, unless that is the only rating you can buy.) 

I also advise my cosmetic patients in Fort Myers, Florida, to reapply every time they stop to rest or fill up. 

If you are driving, have a great trip.

Further to my posting on arm lifts, here is an "infographic" provided by Realself.com.

Here in my Fort Myers plastic surgery practice, we are talking with
women who are anticipating the the sleeveless summer
season with concern about excess skin on the upper arms.
There are solutions.