Q. What is Cosmetic Surgery?

A. Cosmetic Surgery is and always has been a multi-specialty discipline. Cosmetic Surgeons are usually board-certified in general surgery, plastic surgery, oral and maxillofacial surgery, dermatology and otolaryngology. These surgeons keep current in cosmetic surgery developments through post-graduate education. Fellow or full members of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery are all board-certified. Only Fellow members are located on the website or information line for the public.

Q. What does board certified mean?
A. It means that the physician/surgeon has completed all requirements in his  specialty established by either the American Board of Osteopathic Surgeons now known as the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists, or the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; or American Board of Medical Specialties. 


Q. Are your surgeons board certified? 
A. Yes. That means they graduated from an accredited medical school.  They completed a year of internship and at least 3 years in an accredited surgery program and at least 2 to 3 more years in an accredited surgery residency program;  then passed a comprehensive written and then oral  examination. 

Q. What is the difference between a D.O. and a M.D.?
A. Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery undergo essentially the same medical training as other physicians; they are licensed to practice medicine, perform surgery, and prescribe drugs. Physicians and Surgeons should be Board Certified in the specialty in which their residency was. The difference is in their philosophy: They believe that the body's structure (osteo comes from the Greek word for bone) is essential to problems by realigning the muscles and joints.

Q. What sort of credentials and experience should I be looking for?
A. One of the yardsticks in determining a surgeon's qualifications is to determine that the surgeon is Board Certified. It is important to ask your surgeon about his credentials. Our surgeons place their credentials on his website so that patients are well informed of their surgical background. Our surgeons are Board Certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery and members of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.  Dr. Dobson is a "Fellow" of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. To qualify as a "Fellow" with the AACS a surgeon must be Board Certified by a "recognized" board and has performed a required amount of cosmetic procedures.

Ask your surgeon how many surgical procedures of this kind has he performed nad how many surgeries does he perform yearly. If your surgeon performs cosmetic surgeries everyday you should feel assured about his skills. Before-and-after photographs can give you some indication of a surgeon's ability, although you must realize that individual results will vary.

Q. Should I be in good physical and mental condition prior to surgery? 
A. Being in good physical and mental health is extremely important for both you and our surgeons.  Before your procedure blood work will be drawn and our staff will do an EKG on your heart. Do not keep any physical and/or mental information from our surgeons and staff.  Any surgeon would need to have a complete history on you prior to performing a procedure. Neglecting to inform the doctor could ultimately affect your end result. 

Q. Are there any risks with cosmetic surgery?
A. Yes, there are always risks. Our surgeons perform a thorough physical on their patients including a five page history questionnaire, pre-op surgical labs, EKG on your heart, chest x-ray and or mammogram if needed. Cosmetic surgery is by choice. Patients that have an underlying medical condition would need to be cleared by their specialist prior to any cosmetic surgery being performed.

Q. How much are consultations?
A. We provide a complimentary cosmetic surgery consultation for all of our patients. Your consultation will include written information, a private meeting withone of our surgeons and the patient care coordinator, and a chance to review before and after pictures of prior cosmetic surgery patients. References from past patients are available upon request.

Liposuction FAQ

Q. What is Modern Tumescent Liposuction?
A. Tumescent Liposuction is a cosmetic surgery technique for removing unwanted fat cells.  We’re all born with a predetermined number of fat cells, which multiply until puberty and increase in size afterwards.  When we gain weight each fat cell in our body gets bigger, and when we lose weight each cell shrinks.   While liposuction is not a treatment for obesity, it is eminently effective in removing unwanted localized deposits of fat, which are genetically determined and cannot be lost by dieting.  Women tend to carry their excess cells in their abdomen, hips and lateral thighs, and men tend to carry their excess cells in their abdomen, love handles and chest.

With tumescent liposuction our surgeons work between your skin and your muscle to remove your excess fat cells. So after your procedure you will actually have fewer cells. Your fat cells will be distributed more proportionately. So even if you gain weight later on in life you should gain weight more proportionately. If you maintain your weight you should be able to maintain your shape. The success of liposuction is due to the inability of fat cells to reproduce themselves.

Q. What are the differences or benefits of Ultrasonic Assisted Liposuction vs. Power Assisted Liposuction?
A. Ultrasonic Assisted Liposuction or UAL actually emulsifies the fat cell's creating less trauma to the patient. Patients have better skin retraction, because it is less traumatic. Studies have shown that due to less trauma the patient has a quicker recovery time. Power Assisted Liposuction or PAL basically makes the surgeons job easier. We have not seen studies that show any patient benefits. There is no difference between the traditional approach for liposuction and PAL.

Q. How is the procedure performed?
A. The procedure is performed in a sterile environment in our outpatient surgical suite.  We utilize twilight sedation or general anesthesia depending on the patient. Your sedation will be provided by one of our anesthesiologists or CRNAs.  This is an outpatient procedure so someone does need to bring you and pick you up. Our staff will care for you during the recovery process.  We see all of our post-op patients within 24 hours of the procedure.

Our surgeons will provide you with their home phone and cell phone numbers so you will always be able to contact your surgeon if necessary.  Remember we are centrally located for both our Tarrant and Dallas County patients and we are only 15 minutes from Dallas Fort Worth Airport.

Q. How much pain will I experience?
A. Any pain or discomfort you will feel is dependent on how many cells are removed and how many areas are worked on.  Most patients feel that they had a very heavy work out at the gym.  Some people are more sensitive and require more pain medication. We will provide you with all prescriptions necessary.

Q. What is the cost for modern liposuction?
A. The cost of the liposuction procedure is based on your weight, shape, physical and medical condition, and how many areas are being treated.   Our surgeons will review your individual needs with you during your liposuction consultation. You will leave our office with a quote which includes the anesthesia, two compression garments, four external post-operative ultrasound treatments (feels like a massage), and the cosmetic surgery fee. There are no additional fees for the surgical center.

Q. How much time will I have to take off from work?
Your time off of work is dependent on how much is actually removed and the number of areas treated. Most people take from 4 to 7 days off.

Q. Will insurance cover this?
A. Modern liposuction is considered a cosmetic procedure. Therefore, insurance does not pay for this procedure.

Breast Enlargement FAQ

Q. Is everyone a candidate for transumbilical endoscopic breast enlargement?
A. No, not everyone is a candidate. If your nipple is too low you may need to have your enlargement performed with an inframammary approach so that the inframammary crease can be lowered. Our surgeons will make that determination during your complimentary consultation.

Q. What approaches do the surgeons perform for breast enlargement?
A. Our surgeons offer all options for breast enlargement, including the endoscopic techniques.

Q. How does the endoscopic approach work for breast enlargement?
A. Basically, a small half-inch incision is made on the upper crescent portion of your belly button or under your arm, usually hidden in a crease. An endoscope is placed between your skin and your muscle through the fat to the desired location for the implant. At the end of the scope is a tiny camera which transfers the image to a TV monitor so the surgeon can always see inside the pocket. The sterile implants come from the manufacturer non-filled. The sterile implant is folded a special way and passed through the scope then filled with sterile saline to the desired size you discussed with Dr. Dobson.

Q. What are the benefits for an endoscopic approach?
A. The first advantage is there are no visible scars left on or around the breast. Second, the belly button incision is left open so that any excess fluid in the pocket where the implant is placed can drain out, which may decrease your chances of a seroma or hematoma.

Q. What implants does your center utilize?
A. We only use United States made saline implants that come with a lifetime-warranty.

Q. Do you use FDA approved implants? 
A. Yes.

Q. Do the implants have a warranty? 
A. Yes.  Inamed (McGhan) & Mentor, the two companies with FDA approved implants, do warranty their products. 

Q. What are saline implants? 
A. A saline implant is a silicone bag filled with salt water. 

Q. Where will my incision be? 
A. The site for your incision will be determined either during your consultation or on your pre-operative day. The procedure can be performed through a small incision underneath the armpit (the axillary approach), around the nipple (the  peri-areola approach), under the breast (the inframammary approach) or next to the belly button (the TUBA or transumbilical approach). 

Q. Will I have a scar? 
A. Whichever approach you choose, there will be a scar but scarring is usually minimal. 

Q. Will I have bruises? 
A. Bruising is usually minimal but varies from patient to patient.  All aspirin products are stopped prior to your procedure. We will have you take Vitamin K for a week prior to your procedure. 

Q. When do the stitches come out? 
A. The stitches dissolve on their own.

Q. Do you recommend massage techniques after a breast augmentation? 
A. Yes. The technique will be explained at your post-operative  visits. We cannot guarantee to you that these techniques will prevent  capsular contracture but they may help to prevent it. 

Q. When can I return to work? 
A. Most patients are able to return to work within 2-4 days.

Q. Can I breast feed with implants? 
A. Breast Augmentation should not affect your ability to breast  feed but there are no guarantees that you would be able to breast feed even without surgery. 

Q. Will I lose sensation after surgery? 
A. Though possible to lose sensation following breast augmentation, this is an unusual complication of the procedure. Most sensory changes that do occur with the surgery usually revert to normal with time. 

Q. Are silicone implants filled with saline safe?
A. The Institute of Medicine, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, recently concluded that women with silicone breast implants are no more likely than the rest of the population to develop serious illnesses. The report said that new studies have led to, among others, the following conclusions:

There is no evidence suggesting silicone used for breast implants is toxic to humans. There is no established link between implants and a unique disease syndrome.   Problems ascribed to implants generally involve symptoms that are non-specific and common in the general population.

Although breast cancer mortality is not higher in women who have implants, the presence of implants makes it difficult to detect cancer through mammography.

The report also notes that, in the U.S., 10 million people have some type of implants, such as an artificial joint or pacemaker which is made at least, in part, by silicone. -- AACS Newline, 13:4 at p.6 (July/August 1999)

The doctors and staff at the Dallas-Fort Worth Institute of Body Sculpturing will be happy to discuss treatment and payment options with you.