The Newsletter of the Cosmetic and Restorative Surgery Clinic

Volume 1 Number 2: Spring 1998

PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS

Contents

Dr Hodgkinson answers your questions on the breast reduction operation

Chinese Meridian Theory shows the way to health (Part II) by Dr Jennifer Hunter

What it's really like to have Cosmetic Surgery...

Health care professional Susie Davison chose CRSC for her own treatment, and tells you all about it!

Whilst you are young, getting old is something you attribute to other humans, not yourself.

But on the eve of the big 50 the ego came out and I did not like what I saw in the mirror - wrinkles. I also had the misfortune of having hereditary droopy top eyelids.

On the other hand, I have the good fortune to work in the health care industry. I am a registered nurse, a former private hospital and nursing home Chief Executive Officer and I now live in the world of Accreditation. For the past 17 years I have been running my own company, assisting all types of hospitals, day surgery centres and aged care centres achieve their Accreditation award. So it was my turn to be on the other side of the desk - yes - become a patient. (an experience every nurse and doctor should undertake).

I have the advantage of the Network, something we nurses do so well, so I was able to "check out" with whom I was going to be totally confident to touch my treasured but aging face. I was also very clear that I would not engage the services of one of my highly regarded clients. I did not feel that would be fair to either party. The business relationship would be scarred if something went wrong.

I started asking my theatre nurse colleagues - they know who is good and who is not. I also have a good nursing friend who had done her own research and had her own face modernised by Dr Darryl Hodgkinson. She looks fantastic, not too "plasticised", so I went ahead and made my booking with the Double Bay Day Surgery.

The extensive CRSC and Double Bay Day Surgery complex in Manning Road

My appointment was confirmed prior to the day and I was not kept waiting upon my arrival. Every contact with staff was highly professional. After meeting with the Chief Nurse Kim Castrey, who took my medical history, I then looked at photographs of the work Darryl had done on eyes and brow lifts - impressive, my confidence was growing!

"From the moment my appointment was made I was impressed by their quality service."

Next came a consultation with Darryl himself. I had, of course, heard of him and had actually corresponded with him on a professional level in the past but we had never met. I was taken with his friendly personalised manner and following a short discussion felt sufficiently confident to go ahead with upper and lower eyelid reconstruction as well as a brow lift.

I was very sun-damaged from the eyes up, having always been an outdoors girl, a great lover of horse riding, the beach, golf and snow skiing. Top that off with being one of the generation of kids who did not know too much about "slip, slop, slap".

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Before I left I met with Roslyn Dougherty who carefully advised me of the cost (expensive but I was happy), the pre-op preparation and gave me some excellent instruction sheets to prepare me well for my post-op experience. In line with the superb customer service so far, Darryl fitted me in specially for the surgery to be carried out at his Day Surgery Centre - I did not want to be admitted to a hospital. I checked my diary and found I could disappear for the next week, so I was booked in for the following Friday.

A very nervous patient arrived at the Centre at 7am. Again, everyone was caring, professional and the most important thing I wanted as a patient was happening - people explained everything they were doing or going to do to me. I had the procedure by general anaesthetic so I had a good sleep for 2 hours and upon waking I had my new face - bandaged at the time. The Centre is very strict in having all patients escorted home and ensuring patients are not left unattended the first night post-op. The first class service continued. Kim telephoned me every day for the first week. As I live close to the Centre she even did a house call on the Sunday to remove my forehead drain.

"...but even then I could see the results were going to be fantastic."

I returned to the Centre 7 days post-op to have the tape removed from my laser areas which were below my eyes, the total forehead and the bridge of my nose. I looked like a severe sunburn victim, somewhat swollen but I could see even then that the result was going to be fantastic. I am now in my 5th week post-op. I still have some redness below my eyes but this is gradually fading, the forehead is still a little swollen but reducing since I started wearing my cold eye mask at night again and the numbness of the forehead and front of head is starting to diminish.

"It has been fascinating to watch my new face developing in the mirror each day..."

I have provided my friends with much dinner party conversation as I took photographs for the first 2 weeks. It has been fascinating to watch my new face developing in the mirror each day. I am back at the gym and had a great day back on my horse Tim last weekend. The important thing now is taking care of a face that I should have treasured many years ago - a hat is now always with me and on my head when I'm outside. Thank you, Darryl and the team at Double Bay Day Surgery - you are first class!

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A Letter from
Dr Hodgkinson

Endoscopic Breast Lift

You might have seen on Good Medicine recently, there was an American surgeon performing a breast augmentation through the belly button. There was a reference that nobody in Australia performed such an operation. Some of you may in fact have seen me performing this operation on Channel Nine approximately 18 months ago. Breast augmentation through the belly button is a possibility and it is something that I have been interested in for the last few years.

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To date, I have performed about 20 such cases. A saline implant is used and a special balloon dissector is passed up from the belly button under the breast. There are only a few candidates for this surgery, however, as many patients these days seem to be quite slender and the implant has to be put partly underneath the muscle and you cannot use this technique to insert an implant under the muscle. In my opinion, it is an excellent technique for the right candidate and it is just one of the range of techniques that we use at the Double Bay Day Surgery. We use every implant inserted through every incision and we try to customise the result to satisfy patients' desires.

Having performed thousands of these operations over the last 20 years, I still find it a most fascinating operation and certainly one that brings much satisfaction to patients. One has to realise, however, that an implant does have a "use by" date and we cannot guarantee its long-term survival past ten years, although there are many patients who have had implants in-situ for 20-30 years.

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Dr Hodgkinson answers your questions

Q: What type of scar results from the breast reduction operation?

A: Many patients with large breasts over D size become quite symptomatic, suffering from back pain, neck strain and the inability to wear certain clothes. They often inquire about breast reduction and are concerned about what types of scar result from the different procedures.

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While we cannot guarantee what type of scar each patient will form after surgery, I try to minimise the amount of scarring with all breast surgery. In reduction mammaplasty I try to evert the anchor or invert a T incision which is on the lower pole of the breasts.Some surgeons do a W type scar, others a vertical scar on the breast, but if possible, it is best to limit the scars which are on the breast itself and try to put them only around the areola. This technique is called the Bennelli technique and it is very useful also for breast lifts. I have recently visited Dr Goes from Brazil in Sao Paulo and have a few new tricks to further reduce scarring.

Breast reduction is one of the most successful operations as patients are grateful for the new shape, size and the elimination of symptoms associated with having large breasts. It is has been performed in patients from as young as 14 years to as old as 72 years.

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Post-Operative Care and Service in Bali!

Our senior nurse, Kim Castrey, recently went to Bali not just to enjoy the beaches but to remove sutures from one of our Indonesian patients. The patient wished to return to Australia for suture removal after a tummy tuck but she had a sick husband and four children, so Kim volunteered. Kim went to Bali, did the suture removal in the patient's own home and spent a couple of days relaxing.

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Physician's Elite Rx - Exclusively at CRSC

Glymed's Physician's Elite Rx skin rejuvenation system is now available exclusively at the Cosmetic and Restorative Surgery Clinic. This product line promotes the idea of "wellness peeling" but at a stronger level than available through beauty therapists. In fact, this range is called Physician's Elite because throughout the world it is only available for sale through doctors.
For more information on the Physician's Elite range of products, phone Gail at the Clinic on 9362 7400.

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Rotary Continues Support for Operation Restore Hope

Rotary once again has shown its ongoing support for Operation Restore Hope. Our special thanks to the membership of both the Rose Bay and St. Ives branches, who have generously made donations for the past two years. Dr. Hodgkinson also spoke recently to the Kings Cross branch who showed great interest in the mission. In fact, Dr. Wyben Briones, a neurosurgeon and a Director of Operation Restore Hope, is the President of the Rotary Club of Metro Cebu. Thank you Rotary for helping us to restore hope to those in need.

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CRSC and DBDS Seminars for I999

5/2/99 GP Seminar
Skin Cancer Recognition
Presenter - Dr Doyle

25/3/99 GP Seminar
Cosmetic Surgery Update
Presenter - Dr Hodgkinson

1/4/99 Patient Seminar
Cosmetic Surgery Update
Presenter: Dr. Hunter

22/4/99 GP Seminar
Facial Rejuvenation
(Facelift, Eyelids & Brow Lifts)

6/5/99 Patient Seminar
Facial Rejuvenation
(Facelift, Eyelids & Brow Lifts)
Presenter: Dr. Hunter

27/5/99 GP Seminar
Body Contour Surgery
(Liposuction vs Liposculpture)

10/6/99 Patient Seminar
Body Contour Surgery
(Liposuction vs Liposculpture)
Presenter: Dr. Hunter

1/7/99 GP Seminar
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, TW Disorder, etc. Presenter: Dr. MacKellar (& Dr. Collins)

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12/8/99 GP Seminar
Breast Surgery (Breast Enlargements, Reduction, Reconstruction)

26/8/99 Patient Seminar
Breast Surgery (Breast Enlargements, Reduction and Reconstruction)
Presenter: Dr. Hunter

23/9/99 GP Seminar
Treatment of Veins
Presenter: Drs. Hunter & Parsi

7/10/99 Patient Seminar
Male Surgery Presenter:
Dr. Hunter

21/10/99 GP Seminar
Facial Rejuvenation (Laserbrasion, Dermabrasion, Chemical Peels & Skin Care) Presenter - Dr Doyle

11/11/99 Patient Seminar
Facial Rejuvenation (Laserbrasion, Dermabrasion, Chemical Peels & Skin Care) Presenter: Dr. Doyle

18/11/99 GP Seminar
Facial Surgery (Nose Reshaping, Cheeks, Chins, Ears & Lips)

21/12/99 Patient Seminar
Facial Surgery (Nose Reshaping, Cheeks, Chins, Ears & Lips)
Presenter: Dr. Hunter

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Holistic Wellness:
It's all in the face

by Dr Jennifer Hunter
B.Med; MScPH. D.L.S.H.T.M.

For a thousand years, Chinese doctors, herbalists and acupuncturists have observed the correlations between certain facial features and our internal health. They use Meridian Theory to understand the health of the whole person - body, mind and soul. There are 14 Meridians and each has a separate function. This is the second of a series of five articles where I will review the face diagnosis of two of the ten main Meridians. If we have problems in an area, what do all those wrinkles, sags and blemishes mean?

The Lung Meridian

The main facial features can be seen on the nostrils and lower two thirds of the cheeks. Both wrinkles and broken capillaries are common. This Meridian governs the whole respiratory tract from the nose through to the lungs. The lungs oxygenate our blood providing us with vitality and a zest for life. Problems with the Meridian may result in lung disease, such as asthma, bronchitis and lung cancer. Emotional symptoms may include overly optimistic or pessimistic attitudes, melancholy, grief, sighing, depression.

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Large Intestine Meridian

The main facial features can be seen along the jowls of the jawline, the lower lip and chin. Swelling, redness and wrinkles are common features. This Meridian governs the large intestine and all mucous membranes, in particular the tonsils, adenoids and the skin. A poorly functioning Meridian may result in constipation or diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome, recurrent tonsillitis, sinusitis, adenoitis, acne, heavy hips and a slouching posture. Emotionally, the person may be stubborn, judgmental or depressed.

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