Photo Credit: beautyinthebag.com
MEET DR. PHILLIP R. LANGSDON: AAFPRS PRESIDENT
Phillip R. Langsdon, MD, FACS is the newly elected President of the prestigious American Academy of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. Serving as Professor and Chief of the Division of Facial Plastic Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis surely keeps him quite busy. He also maintains a private facial plastic surgery practice at The Langsdon Clinic in Germantown, TN. He has been known as a leader in the field of facial cosmetic surgery for over 25 years, specializing in plastic surgery of the face and nose.
BITB asked for his insights on the modern trends in facial plastic surgery and what his patients are asking for most.
visit drlangsdon.com for more info.
1. As a facial plastic surgeon, what are the top 3 most popular surgical procedures your patients and asking for right now?
Facelift, Eyelid Surgery, and Rhinoplasty (including revision rhinoplasty are the most popular procedures in our practice. Treatment of facial sagging, volume loss, and wrinkling is still the area in highest demand for improvement. No one likes to appear older than they fell. Most people want to look their best and frankly as they did when they looked rested and attractive. Today a facelift and eyelid surgery can be done under twilight anesthesia similar to when having a colonoscopy or wisdom tooth removal. Recover is usually 10-14 days for minor procedures with some swelling that may last a little longer. Nose Jobs and revision rhinoplasty are in demand not only with younger age groups but also with people of all ages. Refining a large nose, wide nose, hump, droopy tip, or twisted nose can help patients at any age. Revision rhinoplasty makes up 30-50% of my cases since there are still many surgeons with less than adequate training offering rhinoplasty to patients.
3. In your vast experience, what are women’s chief concerns about undergoing facial surgery and how do you address them?
The biggest concerns include the fear of looking “plastic” or abnormal, risks of anesthesia, and costs. Whether we are doing a facelift, eyelid surgery, nose job (or nasal revision) we provide a natural look. And, this is very obtainable if you find the right surgeon. Reputation alone won’t tell you this, but seeing and talking to patients will help identify the right doctor. Anesthesia is better today than ever before. The most important thing is to make sure the surgery takes place in a certified or state licensed facility, with proper anesthesia personnel. Twilight sedation can be used for many types of facial aesthetic surgery, thus reducing the need for general anesthesia that includes an airway tube. If general anesthesia is needed, just make sure it takes place in a licensed facility. Costs vary depending on the area of the country and experience of the surgeon. Some patients travel to media centers thinking that because a doctor is on television or in a high population region that the outcome will be better. Of course, this is not true. Many patients actually leave these metro media markets and travel to the heartland USA to see excellent surgeons. In general, prices that are too cheap may not be a deal in that the surgeon may lack experience. On the other end of the spectrum, a high fee does not guarantee expertise or a better outcome. The bottom line is to base the selection on a surgeon upon conversations with patients rather than the television, internet, or price.
Leave a Reply
