Monthly Archives: March 2021

Will my butt look natural after a Brazilian Butt Lift?

When considering plastic surgery, one of the most common concerns patients have is wanting the result to look natural. For example, while there are certainly some patients who desire a big “Kardashian butt”, most people want a rounder, shapelier butt that has just a little extra oomph. For this reason, many patients have concerns about going under the knife and coming out on the other side looking like a cartoon character. This post will explain the steps of the Brazilian Butt Lift procedure (also known as BBL), and show how partnering with a highly qualified and experienced plastic surgeon like Dr. Traci Temmen can ensure that you leave with a beautiful, natural-looking result.

So, what exactly is a BBL?

Popularized by the media, this procedure is actually built on a simple idea – removing fat from your problem areas (where you don’t want it) and moving it to the buttocks (where you DO want it!) First, fat removal is accomplished through the use of powerful and precise liposuction to target the belly, back, and sides. This can remove stubborn fat deposits like love handles and back fat that have bothered patients for years. At the same time, this also helps bring out the body’s natural contour, sculpting it into a curvy, attractive hourglass. Once the fat is removed, it is gently purified and prepared for injection into the buttocks. Finally, the fat is carefully injected into the buttocks to add beautiful shape and volume. At the end of the procedure, the small incisions through which the liposuction and fat transfer were performed are closed. Dr. Temmen always takes care to place scars in the least noticeable locations possible, so that one year after surgery many patients are not even able to find their old scars.

For those who have concerns about getting an unnatural or artificial-looking result from a BBL, rest assured that with the proper plastic surgeon, your result can appear very natural. No one except you may even be able to tell you had surgery! This is because the BBL is by no means a “one size fits all” surgery – on the contrary, it’s a carefully calibrated procedure that takes into account the patient’s anatomy and aesthetic goals to create a personalized surgical plan that’s perfect for you. This means that liposuction can be performed in the areas you need it most, and then the fat can be injected precisely where you want it – whether it’s to fill in stubborn “hip dips” on the sides of the butt or add more projection. For patients with asymmetrical features, Dr. Temmen can also inject different volumes of fat into different aspects of the butt to restore symmetry and balance. Unlike an implant that comes in a certain size, the BBL can be fully customized to the patient’s needs. Patients who want a dramatic, bold look may desire larger volume of fat to be injected, while those looking for a subtler change may be happy with just a little boost to help round out their shape. No matter the goal, Dr. Temmen is ready and excited to work with each patient to make their dreams a reality.

What Can You Expect?

The goal of cosmetic plastic surgery is to help you look and feel your best without losing what makes you YOU. The Brazilian Butt Lift is a perfect example of a surgical procedure that can be completely customized to suit your anatomy and aesthetic goals. To view real examples of the diverse array of stunning patient results, simply explore the Gallery section of this website. In the hands of a highly trained and experienced board-certified plastic surgeon, the BBL is a powerful tool that can help you regain your self-esteem and feel confident taking on the world each day. If you’d like to learn more about this life-changing procedure, please call 813-771-6393 to book your one-on-one consultation with Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Traci Temmen, MD, today!

What is “Low Cost Plastic Surgery”?

For many people, plastic surgery can be life-changing, helping instill confidence in how the world sees you, as well as how you see yourself. However, this powerful tool usually comes with a significant price tag that can leave patients wondering if it’s really worth it. Sometimes, this drives patients to explore some of the “low cost” plastic surgery options on the market. This post will shed light on some of the ways these surgeries are able to be offered at a lower price, as well as the potential pitfalls for patients. Armed with this information, patients should be able to make better informed decisions about how to spend their money, and what exactly they will receive in return.

Surgery is expensive, and includes many costs. For starters, these include the facility, the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, other paid staff, and of course the necessary tools to perform the procedure. Thinking logically, how are low cost plastic surgery centers able to offer surgery to patients at a reduced cost? The answer is twofold: Reducing costs, and increasing the number of surgeries they perform. Let’s start with the first part. In what ways do they reduce costs? Starting with the facility, the best place to have surgery is a fully accredited surgical facility that has been verified to be clean, up to code, and fully equipped with everything needed to respond in a life-threatening emergency. Dr. Traci Temmen operates at Temmen Plastic Surgery, a private surgical center that meets hospital standards and has been approved by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities. However, many low cost surgery centers do not live up to this high standard. The next area often compromised to bring down costs is who will be performing your surgery. Plastic surgery should only ever be performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon who is highly trained, experienced, and equipped to handle any potential complication that may arise. Patients may be fooled by people calling themselves “cosmetic surgeons” but who are actually not board-certified in plastic surgery. This greatly increases the likelihood of a poor outcome for the patient, and is associated with an increased risk of major complications such as bleeding and infection. The next place low cost centers may try to reduce costs is anesthesia. The anesthesiologist plays a very important role on the surgical team by safely putting the patient to sleep, overseeing their airway and breathing during surgery, and helping them wake up from surgery safely. An anesthesiologist is a doctor who received their MD and then completed a residency in anesthesia, making them the most qualified for the job. To reduce costs, a CRNA, or certified registered nurse anesthetist may be substituted. While CRNAs are also trained in anesthesia, the training is not as lengthy or rigorous as that for an anesthesiologist with an MD. At Temmen Plastic Surgery, every case has a dedicated anesthesiologist to ensure the safest possible anesthesia experience. Finally, let’s return briefly to part two of how low cost surgeries are able to be offered a low price. The answer to this is in order to make enough money at a lower price per surgery, they must perform a greater number of surgeries. This often means longer hours and fewer breaks for everyone on the medical team, resulting in personnel who are more tired and burnt out. This is obviously not optimal for the highest quality care.

While plastic surgery is often portrayed in the media as a glamorous and easy solution to getting the body of your dreams, it is important to remember that it is still surgery! Plastic surgery is technically demanding, requires the highest level of skill and experience, and should only be performed in the safest possible setting with fully qualified team members. When corners are cut to reduce costs, patient care suffers and the chances of a dangerous complication or poor outcome increase (which only increases costs in the long run.) Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Traci Temmen is highly skilled and experienced, and knows the importance of ensuring the highest quality care at every step – from thorough in-person consultations to a private surgical suite equipped with the latest technology to a full medical team dedicated to each patient. Dr. Temmen has the results to prove that her thorough, meticulous method works – Explore the Before and After section of this website to see for yourself why so many patients trust her for their surgery. If you want to learn more about if you are a good candidate for any plastic surgery you are interested in, call 813-771-6393 to book your one-on-one consultation with Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Traci Temmen, MD, today!

Will my Tummy Tuck Scars be Noticeable?

The abdominal region is a great source of insecurity for many women. And with all the flat stomachs and tiny waists in bikinis on magazine covers, who can blame them? Sometimes all the sit-ups and Weight Watcher’s meals in the world just won’t cut it, leaving women feeling discouraged and defeated. Luckily, Dr. Traci Temmen is highly skilled at using her surgical expertise to give women the body of their dreams! One procedure that does just that is the “tummy tuck”, also known as an abdominoplasty. This post will explain some background on this procedure and what kind of results patients can expect. In addition, it will address one of the most common questions patients ask about this procedure, which is “Will my tummy tuck scars be noticeable?”

While tummy tucks have been around for a long time and many patients are familiar with the idea, most are less familiar with the steps of how the procedure is performed to create that perfect result. The first step in any cosmetic surgery is of course meeting with your board-certified plastic surgeon. During this individual consultation, Dr. Traci Temmen likes to spend quality one-on-one time talking to each patient about their questions, concerns, and goals for the procedure. She also goes over their anatomy in detail to meticulously plan out how the surgery will be performed in order to give them the best possible result. On the day of surgery, Dr. Temmen first performs liposuction of the abdomen, back and sides in order to flatten the stomach and sculpt the abdomen into an attractive hourglass shape by accentuating the patient’s natural curves. This step of the procedure also enables Dr. Temmen to perform the tummy tuck part of the surgery afterwards through a shorter scar. Next, a horizontal incision is made low down on the abdomen in order to perform the tummy tuck part of the procedure. Using this incision, Dr. Temmen removes the excess droopy abdominal skin and tissue to create a tighter, firmer stomach. At the same time, she pulls together the abdominal muscles that are often stretched apart over time due to aging, weight gain, or pregnancy, helping to further cinch in the waist. Lastly, Dr. Temmen creates a new, attractive oval-shaped “innie” belly button to complement the new physique.

Now that we’ve gone over the basics of the tummy tuck procedure, it is time to discuss the question on everyone’s mind: How big will my tummy tuck scar be? In the old days, tummy tuck scars were long, unsightly scars extending from hipbone to hipbone and beyond. Luckily with advanced techniques and Dr. Temmen’s method of performing liposuction first, most tummy tucks today can be performed through a scar that is just a little longer than a typical C-section scar. In addition, Dr. Temmen takes care to make the scar as short as possible and as low as possible on the abdomen so it can easily be concealed by standard underwear or bikini bottoms. Most women are very excited that they can have a such a beautiful result all through a small scar that is easily concealed. Lastly, there is one additional small scar where the new belly button is created. This scar is conveniently located in the indent of the belly button to help conceal it even further, and is barely noticeable with time.

For women considering tummy tuck, the surgery can seem daunting – especially hearing past stories of patients left with long, unsightly scars and unnatural looking results. However, you can take just one look at the Gallery portion of this website to see how far tummy tucks have come today! With Dr. Temmen’s meticulous eye for detail and proven surgical techniques, patients today are amazed by how good they look after surgery, with minimal and easily concealed scars. If you would like to learn more about if you may be a good candidate for this life-changing procedure, simply call 813-771-6393 to schedule your personal consultation with Traci Temmen, MD today!

Quarantine Bod Edition: Tummy Tuck vs Mommy Makeover

The covid-19 vaccines are starting to roll out and summer is on the horizon, leaving many people feeling less than pleased with their post-quarantine bod! As society starts to move towards a new “normal”, this is the perfect time to resume thinking about all of the things that got put on the back burner. For many women, that may include revisiting some of the elective procedures they were considering before the pandemic hit and everyone stayed safe at home. This blog post will focus on the tummy tuck and the mommy makeover, two procedures offered by board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Traci Temmen to help contour the body and leave people saying “Wow, she must have done quarantine right!” This post will compare and contrast these two options to help women start to think about which one may be better suited to their goals.

First, let’s talk about the tummy tuck, a cosmetic surgical procedure that has long been popularized in the media for creating a flatter, smoother tummy. In this procedure, Dr. Temmen first performs liposuction to remove unwanted stubborn fat from the stomach, back, and sides. This also has an overall smoothing and slimming effect, and can help accentuate the waistline to bring out the patient’s natural curves. Once this step is complete, Dr. Temmen removes excess skin and tissue from the abdomen via a horizontal incision that runs under the bikini line. This helps flatten the stomach and pull the skin tighter across the abdomen to eliminate the dreaded “pooch” area. Dr. Temmen may also pull together the underlying abdominal muscles in this area if they have stretched apart to further cinch in the waistline. The result of this procedure is slimmer, shapelier midsection free from excess flabby skin. And the best part is that the surgical scar can be easily concealed beneath most standard underwear or bikini bottoms, so no one else has to know!

For those looking to go one step further, the mommy makeover may be right for you! This procedure is a combination of the tummy tuck with liposuction as well as breast enhancement, providing a full-body transformation. In this surgery, Dr. Temmen performs body-contouring liposuction and removes unwanted extra skin with a tummy tuck, but she doesn’t stop there! For the mommy makeover, patients may choose to enhance their breasts through a variety of options including breast augmentation with implants, fat transfer to the breasts, or augmentation with a breast lift. Dr. Temmen works individually with each patient to choose the perfect option that best suits their body and aesthetic goals. Breast implants can provide additional volume and fullness to the breasts. Fat transfer to the breasts is another way to add soft, natural-looking volume to the breasts without the use of implants. Lastly, a breast lift may be desired by women who feel that their breasts are sagging and could benefit from a little pick-me-up! Some women may also choose to combine a breast lift with augmentation during a mommy makeover to add beautiful volume while also lifting the breasts, creating a fuller, perkier look. When it comes to the mommy makeover, as you can see this procedure is very customizable to suit your individual needs. Dr. Traci Temmen takes pride in working with each patient to design the perfect procedure for them, and patients appreciate her thorough, meticulous approach and kind bedside manner.

As the world starts to emerge from its quarantine bubble, now is a great time to show some love to yourself for making it through these difficult times! And what better way to do that than through a life-changing full body transformation? Whether you’re more interested in liposuction with a tummy tuck, a mommy makeover, or aren’t sure yet, Dr. Traci Temmen has the perfect option for you to transform your body and take your self-confidence to a whole new level. To see real patient examples by Dr. Temmen, visit the “Tummy Tuck” and “Mommy Makeover” sections of the Gallery tab on this website. If decide you’d like to learn more about if you may be a good candidate for either of these procedures, simply call 813-771-6393 to book your one-on-one consultation with Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Traci Temmen, MD, today!