A different approach
We are living in weird times, with lots of confusion going around about what is allowed and what is not under Level 4 lockdown. Plastic surgery procedures are being done. Our plastic surgery practice is open again, however we function a little bit different than before:
- Less patients are seen in a day.
- No visitors or patients are allowed into the waiting room: patients go straight from their car into the doctor’s rooms.
- Patients need to sanitise their hands upon entering and leaving the building and the doctor’s rooms.
- All visitors need to wear a mask.
- Patients come unaccompanied.
- Avoid touching your face.
- All patients have to sign a Treatment consent form Covid 19 and fill out a Covid – 19 questionnaire with the Covid -19 symptomatology before the doctor even commences a treatment.
- The less invasive procedures, that require no or only local anaesthesia and that can be performed in rooms, are allowed.
Available plastic surgery procedures
During Level 4 Dr Sean Moodley can perform all plastic surgery procedures, that require no anaesthesia or that can be performed under local anaesthesia in his rooms.
Read below the procedures that are being considered at the moment.
1 Upper blepharoplasty
Upper eyelid surgery entails removing excess skin and removing unwanted fat pockets on your eyelid. Dr Sean Moodley prefers to perform an upper blepharoplasty in his rooms under local anaesthesia. Once the local anaesthesia has kicked in the patient hardly feels anything, besides a limited pressure and a bit of discomfort. Bleeding can easily be managed by cautery. Patients will also receive a mild tranquilizer to help them with possible anxiety.
2 Limited liposuction
Liposuction under local anaesthesia is one of the plastic surgery procedures that are allowed at this time. It works well for certain areas of the body. Ideally the area is small, superficial, and singular—arms, double chin, and pockets of fat around the thighs all work well. Liposuction of the stomach is a bit challenging under local anaesthesia. Superficial fat in those smaller areas is generally easier to remove. The targeted fat is located under the skin and can be removed without aggressive suction, so there is a low chance of encountering significant bleeding.
The outcome of the procedure won’t be affected at all either, as the procedure is performed the same way as when the patient is asleep. However, some sensations may be detectable. “A slight tenderness is felt as I put in the tumescent fluid prior to liposuction. After this all becomes numb, “ says Dr Sean Moodley. However even then some sensation and pressure might be felt in those numb areas. Also, you’ll hear the suction.
3 Buccal fat pad removal
Buccal fat pad removal is done via a small incision inside the mouth. Patients receive an injection with local anaesthetic inside their mouths, just like at a dentist visit. The chance of bleeding is minimal too. These factors make it a relatively pleasant procedure to have done in the chair. To make patients cope with the pressure and anxiety a bit better a mild tranquilizer can be given.
4 Lipofilling
Facial fat transfer—also known as lipofilling—is a minimally invasive procedure that uses your own body fat from your hips, thighs, or stomach to add or restore volume to your face. It’s usually performed to restore sunken cheeks and tear trough deformities, plump thin lips and smooth deep nasolabial folds. It can also be used to improve the appearance of pitted scars.
Lipofilling is a multistep outpatient treatment that involves extracting fat from one area of your body, processing the fat cells with a centrifuge or filter, and then injecting it into the treatment area as little droplets (sometimes known as “microdroplets”) to plump, lift, and smooth.
Because fat is one of your body’s best sources for stem cells, a fat transfer can provide additional anti-aging benefits due to its growth factors and their ability to stimulate collagen growth beyond the area where fat is transferred. This helps with overall facial rejuvenation.
5 Threads
A thread lift is a nonsurgical facial rejuvenation procedure that passes threads beneath the surface of your skin, to lift the tissue. The threads may have tiny barbs or cones that help grip the skin. When appropriately positioned, they give your face a more lifted, toned appearance, especially around the lower face and jowls.
As the threads are absorbed over the first six months, they also boost your natural collagen production that can improve your skin’s firmness for up to a year.
The procedure has been dubbed a “lunchtime lift” because it’s quick, with minimal downtime, especially compared to a surgical facelift. Dr Sean Moodley does this procedure comfortably in his rooms under local anaesthesia, with the addition of a mild tranquilizer.
6 Lip lift
A lip lift, which involves removing a small strip of skin from beneath the nose to shorten the length of the upper lip. This raises the upper lip using supportive sutures to make it look larger and fuller and improves the overall aesthetic proportions. This is a procedure that is actually better performed under local anaesthesia due to the absence of an airway tube. It’s easy to numb the upper lip and patients can be so comfortable that they try to talk during the procedure. Any bleeding during the procedure may be easily stopped using cautery.
7 BodyTite – FaceTite – Morpheus 8
FaceTite technology offers a facial contouring solution where no other currently exists. This technology is ideal for patients that are not yet ready to commit to a facelift, but want optimal outcomes. FaceTite is a procedure that treats loose skin in areas of the face, such as the neck and jaw. The device uses radiofrequency energy to firm the tissue, tighten the skin and stimulate collagen production. The treatment is similar to BodyTite, except a smaller more accurate instrument is used. It is designed to be minimally invasive, with minimal scarring and no stitches required.
Morpheus8 combines radiofrequency technology, micro-needling and fractional treatments to stimulate collagen production. This tightens and smoothens out wrinkles on both the face and body. Tiny needles penetrate the skin and heat the tissue to stimulate the production of collagen. This is achieved by the direct action of heat and by the activation of the wound healing cascade at a higher level than conventional micro-needling.
More plastic surgery procedures…
8 Fillers
Injectable fillers, also called dermal fillers, can be used to plump lips, smooth wrinkles and folds, and fill in the under-eye hollows known as tear troughs. They can also add volume to cheeks and reduce the appearance of pitted acne scars. Some people even choose to get a non-surgical nose job using injectable fillers.
Hyaluronic acid is the most popular filler ingredient, but fillers can also be made of collagen, calcium hydroxyl-apatite, poly-L-lactic acid, polymethyl methacrylate, or fat that’s harvested from your own body. Dr Moodley uses mainly hyaluronic acid and poly-L-lactic acid (Ellanse)fillers in his practice.
9 Botox / Dysport
Botox / Dysport is an injectable neuromodulator that temporarily relaxes facial muscles to soften the look of lines and wrinkles. It works by blocking signals from the nerves to the muscles, so the injected muscle can’t contract.
It is used to treat crow’s feet, frown lines, and forehead lines, but it’s also used in other areas, including the lips, nose, lower face, neck, and even downturned smiles. The toxin treats wrinkles created by repeated muscle movement. It can also delay the formation of new lines, which is a plus if you’re in your mid-20s to early 30s and are concerned about wrinkles developing later.
10 PRP Vampire facials
PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) is a treatment designed to improve tissue regeneration, increase collagen production and rejuvenate the skin in the most natural and chemical-free manner. It is our popular effective choice for the regeneration of hair in both men and women.
The technique involves using one’s own blood that is separated into different components within special tubes after being centrifuged.
11 Chemical peel
A chemical peel uses a chemical solution to improve the texture and tone of your skin by removing the damaged outer layers.Although chemical peels are used mostly on the face, they can also be used to improve the skin on your neck and hands. Sun exposure, acne or even just aging can leave your skin tone uneven, wrinkled, spotted or scarred.
The future: our way forward
Although many treatments can be performed in the rooms, some plastic surgery procedures have to be done under general anaesthesia in a theatre.
Dr Sean Moodley and his fellow surgeons are setting up a regulations structure under which elective plastic surgery procedures in theatre will be made possible. It is important a new approach is being formulated, because Covid-19 will be a reality for quite some time still.
Some of the regulations will entail:
- Active testing of all patients – 2 days before surgery
- Strict quarantine of all patients from the moment they have been tested.
- Regular testing of doctors and theatre personnel
- Minimise time in hospital
- Preferably day cases
- Escorts and visitors have to be minimised
Dr Sean Moodley will inform all his patients as soon as elective cosmetic surgery in theatre is permitted.
If you are interested to have any of the above plastic surgery procedures or if you like to book any surgery in the future, please contact Dr Sean Moodley on info@seanmoodley.co.za.
Thank you for your understanding that our practice has to comply to the latest health regulations. As always your health comes first.
We are in this together.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
And remember It’s not Surgery…It’s Art.
