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Visit Drs. Timothy and Jennifer Janiga’s blog regularly for office and product updates and information about important topics in Plastic Surgery and Dermatology. If you have question that you would like addressed please email Dr. Timothy or Dr. Jennifer or search for a specific topic in the search field at the top right-hand corner of our website.

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Eyelids Got You Down – Have Them Lifted: Blepharoplasty

Posted on April 9, 2012 by admin

What is a blepharoplasty?

An eyelid lift or blepharoplasty is a procedure where excess skin and tissue on both the upper and lower eyelids can be sculpted and removed. Drooping or tired looking eyelids can cause vision problems and can lead to dissatisfaction with your appearance. Patients often complain that they look “tired” or “angry” even though internally they do not feel this way.

When is an Eyelid Lift needed?

This procedure can be performed for both cosmetic and functional purposes. Many people, either through genetics or with aging, develop excess skin on their upper lids that can give them a tired appearance or interfere with vision.

On the lower lids “bags” can develop that give a tired and deflated appearance. With a lower eyelid blepharoplasty the bulging fat around the eyeball can be repositioned or resected and the lower lid lifted and tightened giving the lower lid and cheek region a refreshed look.

Where is this type of procedure performed?

An upper can be performed in the office with local anesthesia or an operating room setting; a lower is typically performed in the operating room.

How long does it take?

The procedure usually takes around one hour to perform. Discreet incisions are made, skin is tightened, and orbital fat is either re-shaped or removed, and sutures are put in place to create the desired effect.

What are the expected results and recovery time?

The eyes will appear more open and youthful after the swelling goes down. Depending on your profession and need for personal discretion you may need to allow 5-21 days before returning to work. In general, the recovery time for an upper eyelid lift is faster then recovery from a lower eyelid lift.

If tired or angry looking eyes have got you down, schedule a consultation with Dr. Janiga today.

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Labiaplasty – Are You a Candidate?

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Dr. Timothy Janiga

What is a Labiaplasty?

Vaginal rejuvenation is an increasingly popular surgery to reshape and change the appearance of the vaginal area. A labiaplasty refers to the reduction in the size of the labia minora and is the most common form of vaginal rejuvenation surgery. In many women hormonal changes that are brought on by pregnancy, puberty, menopause, and generalized aging can enlarge and darken the color of these tissues. Some women are just born with larger labia.

Why is it Needed?

Many women find these changes particularly disturbing for a variety of reasons that can be both functional and cosmetic in nature. For some women enlarged labia minora will interfere with sexual intercourse or be bothersome when doing physical activities such as bike riding. For other women enlarged labia are embarrassing in an intimate setting.

How long does the procedure take?

Typically performed in an outpatient surgical center using sedation or general anesthesia, the procedure involves removing and reshaping the excess labial tissue to create a natural but smaller labia minora. A labiaplasty usually takes around one hour in the operating room setting with another 1-2 hours for recovery before going home.

How long is the recovery time for a Labiaplasty?

The typical recovery time can vary but most patients can return to non-strenuous type of work within 7-10 days. More strenuous physical work can require a longer recovery period. Sexual intercourse should be avoided for a minimum of four weeks. Straddling type of activities such as bike riding or horse back riding should be avoided for at least six weeks.

For many women a labiaplasty can have functional, cosmetic, and emotional benefits and is the reason why this procedure continues to increase in popularity. If you are interested in a labiaplasty schedule a consultation with Dr. Janiga today. He can explain the process, the results you can expect for yourself, and show you some before and after photos.

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Press Release: Janiga MDs Wins Silver ADDY Award for Website

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Dr. Jennifer Janiga

JanigaMD’s Wins Local Reno Award!

We received the honor of a Silver ADDY® Award for our newly redesigned website in the Business-to-Consumer HTML (35-C) category, at Reno’s local ADDY® Awards, hosted by AAF Reno. The 2011 ADDY® Awards Show was held at the Peppermill EDGE Nightspot in early March of this year.

JanigaMD’s Response to the Award

We are the only practice in Northern Nevada that marries two distinct disciplines, plastic surgery and dermatology, and we are thrilled with this honor. This award confirms our tactical approach to developing a proactive local marketing effort and we are very happy with the beauty of our site’s design. We feel that it is important to not only represent beauty in our site, but within our patients as well. We strive to bring out the inner beauty our clients want to see in the mirror on a daily basis and find our work very rewarding in this sense.

More about the ADDY Awards

An ADDY® Award is the largest and best represented annual advertising competition. It strives to reward excellence for creativity in advertising. Each year the entries are in the tens of thousands. The competition begins at the local level, with winners moving on to a District competition, and finally the National Competition.

These awards support the advertising industry, by using the proceeds to make advertising better through “public service, internships, advocacy groups, advertising education, and consumer awareness.”

Each entry in a category is scored by a panel of judges who evaluate “all creative dimensions”.

“A GOLD ADDY® is recognition of the highest level of creative excellence and is judged to be superior to all other entries in the competition. Entries that are also considered outstanding and worthy of recognition receive a SILVER ADDY®.”

For more information on the ADDY Awards, click here.

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Face Lift – Look as Young as You Feel

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Dr. Timothy Janiga

Can a Face Lift Look Natural?

Many patients come to my office and want to look younger and refreshed but do not want the tight looking face lift that they have seen on some TV personalities. I explain to my patients that good face lifts are ones that help men and women look refreshed and rested and are not obvious like some of the ones they are seeing on TV. A natural look is always the goal at JanigaMDs. By reviewing before and after pictures of my patients, the JanigaMDs philosophy quickly resonates and any concerns are quickly laid to rest.

How Will I Know What My Results Will Be?

Our 3-D imaging software is utilized to photograph your face so that Dr. Janiga can go step by step through the specific desires and expectations you may have in order to always be on the same page. Dr. Janiga will thoroughly discuss the results you can expect from your surgery so that there are no surprises.

What is a Face Lift?

A face lift is a procedure that can be performed in the operating room under general anesthesia or in some cases may be done in the office under local anesthesia. Most people are not aware that this procedure often has the significant benefit of reducing the sagging skin of the neck also. The incision is made in front and back of the ear and care is taken to disguise as much of that incision within the folds and contours of the ear as possible. The tissue under the skin is tightened to help contour the neck and face naturally, giving a refreshed look to both the face and the neck.

The natural results that you are looking for can be achieved at JanigaMDs. See for yourself with our before and after photos on the website or schedule a full consultation and see yourself on our 3-D imaging software.

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Miss Your Body, Mom? Consider a Mommy Makeover!

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Dr. Timothy Janiga

What is a Mommy Makeover?

The mommy makeover (MMO) is a popular procedure performed by a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in an operating room under general anesthesia. The ideal candidate is a female near her stable weight who is not planning to have more children.

Despite many women’s best efforts after pregnancy and nursing it is often difficult for a women to regain her pre-pregnancy body. This is because of a combination of factors, but some people’s skin just does not rebound as well as others, some women maintain extra skin or stretch marks on the abdomen and breasts, and sometimes the shape of the breast is just not the same as it was before pregnancy. Women that come to see me for a mommy makeover may have one or any combination of these factors.

What does this procedure cover?

The MMO addresses the two most commonly affected areas in pregnancy: the breasts and the tummy. It is a combination of a tummy tuck and a breast lift or breast augmentation. The tummy tuck removes excess skin and fat gained during pregnancy and can even tighten those abdominal muscles back up, if needed. Some or all of the stretch marks can usually be removed with this procedure as well. The breast procedure is almost always a breast lift, but some women prefer a breast augmentation in order to give them back the fullness and shape that they had prior to their pregnancy and/or breast feeding.

The mommy makeover is one of the most satisfying procedures in plastic surgery because it allows women to get back to their pre-pregnancy self and helps them regain their self-image so they can keep up with the new little person in their life.

To learn more about your specific expected outcome, feel free to contact us today for a personal consultation with Dr. Janiga.  Call us at 775-398-4600.

Posted in Breast Augmentation, Mommy Makeover, Plastic Surgery, Tummy Tuck | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Liposuction Doesn’t Have to Suck

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Dr. Timothy Janiga

Liposuction is one of the most common cosmetic procedures performed. Data for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons rates liposuction in the top three surgeries for 2011, with 205,000 performed. In the hands of an experienced Board Certified Plastic Surgeon like Dr. Timothy Janiga liposuction is a safe and reliable procedure to help contour the body.

How Do I Know if Liposuction is for Me?

The ideal candidate is a man or woman that is close to their ideal weight but has stubborn areas of fat deposition that do not respond to diet and/or exercise. Commonly this is the lower abdomen in men and women, thighs or buttocks in women and flank areas in men. Despite being at ideal weight it is common to hold onto fat in one area depending on your body. Liposuction can be performed in almost any area including undersurface of the chin, arms, flanks, tummy, thighs, buttocks, and calves.

What is the Procedure?

Liposuction is performed in the operating room under general anesthesia in most cases, but localized smaller areas can also be done in the office setting under local anesthesia while the patient is awake. Depending on your specific situation and the treatment area desired Dr. Janiga will help you decide what setting is best for your case.

Liposuction is performed by making a small incision in the skin to insert a canula. That canula is used under suction to remove excess fat deposition and contour the area. This can be used to flatten the lower stomach, remove “love handles” from the sides of the tummy, help those stubborn saddlebag areas on the sides of the upper legs. It can also be performed to shape the buttocks.

One of the more exciting areas that has developed in recent years is the use of this technology to contour the abdominal muscles, helping to give men and women back their six pack.

Most plastic surgeons do to not advise liposuction as a weight loss tool, but Dr. Janiga can meet with you and help you decide what is the correct time and areas for your case. Call us today for your personal consultation at (775)398-4600.

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Tummy Tuck vs. Mini-Tummy Tuck

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Dr. Timothy Janiga

A tummy tuck, or what is more formally known as an abdominoplasty, removes excess fat and skin from the belly wall and tightens up the abdominal wall muscles to restore a smoother and firmer abdomen.

Despite many of my patient’s best efforts, removing excess tummy skin and fat can be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, with diet and exercise alone. Women who have had children, or men or women who have had significant weight gain, often experience stretching of their abdominal wall.

The skin and muscle tone frequently fail to return to their “pre-pregnancy” state or “pre-weight gain” state despite diet and exercise. One of my favorite operations to perform is a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty because of the drastic changes that can be obtained in the appearance of the tummy and ability to accomplish something that diet and exercise alone cannot.

My patient’s often ask about the difference between a standard “tummy tuck” vs. a “mini-tummy tuck” and so I wanted to discuss the two operations.

The Standard Tummy Tuck

In a standard tummy tuck, excess skin and tissue along with muscle separation above and below the belly button are addressed. It is really two operations with the first part being repair of the abdominal wall muscle separation both above and below the belly button and the second part being excision of the excess skin and tissue from just above the belly button down to the pubic mound.

Stretch marks that are located from the pubic region to just above the belly button are removed. The scar with a regular tummy tuck typically goes from hip-bone to hip-bone.

The Mini-Tummy Tuck

With a mini-tummy tuck, only a small amount of tissue is removed from underneath the belly button and pubic region and the belly button is left in place. In certain cases you can tighten the abdominal wall muscle separation below the belly button only. The scar is typically located from one side of the pubic mound to the other and can often be very well disguised.

Overall, a mini-tummy tuck is not a good operation for tightening the entire abdominal wall skin and it removes a very limited amount of skin. It can be a great procedure as long as the patient realizes the limitations. At the time of consultation I will perform an exam and discuss with you what type of procedure will best achieve your goals and desired outcome.

For before and after pictures of tummy tuck surgeries, see our photo gallery.

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Breast Reduction: Save Your Back

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Dr. Timothy Janiga

A breast reduction or a boob reduction is more officially called a reduction mammaplasty. When a reduction mammaplasty is performed excess breast tissue and skin is removed and the breast is recontoured to achieve a breast size and shape that is more proportional with your body.

Why Reduce?

Many women who have large breasts suffer from upper neck and back pain, bra-strap grooving, rashes underneath their breasts, difficulty finding bras and clothes, and have limitations with physical activities due to the large size of their breasts.

In addition to having physical concerns, overly large breasts can cause emotional and psychological problems that greatly affects a women’s self-image. The self-consciousness associated with large breasts can be as important an issue to many women as the physical pain and discomfort.

Will I be Satisfied with Smaller Breasts?

Fortunately, breast reduction surgery has one of the highest patient satisfaction ratings of all operations that plastic surgeons perform. This is most likely related to both the physical and psychological benefits that can be obtained from this surgery.

Do I Need a Breast Reduction?

You may be a good candidate for a breast reduction if you experience neck, back, and shoulder pain due to the weight of your breasts; have indentations from your bra straps; have skin rashes underneath your breasts; are bothered by the large size of your breasts; and are physically healthy and don’t smoke.

What is the Process?

At your consultation with Dr. Janiga he will discuss your medical history and perform an examination and then will review the different options available for your surgery in order to meet your goals and expectations. Dr. Janiga will draw out the incisions that will be used for operation so that you can best understand exactly where the scars will be and he will review pictures of other patient’s who have had breast reductions.

The operation will typically take about two hours to perform and is an outpatient procedure. One drain is usually placed in each breast and will typically be removed 3-5 days later. Insurance will sometimes pay for the operation depending on your overall breast size and the symptoms that you are experiencing due to your large breasts.

Will my Insurance Cover the Procedure?

If your insurance will not pay for the operation Dr. Janiga’s medical staff will discuss the costs associated with the procedure. The results of your surgery will be long-lasting and should help relieve both the physical and psychological symptoms that you are having from large breasts.

It is important to discuss with Dr. Janiga if you plan to get pregnant and breast-feed or are planning to lose significant amounts of weight as this can ultimately affect your results.

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Breast Lift – What to Expect?

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Dr. Timothy Janiga

Commonly called a breast lift or boob lift, the medical name for this surgery is a mastopexy. A mastopexy will elevate and firm your breasts by removing excess skin and tissue and tightening the surrounding breast tissue to create a more aesthetic appearing breast.

What Does a Breast Lift Do For Me?

As women age the breasts will change over time and lose the firmness and shape that their breasts once had in youth. Aging, gravity, breastfeeding, pregnancy, and significant weight loss or gain will change the elasticity of the skin and ultimately change the appearance of the breast. A breast lift does not significantly change the size of your breast but it will change the shape so that the breast is more youthful.

You may be a good candidate for a breast lift if your breasts are saggy and have nipples and areolas that point downward, you have a stable weight and are healthy, you are a non-smoker, and are bothered by the loss of shape and volume in your breasts.

How Do I Get Started?

At the time of your consultation with Dr. Janiga he will be able to examine you and discuss what surgical options will best meet your needs and expectations. It is important to have a candid discussion with Dr. Janiga regarding your expectations and goals; medical history including previous surgeries; current medications, supplements, and use of tobacco.

Dr. Janiga will also want to discuss your family history of breast cancer and results of previous breast biopsies and mammograms. Before your surgery is performed Dr. Janiga will review your medications and make adjustments as needed, order a baseline mammogram if indicated, have you stop smoking six weeks prior to the operation, and have you avoid taking anti-inflammatory drugs like advil or aspirin and have you discontinue herbal supplements as they can increase your risk of bleeding.

He will also discuss the post-operative care and restrictions. The incisions used for your surgery will be drawn out so you can understand exactly where the scars will be and Dr. Janiga will show you pictures of patient’s who have had the same operation.

The Process

In general, the surgery will take around two hours to complete and is an outpatient operation. Drains are often used to remove excess inflammatory fluid that can develop around the breast and will typically be removed 3-5 days later. The final result will appear over a number of months as the shape of your breasts settle. The incision lines will continue to fade over time.

The results of your breast lift surgery will be long-lasting but the process of aging and gravity will continue and so it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and steady weight. It is important to discuss with Dr. Janiga if you plan to get pregnant and breast-feed or are planning to lose significant amounts of weight as this can ultimately affect your results.

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Breast Augmentation Procedure Overview

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Dr. Timothy Janiga

Breast augmentation is a procedure done by a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to enhance the shape and size of the female breast.

How Do I Know if a Breast Augmentation is for Me?

If you are interested in breast augmentation, the first step is a consultation with Dr. Janiga.

What Can I Expect?

At your initial consultation, Dr. Janiga will spend approximately an hour with you. An examination and review of medical and other relevant history will be taken. Based on your exam and your history, he will discuss with you the different types of implants, approaches to the procedure, and which type is best for your body type and specific situation.

He will then review with you what your desires are for your ideal size and shape. Before and after pictures will be reviewed in detail to help you better understand size, shape, and results that you may expect.

3-D imaging software is often used in evaluating a patient for breast augmentation; by taking a 3-D image, Dr. Janiga can then virtually place different implants onto the 3-D photo to show you how you would look with different sizes and shapes placed on your exact body type.

Once you have decided together on the type of procedure, implant and size, a surgery date will be chosen. You will visit the office again prior to your procedure to meet with Dr. Janiga and his nurse to make sure you are comfortable, all of your questions have been answered, and you have your instructions for before and after your procedure.

The operation itself takes about one and a half hours. During the surgery an incision is made in one of the three areas, under the breast, under the nipple, or in the armpit/axilla. An implant filled with either saline/water or silicone gel is placed either under the muscle or on top of the muscle to enhance the size and shape of the breast. Stitches are used to close the incisions. You go to the recovery room to be monitored for a short while after the procedure, but are able to go home the same day. Dr. Janiga will see you a few days after the procedure to monitor your progress.

Total recovery time is usually 1-3 weeks.

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