Comic Con and Realself.com - Along with Dr. Jay Calvert

Dr. Jay Calvert
Plastic Surgeon in Beverly Hills

This weekend, I had the distinct pleasure of working with the people from Realself.com.  This website has taken plastic surgery information to a new level.  I am very impressed with their commitment to providing the right information to the patient from the right plastic surgeons.  This is something that concerns all Board Certified Plastic Surgeons, Facial Plastic Surgeons, Dermatologists, and Occuloplastic Surgeons.  Thus, it was fun to add some insight and gain some myself, on the topic of superhero bodies.

It is true that the superhero body in the comic books and in film has changed over time. We discussed this at length and I am looking forward to the way it gets put together for their piece.  In general, though, we all think that the superhero body is unattainable except by those who really push the envelope.  Plastic Surgery can be a part of it, but mostly, I believe it starts with diet and exercise.  Not fun!  But this is what it takes.

We discussed the operations most employed to get the 'superhero' look.  Chin implants, rhinoplasty, liposuction, facelifts, and body implants of all types were on the agenda.  Amazing examples have been seen throughout the years, including the most recent example of the human Ken Doll on the hit show, Botched!.  All is well and good if you start with a surgically good palate.  But if the starting point is not great, then it makes it hard to reach superhero status with surgery alone.

The other topic that was interesting and also needs to be addressed is the fact that many people are using human growth hormone and testosterone to keep their body fat lower and increase muscle mass.  These are medications that need to evaluated on a case by case basis for every patient is different with a different set of issues.  No way to know what is right for anyone of us without the advice of a physician that is used to prescribing these meds on a regular basis.

So look for the piece on http://realself.com sometime in the fall.


courtesy of 1hdwallpapers.com

Dr. Jay Calvert
http://www.drcalvert.com
Phone: 310-777-8800

Pittsburgh Plastic Surgery Alumni Weekend

Last week, I had the pleasure of spending the weekend with the University of Pittsburgh Department of Plastic Surgery where I trained in plastic surgery over a decade ago. It was an incredible experience to look around the room at the number of current leaders in plastic surgery as well as the soon to be future leaders of our specialty.   It was the resident and fellow graduation and what an auspicious event!

But more impressive than the people there, was the pervasive "Get it done" attitude. Anyone who has trained there knows this culture well. It is the concept that says, "This needs to happen so get it done and do it well!"  I am proud to have trained at the Pittsburgh program and I  proud to continue my affiliation as an Alumnus. 

I am ever grateful for what I learned there and I believe the best is yet to come.  I can't even begin to name names, but those of us who have been through Pittsburgh know it's character and that the mission there is clear.  

Thanks to everyone at Pittsburgh for their support and for continuing the mission of training leaders in plastic surgery. 

Uterine Fibroid Treatment with RFA to Help Avoid Hysterectomy

Dr. Bruce Lee
Minimally Invasive Treatment for Fibroids
Beverly Hills, CA

This is a bit different for me to be writing about the uterus.  However, I feel the need to let my patients know that there is a new doctor, Dr. Bruce Lee, who has brought a novel, safe, and effective procedure for the fibroid uterus to Rox Center.  Dr. Lee has spent the better part part of his last seven years working on adapting radio frequency energy to the treatment of uterine fibroids.  This treatment was developed after the popular liver tumor rfa was seen to be very effective at shrinking liver metastasis (tumors in the liver that came from usually a cancer of the GI tract).

Dr. Bruce Lee is a pioneer.  Working with Halt Medical, the company that he and his partners founded to perfect fibroid rfa treatments, he was able to definitively create an FDA approved treatment that is now becoming commonplace.  Dr. Bruce Lee is now working at the Rox Center in Beverly Hills.  He is there to perform this procedure, also known as the Acessa Procedure, only.  He is a true specialist having developed the instrumentation, the treatment protocols, and has performed the clinical trials himself.

If you would like to hear more about this ground breaking procedure, please go to the website at http://www.fibroidrfa.com or call the office at 1-844-223-7721.

Dr. Jay Calvert Comments on Rib Cartilage Grafts in Rhinoplasty

More and more, we are seeing the use of rib cartilage as a donor site for cartilage in secondary rhinoplasty and some complex primary nasal operations.  The latest publication by Dr. Rollin Daniel, Dr. Anita C. Patel, and Dr. Jay Calvert shows how rib cartilage (or costal cartilage) grafts have become more common such that revisions of these previously thought 'definitive' operations are becoming more frequent. 

Many patients ask, "Why use the rib cartilage?  Can't you just use the ear cartilage?"  This is a great question and I believe that there must be a good reason to take rib cartilage.  The most common reason I have is that rib cartilage is stronger and more reliable in my hands OVER TIME.  I believe that ear cartilage is good initially more many secondary nasal operations, but OVER TIME, the scar contracture ultimately wins and distorts the nose and the cartilage.  I have many secondary rhinoplasty and tertiary rhinoplasty patients that come and see me in my Beverly Hills office from all over the world complaining that their nose looked good initially, but then over time, the shape changed and they feel they now need a rib cartilage graft to fix the problem.



Another point is that many patients believe that rib cartilage harvests will be more painful than the ear cartilage harvest.  That may be true in some cases and not true in others.  In any event, the choice for cartilage donor sites should be made based on WHAT IS NEEDED to do the secondary rhinoplasty with the best chance of success.  I would not recommend selecting convenience over results.

For more information on the topic, see the website http://www.drcalvert.com or call the office at 310.777.8800 and ask to speak with one of our patient care coordinators or physician assistants.

Dr. Kidner, Melanoma survivor and melanoma surgeon, Continues his public awareness campaign

Dr. Travis Kidner of the Rox Cancer Center was again hard at work on May 4th, 2014 at the Melanoma Walk held at Universal Studios.  I am impressed with his relentless public education campaign and his dedication to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of melanoma.  Dr. Kidner had his own fight with melanoma and had been treated and cured of this deadly disease.

Here Dr. Kidner explains the ABCDE's of melanoma to Damien Puckler of NBC's hit show, Grimm.

For more information about Dr. Kidner and for more information about melanoma, please see our website: http://roxcenter.com.  Or, please read the original press release here: 

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dr-travis-kidner-melanoma-surgeon-and-survivor-continues-to-raise-awareness-257920081.html

Post: Dr. Jay Calvert, Rox Center, 310-777-8800

"Straightening" the crooked nose - Dr. Jay Calvert

From the most demanding cases to the more straight forward deviated noses, there is just no such thing as a "straightened" nose.  It is possible to make the nose straightER.  Or less crooked is a term that works.  But in most cases, patients have to be willing to accept some amount of residual deviation.  For more information, go to http://www..drcalvert.com.

Facelift Vectors: Not all Lifts are the same

As I listen to my patients tell me their stories about their friends, I wonder why they continue to have facelifts that are not favorable.   They complain that their friend looks 'pulled' or 'tight' or just plain weird.  I explain to them that it all depends on the vector of the lift.  That is, the result depends on the direction and magnitude of the lift.   In short, a facelift is about the the vision and technical artistry of the surgeon.  For instance, a patient may request that their facelift look 'natural.'  Well, what does that mean?  Does that mean that the jowl is not completely eliminated?  Or does that mean that the jaw line is tight, neck is clean, but there are no stigmata of a facelift?  To me, that is the most important part of the result - clean jawline, incisions well healed and hidden, and a neck that looks great.

This patient clearly had excess skin and jowls with prominent nasolabial folds and marionette lines.  Without making her look like she had a facelift, she got her jawline cleaned up, neck deepened, and has a fresher look.  This is a good example of what effect proper vectors can have on a person's face.

For more information, go to http://drcalvert.com or call us at 310-777-8800.