Dallas Surgical Arts

Let’s “face” facts: It can be difficult to envision your surgical results prior to having your procedure. From laser resurfacing to rhinoplasty, until you’ve had it done how can you really know what to expect? Seeing other patients’ before and after photos is often very helpful, but unless you can envision it on your own face, it can be hard to imagine how a procedure will look on you.

Thankfully, as technology continues to improve, so too does imaging equipment and its possibilities. In fact, what if we told you there was a way to not just imagine but to envision what your results will look like on your own face, before your surgery? There is – and it’s called the Canfield Vectra.

The Canfield Vectra imaging system offers you, the patient, a 3D preview of your post-surgical results – before you ever set foot in the operating room. Dr. Sanovich uses the Canfield Vectra in his practice to help patients get a preview of what they can expect when undergoing a procedure with him and his team. Here are just a few of the amazing things the Canfield Vectra system can do.

Filter Colors

The Canfield Vectra can actually filter color from your image to help you visualize what your skin might look like after procedures such as the CO2 laser that are designed to reduce redness or brown spots on the skin.

Skin Tracking

Using what is known as markerless tracking, the Vectra can track and map the surface of the skin to help you better visualize texture changes following your procedure.

Accurate Measurements

The accurate measurement function of the Vectra can help you visualize changes in your face following procedures such as rhinoplasty, neck liposuction, chin genioplasty and more by showing you what your face will look like following any bone movement or bone or cartilage reduction.

Skin Volume Changes

Useful for procedures like face-lifts, the volume measurement can show you what your face will look like by allowing you to visualize the “degree of contour change” your face will experience following your procedure.

Dr. Sanovich offers the Canfield Vectra system to his patients considering facial cosmetic surgery procedures. To schedule a consultation, please call Dr. Sanovich at 972-581-9996.

When selecting a facial plastic surgeon, there are several factors that many people consider important. These include the doctor’s portfolio, the cost of the procedure, and even the location of the doctor’s practice. Unfortunately, however, some patients do not do their due diligence and check for what should be one of – if not the – most important factors in selecting a doctor: board certification.

Board certification is a voluntary certification that many doctors choose to obtain in their specified field. Dr. Sanovich is board certified in both maxillofacial surgery and facial cosmetic surgery. You may be wondering why board certification is so important. Here’s what you should know about board certification.

What Is Board Certification?

Board certification is a special certification that many doctors choose to have in addition to their medical license. Issued by peer review, doctors must pass additional annual training and testing to receive and maintain their board certification. A board certification is designed to assure the patient that their doctor is continuing his or her education and is well trained in current techniques and best practices. In fact, a doctor can lose his or her board certification if they do not attend these training or adhere to the standards of the board.

What Is Board Eligible?

Occasionally, you may hear the term “board eligible,” but don’t confuse this with board certification. Board eligible can mean one of two things, but they are important distinctions. First, board eligible can mean that a doctor has undergone the proper training and passed his or her board certification exam and is awaiting the certificate, or it could mean he or she has taken the training but failed the certification exam. If you encounter this, we recommend you contact the board the practitioner is eligible for to find out the backstory. In fact, you can even call a board to check and see if a doctor’s board certification is valid if you have any questions or concerns.

Ready to schedule a consultation with Dr. Sanovich? Give us a call at 972-776-4888.

For an increasing number of people over the age of 55, growing old gracefully is taking on a new meaning. Though accepting changes in appearance used to be the norm, now many people are taking steps to enhance or improve. For many, that means invasive and non-invasive cosmetic surgery procedures. In fact, these procedures increased in popularity among the 55-plus set by 50,000 in 2018 alone!

Dr. Randy Sanovich is a cosmetic surgeon based in Dallas, Texas. He believes the rising popularity in procedures for the baby boomer generation can be attributed to several things.

“With young people the motivation for plastic surgery seems to be selfies, but it’s not the same for middle-aged people,” he says. “They are looking for an edge in their careers and in their personal lives.”

With more people retiring later than in previous generations, the competition at some workplaces can be fierce. Gone are the days when looking distinguished earned you brownie points – now it’s all about embracing youth and technology. But many older Americans find it hard when they look older than they feel.

“Cosmetic procedures can help you feel as youthful on the outside as you do on the inside,” says Sanovich.

But that’s not all. According to Sanovich, the old stigma about cosmetic procedures simply isn’t there anymore.

“Generation X and the millennials have already realized that cosmetic surgery and procedures are nothing to be ashamed about, and a lot of that old stigma is gone,” he says. “I think people in previous generations are seeing that and thinking, ‘Why not me?’”

So, should you consider a cosmetic procedure for yourself? Sanovich says it’s a great way to take control of your appearance – and your self-esteem.

“I want my patients to look and feel their best,” he says. “There’s no shame in wanting to improve your appearance at any age, and there are many ways to do it.”

According to Sanovich, that includes not just cosmetic surgery but other, less invasive cosmetic procedures.

“At my practice you can get a full face-lift, a brow-lift or another facial procedure, or you can go the less invasive route and opt for Botox, fillers and treatments like the CO2 laser or the Profound RF,” he says. “Any of these procedures can help create that more youthful, healthy appearance.”

Here at Dr. Sanovich’s office, we admit we often make some odd requests. Or at least requests that seem a little bit odd to our patients. Whether you are considering surgery or are already healing from a procedure with Dr. Sanovich, you may be wondering why you were asked to do certain things before and after your surgery. Though some of these pre- and post-operative care requests may seem weird, we promise they’re done for a good reason.

Here are a few common requests we make – and why we make them.

Pre-Op

No matter where you go for surgery, chances are you will be told to not eat or drink anything (yes, including water!) after midnight the night before your procedure. Believe it or not, we don’t do this to torture you. We do it because, under general anesthesia, your body’s reflexes are put on hold. This means there’s a chance you can vomit or regurgitate any food that is in your stomach while you are under anesthesia. This regurgitated food can find its way into your lungs, causing breathing trouble. It can even cause permanent damage to your lungs!

Don’t Wear Makeup

What’s wrong with wanting to look your best? After all, looking your best could very well be what brought you to have surgery with Dr. Sanovich in the first place. But when it’s time for surgery, wearing makeup is not a good idea for several important reasons. First, makeup can leave bacteria on your skin that can contaminate your incisions, causing infection and complications with healing. It can also make it difficult for Dr. Sanovich to monitor your skin coloring for changes, which could be indicators of a circulatory problem.

Wear Loose-Fitting Clothing

This is another odd request: Why would your clothing matter? But wearing loose-fitting clothing is a smart idea following your procedure so your clothing is less likely to bump or irritate your incisions. It also will come off more easily when you get home. In fact, we even recommend slip-on shoes just to make redressing after your procedure that much easier.

Don’t Diet

If you are trying to get a whole new look, it may seem counterproductive to not try and lose a few pounds before your surgery, but believe it or not, you are better off waiting on the weight loss until after you’ve healed. That’s because following surgery, you will need your strength. The pre-operative period is not the time to be restricting calories and weakening your body. A stronger, healthier you will heal faster and with better results.

Don’t Take Aspirin

If you are in pain prior to your surgery, what’s wrong with taking a painkiller with aspirin in it? Well, a lot, actually. We ask you to skip the NSAID pain pills because, although they do reduce pain, they also thin your blood, which could cause excessive bleeding during and after your surgery. If you are on aspirin therapy, speak to Dr. Sanovich about your options. You may be permitted to continue, but Dr. Sanovich cannot weigh the risks if he is not aware of your other medications. Please be sure to inform him about everything else you are taking.

Quit Smoking and Limit Alcohol

Yes, quitting smoking is easier said than done, but it is vitally important to quit smoking prior to a surgical procedure, as smoking can reduce your circulation and delay healing.

Dr. Sanovich also recommends limiting or ceasing alcohol consumption prior to surgery. Alcohol can increase bleeding and post-surgery bruising.

So, while it does seem like your pre-op instructions are out to ruin your fun, we ask you to make these lifestyle changes for your own health and well-being. If you have any questions or concerns about any of the instructions on your pre-op checklist, please don’t hesitate to ask Dr. Sanovich or his team for clarification. We can be reached at 972-581-9996.

If you are unhappy with the size, shape or, yes, even the functionality of your nose, you may be the perfect candidate for a rhinoplasty procedure with Dr. Sanovich. The word rhinoplasty literally means “nose form,” or in other words, to form the nose into a more desired shape.

The third most common plastic surgery procedure in 2018, rhinoplasties remain an incredibly popular choice for many reasons. One of those is purely cosmetic: Changing the shape of your nose can affect the look of your entire face.

But did you know that rhinoplasties aren’t just for looks? They can also improve the way your nose works and help alleviate some common nasal problems. Here’s how a rhinoplasty procedure could potentially help you.

Look Good, Feel Good

Let’s face it – if we don’t look good, we don’t always feel good about ourselves. That’s why improving the areas of the body that we don’t feel comfortable with can actually be good for our mental health. Self-esteem is a real thing, and when it’s low, it can cause problems like depression and anxiety. A rhinoplasty procedure can change the shape and size of your nose to something more desirable or that “fits” your face better, improving your self-esteem in the process!

Correct Damage

For some people, past nasal injuries can cause lots of problems – including changing the aesthetic of the nose. A broken nose can heal crooked or change the sound of your voice if there are any blockages that remain after the incident. A rhinoplasty can attempt to restore a damaged nose back to its pre-injury shape or create a more aesthetically pleasing shape.

Improve Breathing

Maybe you’ve heard people say they underwent a procedure to correct a medical problem like a deviated septum. The truth is, a septum-straightening procedure is not cosmetic – and it is a different procedure from a rhinoplasty. But both procedures can be done at the same time if necessary. That being said, rhinoplasties can still improve breathing functionality by changing the shape and size of the nose. So whether you have a deviated septum or not, a rhinoplasty may improve how you breathe through your nose.

To learn more about undergoing a rhinoplasty procedure from Dr. Sanovich, please call 972-581-9996 for a consultation.

You’ve made the decision to undergo a face-lift procedure with Dr. Sanovich – congratulations! You likely thought long and hard about this choice, and probably even had lots of consultations and conducted your own research about the procedure itself. As surgery day draws closer, you may be getting a little nervous about what you need to do to prepare for the procedure, and what to expect afterward. But don’t worry. Dr. Sanovich has some useful tips and guidelines for you to follow to make the best of your surgical procedure.

Read Up

The first thing you want to do before your procedure is to read the preoperative instruction packet that Dr. Sanovich provides you when you book your procedure. This handy sheet will tell you everything you should and shouldn’t do prior to your face-lift procedure. Be sure to read it right away so you don’t find out too late that you’ve missed an important step!

Go Shopping

On the pre-operative information sheet, Dr. Sanovich has made a post-op shopping list of items you need to stock up on prior to your procedure. You are not going to want to go to the store for a few days after your procedure, so be sure to get the items on the list well in advance of your surgery.

Make Plans

You must have a ride home from your procedure, so please be sure to have one arranged in advance. The person you choose to bring you home should be the person who brings you to the procedure – and that person should preferably be the person who will be caring for you for the first 12 to 24 hours after your procedure. This will allow Dr. Sanovich and his staff to go over your care instructions in detail with that person.

Read and Re-Read

On the night before your procedure, re-read the instructions one more time to be sure you have taken care of everything on the list – especially the guidelines for when to stop eating and drinking for the night. There is even a section of guidelines for the day of surgery, including what to wear on the day of the operation.

After the Procedure

It’s normal to be nervous about what can happen after your surgery, but if you follow Dr. Sanovich’s instructions, there should be much less to worry about.

First, you can expect your face to be bruised and swollen for a couple weeks. Don’t worry – it will go away, and soon your beautiful results will be revealed. To reduce the severity and duration of swelling, keep your head elevated during rest. Your face may even feel tight or numb at first. This is normal.

You will be sent home in facial dressings. Do not remove any dressing unless you are instructed to do so.

If you have any discomfort that is not well controlled with the medications prescribed by Dr. Sanovich or if you have any other questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call Dr. Sanovich.

Take it easy. Get caught up on your Netflix queue, read a book or just rest for a few days following your procedure. You may feel like getting up and walking around by the third day post-op, but don’t overdo it!

If you have any questions or concerns, or to schedule a consultation for a face-lift procedure with Dr. Sanovich, please call 972-581-9996.

For patients who need or are considering facial cosmetic surgery for the nose or the chin, it may be in their best interest to get both procedures at the same time. That’s because, according to an Italian study published in the journal JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, patients seeking both rhinoplasty and genioplasty get better results when the two facial procedures are performed together. The study found that better facial harmony was achieved when the two procedures were done in concert, and that the results were maintained longer after the surgery.

Dr. Randy Sanovich is a facial cosmetic surgeon in Dallas, Texas. He says it is often easier to gain balance with two procedures, even if the patient is just considering one.

“One of the goals of rhinoplasty or genioplasty is to achieve aesthetic balance of the face,” he says. “Even if you are considering just changing your nose or your chin individually, doing both together can help achieve even greater balance.”

That’s because the nose and chin are so central to the face.

“A lot of what would be considered the balance of the face is determined by the nose and chin,” says Sanovich.

Another benefit noted in the new study was the healing time associated with having both procedures done at once.

“It doesn’t cut the healing time to double up, but it means you only need to go through it once,” Sanovich says. “From a recovery time standpoint, that’s less missed work and less stressing over a major surgery.”

The study also found that among those who underwent two procedures at once, there was a lower instance of revision surgery several years after the initial surgical procedure was performed.

“There is a higher percentage of satisfaction among patients who were able to undergo the rhinoplasty and genioplasty procedures together because the surgeon was able to achieve greater facial balance on the first attempt,” he says. “That translated to the patients in the study being happier with their overall look, and thus fewer patients required revision to try and better match their nose to their chin.”

And then there’s the risk of complications, which are present with any surgical procedure.

“The less surgery you have, the lower the risk of complications, so for that reason, achieving balance the first time can really eliminate a lot of risk,” Sanovich says.

Finally, Sanovich says the cost can often be less to do both procedures at once because you are using the resources all at once – one operating room fee, one anesthesiologist fee and possibly a better rate on both procedures, depending on the surgeon.

The teen years can be many things: fun, carefree, happy – or riddled with anxiety. For many teens, the latter holds true thanks to insecurities about their appearance. Add in social media apps, selfies and peer pressure and you have a perfect storm of angst on your hands. But while some teens may outgrow this awkward stage, for others there may be real, permanent insecurities behind their feelings, and those insecurities may not be outgrown.

Thankfully, there is a solution for those teens. An increasing number of teens (and their parents) are turning to cosmetic surgery to help boost confidence about their appearance. If your teen is curious about cosmetic surgery, here’s how you can talk to him or her about this permanent but meaningful change.

“The first and most important thing you need to discuss with your teen before considering plastic surgery is why your teen wants surgery in the first place,” says Dr. Randy Sanovich, a facial cosmetic surgeon in Dallas, Texas. “Be sure they are interested in the procedure for their own reasons and not from peer pressure or bullying.”

Sanovich recommends taking your teen for a consultation with a board-certified surgeon. This can often help you and your teen understand what is motivating the desire for change.

“Sometimes people don’t like their nose but can’t pinpoint exactly why,” Sanovich says. “A parent may not see anything wrong, but the teen may see something they don’t like and not be able to articulate it. A surgeon can help with that.”

One of the procedures teenagers are most frequently interested in is the otoplasty. This cosmetic ear surgery can correct ears that “stick out,” a common concern for teens. There are also medical reasons your teen may want surgery, such as breathing problems due to the shape of their nose or a bad bite caused by a recessed jaw. These issues can cause both medical and self-esteem problems.

Another factor to discuss and consider when talking cosmetic surgery with your teen is their age and development stage. While teens may be eager to get a procedure immediately, they may not be ready simply because they’re not done growing.

“The last thing we want to do is operate on a teenager who is not done growing,” says Sanovich. “The nose, for example, doesn’t stop growing until around age 18 in men and 16 in women, but the ears are usually fully grown by the time a child is 5.”

Once you and your teen speak to a surgeon, you’ll have a more realistic expectation of what the results will be, and whether the procedure, recovery and cost are worth it.

“Make sure your teen understands that this is major surgery and there is a recovery process involved,” says Sanovich.

As we get older, our bodies go through some very dramatic changes – many of which occur in our face. From age spots to wrinkles to enlarged pores, the skin on our faces can be an indicator of everything from genetics to how diligently we’ve worn sunblock over the years.

One of the biggest problems our skin encounters as we age is the loss of collagen. Collagen is the most common naturally occurring protein in the human body. It can be found everywhere from the bones to the ligaments, hair, nails and, yes, the skin. Unfortunately, that loss of collagen often leads to problems like loss of skin elasticity, which leads to some of those common signs of aging such as sagging skin.

Thankfully, you no longer have to simply accept the appearance of sagging skin on your face and neck. A laser face-lift procedure called the Profound Lift was designed to address these exact problems and restore a more youthful, taut look to the face, chin and neck.

What Is the Profound Lift?

The Profound Lift is a patented face-lift procedure that uses lasers to naturally stimulate the production of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid in the lower half of the face. It does this by heating the collagen and elastin already present in the skin to the exact temperature and for the precise amount of time needed to encourage the new growth without the need for surgery or injectables.  

How Long Does It Take?

The Profound Lift procedure itself takes about 45 minutes to complete, under local anesthetic. Best of all, results are achieved after just one treatment, so there’s no need to make multiple appointments.

What Is Recovery Like?

Unlike with traditional face-lifts, Profound Lift has a very short and comparatively mild recovery time. Some patients will experience some bruising following the procedure but will be able to resume normal activities within 24 to 48 hours after the procedure.

How Soon Will I See Results?

Following your Profound Lift treatment, you can expect to begin seeing results within six to eight weeks of your treatment. Results will occur slowly over time, with optimal results showing around the four- to six-month mark.

How Long Will My Results Last?

Results from the Profound Lift will vary depending on the individual. The better care you take of your health (i.e., wearing sunblock, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight) the longer your results will last.

Want to learn more? Give Dr. Sanovich’s office a call at 972-776-4888.

If you have a misaligned jaw or what is known as a dental malocclusion and are ready to put an end to the pain, stiffness and bite issues, such as asymmetry, that go along with it, it may be time to consider orthognathic surgery. Orthognathic surgery is a procedure designed to correct the misalignment of the jaw as well as any skeletal deformities present in the surrounding areas of the skull. In fact, “orthognathic” comes from the word orthagnathous, which literally means “straight jawed.”

Orthognathic surgery is usually performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. The surgery itself is done under general anesthesia and only lasts a few hours, but the recovery time lasts several weeks. Complete healing can take up to a year, but after that your treatment should be complete.

Why Choose Orthognathic Surgery?

You may be wondering why you should choose orthognathic surgery over lengthier but less invasive procedures to correct oral health issues like malocclusion, temporomandibular joint disorder and more. While there certainly are other treatment options available, orthognathic surgery offers the benefit of correcting numerous problems at once, with a much faster turnaround. Imagine waiting weeks to feel relief from your misaligned bite as opposed to other methods that could take several years to see results.

What Are the Types of Orthognathic Surgery?

There are many different types of orthognathic surgery, all designed to correct different issues. Because no two jaws are identical, no two orthognathic surgeries are the same, either. Dr. Sanovich may use one or a combination of several surgical techniques to achieve the results you want. Here are a few of the different types of orthognathic procedures you may be recommended by Dr. Sanovich and your orthodontist:

Mandible Osteotomy: Mandible osteotomy is a procedure that is used to push the mandible (the bottom jawbone) backward to correct a receded mandible.
Rapid Palatal Expansion Osteotomy: This surgery is used to correct a constricted maxilla and expand the palate.
Sagittal Split Osteotomy: This surgery can correct both over- and underbites.
Maxilla Osteotomy: This surgery is designed to correct deformities to the upper jaw, or an open bite.
Genioplasty Osteotomy: This surgery is designed to move the chin forward or backward to an optimal position.

If you are considering orthognathic surgery and would like to schedule a consultation with Dr. Sanovich, please call 972-581-9996.