Ask our Miami Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Deirdre Marshall

Board-certified Miami Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Deirdre Marshall answers questions related to the costs, results and qualifications related to plastic surgery in South Miami, Florida.

Q:       What is plastic surgery?

A:        Plastic surgery is a surgical sub-specialty that restores physical defects of patients resulting from trauma, disease or genetic deformity.  In addition, plastic surgery also includes the correction or rejuvenation of bodily features that the patient finds aesthetically displeasing.

Q:       What is aesthetic (cosmetic) surgery?

A:        Aesthetic surgery refers to procedures that are strictly superficial in nature and solely aim to improve one’s appearance.  Cosmetic surgery offers no medical benefit.

Q:       What does it mean to be board certified in plastic surgery?

A:        To become a board certified plastic surgeon, one must undergo five to seven years of rigorous post-doctorate training at an approved learning institution.  Prior to receiving the certification from the American Board of Plastic Surgery, one must pass an arduous set of written and oral exams.

Q:       What procedures do plastic surgeons perform?

A:        Dr. Deirdre Marshall regularly performs the following procedures:

• Cosmetic procedures related to the face, neck and trunk.
• Benign (non-cancer) and malignant (cancerous) tumors of the head, neck, skin and soft tissues
• Traumatic injuries of the bony facial skeleton and hand as well as soft tissue injuries of any part of the body.
• Surgery of the jaw and facial skeleton.
• Reconstructive surgery following removal of cancer resulting in disfigurement of any part of the body including the face, breasts and/or trunk.

Q:       What is rhinoplasty?

A:        Often referred to as a “nose job,” the primary goal of rhinoplasty is to reshape the nose so that it improves appearance to the patient. The procedure may also be used to alleviate breathing problems.

Q:       What can be done to address facial aging?

A:        Facial aging can normally be attributed to the natural aging process, heredity and lifestyle.  The most common facial rejuvenation procedure is the facelift.  A facelift tightens and lifts excess skin on the face and neck.

Additional procedures are available to improve the appearance of the eyes, cheeks, chin and neck.  Wrinkles of the face may be best treated by minimally-invasive skin rejuvenation products.

Q:       How can a patient improve the appearance of her breasts?

A:        Cosmetic breast surgery is usually addressed in three major ways.  In many cases, patients will receive some sort of combination of these procedures.

Augmentation.  This procedure enlarges the size of the breasts through the insertion of silicone or saline implants.  The implants are inserted in one of three ways:  below the breast, around the nipple, or through the arm pit.

Breast Lift.  A breast lift is usually the procedure of choice for patients that are generally happy with the size of their breasts but would like to restore their volume and youthful appearance due to aging.

Breast Reduction.  Breast makes extremely large breasts smaller. Patients with overly large breasts often suffer from neck, shoulder and back pain. Painful symptoms are usually always improved after a breast reduction if not completely eliminated. In most cases, health insurance will cover this procedure.

Q:       What is liposuction? 

A:        Liposuction is the surgical removal of excess fat through incisions in the area to be treated.  The fat is removed to small tubes that extract the fat when inserted into the incisions.

The most common areas to be treated are the abdomen, hips and thighs.  Other places may include the upper arms, under the chin and the buttocks.

Q:       Does Dr. Marshall treat men as well as women?

A:        Although most plastic surgery patients are women, Marshall Cosmétique can meet the cosmetic needs of men as well.  From rejuvenation procedures like chin and neck reshaping to face and eyelid lifting to body contouring surgery to eliminate gynecomastia, Dr. Marshall realizes the importance of meeting the cosmetic needs of men as well as women.

Q:       Will my cosmetic surgery procedure leave me with a scar(s)?

A:        No matter what the procedure, some scarring is inevitable.  Dr. Marshall has years of experience in placing scars in locations where there is minimal visibility (ie under hair, undergarments or along natural creases).  It is important to note that severity of the scarring varies from person to person.

Q:       What does cosmetic surgery cost?

A:        Cosmetic surgery is elective and rarely covered by insurance plans. Costs vary based on the procedure. Dr. Deirdre Marshall offers financing for liposuction, breast augmentation, face lifts, tummy tucks and more.