Forty medical and non-medical people traveled on this amazing trip, each of us paying our own way, taking vacation time, and bringing the necessary equipment and supplies, while donating our expertise to many of the underprivileged. We performed surgeries on those who wouldn’t have had the opportunity to acquire these procedures without our mission.

Each day, there were lines of Vietnamese children, each with a skin deformities- cleft palette, cleft lip, as well as burn victims, each waiting for a turn to seek help from a medical professional. Such surgeries normally cost thousands of dollars, and they are usually beyond the reach of most poor families.

It is very difficult for children with defects in Vietnam. Many Vietnamese people believe that the parents or grandparents are to blame for the deformities. It is viewed as a punishment for something they did wrong in their lives. Many local villagers believe Agent Orange, used in the Vietnam War, is also a cause of such an abnormality and the afflicted child is referred to as an Agent Orange baby. Agent Orange was designed to defoliate the jungle and thus deny cover to Vietcong guerrillas. It contained one of the most virulent poisons known to man, a strain of dioxin called TCCD. In time, the dioxin then spread its toxic reach to the food chain, which some say, led to a proliferation of birth deformities.

Our team not only performed the necessary surgeries, but with the help of translators, we were able to train the existing staff how to perform several of these procedures. Specifically, I trained some of the Vietnamese surgeon’s new techniques for skin grafting burn victims. We operated on one teenager that had 70 percent of his body burned.

Although many surgeries were performed each day, unfortunately, we had to turn away several people that required multiple surgeries that could not be performed without the use of more advanced equipment.

Not only did we have a rewarding week providing treatment for these needy children, I believe we have made great strides in establishing a system in Vietnam for these patients that will serve as a model of care. Traveling to a place like Hue is definitely a reminder of the superior health care, to which we have access, in the United States.

Visit htcnj.org for more information about Healing the Children New Jersey.

Dr Sanjay Lalla operating in Hue Central Hospital, Vietnam.

Dr Sanjay Lalla with 2-year-old boy. Little boy had a cleft lip and palate and was unable to take in proper nutrition do to deformity. Dr Lalla fixed the deformity with a two hour surgery enabling the boy to eat and drink properly and to fix the lip deformity.

5-year-old girl born with an extra thumb on each hand. X-ray of thumbs. Dr Lalla removed extra thumbs on each hand. This little girl was scared to go to school because the other children made fun of her and didn’t want to play with her. The surgery was a success and she was very happy.

 Lipotherme, or Laser Lipo, is a revolutionary and minimally invasive procedure for the removal of fat using the high-powered Lipotherme™ laser to sculpt your body. In addition to removing unwanted fat, the laser’s thermal effect actually causes the skin to tighten, resulting in firmer, smoother skin in the treated area.  Although Lipotherme cannot completely replace traditional liposuction, it is a promising alternative for many clients looking to remove relatively small pockets of fat. Lipotherme requires only a local anesthetic and involves virtually no downtime for recovery.

Yes you read correctly, no downtime!  Most patients resume normal activities the day after their procedure, however, it is recommended you wait several days before resuming strenuous activity such as exercising.  So how does this procedure work?  Though it sounds like magic, it is science.

 To perform this procedure, I first administer a mild numbing agent to the targeted zone. Then a small metal tube called a cannula is inserted under the skin and a tiny laser beam is fired as I move the cannula back and forth. As the laser warms the fat cells, it creates a thermal effect. Fat cells, which are highly receptive to thermal energy, are liquefied. Next I will aspirate (suction) the liquefied fat cells away.  And voila, you are finished!  Click here  if you would like to see before and after pictures.

This non-invasive procedure can be used to target a large number of areas:

• Abdomen                              • Knees                                   

• Arms (back of arms)               • Ankles                                  

• Waist (love handles)               • Back (bra line)

• Thighs (inner and outer)       • Hips (saddle bags)

• Face (chin and cheeks)

If you would like more information or pictures of Lipotherme please refer to the Lipotherme page on our website.  Please contact us today to schedule a consultation or to ask any additional questions you may have.

 I always hear Gina talking to not only our clients but to our friends and family about some amazing moisturizer or under eye cream or wrinkle defense.  She avidly tests the products we use and monitors them for quite some time before recommending them outright.  And lately, I have heard her extolling the benefits of the SkinMedica Vitalize Peel^®.

If you enjoyed getting a suntan in the days when there were no warnings about UVAs or you used to have scar causing acne or any other type of skin discoloration, there is hope.  There are countless chemical peels on the market, but in the last year or so, we have had GREAT success with the SkinMedica Vitalize Peel^®

The SkinMedica Vitalize Peel^® is a light, non-surgical, chemical peel that gently scrubs away the outer layers of the skin to reveal lighter, smoother, brighter and younger looking skin underneath.  It is a combination of both alpha and hydroxy acids, resorcinol and retinoic acid which are basically heavy weight exfoliators.  The benefits of the peel are:

-         Improved skin texture

-         Reduction of fine lines

-         Lightened dark spots

-         Youthful glow

There is improvement with the first treatment but the best results will be after 3 to 6 treatments.  The peel is administered as a series of treatments given three weeks apart depending on your particular skin.  The results last three to four months, and periodic treatments may be necessary to maintain the results.  Usually, after the initial series, two or three times a year is good enough to keep your friends wondering how you look so young.

What To Expect:

The treatment takes about 30 minutes during which you may experience some tingling and a slight burning sensation (not to worry, we provide small fans to help).  Approximately 48 hours after the treatment, your skin will start to peel (hence the name) and will continue to do so for three to five days.  Once the layers of skin have been sloughed off, get ready to glow.  I recommend having a great night out planned so you can show off.  Trust me, people will notice that you look amazing but not quite be able to place their finger on why.  That will be our secret.

If you need more proof, click below to see what the Cosmetic Surgery Times has to say about SkinMedica Vitalize Peel^®:

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 As always please feel free to call our office for a more thorough consultation.

For men and women who want to enhance their butt one of these two procedures can work wonders by increasing the contours of the buttocks and creating a more round, full shape.  Both procedures will also give the appearance of a lift in the buttock region.  There are big differences between butt implants and Brazilian Butt Lift so let’s discuss each in a bit of detail.

Butt Implants

Butt implants, like breast and calf implants, are used to improve the shape and increase the size of the area.  They are made of silicone and feel like a well-toned muscle.  Like other implants, they come in several sizes and are round or oval.  Once implanted, your butt will feel natural and firm.

During surgery the implant is inserted under the gluteus muscle and away from the bony, sits bones through an incision that is made down the buttock crease.   The result is a more contoured, fuller and perkier butt.  Take a look at these before and after pictures to get a better idea of what butt implants can do for you:

Butt Implant - Before

Butt Implant - After

Brazilian Butt Lift

The Brazilian Butt Lift has been increasing in popularity lately.  During this procedure fat is harvested from another part of the body and then inserted into the buttocks to enhance them.  You can see the appeal of using something that your body already creates as opposed to something foreign.  It is worth noting that precisely because fat is part of the body, some of the re-inserted fat tissue will be reabsorbed by your body.  So up to three months after the procedure, there is the chance that the size of your butt will change.  Some people worry that this will create a lumpy end result, but it is absolutely not true.

This procedure has the added bonus of getting liposuction to a problem area in order to harvest the fat for the buttocks.  It really is a win-win!

So if you have always thought about changing or improving your derriere, you now have a few options.   And as always, feel free to contact us for more information regarding these or any other procedures.

There has been a debate raging in plastic surgery circles about this now all too common issue. So I think it is not only important but my ethical duty, to take some time to explain the difference between cosmetic surgeons and plastic surgeons so you can make more informed decisions.

Plastic surgery includes both cosmetic surgery as well as reconstructive surgery. A plastic surgeon is specially trained to not only be able to do a face-lift but also to be able to fix a deformity such as a cleft palette. The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) will certify a plastic surgeon only after he/she has completed a valid training AND passed rigorous oral and written exams. The ABPS is only one of 24 recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS).

So is cosmetic surgery recognized as a medical specialty? No it is not. Cosmetic surgery is really a subspecialty of plastic surgery, and one which should be practiced by plastic surgeons. It focuses on procedures that take a normal body structure and improve it to make it look better and improve the person’s self-esteem. In most cases, and there are exceptions, cosmetic surgery is performed because the patient wants to appear more attractive. Breast implants, facelifts, tummy tucks, and hair replacement treatments are all common examples of cosmetic surgery procedure because the surgeon is enhancing the already normal body structure.

However, and this is where it’s time to pay attention, “cosmetic surgeon” is a generalized term that could be used by a certified plastic surgeon OR by a dermatologist, OB/GYN, primary care physician, and a host of others who decide to offer these procedures without necessarily having the proper training. In addition, often times these other doctors do not have hospital privileges to perform cosmetic procedures and also do not have malpractice insurance covering cosmetic procedures because they fall out of the scope of their training.

If anyone with an M.D. is allowed to call themselves a cosmetic or aesthetic surgeon, you have to be more diligent when choosing a surgeon. My advice? Choose a doctor who has experience and training specifically in your type of procedure. I had to perform countless tummy tucks, face lifts, and breast augmentations to ensure that I would have the skills to perform them correctly and without complications. o It still baffles me why anyone would want to go to an OB/GYN to get a breast augmentation. Better yet, it is even more puzzling why a doctor who isn’t trained in cosmetic procedures would offer them. Because do you know how many times they had to perform cosmetic procedures during training? That’s right – zero! So in order to be safe and guarantee a successful procedure, remember to ask detailed questions, research the doctor’s background and don’t be afraid to ask for references from patients.

To verify a physician’s board status, contact the American Board of Plastic Surgery at (215) 587-9322. You may also contact the American Board of Medical Specialties at 1(800) 776-2378 or www.abms.com .

Getting a license to diagnose and treat patients is required for all doctors.  However, licensure is not specific to a particular specialty such as Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.  When a doctor is Board Certified by the American Society of Plastic Surgery it indicates that he/she has had more than six years of surgical training with a minimum of three years in plastic surgery. More importantly, in order to keep that certification current a doctor makes a commitment to lifelong learning to keep current with new advances in the field through periodic classes as well as rigorous and challenging oral and written exams that are administered every ten years.

You can read more about it here:

 http://www.abms.org/Who_We_Help/Consumers/importance.aspx

 http://www.plasticsurgery.org/

 So, “Why Board Certified?”  Well simply put, you wouldn’t take your one of a kind Rolls Royce to be fixed by a guy who is only trained to work on Volvos.  So why would you put your one of a kind face and body in the hands of someone who is not specifically trained for just that?

Hi!  I am Dr. Sanjay Lalla, and I would like to welcome you to my blog where I will regularly keep you updated on specials, up to the minute advances in the field of plastic surgery as well as general interest news and stories about procedures you have had or are considering.  In my ten plus year of experience I have heard myriad misconceptions and myths about plastic surgery procedures.  So I will also use this forum to educate you about these and hopefully help you to make better informed decisions.

 I am a board certified Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon.  In addition to my practice, I am also the Chief of Plastic Surgery at Jersey City Medical Center.  You can read more about my background in the About Us section of this website.  The net-net of it is that I am not only qualified to answer any questions or concerns you may have about a procedure but I am also more than happy to do so.  After all, a large part of my job is to help you make the right decision AND to make you feel comfortable with your choice.

 My staff here at Personal Plastic Surgery is well trained and will do what it takes to ensure you have a seamless and wonderful experience.  I am so proud of the whole team and feel it is because of them that I am able to offer you the impeccable service you deserve.

 If there is a topic or question you would like me to address in this blog, please feel free to email me.

I believe that patient education and open communication with your doctor are the keys to achieving healthy, aesthetically-pleasing results and patient satisfaction, which is why I strive to provide the highest quality of cosmetic care for patients of all ages.  This is done by combining technical skill and broad experience with cutting-edge technology for impeccable medical and cosmetic results.

I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to visit my new blog.  Please check back often to learn about the latest news, updates and additions to the practice and within the field of cosmetic surgery, and feel free to post comments and/or suggestions on any posts that you find of interest.