Many people believe that going to other countries for plastic surgery means they will receive the same quality of care as they do in the U.S. While there are highly qualified plastic surgeons all over the world, the U.S. has some of the highest safety standards that these practices are not required to adhere to. The facility and the surgeon may lack the equipment, safety guidelines, or emergency care in case something goes wrong. Researching the facility and plastic surgeon you choose to perform your procedure can go a long way insuring your safety. Look for board certifications, accreditation and ask questions.

By choosing a qualified plastic surgeon, you can be sure that you are receiving quality care. Dr. Slenkovich at Colorado Plastic Surgery Center is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology. Our medical facility in the Denver, Colorado area features state-of-the-art equipment and incorporates the highest standards of safety.

In addition to board certification, the right plastic surgeon is going to put your health before anything else. Did Ms. Hershey’s doctors in Brazil look at her safety, or were they more interested in helping a woman achieve a record setting breast size? The right plastic surgeon will consider your medical history, as well as your reasons for undergoing a procedure, to frame realistic expectations. Dr. Slenkovich values open communication during your consultation to discuss expectations and recommendations to guide you in the decision making process.

If you are in the Denver, Colorado area and considering plastic surgery, please contact experienced and board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Nick Slenkovich for an initial consultation.

All of the options for breast implants can be a little confusing and overwhelming. Denver breast surgeon, Dr. Nick Slenkovich will walk you through your breast implant choices in a confidential breast augmentation consultation. He will inform you of all the advantages and disadvantages to each type of breast implant and answer all of your questions.

One of the choices you will have to make about breast implants is what type of surface you would like on your implants. You can choose either a smooth breast implant or a textured breast implant.

Smooth Breast Implant

The smooth breast implant only comes in the round shape and are thought to look more natural after placement due to their softer feel and mobility. This implant is less likely to cause rippling and offers a very natural look.

Textured Breast Implants

Textured breast implants come in either round or contour breast implants. The contour breast implants must be textured to avoid rotating that causes the breasts to look misshapen. The texture of the implant feels like fine sandpaper and can sometimes attach itself to the breast tissue causing the implant to ripple.

Please contact the Colorado Plastic Surgery Center today to schedule a consultation about your breast augmentation surgery. Dr. Slenkovich will be more than happy to discuss your breast implant options with you. He sees patients in and around the Denver, Colorado area.

Fat transfer for breast augmentation uses liposuction to remove fat from one area of your body and place it into the breasts. This procedure is ideal for those who want fuller breasts without implants. Common areas for liposuction for fat transfer include:

• Thighs
• Abdomen
• Back
• Buttocks

If you are interested in a fuller breast but do not want a dramatic change in your appearance, a fat transfer may be a great option for breast enhancement. In order to undergo a fat transfer for breast enhancement, you should:

• Have an ample amount of fat in the desired area
• Have a realistic expectation of the outcome of your procedure
• Desire roughly a half-cup size more fullness in your breasts
• Have an ideal breast shape to begin with

Please learn more about fat transfer for breast enhancement today when you contact experienced breast enhancement Denver cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Slenkovich today at Colorado Plastic Surgery Center, serving Denver, Colorado.

The Ideal Implant is designed to combine the best features of saline and silicone-gel implant: the natural result of silicone gel and the safety of saline. Many women prefer silicone implants because of the natural look and feel they provide, but are hesitant to use them because of the chance of “silent rupture” and the FDA’s MRI recommendation.

The Ideal saline-filled breast implant looks like a standard silicone implant on the outside, since the edges have been lowered to contour better to the chest wall. Inside it contains several additional implant shells that are “nested” together. This design allows for more control of the saline solution and lessens “sloshing.” The internal structure also helps to minimize wrinkling and rippling, which are common complaints of traditional saline implants.

The new implant is still in clinical trials and will require two years of follow-up research in order for the implant to be approved by the FDA. If they do complete FDA-approval Dr. Slenkovich will most likely offer the Ideal Breast Implants at Colorado Plastic Surgery Center for his breast augmentation patients.

Learn more about the difference between saline and silicone implants.

Getting the Look That You Want

Photos can be a great communication tool, helping you convey the changes you picture in your mind without the mix ups that can occur when you merely describe your goals. But you need to choose them carefully and understand what you really like about the images. If you find a picture of someone with the hips and face that you want, breast surgery is not going to give you that look.

On the same token, if you find a picture of the breasts that you want, keep in mind factors such as body type and proportions, age, and skin quality. Every person has a very different anatomy and results will differ patient to patient. Plastic surgery can help you achieve your ideal lookand Dr. Slenkovich is always honest and frank about his expected outcome for your procedure.

Results Take Time

All plastic surgery procedures, big and small, take an extended period of time to heal. Bruising, swelling, pain and asymmetry are all common during the recovery period following your surgery. Knowing what to expect after surgery makes your recovery easier and less stressful. For most procedures, it takes six months to see full results.

If you are considering plastic surgery in Colorado, please contact Colorado Plastic Surgery Center today. During your consultation, you and Dr. Nick Slenkovich will discuss you goals and he will help you understand your options and what you can realistically expect from the procedures you choose.

Board certification in plastic surgery is your guarantee that your cosmetic surgeon has the right training and experience to perform plastic surgery, and has proved through rigorous education and testing that he or she has the knowledge to perform it safely and correctly.

Before a doctor can be eligible to take the exam for board certification, he or she must have the proper training. After medical school doctors must complete on-the-job training, working under the supervision of a licensed physician before they themselves become licensed to practice medicine on their own. This phase of training is called a residency.

In order to take the exam for board certification, plastic surgeons must have completed a residency of three years or more in general surgery plus two to three years of plastic surgery residency.

Once a plastic surgeon becomes board certified, he still has to keep learning and stay up-to-date to keep his certification. Plastic surgeons may choose to complete additional fellowships to learn more about their areas of specialty.

When you are choosing a cosmetic surgeon, board certification should be at the top of your list of requirements. With a little research you can find out if your prospective surgeon is board certified. Those who are will usually advertise the fact, and with which board or boards they are certified. It is up to you to double check make sure it is an honest claim. This is something you should do before you go in for your initial consultation.

Dr. Nick Slenkovich is certified with both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology.

If you are looking for a board certified plastic surgeon in Colorado, please contact board-certified Denver cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Nick Slenkovich at Colorado Plastic Surgery Center today to schedule your consultation.

Correction of asymmetry is a popular motivator for breast augmentation surgery.

Typically, Dr. Slenkovich prefers to correct asymmetry with breast augmentation. One or both breasts can receive breast implants, depending on the degree of asymmetry and the results you want. Depending on the cause of breast asymmetry, it may also be accompanied by sagging, in which case a breast lift may be recommended. Both procedures can be combined into a single surgery.

If you live in Colorado and are considering breast augmentation to correct asymmetry, please contact Dr. Nick Slenkovich at Colorado Plastic Surgery Center today to schedule a thorough consultation.

Your initial consultation with Dr. Slenkovich is the best way to gather information regarding any cosmetic procedure you may be considering. We always encourage patients to see several doctors to determine which the best fit is for them.  Since comfort and confidence in your surgeon are extremely important, we always encourage patients to visit multiple doctors in order to find a surgeon who is a fit for them.

As Dr. Slenkovich’s patient coordinator, I’ve learned what patients can do in order to enhance their consultation experience.

1. Do your research before coming in for your initial appointment.  It helps patients get a feel for the doctor’s beliefs and preferences, such as the types of incisions they use or their board certifications, as well as helps in putting together a detailed list of questions.
2. Create a list of questions or concerns to discuss with Dr. Slenkovich.  Oftentimes a patient will forget all of the questions they had before their appointment. Having certain questions in mind can give the appointment more direction and patients leave with the most information.
3. Try to schedule your consultation on a day where you will be able to devote an hour and a half to be in the office. We want to be sure to give you adequate time to ask all of your questions and get the information you desire.
4. Bring photos that represent what you are looking to accomplish.  This may mean photos of you when you were younger or before you had kids. This helps Dr. Slenkovich understand your goals and will allow the two of you to come up with a plan to give you the best result. For facial rejuvenation patients, Dr. Slenkovich recommends bringing photos of yourself during a time when you felt the most beautiful. This will help to get you the most natural result.
5. Breast augmentation patients will do initial implant sizing at their consultation, so we recommend bringing in bras or swimsuit tops to help better predict your size outcome.
6. Bring a supportive family member, spouse or friend to your appointment if you are comfortable. It can make you feel more at ease, as well as serve as another source for questions, and that person gets a better idea of what to expect during your recovery period.
7. We frequently hear from patients who bring their children to their consultation that they wished that they hadn’t because of the distraction.  Children are always welcome to come to your appointments with you, but it does make it difficult to completely focus, especially during your first visit.
8. If you are considering a procedure that might be covered by your health insurance (i.e. breast reduction or septoplasty) it is helpful to contact your insurance company to see if it will be covered and what the requirements are for medical necessity.  Typically a letter from your primary doctor or physical therapist (in the case of breast reduction), or proof of breathing difficulties, is necessary to help support the need for medical necessity.  Gathering those items before your initial appointment saves time and allows us to submit your claim to your insurance company faster. See this entry for more information on getting your breast reduction surgery covered by insurance.
9. We will mail or e-mail your patient intake forms a week prior to your appointment. Filling those out beforehand saves time once you arrive at the office and makes your wait time much shorter.
10. Consider any possible lab work or tests. Dr. Slenkovich requires an EKG for all patients over the age of 50 and a mammogram for all breast surgery patients over 30.  If you would like to have surgery soon after your consultation, it is a good idea to schedule those beforehand.

Lyndsay, Managing Patient Coordinator

• Research the procedure, including realistic results and possible complications
• Decide what results you would like to achieve and communicate them clearly with your surgeon
• Follow your surgeon’s pre- and post-operative instructions
• Select your surgeon carefully based on board certifications and credentials
• Decide where you feel more comfortable having your surgery. A hospital or a surgery center?

And most importantly, choose a surgeon with whom you feel completely confident. We encourage you to ask hard questions–no question is off-limits to Dr. Nick Slenkovich. Also, schedule consultations with multiple surgeons to make sure the one you select is the right one for you. We’d love to work with you, but it is more important that you find the perfect surgeon to fit your needs and expectations.

We have more detailed information about your role in getting the best breast augmentation results.

Please contact Dr. Nick Slenkovich at Colorado Plastic Surgery Center today for a consultation.

We spoke with Lilly Klancar, a medical oncologist and hematologist at Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, Colorado, about the new guidelines. Klancar has worked extensively with breast cancer patients, many of whom have found their own cancer.

Do you agree with the new guidelines from the U.S. Preventative Task Force?
I completely disagree with them. Mammograms and self-exams are the absolute best way to catch cancer in its early stages and improve survival rates. About 90 percent of breast cancer patients here at Swedish Medical Center have had their breast cancer caught by a mammogram.

I have probably 15 patients right now who have found their own breast cancer through a self-exam. One patient in particular was in her 30s and found her aggressive breast cancer herself. She otherwise would have missed it since she is too young to qualify for a mammogram.

Self-exams are free, easy, without side effects and are ideal for women who are too young to have mammograms covered by their health insurance.

Do you believe that more women will die from breast cancer because of these guidelines?

Yes. Women under 50 may not visit their doctor until they have symptoms, which usually means the cancer has progressed.

Lora Barke, Medical Director of the Invision Sally Jobe Breast Network, a prominent breast and breast-related imaging center in the Denver area, says that despite the new guidelines, women should still receive mammograms starting at age 40.

Dr. Slenkovich will continue to encourage his patients to perform self-exams and Colorado Plastic Surgery Center requires all patients over the age of 30 undergoing and any breast procedure to have a mammogram prior to surgery.

Mammogram image courtesy of the Wall Street Journal.