HauteSpot: Dr. Henry Wells, Wells Plastic Surgery
It is almost a new year right? What do most of us want to do each year?….Reinvent ourselves or improve ourselves…enter Dr. Henry Wells. Dr. Wells, of Wells Plastic Surgery, is certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery and the prestigious American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. He is also past president of the Kentucky Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Dr. Wells completed his plastic surgery training at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1984 and was an Assistant Professor of plastic surgery there until returning to Kentucky in 1988 to enter private practice. His training and experience is extensive in all areas of cosmetic and reconstructive procedures. However, he is best known for surgery of the breast – meaning not all breast surgeries are augmentations….I seriously think many people forget women have reductions, reconstruction post mastectomy…etc…not everyone is looking to go bigger.
HMS had the opportunity to ask Dr. Wells a few questions covering different areas of his expertise. The questions asked below also incorporate HMS reader-submitted questions specific to plastic surgery. Read his interview below and click here to find out how you can receive a $100 gift certificate to Wells Plastic Surgery!
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Today more and more people are turning to plastic surgery to fight the aging process and to enhance features. At what age do you typically see people coming to you to fight aging and to enhance? Is there much overlap – do you see just as many younger people today wanting to fight aging as well as enhancing?
We have definitely seen a decrease in the age at which patients enter our practice to control aging and enhance their look. They seem to be more empowered with the knowledge that they have many options available to them to control their appearance. Patients in their twenties and thirties proactively begin to use medical level products and Botox to prevent wrinkles and optimize their skin health. (in fact, in the past two months we have treated three brides in their twenties with Botox that wanted to look their best for their wedding photos.) This age group also seeks to enhance their look with filler to the lips, breast augmentation, rhinoplasty and liposuction. One of the most popular procedures in our practice for this age group is the “Mommy Makeover”- where excess skin and saggin of the breasts and abdomen are both corrected in one surgery. They often state that they feel they have “reclaimed” their bodies and sense of attractiveness once they are finished with their childbearing years.
These younger patients typically have a long term relationship with our practice due to the comprehensive nature of our menu of services. Later they begin to seek out procedures and home care products that are more corrective in nature for intrinsic aging and sun damage.
As with most professions, your field is constantly introducing new advances, techniques, technology – What would you say, within the last 5 to 10 years, is the most exciting advancement in your field today?
Probably the biggest advancement in our sub specialty in the past decade has been the development of nonsurgical products and procedures that revolumize and improve the quality of skin. The combined use of neurotoxins and fillers is often referred to as nonsurgical facial sculpting. The neurotoxins, such as Dysport and Botox, paralyze muscles to not only correct, but prevent wrinkles. Dermal fillers add volume to lips, reduce unwanted folds, correct nasal asymmetries and add contour to areas that have flattened due to skin laxity and loss of fat in the face. Laser therapies, such as Fraxel, have evolved so much that they can now not only erase the hyperpigmentation and redness of sundamage, but they can correct fine lines and acne scars with markedly reduced down time. The great thing about these innnovations is that they not only offer patients many choices and excellent outcomes – but that there is something for everyone’s time frame and budget.
Facial rejuvenation/enhancement includes several procedures – face lifts, nose reshaping, brow lift and many others. Which procedure in, in this area, is the most difficult to perform? And, which procedure do you find the most interesting?
The most difficult facial procedure to master is probably rhinoplasty. It is a three dimensional procedure where even the slightest alteration can have a profound effect on the patient’s appearance. Because of its subtle complexity, it is also one of my favorite procedures. When you remove the splint and see a wonderful result, you have changed someone’s life and reaffirmed your talent as a surgeon. Years ago, this was intimidating, now I love doing it.
Okay let’s talk Breast Augmentation – I receive a lot of questions about this issue. The most recurring question, is clarification and advice on Silicone vs. Saline? What is your advice? How do you feel about each option?
I do have a bias regarding breast implants. Gel implants are more natural feeling and are far less likely to cause rippling than saline implants. They can also be placed on top of the muscle in many patients. This eliminates the dynamic contour change that we see sometimes when the patient contracts the large pectoral muscle. Saline implants have a great track record and many patients feel more comfortable using the implants that have been so successful over the last 17 years. Saline implants will have ripples and should be placed under the muscle to avoid visible rippling. If a saline implant leaks, it deflates and it will be obvious. A leaking silicone gel implant may not change at all. The manufacturers recommend MRI studies to check for leaking gel implants. Years of studies with thousands of women have failed to show any systemic health risks attributable to silicon gel implants. In my practice, the cost for breast augmentation including anesthesia cost, operating room cost, surgeon’s fee and saline implant is just under $5000. Silicone gel implants are $1000 more. In my opinion, the gel implants look better and feel more natural. For many patients, they are well worth the extra cost.
With so many new products hitting the market constantly, How do you decide what you will align with your practice and offer to your patients?
That is an excellent question as there is certainly a lot of snake oil out there right now! The constant stream of new products and procedures being marketed to plastic surgeons, and now directly to patients, has created a lot of confusion. I feel it is my duty as your aesthetic consultant to offer only those things that are based on strong scientific data, are highly effective at least 90% of the time, and pass our in-house clinical trials on myself, staff and volunteers. I have found that the best source of information about safety and efficacy comes not from the manufacturers, but from my professional organizations’ meetings and journals. I just returned from a meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons in Seattle where there was a lot of new data regarding evolving surgical techniqes and Susan, our nurse, keeps us abreast of the nonsurgical skin care world as President-Elect of the National Society of Plastic Surgical Skin Care Specialists.
