Questions About Cosmetic Surgery and Aesthetic Procedures? Nashville Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Stephen Davis, Has Answers

Cosmetic, aesthetic, reconstructive, anyway you say it, it all falls under the Plastic Surgery umbrella, according to Dr. Stephen M. Davis of Green Hills Plastic Surgery (GHPS). If you’re considering a plastic surgery procedure in Middle Tennessee and have questions, you’ve come to the right place by visiting our website!

In our Q&A with Dr. Davis, he answers some of the most frequently asked questions from his new patients and clears up some common misconceptions about plastic surgery and common procedures.

First, here’s a little background on Dr. Davis, who specializes in cosmetic surgery and aesthetic procedures, including breast enhancement, body contouring, facial surgery, and non-surgical cosmetic treatments.

What made you want to become a plastic surgeon when you were young?

My dad! My father was a neuropathologist. When I was growing up, I used to watch him do autopsies at Yale in New Haven. I also spent a lot of time around hospitals in Connecticut. That was my orientation, and I began to follow in his footsteps.

As an undergrad, I would spend my weekends and holidays working as an orderly in operating rooms. I shaved and prepped patients for surgery. From an orderly, I advanced to scrub tech, then I learned how to clean and process instruments. Whenever I had free time, I would go into the ORs and watch different surgeries; my favorite two were neurosurgery and plastic surgery.

This exposure gave me a huge advantage. It was a natural transition when I trained in General Surgery at Michigan State University and then did my training in Plastic Surgery, Microsurgery, and Cranial Facial at McGill University, an internationally famous university, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Upon completing this training, I found myself performing reconstructive procedures in the military, where I served as the Deputy Commander for Clinical Services in the 18th MASH. I also served as the Chief of Plastic Surgery, Madigan Army Medical Center, Fort Lewis, Washington.

You mentioned “reconstructive” procedures. How important is reconstruction when it comes to plastic surgery?

It’s extremely important! The term “plastic” comes from the ancient Greek word “plastikos,” meaning to “mold or give form.” Plastic surgery, by its definition, involves reconstruction” to shape” and “to mold” in order to improve or reconstruct a person’s appearance. It’s a surgical specialty based on the reconstruction of facial and body tissue defects.

Did you know plastic surgery started in World War I? People were coming home with serious injuries and needed reconstruction. A group of surgeons (Gillies, McIndoe, Littler, and others) got together to figure out how to reconstruct these deformities, and plastic surgery was born. Many soldiers volunteered to be worked on so others could be helped; they called themselves the “guinea pigs.”

Which procedures are the most popular right now?

That’s an interesting question, because I would say the majority of new plastic surgery patients are now focused on subtle enhancements to improve their overall appearance. Breast augmentation is still popular, but many of my patients are not opting to go too large; they simply want to be more proportional. The same goes for belly procedures like liposuction or tummy tucks; they’re looking to improve their overall shape in clothes and swimwear.

Right now, there’s a really high demand for post-weight-loss procedures, mommy makeovers, which might include tummy tucks, breast surgery, and targeted liposuction, as well as facial and neck procedures. This is because everything “falls” after you lose a significant amount of weight. The face, neck, belly, and breasts — everything drops!

The consequence of all that weight loss is that it damages the elastic fibers and the quality/strength of the skin. For example, when the belly is ballooned out during pregnancy, the skin is being pulled and stretched. Sometimes the skin goes back to the way it was before the weight gain. But often the skin stays stretched, doesn’t shrink well, and “falls.”

There’s a common misconception that this issue is only skin deep, but there are muscles and tissue under the skin that impact how your skin looks. Think of your post-weight-loss skin like making a bed. If I pull up the top comforter to make the bed and I don’t move the sheets and blankets underneath, then the bed isn’t contoured. You will see the bunched-up sheets or blanket through the comforter (skin). It will not lie or be shaped the way you want it. Abdominoplasty, also known as a “tummy tuck,” can help with that! I always think in layers (skin, fat, fascia, muscles, and bone) and then operate to adjust each layer as best as possible to give a greatly improved contour and shape.

What are some common misconceptions around plastic surgery procedures like liposuction and breast augmentation?

With liposuction, I think there’s a lack of clarity around how the procedure actually works to remove fat from the body. Here’s a visual that can help: If you had a block of jello, and you took a pencil and started punching tunnels in that jello, you could thin the jello, pulling the cores of fat out. This leaves a Swiss cheese change in the fat. Since volume has been removed as cores of fat, now the jello collapses the tunnels, and they become slits. This is a simplified explanation, but that’s basically how you decrease the volume of fat.

The next issue is, will the skin shrink, tighten, and adjust to the new changes made below? There’s a misconception that if you get liposuction, your belly will just become smaller and you’ll be completely happy with the results. We store fat in two places: 1) under the skin and 2) visceral fat around the intestines. Visceral fat, we cannot touch; that is diet and exercise.

For breast augmentation, there’s now a nationwide trend toward smaller implants. There’s also a higher risk of complications associated with breast implants that are too large.

With breast augmentation, it’s really all about weight, and it’s all about gravity. If you go above 350 cc (1 cc is one gram of weight), which is about three-quarters of a pound. Then have a higher chance of implant problems, such as shifting or moving, especially downward and to the side after the procedure.

This is why I use an external sizing system with my breast augmentation patients. I put them in bras in the office, with two mirrors, one at the front and one on the side. Now they can try out different sizes of implants and see how their entire body looks with the implants in place.

Patients should be able to make their own choices about their bodies, which is why I try to educate them during my consultations. The more my patients know, the better. Period.

What can new patients expect during a consultation with you at Green Hills Plastic Surgery?

Well, what I will NOT do is just spend five minutes with you and then just tell you, “No problem, I can do that!” Instead, I will spend a minimum of 45 minutes to one hour with you at your initial consultation, so you have enough information to make educated choices about your body. I’ll also provide you with detailed information that you can take home with you to review. If you want to meet with me again to ask more questions, it’s no problem, and I won’t charge you for a follow-up consultation.

When you arrive at your scheduled appointment, you won’t find a crowded waiting room full of people. You’ll be the only one there because it is all about you. I’ll make drawings and will show you photos for each procedure that we are discussing. If you’re interested in breast augmentation, I’ll bring implants for you to look at and to touch and feel. I’ll have a full-length mirror, so we can go through the nuances of your body. Then you’ll be able to set realistic goals and expectations for your plastic surgery procedure.

I’m also happy to provide you with all my board credentials. It’s important to know that when someone says they are “board certified,” you should ask, “Certified for WHAT and by WHOM?”

For cosmetic or reconstructive procedures, look specifically for certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), the plastic-surgery board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). You can verify this by using the ABMS’s certification verification tool.

Want to Learn More? Schedule a Consultation With Dr. Davis in Nashville

Ready to meet Dr. Stephen M. Davis in person and get your questions answered about plastic surgery? Dr. Davis wants to provide you with as much information as possible, so you can make informed choices about the right procedures for your body.

If you are considering breast augmentation, a facelift, liposuction, body contouring, or other procedure, contact us to schedule a consultation for straight answers tailored to you and your goals. Call us at 615-327-7407 or visit us online to schedule your consultation.

Or visit our YouTube channel to hear testimonials from some of our patients!

This article and all blogs on our website are educational and not medical or legal advice. An in-person consultation is the best way to determine which treatment, device, or timing is right for you.