Revolutionary Surgery Technique

Reducing fat around one’s midriff and thighs has become a defining quest of the modern age. It has brought us Zone Diet delivery, the ThighMaster and liposuction, which involves surgically vacuuming fat out of your body.

Dr. Lawrence Bass, a plastic surgeon, left, stands by as he waits to remove the Zeltiq applicator from a woman’s back at the end of her non-invasive fat reduction treatment.
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Now a pair of machines that promises to tackle love handles without surgery can be added to this parade of wonders. The Zeltiq device is affixed to the offending jiggle and then cools a patch of midsection during an hour long session at the doctor’s office. Zerona — a four-armed laser — zaps your belly, flanks and hips with red beams during six 40-minute treatments.

Doctors and patients alike are excited by the prospect of having new technologies that can attack fat without surgery. It is too early, however, for consumers to know how effectively either device works. That hasn’t stopped men and women unhappy with back fat and muffin tops from paying thousands for treatment in recent months.

“It’s so freaky, this can’t work,” Kate Killgore, 37, of Los Angeles, recalled thinking about the Zerona laser. But after 12 treatments in a month last summer, costing $3,400, she lost 11 inches from her waist, thighs and hips. She has maintained her new figure since then, she said. " ~ Source: NYTimes.com

If you are in need of a breast augmentation, contact Matthews Plastic Surgery today!

A Tax on Nips and Tucks Angers Patients, Surgeons

Last week, a 41-year-old woman who had recently had her first child walked into the office of Dr. Steven Teitelbaum in Santa Monica, Calif., for an operation that tens of thousands of women like her have undergone this year: a breast lift.

“I didn’t like the way they looked,” said the woman, Jennifer, who asked that her full name not be used because she wanted to keep her medical procedures private. “And it’s the best money I ever spent.”

But the bill for the kind of operation Jennifer had — and other procedures to combat crow’s feet, beer bellies and sags of other sorts — could also soon be higher under a 5 percent tax included in the health care bill being debated in the Senate.

The tax, which would be paid by the customer but collected by doctors, would be levied on any cosmetic surgery that is not necessary to address deformities arising from congenital abnormalities, personal injuries resulting from an accident or trauma, or disfiguring diseases, a definition taken directly from current tax code covering deductible medical expenses.

The proposal — called the Bo-Tax, in a play on the name of Botox, the popular wrinkle-eliminating treatment — has outraged plastic surgeons, who say they are being singled out because of an outdated perception that people who have cosmetic procedures are well-to-do.
The 7,000-member American Society of Plastic Surgeons said its internal surveys showed that 60 percent of members’ patients earn less than $90,000 a year.

“A lot of people think of this as a tax on rich Republican housewives; rich, nonworking Republican housewives,” said Dr. Phil Haeck, the group’s president-elect. “And that’s not the case.”

Whatever their pay grade, Americans seem to have a growing appetite for nips and tucks. According to the society, there were more than 12 million cosmetic procedures in 2008, up 3 percent from the year before, though the recession was blamed for double-digit declines in liposuction and tummy-tuck procedures. (Belt tightening, it seems, is not good for belt tightening.) ~ Source: NYTimes.com

Patient Information

Please give the receptionist as much information as possible when scheduling. This will enable us to reserve the appropriate amount of time for you. Please do not bring others with personal questions who wish to share your appointment time. If you must cancel your appointment, kindly notify the office at least two business days in advance. All co-pays are due on the day of your appointment.

We are located at:
1450 Matthews Township Parkway, Suite 270
Matthews, NC 28105

Schedule an appointment today with Charlotte's top plastic surgeon!

Plastic Surgery becoming more popular among College Students

"Instead of saving money for things such as gas, food or books, some students are opting to save money for plastic surgery. If a person feels insecure about their appearance then they should be able to correct it in order to boost their confidence.

“In my opinion I believe having plastic surgery is a decision every person makes for themselves for his or her body. Personally, I like the idea of plastic surgery and would maybe do it one day if it helped me look better and feel good about myself,” said student Lucine Manoukyan.

According to Qcc.cuny.edu plastic surgery procedures among college students have risen 35 to 45 percent over the past three years. In 2005 the number of college students receiving cosmetic procedures rose 300 percent. In addition, the most common procedures among college females are breast augmentation; rhinoplasty; liposuction; and among men, otoplasty (surgery of the ear); rhinoplasty; and liposuction.

As the stigma against plastic surgery continues to fade away, along with lowered surgery costs, the number of cosmetic procedures being performed continues to rise. Some doctors are even offering student discounts or buy one, get one free procedures. Many offer financing, which means a patient can have their new breasts now then make monthly payment towards them for the next couple of years."

~ N. Keshishian, Staff Writer, Lavalley Star

For more information on reconstruction surgery, please contact Dr. Bickett today!

Business Hours

Our office hours are:

Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Tuesday 8:30 am - 7:00 pm
Friday 8:30 am - 12:00 pm

You can also email us or contact us by mail with any questions or comments to:

Matthews Plastic Surgery
1450 Matthews Township Parkway
Suite 270
Matthews, NC 28105

Phone: 704 - 845 - 9800
Fax: 704-845-9890
Email: Info@MatthewsPlasticSurgery.com

We look forward to hearing from you!

Skin Care Products

Please call our office to schedule your skin care consultation or facial.
We offer the following products and services:

SKIN MEDICA

FACIALS
* BIOMEDIC MICROPEEL
* SKIN MEDICA VITALIZE PEEL

OBAGI/NU-DERM PRODUCTS
* ROSACLEAR SYSTEM™
* CLENZIDERM-MD™
* ELASTIDERM™
* OBAGI-C RX SYSTEM

Face Lifts, Eye Lid Surgery, and Liposuction procedures are also available.

Plastic Surgery

I cannot stress the importance of knowing that your platic surgeon is in fact trained to be a plastic surgeon. In the Charlotte Observer this past weekend, there was a story stating that for certain plastic surgeries, the training consisted of a weekend.

There is inherent dangers in any kind of surgery, so please make sure that your doctor is educated, certified and has the skills that he needs to get the job done right the first time.