Blogs & Articles

If you have flat feet, it means that the area of your foot that typically contains an arch is flattened, causing the sole of your foot to touch the floor while walking. Although many people with flat feet do not experience any pain, some individuals find that the condition causes pain in the arch and heel and that it is difficult to complete certain movement, such as tiptoeing. If you suffer from flat feet, you might also notice that your feet get tired easily. Over time, flat feet can cause problems in your ankles and knees and change the alignment in your legs.

What causes flat feet?
Children naturally have flat feet until later in life, when the arches develop naturally. If your arches never developed during late childhood, then your feet are naturally flat. You can have arches in your feet that become flat as a result of age or following an injury that affects your tendons. You are at increased risk for the condition if you have rheumatoid arthritis, are pregnant, or are obese.

How do I know if my feet are flat?
If you are unsure whether or not your feet are flat, try the wet foot test. After a shower or dip in the pool, walk barefoot across a solid surface and then take a look at your prints. If you can see the outline and print of your entire foot with no gap or variation, you might have flat feet. Your orthopedic surgeon can examine your feet and check the wear patterns on your shoes for a better idea. In some cases, your doctor might recommend an X-ray or another imaging test to confirm that your arches are underdeveloped or nonexistent.

Will surgery help?
Surgery is not always necessary for flat feet. Your doctor might only want to perform the procedure if you are in severe pain or if the condition affects your quality of life. Often, a surgery is only necessary if you have a tendon that is in need of repair, in which case fixing the tendon can bring more support to your foot and relieve your pain considerably. Additionally, your doctor might recommend the use of special shoes or arch supports to keep you comfortable and to relieve your pain instead.

A breast lift, also called a mastopexy, is the process of raising and firming your breasts by removing excess skin and tightening the tissue around the breasts. Breast lifts are especially helpful for individuals who have lost their breast shape or experience their nipples pointing downward as a result of pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight loss, heredity, or aging.

Your surgeon will examine your breasts and help you to determine if a breast lift is right for your situation. He or she will look at your breast shape and the degree of sagging that you are experiencing. The incision technique that will work best for you will also be determined. Some incisions are vertical and start below the areola, while some are horizontal and go under your breast. The incision lines are typically covered by your natural breast shape. Some might remain visible after the procedure, but will fade over time.

After the incision is made and your breast tissue is lifted and tightened, your surgeon will reposition your areola and nipple to make your breasts look natural. Your doctor will discuss pain and pain management with you, and it may take some time for the sensation in your breasts to return to normal, but you will likely be able to resume normal physical activities after just a few weeks.

You will see results from your breast lift immediately. Since weight changes and pregnancy can affect the results, it is best to get the lift done once your breasts are finished developing and when no major changes are anticipated. However, you can always have the lift adjusted later if necessary, and breastfeeding is still possible following a breast lift since your milk ducts are not bothered. Your doctor will help you decide if now is the right time in your life to get a breast lift done, or if you should wait until a later time.

Keep in mind that a breast lift does not change the size of your breasts. However, if you want to change your breasts’ size, talk to your surgeon about combining the procedure with a breast augmentation for fuller, bigger breasts, or with a breast reduction to reduce breast size.

Losing weight, especially large amounts, can be a tiresome and emotionally difficult process. It can be tempting to skip the hard work and utilize a plastic surgery option in order to achieve weight loss, and some individuals migrate toward the use of liposuction. However, unlike other cosmetic surgery procedures, like Lap-Band surgery, liposuction is not recommended for overall weight loss.

How Does Liposuction Work?
Liposuction removes fat cells by suctioning fat through small tubes placed into tiny cuts made in a patient’s skin and is often combined with a tummy tuck or other cosmetic procedures, like a breast lift. An anesthetic is used and the procedure can be done in an outpatient center, like our Orange County facility, allowing the patient to recover comfortably at home. In order to reduce swelling and bruising, the area that received liposuction treatment is wrapped with a compression garment. Most patients are able to resume normal activities within a few days to a few weeks, although each situation depends on the individual. It can take several months to see the full results of a liposuction procedure. Liposuction does not help with cellulite, and the results of liposuction are only long term if you remain at a healthy weight. If you start to gain weight, new fat cells can develop elsewhere on your body.

Why Won’t I Lose Weight?
Liposuction is a relatively straightforward procedure with a quick recovery time, and could appear to be an attractive “fast result” option for someone looking to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time. However, you will typically only lose about six to eight pounds of fat as a result of the procedure, and removing too much fat in one procedure would actually result in less than attractive results in the form of loose, saggy skin. Rather than losing weight, liposuction is actually best for improving the look of stubborn problem areas, like the abdomen, buttocks, thighs, and upper arms. If you are close to a healthy weight and just need help improving the look of some areas, liposuction may be a good choice for you.

If you are looking for a noticeable amount of overall weight loss, focus on a diet and exercise regimen. If you still have trouble losing weight, you might be a candidate for weight loss surgery, such as the Lap-Band.

It’s not uncommon to have reservations when it comes to undergoing cosmetic surgery procedures. If you search enough, you’ll find unfavorable plastic surgery stories that are enough to leave you wondering if the practice is a safe option. However, it’s important to understand the circumstances behind plastic surgery gone wrong and learn to recognize safe, experienced options while avoiding unqualified surgeons who are simply trying to take advantage of your trust.

At our Orange County plastic surgery center, we feature board-certified surgeons who possess the training, backgrounds, and certifications necessary to provide a safe, effective, and positive cosmetic surgery experience. These traits will ensure that you are putting your body in the hands of a qualified individual, rather than an inexperienced surgeon.

In addition to the best plastic surgeons in Orange County, we also perform all of our procedures in our fully equipped, state-of-the-art outpatient center. In this setting, we are able to provide personalized care and also have trained and certified anesthesiologists working with the surgical team in order to provide a safe and comfortable surgery.

Of course, not every plastic surgery procedure is safe for every individual. One of our Orange County surgeons will meet with you for an initial consultation, where you will discuss surgery expectations and determine the best course of action according to your needs and your current health situation. If you are considered a candidate for cosmetic surgery, the doctor will help you understand any potential risks. For some procedures, certain medications or connective tissue disorders might make plastic surgery unsafe. Lifestyle complications, like obesity and smoking, can also cause a hindrance. If this is the case, your doctor will work with you to determine safe options and next steps.

Finally, our Orange County surgery center maintains a follow-up process that keeps track of your progress and side effects. Following your surgery, you will have no problem reaching one of our surgeons with any questions or concerns about complications.

While plastic surgery might not be safe for every individual, the right surgeons, environment, and surgical team contribute to a high quality of care that ensures you enter into any cosmetic surgery procedure armed with knowledge, preparation, and a solid idea of whether or not you are safe to move forward. At our Orange County plastic surgery center, we are happy to answer any questions you have regarding the safety of any of our offered procedures, like Lap-Band surgery, facelift, tummy tuck, and more.

Located in Orange County, the Crown Valley Surgical Center offers weight loss surgery in the form of the Lap-Band procedure. There are steps you can take at home prior to your Lap-Band surgery in order to ensure that you are successful, comfortable, and able to recover quickly. Of course, be sure to talk to your Lap-Band surgeon at Orange County’s surgery center for instructions specific to your condition, especially those regarding low-calorie or liquid diets in the days before the procedure.

Get organized by keeping all of your surgeon’s instructions and reading materials visible and within reach. Additionally, set up your home so that the things you’ll need following your surgery are within reach. You’ll want to make everyday tasks as easy as possible, especially if your home has multiple levels.

Stock up on things you’ll need to have handy after your surgery, like broths, protein drinks, or sugar-free popsicles. You might also want to have over-the-counter pain medication and bandages for your incision nearby. Start looking for recipes that will fit into your new diet and lifestyle prior to the surgery so you’re not overwhelmed by the change afterward. Look for recipes that have lean cuts of protein, fresh fruits and vegetables, and low-fat dairy products.

While deciding who to tell about your Lap-Band procedure is a personal decision, you might want to have someone available to come and check on you after your surgery or to help you with tasks like bathing and light cleaning or laundry. If you have friends or family members who have been through the procedure, lean on them for support.

Prepare yourself mentally for the lifestyle change you are about to experience, because you will be working hard in the coming months. Consider starting a journal now, before your surgery, so that you can look back and be reminded of how far you’ve come.

There are dozens of traditional and ambulatory surgery centers in Orange County peppered throughout the area. Many offer modern facilities and seasoned medical teams to insure successful patient surgery. How do the staff and the center provide patient care after surgery has taken place? It all starts with a visit to your local physician. Say that you feel a distinct recurring pain in your elbow. You primary care physician checks it out and determines that you’ve developed a bone spur, which needs to be removed. She then refers you to an ambulatory surgery center close by, like the Crown Valley Outpatient Surgical Center. A staff doctor or surgeon there examines the elbow more carefully, runs an MRI and precisely pinpoints what bone matter has to go. The CVOSC team then schedules an appointment for surgery and off you go. Surgery day comes around and within a few pleasant aestheticized hours, your spur is removed and you are on the road to recovery. But, what happens in the next few minutes, hours, days and weeks ahead?

Post-operative care begins right away at CVOSC and other surgery centers in Orange County. As a patient, you will be educated in advance of the course of action that takes place, which includes additional doctor visits, day-of-surgery preparation, surgery procedure, immediate facility post-op care and at-home post operative care.

Generally, after your surgical procedure, depending on the anesthesia that was administered, it may take anywhere from one to four hours before you leave the center. You may stay in the surgery area on our gurney for the immediate moments after the surgery. A registered nurse will ask how you are doing, if there is any pain, if you need water, etc., and will help facilitate your immediate needs. Soon after, you will be moved to a recovery room, where you will continue to be watched by key medical staff, as well as receive a visit from your surgeon, who may review the surgery and ask you questions, if you aren’t too groggy. Then, as you gain further consciousness, your friend or family member and a nurse or medical staff member will assist you to your vehicle. Your friend will drive you home, where you will further recover.

Pain management is important. Your doctor will prescribe specific medications, which should take. At home, be sure to check out surgery wounds, if possible, to make sure that they are not bleeding or separating. It is also important to eat regularly and take lots of fluids to eliminate both residual anesthesia and to maintain bowel regularity. Easy exercise, like walks and stretching, are also recommend for most patients, as well as deep breathing to help increase overall circulation to speed recovery. Chief amongst post-op things to do includes sleep. Sleep is vital for recovery and helps accelerate healing. Of course, it is important to cease the use of alcohol and cigarettes during this period. At home, you’ll have telephone access to medical staff for any questions or concerns.

To round out the success of your surgery, you will likely visit your surgeon and doctor at the center a few times after your at-home post-op recovery to see how things are going. Soon after, you can return to the speed of life!

Crown Valley Outpatient Surgical Center, the premier ambulatory surgery center in Orange County, announces the recent assembly of specialty top doctors, surgeons and support staff to create a new medical team at the facility.

Mission Viejo, CA – February 26, 2013 – Crown Valley Outpatient Surgical Center, a preeminent surgery center in Orange County, is announcing the assembly of a brand new team of top surgeons, doctors, anesthesiologists and other crucial medical staff to lead the many ambulatory procedures performed at their facility, which range from orthopedic surgery to weight loss surgery.

The Crown Valley Outpatient Surgical Centers proud to enlist a seasoned and professionally active medical staff, which includes Dr. Jeffery David Gross, M.D.; Dr. Christopher Nolan, M.D.; Dr. David Liu, M.D., F.A.C.S.; F.A.C.S.; Dr. Anatol Podolsky, M.D.; and Dr. Andres Betts, M.D.

Senior staff member, Dr. Christopher Nolan, M.D., diplomat of the A.S.P.R.S. specializes in both cosmetic surgery and reconstructive plastic surgery. Dr. Nolan is available for those seeking procedures ranging from a facelift in Orange County to a tummy tuck in Orange County or simply need one of the best plastic surgeons in Orange County for other procedures.

Dr. David Liu, M.D., F.A.C.S. specializes in gastric bypass weight loss surgery in Orange County, as well as other bariatric and gastrointestinal surgical procedures.

CVOSC is also proud to announce one of the great orthopedic surgeons in Orange County, Dr. Anatol Podolsky, M.D., chief amongst their staff. Graduate of the famed Mayo Clinic, Dr. Podolsky also focuses on traumatic sports injuries and related sports medicine.

Also, chief spinal and neurological surgeon on the team is Dr. Jeffery David Gross, M.D.

Finally, Dr. Andres Betts, M.D. acts as chief pain management doctor and management of anesthesiology at the center.

TheCrown Valley Outpatient Surgical Center provides patients with the very latest in outpatient surgical medical support in the Orange County area. Our highly seasoned and licensed surgical staff has been in practice collectively for over one hundred years, providing successful surgical outcomes for thousands of happy and healthy surgical care patients in Southern California. Based in Orange County, the CVOSC services patients throughout greater Southern California.

The CVOSC medical team is available for both mainstream national and regional online, print, radio and television interviews. Images and information about CVOSC are available on: www.crownvalleysurgicalcenter.com.

Contact:

Crown Valley Outpatient Surgical Center
26921 Crown Valley Pkwy., Ste. 110
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
(949) 529-2722
E-mail: dr.jeffsjad@gmail.com

The Crown Valley Outpatient Surgical Center, one of the top surgery centers in Orange County is in operation to perform successful procedures and ultimately make their patients happy. In order to do this, the CVOSC provides all of their patient care at what is known as an ambulatory surgical center. These unique and advanced centers provide many benefits like those of hospitals, as well as several other benefits that traditional settings cannot offer patients and surgical teams.

Only two decades ago, as few as twenty percent of surgical patients utilized the growing numbers of outpatient surgical centers in the U.S. Today, more than sixty-five percent of all surgery patients use these highly specialized centers. Why? One of the first reasons is, of course, quality of the procedure and care. A vast majority of outpatient surgery centers specialize in certain procedures that do not necessarily require lengthy surgery times or overnight hospital stays. Let’s take CVOSC, for example. As an Orange County plastic surgery center, it may perform a straightforward Rhinoplasty procedure in the course of 3 hours, including pre- and postoperative care. The patient of such a procedure needs only to return to home and heal, then return to the surgeon at scheduled intervals to evaluate his or her progress. CVOSC or other outpatient centers typically focus on a small number and variety of procedures that enable patients to go home after surgery. These surgeons also perform the same surgeries over and over, which enables them master these procedures. Also, outpatient surgery centers have fewer patients and have a high success rate.

Scheduling is an important benefit of outpatient surgical centers too. Importantly, unlike hospitals, outpatient surgery centers do not have to reschedule surgery appointments because of emergency surgical cases that regularly occur.

The other good reason is cost. On average, the cost of a surgical procedure at an outpatient facility can be up to less than half those performed at a traditional hospital. The facility is geared towards a finite type of surgeries, which help keep costs down. While many procedures that take place are covered by Medicare and private health insurance companies, many other are elective. These elective surgeries that are not covered by insurance will ultimately cost less at an ASC.

The medical staffs at ASCs are usually more accessible and regularly offer pre- and postoperative care to patients.

Outpatient surgery centers are typically located in convenient places that are easily accessible. This is important families who will mobilize patients after surgery is complete. Location is always important.

Ultimately, outpatient surgical centers provide many benefits for surgery patients. To find out more about how CVOSC can fulfill your medical procure needs, feel free to call us directly.