General Practitioners

• Medical Weight Loss
  Skin in the inner thigh area is comparable to skin on the inner upper arm: it is thinner and less elastic than skin in most other body areas. Because of this, skin laxity and sagging tend to appear in the inner thigh region at a younger age than elsewhere on the body. Smoothing the thigh contour and reducing the fat deposits that form a bulge at the top of the inner thigh is nearly impossible with weight loss and exercise.

Ophthalmologists

• Glaucoma
  A few medical conditions make blepharoplasty more risky, including thyroid problems (such as hypothyroidism and Graves’ disease), dry eyes or lack of sufficient tears, proptosis ("bug eyes"), high blood pressure or other circulatory disorders, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. A detached retina or glaucoma is also reason for caution; if you have these problems, check with an ophthalmologist to see if a blepharoplasty is safe.

Gynecologists

• Pregnancy
• Labor and Delivery
  A breast lift, called mastopexy, is popular among women whose breasts have begun to sag after childbirth and nursing or as a result of aging and gravity. These women do not necessarily want larger breasts; they simply want to regain the more youthful position and contour of their breasts. We offer short-scar mastopexy, which produces two-thirds fewer scars than a traditional mastopexy. A breast lift can be combined with breast augmentation for women who want to get rid of breast sagging and also increase breast volume.

Internists

• Colon Cancer
  Roh H, Green DW, Boswell CB, Pippin JA, Drebin JA. Suppression of beta-catenin inhibits the neoplastic growth of APC-mutant colon cancer cells. Cancer Research 2001; 61(17):6563-68.

Endocrinologist

• Diabetes Care
• Hypothyroidism
• Thyroid

Radiologist

• Ultrasound
  The preceding paragraph briefly describes what is called suction-assisted lipoplasty (SAL), which is the standard type of liposuction used in St. Louis by Dr. Boswell. In certain situations, he also may use ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty (UAL), which has a special cannula that produces ultrasonic energy. This ultrasonic energy explodes the walls of fat cells to liquefy the fat, which is then suctioned out. UAL improves the effectiveness of liposuction in fibrous areas of the body, such as the upper back or the male abdomen, and is also effective for patients undergoing a second liposuction in an area previously treated.
• MRI
• X-Rays
• Mammography
  There is no evidence that breast implants will affect fertility, pregnancy, or the ability to nurse. They do, however, affect mammography because a breast implant makes it more difficult to see the tissue and therefore detect breast cancer. All women with breast implants should have their mammograms done at a facility with technicians who are experienced in the special techniques required to get a reliable x-ray of a breast with an implant.
• Chemotherapy
  Reconstruction has no known effect on the recurrence of breast cancer, nor does it generally interfere with chemotherapy or radiation treatment, should cancer recur.

Surgeons

• General Surgery
  C.B. Boswell, MD, FACS, came to St. Louis in 1995 to complete his residencies in General Surgery and Plastic Surgery at Washington University’s Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Part of this training was with Dr. Leroy Young, who was then a Professor in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. In his final year at Washington University, Dr. Boswell was chosen as Executive Chief Resident in Plastic Surgery. He earned his Board Certification from the American Board of Plastic Surgery in 2003 and recertified in 2013. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). He has been president of St. Louis Area Plastic Surgery Society and president of the Missouri Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons.
• Ear Surgery
  The goal of ear surgery is improvement, not perfection. No one has perfectly symmetrical ears so exact symmetry shouldn’t be expected after surgery. However, the improvement will be significant and quickly apparent.
• Hysterectomy
  The results of a tummy tuck are considered permanent and most patients will only have one tummy tuck during the course of their life. However, all patients will notice some changes after surgery. Almost everyone redevelops a little bit laxity to the abdomen. This is usually fairly minor, but significant weight fluctuations can stretch the skin out again. Patients that still need to lose more than 20 pounds to achieve their desired weight should postpone their surgery until they reach their weight goals. Becoming pregnant after an abdominoplasty can stretch the muscles and skin causing the belly to protrude and undo the results of the abdominoplasty. Most scars that are located below the belly button, such as C-section scars or hysterectomy scars will be removed during an abdominoplasty. If there is tethering of the skin over a C-section scar, this will usually be removed during the abdominoplasty improving the appearance of the abdomen.
• Reconstructive Surgery
  Young VL, Centeno RF, Boswell CB. Is there evidence for excessive free radical production in vivo during ultrasound-assisted liposuction? Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 2003; 111(1):430-31.

Plastic Surgeons

• Botox
  "Necklace lines," which are horizontal creases visible across the neck, are bothersome to some people. These lines can be treated effectively with Botox to relax the platysma muscles that contribute to formation of these creases. Other treatments for hiding necklace lines include tissue fillers, such as fat or Restylane.
• Brow Lift
  Deep resurfacing procedures are often performed at the same time as other facial procedures, including facelift, eyelid lift, or brow lift. Although these are rejuvenating by themselves, they cannot revitalize the quality of the facial skin the way resurfacing does.
• Eyelid Surgery
  Most patients requesting an eyelid lift are 35 or older, but droopy upper eyelids or baggy lower lids sometimes run in families. Patients with hereditary drooping or bags may decide to have eyelid surgery at a younger age.
• Liposuction
  Finding a woman who is happy with her thighs is difficult. Nature and basic female anatomy have given women bulges of fat and tissue on their outer thighs, hips, and buttocks that rarely respond to dieting or even vigorous exercise programs. Liposuction treats these areas very effectively by suctioning out the fat and re-contouring the lower body profile. But for many, liposuction is not enough if there is also an excess of sagging skin and tissue.
• Breast Augmentation
  Some women would like to correct sagging of the breasts and would also like to add more volume to their breasts. These patients will typically get their best results if they have their breasts lifted and augmented. For most patients, they will have a better result if the mastopexy and breast augmentation are performed as two separate procedures, particularly if they have any significant asymmetry between the breasts. If there is a significant amount of loose skin or sagging, the mastopexy is the initial procedure. If there is a minimal amount of loose skin or sagging, then breast augmentation is the initial procedure followed by the mastopexy three to six months later. Dr. Boswell will discuss this with you at the time of your consultation so that you can make an informed decision.
• Breast Reduction
  A mastopexy is a very similar procedure as a breast reduction. Both procedures reduce the size of the areolas and raise them back to a more aesthetic position on the breast. They also reduce the sagging of the breast by removing some of the excess skin of the breast. The difference is that a breast reduction also removes some volume from the breast and makes it smaller. A mastopexy doesn’t change the size of the breast. Patients that have large, pendulous breasts may benefit more from a breast reduction, whereas those patients with small, sagging breasts would do better with a mastopexy. Breasts of all sizes can be lifted; however the lifting effect will not last as long in heavier breasts.
• Breast Lift
  Breasts lose their perkiness over time due to weight changes, gravity, aging, pregnancy and nursing. As the skin loses its elasticity, it loses the ability to support the breast. Over time, volumetric changes in the breast occur causing the breasts to lose their shape and firmness. A mastopexy (or breast lift) is a procedure that will remove some of the excess skin of the breast to raise the position of the nipple and areola. This also allows the shape of the breasts to be improved, reduce the sagging of the breasts, help restore volume to the upper poles of the breasts, and correct asymmetries between the breasts. In addition, a mastopexy will reduce an enlarged areola (the dark skin around the nipple) to a more normal size.
• Breast Reconstruction
  The psychological difficulty of losing a breast to cancer may be so severe that breast reconstruction is now considered a medical necessity. Insurance policies are therefore mandated to pay not only for mastectomy but also for reconstruction of the lost breast and for surgical adjustments made to the opposite breast to achieve symmetry.
• Plastic Surgery
  Reconstruction of a breast that has been removed because of cancer or other disease is among plastic surgery’s greatest achievements. New medical techniques and devices have made it possible for surgeons to create a breast that can come close in form and appearance to matching a natural breast, though it will never feel or look exactly like the breast that was lost.
• Thigh Lift
  For a medial thigh lift, each thigh receives an incision in the natural groin crease where the inner thigh meets the trunk or torso (between the thigh and the labia or scrotum) and extends to the gluteal crease. In other words, the incisions run a few inches alongside the genitals from front to back. This incision location means the scars are well hidden by underwear and swim suits.
• Face Lift
  There are two components to facial aging: one is loss of elasticity manifested by excess skin and the other is loss of volume creating hollows, shadows and sags. The term “liquid facelift” is used to describe a non-surgical technique for facial rejuvenation. The results are more subtle than a traditional facelift and require little or no downtime. To perform the procedure, our board certified plastic surgeon uses injectables such as fillers and relaxers to restore the natural contours of the face and soften the deeper wrinkles. With this method, lost volume is restored and lines are filled and relaxed, thereby creating a more youthful appearance. Swelling and bruising may occur but should diminish within a week or so. This has become a more common substitute for a facelift in patients who are trying to avoid or delay the need for facelift surgery.
• Neck Lift
  Temporary bruising, swelling, numbness and tenderness of skin; tight feeling, dry skin. For men who have a neck lift, permanent need to shave behind ears, where beard-growing skin is repositioned.
• Blepharoplasty
  An eyelid lift (called blepharoplasty) removes or repositions excess fat, skin, and muscle from the eyelids. It can correct drooping of the upper eyelids (called an upper blepharoplasty) and/or the puffy bags below the eyes (called a lower blepharoplasty). These eyelid problems make people look older and chronically tired and may even interfere with vision.
• Abdominoplasty
  For those patients that would like to have a flatter abdomen with a more toned appearance, a “tummy tuck” (abdominoplasty) may be the correct answer. An abdominoplasty typically removes the skin and fat of the lower abdomen. This allows us to visualize if there is any separation of rectus abdominus muscles (“six-pack”) muscles and then this can be corrected at the same time. Typically, the skin and fat from the about the level of the belly button down to the level of the pubic bone is removed during a tummy tuck. This also includes the stretch marks of the lower abdomen. Then the muscles are brought back closer to the midline from the breastbone to the belly button and then from the belly button to the pubic bone (think of wearing a corset inside your skin). Since the skin and fat of the upper abdomen are then pulled down to cover defect created by removing the lower abdominal skin, the entire abdomen becomes flatter, smoother, and tighter.
• Nose Surgery
  Chin surgery, also known as mentoplasty, is a surgical procedure that reshapes the chin either by enhancing it with an implant (chin augmentation) or reducing and re-contouring the bone (chin reduction). Because the size of the chin may magnify or minimize the perceived size of the nose, a chin procedure is sometimes recommended in combination with nose surgery to achieve better facial proportions.
• Body Lift
  A circumferential body lift basically combines several procedures to treat the complete circumference of the body-front, back, and sides. It is also called a lower body lift because it has the greatest impact on the contour of the abdomen, waist, hips, buttocks, and thighs. A circumferential body lift produces a firmer, more youthful-looking contour by addressing many areas at once...
• Breast Surgery
  The typical woman seeking augmentation is in her early thirties and has finished having children, though augmentation is popular among women ranging from the age of 18 to 50 and is even requested by women in their mid-60s. The reasons women seek breast surgery are many, varied, and personal. Most are generally happy with their bodies but have been self-conscious for years about their small breast size, which they feel is out of proportion with the rest of their bodies. Because of the disproportion, they have difficulty finding clothes that fit.
• Otoplasty
  An otoplasty usually takes 2 to 3 hours, but complicated procedures may take longer. The exact procedure used will depend on the problem. Frequently, the surgeon makes a small incision in the back of the ear to expose the ear cartilage, which is then sculpted into the desired shape, size, or position. Non-removable stitches may be used to help maintain the correction. Occasionally, the surgeon removes a larger piece of cartilage to produce a more natural-looking fold. Another technique involves a similar incision in the back of the ear but no cartilage is removed; instead, stitches are used to fold the cartilage back on itself to reshape the ear.
• Scar Revision
  Dermabrasion involves a mechanical scraping of the top layers of skin using a high-speed rotary wheel to "refinish" the skin surface. The scraping continues until the surgeon reaches the safest level that will make skin flaws less visible. Dermabrasion is most often performed to improve the look of facial skin left scarred by accidents, acne or previous surgery, or to smooth out fine facial wrinkles, such as those around the mouth. It can also remove pre-cancerous growths called keratoses. Small areas of skin or the entire face may be treated. Dermabrasion can be done alone or in conjunction with other procedures such as a facelift or scar revision.
• Lip Augmentation
  Lip augmentation creates fuller, plumper lips and reduces fine wrinkles around the mouth. Patients who request lip augmentation either want fuller lips than they were born with or want to restore the fullness they had when younger. Augmentation can enhance the red part of the lips (vermillion) and accentuate the thin white roll of tissue surrounding the lips.
• Body Contouring
  In your initial consultation, your surgeon will evaluate your health, determine where your fat deposits lie, assess the condition of your skin, and explain the body contouring method most appropriate for you. Be honest in discussing your expectations with your surgeon, and he will be equally frank when explaining the risks and limitations of treatment.
• Laser Resurfacing
  In laser resurfacing, sometimes called "laser peel," an erbium laser is used to remove areas of damaged or wrinkled skin, layer by layer. The beam of laser energy that vaporizes the upper layers of skin is precisely controlled so it penetrates to targeted areas and skin layers. The laser is carefully passed back and forth over the skin until the level to be treated is reached. For superficial or medium resurfacing, the laser can be limited to those skin layers called the epidermis and papillary dermis. For deeper resurfacing, the upper levels of the reticular dermis can also be removed. Varied penetration allows treatment of specific spots or wrinkles.
• Gynecomastia
  Gynecomastia is a medical term that comes from the Greek words for "woman-like breasts." Though this oddly named condition is rarely talked about, it is actually quite common. Gynecomastia affects one or both breasts in an estimated 40 to 60 percent of men. Certain drugs and medical conditions have been linked with male breast overdevelopment, but the cause is unknown in the vast majority of cases.
• Cosmetic Surgery
  Earlobe reconstruction involves cosmetic surgery on the soft tissues of the ear to improve its appearance. Reduction may be employed to shorten the length of an elongated earlobe and / or to narrow the width of an overly widened earlobe.
• Dermabrasion
  Dermabrasion usually takes from a few minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending on how large an area of skin is treated. It’s not uncommon for the procedure to be performed more than once, in stages, especially when scarring is deep or a large area of skin is involved.
• Facial Implants
  In addition to being used in the chin, facial implants can refine the line of the jaw, produce higher cheekbones, and re-contour the nose. They can be implanted for cosmetic or reconstructive purposes. In either case, carefully shaped implants change the basic contour and balance of the face by building up a receding chin, adding prominence to cheekbones, reshaping the nose, or creating a stronger jaw line. The result is a more harmonious balance to your facial features.
• Bariatric Surgery
• Chin Augmentation
• Forehead Lift
  A browlift (also called a forehead lift) corrects the drooping or low position of the eyebrows that gives the face a tired or sad appearance. It also softens horizontal creases across the forehead, as well as the vertical lines (frown lines) between the eyebrows that contribute to an unhappy or angry expression. Many people have eyebrows that are not positioned symmetrically, and this can be corrected with a browlift. A lot of patients who request a forehead lift say that people ask if they are mad, tired, or worried because they always seem to be frowning.

Dermatologists

• Acne Treatment
• Chemical Peels
  The lighter resurfacing procedures done in our office, such as superficial chemical peels or MicroLaserPeels, have the advantage of a shorter recovery time. However, these less aggressive procedures may need to be repeated multiple times to achieve results comparable to those achieved with more aggressive techniques. Because of this, many patients prefer the deeper resurfacing methods, with the longer recovery time, so the process of revealing new, younger-looking skin is accomplished more quickly in one procedure.
• Rashes
• Skin Care
  If you want to minimize wrinkles, treat blemishes, or correct or prevent sun damage, these goals can be attained without surgery. All you need to have skin with improved firmness, texture, and color is the proper use of targeted skin care products and treatments developed and prescribed by physicians.
• Microdermabrasion
  When you need more than the resurfacing procedures (such as laser micropeel, microdermabrasion or light chemical peels) performed in our
• Burns

Physical Therapists

• Neck Pain

Allergists

• Allergies
  Collagen (from cows) was the most popular tissue filler available for many years, but its use has diminished because bovine collagen requires allergy testing that takes a month before injections can begin. Newer forms of collagen (CosmoDerm and CosmoPlast) eliminate the need for allergy testing so injections can be done immediately.