Dr Kourosh Tavakoli in the Media

by BellaSugar Australia

Everywhere I look of late I seem to be greeted with celebs sporting some seriously stellar cheekbones. I’m jealous. And I’m also not so certain that they looked like that a few years ago, but whatevs, we’ll never know if they’ve had ‘work’ or have just employed a friggin’ fabulous makeup artist. If it’s the latter, I want their digits, but if designer cheeks are the Next Big Thing, I want to know more about them, so I called Dr. Kourosh Tavakoli, a Sydney-based Cosmetic Plastic Surgeon to talk cheeky fillers and implants.

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Video games offering plastic surgery services is another example how far cosmetic surgery culture has come in the past few years.  Users can upload photos and imagine themselves having various procedures such as Breast augmentation, rhinoplasty etc…

Apple has embraced this idea in the new iphone format and is available for users  from November on.

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The future of breast augmentation is to visualise the end result of Breast Implant Augmentation before embarking on this operation. The simulation programmes are getting better and better and won’t be long before we have the first commercially viable model in Australia.

3-D Imaging for Breast Augmentation – Video Feature

Today’s affordable 3-D imaging technology is revolutionizing the results patients can get from breast augmentation surgery. In this five-minute video you’ll learn how finding a surgeon who uses 3-D imaging to simulate augmentation outcomes can ensure you get the results you want from breast implant surgery. In this interview, Dr. Steve Teitelbaum explains the difference the 3-D imaging can make, as well as the limitations that exist. Click here to watch now!

The butt enhancement has certainly taken off with a lot media attention given to this procedure. There are 2 types of buttock augmentation, one using a silicone implant placed behind the gluteal muscle. Secondly is fat injection using patient’s own tissue.

The procedure is very successful and is best suited with women who have very flat buttocks with poor projection. The downtime is 2 weeks and the cost around $15,000.

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Nicole Kidman’s nose is definitely a favourite of my patients in Sydney followed by Ashlee Simpson and  Jessica Alba. The most important thing in looking at celebrity noses is that they match the individual’s facial shape and ethnicity.

As Dr Rey commented celebrities are commonly used as models in the quest for cosmetic surgery.

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Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Kourosh Tavakoli explains the key elements to a natural-looking breast augmentation.

The number of breast enlargement operations is on the increase, as is the demand for natural-looking breasts. A well-augmented breast has a natural fullness, with gentle sloping off the chest wall. There should be natural cleavage without webbing between the breasts and only a certain amount of perkiness.

There three main telltale signs of an unnatural-looking breast augmentation are:

• Breast implant margin. This should be imperceptible as obvious implant edge visibility, especially in the midline, will resemble the ‘Tori Spelling look’.
• Breast implant size. An implant that is too large for a small frame is a dead giveaway. Pamela Anderson’s breasts are an example of this.
• Perkiness. An augmented breast that is too perky will tend to look fake, as a small amount of droop is natural. When the patient lies on her back the breast implants should roll to the side like natural breast tissue and not sit up like mountains.

Before undergoing surgery, it is beneficial for patients to review photographic examples of the breasts they would like, and to convey their wants to the surgeon so there is a clear, visual understanding of the desired result.

There are six main clinical parameters for breast implants on initial consultation:

• Patient’s body build and height
• Breast size, shape and symmetry
• Nipple position in relation to the breast
• Quality of breast skin
• Chest wall shape and dimension
• Patient’s desired cup size and shape.

After establishing the crucial parameters in the clinical examination, the process of tailor-making the right breast augmentation begins.

The key considerations when customising a breast augmentation to gain a natural-looking result are:

1. Incision placement

There are three choices about where to make the incisions for breast enlargement. They can be in the breast fold (inframammary), around the nipple (periareolar) or under the arm (transaxillary). These incisions can all produce scarring. Although patients may have some initial concerns about the location of their scars, they are ultimately far more concerned with the final shape and size of their breasts.

Most of my patients opt for the inframammary incision. I believe this incision has the least interference with breastfeeding and nipple sensation and generally heals very well.

2. Breast implant shape

The choice of shape varies from round to teardrop. The shape variation is in the width and projection of the implant for any given size. The range of breast implants available offers great versatility in achieving a natural look.

Most of my patients choose round breast implants. The round implant tends to be ideal for those patients with a nice existing shape who desire a straightforward enlargement. Since I prefer placing the implant in a sub-muscular pocket, implant edge visibility in the upper pole of the breast is not a major issue.

Use of the teardrop (anatomical) shape depends on the patient’s wishes as well as her body shape. They are ideal for women who have tuberous breasts. Mild elevation of the nipple in relation to the breast mound can be achieved without the need for extra scars on the breast (which occur with a breast lift). In these situations, the implants are inserted in a subglandular (subfascial) pocket under the breast tissue.

Some patients specifically want less fullness in the upper quadrant. Teardrop-shaped breast implants certainly offer less fullness in this area. This request tends to be very personal as most women seek breast augmentations in order to obtain upper pole fullness. Teardrop implants do have a slight tendency to rotate, and this problem can only be corrected by secondary surgery.

3. Breast implant fill

I use both cohesive silicone gel and saline-filled breast implants. The new generation silicone-gel implants are very safe and feel and look more like a natural breast. Most breast augmentations in Australia are performed with ilicone-gel implants. In December 2006, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of gel implants in the United States. The decision was based on extensive scientific research into silicone-gel implants. acsm

A rhinoplasty procedure by Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Kourosh Tavakoli transformed this patient’s appearance and life. Caroline Selwyn reports.

Rhinoplasty is one of the most common cosmetic surgery procedures performed in Australia, and one with a high patient satisfaction rate. According to Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Kourosh Tavakoli, many people take a long time to actually decide to have the surgery, but once they do many admit they wish they had done it sooner.

At 20 years old, Dr Tavakoli’s patient says that it was the perfect time to correct her nose that she had been ‘very aware of’ throughout her life. ‘Being young, I had no big commitments and I knew the healing time would be relatively quick,’ she says. ‘I just didn’t want to wait any longer.’

The patient says she has never been happy with her nose and always wanted to change it. ‘It just didn’t look feminine and was out of place on the rest of my face.

‘I had the misfortune of inheriting my father’s masculine European nose,’ she says. ‘It just didn’t fit with the rest of my facial features. There was a prominent bump, which was especially noticeable in my profile.’

She began researching online, reading about other people’s experiences with rhinoplasty, and found Dr Tavakoli’s case studies. ‘I was also impressed with Dr Tavakoli’s qualifications and professionalism,’ she says.

In her first consultation, Dr Tavakoli discussed the surgical possibilities, techniques and her desired outcome. ‘He showed me computerised “before” and “after” pictures of what a rhinoplasty could do for my nose,’ she says.’ This was extremely beneficial as seeing the “after” shots meant I had realistic expectations of what could be achieved.’

Dr Tavakoli also detected some breathing problems in the patient’s nasal passages. ‘It turned out my left nasal cavity was completely blocked off, so the procedure wasn’t just cosmetic after all,’ she says.

‘Before rhinoplasty, my nose just didn’t fit with the rest of my facial features and looked out of place’

The patient says her recovery was relatively slow but Dr Tavakoli and his staff were very helpful with post-surgery care. ‘I was one of the small percentage of people who was still experiencing bruising and swelling at my oneweek follow-up appointment,’ she says. ‘I had lymphatic massage to drain the build-up in my face, which cleared it up quite quickly.’

The patient says once the swelling subsided, she was ‘absolutely delighted’ with the result and her breathing had improved. ‘It was exactly what I expected and hoped for,’ she says.

The patient says she experienced a ‘very dramatic’ change. ‘It altered the entire look of my face,’ she says. ‘My nose has always been out of proportion to the rest of my
face and now it fits.’ acsm

(The ones we were too scared to try)

Somehow I got the job of road-testing the two below-the-belt treatments that no one else wanted to try.

First – and huge overseas, apparently – is anal bleaching and its sister treatment, vaginal bleaching. This is the cosmetic bleaching of the skin – mostly of light-skinned people – around the anus (and the vagina).

Beauty therapist Anna Marsiano says she helped pioneer the procedure, which cosmetically bleaches those areas, apparently deemed too dark, around your bits. "Sometimes I do three or four treatments a day and I sell a lot of product overseas," she says.

A professional job from Anna costs $150 for the full treatment of both "front and back", or you can buy lightening gels and DIY kits (Anna’s company, Bella Sydney, sells one for $95 a tube, phone 0414 445 356). Milk Studios Day Spa in Darlinghurst also does bleaching, phone (02) 83540318.

Also growing is genitalia surgery and labioplasty (costing from about $5000), which is an operation designed to remove excessive folds of skin down there. Some women don’t like the changes that have occurred through childbirth and/or ageing. Others just aren’t happy with what they’re seeing reflected back in their handheld mirrors. (Too much time on their hands, perhaps?)

Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Kourosh Tavakoli (Luxe Medispa, phone 1300 368 107, see drtavakoli.com.au) says he has performed more than 150 labioplasty and clitoral-hoodplasty operations, with queries about the cosmetic procedure rapidly on the rise.

"I used to do 40 each year, now I do 80 a year; that’s a 100 per cent increase," he says, crediting the rise in popularity with "designer vagina" stories out of Hollywood and an increased discomfort in our tighter jeans. But he warned that potential clients should research their surgeon carefully. (Quite: I’d be wanting someone to pay very special attention down there.)

As it turned out, I didn’t really need to road-test either. The internet has graphic videos, pictures and blogs about all of these procedures. But a word from the wise: don’t do your research while eating lunch. Or in an open-plan office.

KATE COX

Source: The Sun-Herald

Gail is a 51-year-old operating theatre nurse with two small children. She decided some time ago that she was unhappy with the overall appearance of her face. After careful reflection and much research she went to see Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Kourosh Tavakoli.

‘I’d been thinking about getting something done for some time,’ says Gail. ‘I didn’t get married until I was 40 years old and so had my first child at 40 and my second at 43. Even though people used to tell me that I looked quite young for my age, I still felt that time had taken its toll. There were a few things about my face that I just didn’t like, especially around the mouth – the jowls were sagging a bit – and I’ve always hated my nose,’ she explains.

Many patients opt to undergo one procedure at a time but as a veteran theatre nurse Gail was experienced enough to know how to do her research and confident enough to undergo all the procedures she wanted at once.

‘I thought, if I’m having an operation on my face I might as well have everything I want done at the same time,’ she says.

Gail began her search for the right doctor by asking her colleagues for advice. ‘I knew a few doctors and I asked around for their recommendations,’ she says.

‘Then I looked up each doctor’s website and narrowed it down to just two, then saw both for a consultation. I chose Dr Tavakoli because he has a very good reputation.’

Nine months after her initial consultation, she returned to Dr Tavakoli and booked herself in for the surgery.
Dr Tavakoli perfomed a six-hour operation to rejuvenate her face and refine her nose, comprising a short scar facelift, upper and lower blephroplasty, rhinoplasty, lip augmentation and finishing with Botox injections in her forehead.

Gail says she was very bruised immediately after the procedures but her profession had prepared her to expect this as a first result.

It’s now been five months since her surgery. She says an operation of this scope was bound to take some time to recover from and, though the recovery process has been a gradual one, it was well worth it.

‘When I look at myself now I’m really pleased with the result,’ she says.

However, it wasn’t until she saw Dr Tavakoli’s final set of ‘after’ photos that she realised the full extent of the dramatic changes to her appearance.

‘People I haven’t seen in a long time know there’s something different but can’t quite put their finger on what’s changed. That’s a good thing! I didn’t want to look like someone else – I still wanted to look like me but maybe better, or younger and healthier,’ Gail says.

‘Dr Tavakoli’s work on my nose was very subtle, but I really like the result. I have no regrets, I’d do it all over again!’

Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Kourosh Tavakoli outlines the options involved with mastopexy, or breast lifting, procedures. Francis Herron reports.

Breast ptosis, or droopiness, is a condition that can affect women of all ages, says Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Kourosh Tavakoli. ‘Although we tend to associate breast ptosis with older women, young women also often suffer varying degrees of droopiness after breastfeeding or significant weight loss. For these women, wearing a supportive bra can disguise but not correct the problem.’

With the increasing acceptance of cosmetic surgery procedures by the general population, more and more women are choosing to undergo corrective surgery on their breasts to achieve a more aesthetically pleasing appearance, Dr Tavakoli says.

Aesthetic plastic surgery of the breast involves a number of procedures that range from simple augmentation to more complex breast lifting, he explains. Mastopexy, or a lift, can be performed as a stand-alone procedure or combined with augmentation using implants. Breast reduction (mammoplasty) is in fact a form of breast lifting associated with removing breast tissue.

Due to the variation of breast shapes and conditions, a skilled plastic surgeon understands that simply using breast implants alone will not always produce aesthetically pleasing results. A decision about which procedure or combination of procedures best suits an individual must be made taking into account several factors. Assessing breast volume and shape, the condition and elasticity of the patient’s skin and the position of their nipples is crucial to the surgeon’s ability to obtain a good result.

Although augmenting breasts by inserting implants can correct some minor drooping, the issues relating to nipple position and an excessive skin envelope cannot be addressed by augmentation alone.

Mastopexy, on the other hand, does not change the amount of breast tissue a woman has, but it can change the shape dramatically, which in turn can affect the overall breast size and projection.

Breast-lift surgery restores breast shape to a more youthful appearance by reshaping the breast tissue, removing excess skin and relocating the position of the nipple-areola complex. Breast tissue must be surgically contoured from an elongated shape into a more youthful Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Kourosh Tavakoli outlines the options involved with mastopexy, or breast lifting, procedures. Francis Herron reports. conical structure. This manoeuvre is an integral part of the breast remodelling process.

Dr Tavakoli says three types of incisions can be used. These include making an oval-shaped incision around the nipple-areola complex (Benelli-Goes) in mild cases, a lollypop-shaped incision from the areola to the breast crease (Le Jour-Hammond) for most cases or the traditional anchor-shaped incision (Wise pattern) that also includes the breast crease for severe cases of droopiness.

‘Modern plastic surgery focuses on creating a minimal scar in return for achieving the most desirable aesthetic outcome,’ he says. ‘The prospective patient should be aware of this delicate balance before embarking on a mastopexy procedure.’ Some degree of scarring is inevitable in mastopexy surgery.

Accepting the scarring associated with mastopexy is a real concern for some patients, although fractionated laser scar therapy in the post-operative period has contributed immensely to superior scar formation.

In some cases, breast lifting needs to be combined with the insertion of implants to produce an optimal result. The combined breast lift and augmentation procedure is considered one of the more difficult operations in plastic surgery. It can be performed in a single procedure but is more usually undertaken in two stages.

Patients must stop smoking for at least four to six weeks before and after the operation, he advises.

‘Mastopexy is not usually a painful operation, but discomfort can persist for a week or so,’ he says. ‘Patients will need 10 to 14 days off work after this procedure for recovery and healing.’

‘Mastopexy can be a very rewarding procedure for women seeking to correct drooping breasts,’ says Dr Tavakoli. ‘Prospective patients should inform themselves about the procedure and discuss the operation and its projected outcomes thoroughly with their surgeon.’