Oral Sedation and Local Anesthesia

Most of our facial plastic surgery procedures are performed with oral sedation and local anesthesia.  A powdered sedative is placed under the tongue about 30 minutes prior to the procedure.  This does not make the patient "go to sleep" but gives them a calming effect.  Next, the local anesthetic is placed in the tissues were the procedure will be done.  The only uncomfortable part of this process is the local anesthetic injections.

Dr. Severinac is known for his gentle touch and ability to place local anesthetic with minimal discomfort.  With our comfortable table positioning and calming music, patient's do wonderfully and walk out of the office moments after the dressing are placed.  No recovery room, no "waking up" from a general anesthetic, no prolonged weak feeling following a general anesthetic. Oral sedation with local anesthesia is the way to go!

Another benefit of oral sedation is the low cost.  We are able to save our patient's thousands of dollars in outpatient surgical facility and anesthesia fee making our facial plastic surgery costs often more than half!

Computer Imaging Technology

Indiana Plastic Surgery Center offers advanced computer imaging during consultations to assist patients in visualizing their possible surgical outcomes.

This imaging is especially helpful for those patients considering facial plastic surgery, particularly rhinoplasty and facial implants. During your initial exam, before pictures will be taken and Dr. Severinac will scan your photo into the imaging software. He then sits down with you in his private consultation room and manipulates the image to show you an approximation of your appearance following surgery.

While no computer program can simulate all the variables of your individual face (such as skin elasticity, blood supply, underlying bone structure, and healing capacity) or guarantee results, computer imaging does provide the patient and doctor a way of getting on the same page in terms of goals and expectations.

If you would like to learn more about computer imaging at Indiana Plastic Surgery Center, contact us today!

How To Spell Migraine Relief: B-O-T-O-X

Just yesterday, Michelle, a Botox patient, told me that she has not had a severe migraine headache for the last 10 years that she has had treatments for her frown lines. She tells me that when she begins to see the wrinkles return, she begins to have more slight migraines.  Michelle says her migraine headaches used to “lay me out” for up to a week.  She is so happy with her Botox treatments, both for the cosmetic improvement and in stopping her migraines from recurring.  I have heard this time and again.  What is going on?

Recently, the FDA approved the use of Botox for migraine headaches. This has always made sense to me from a anatomical standpoint.  Botox works by paralyzing muscles involved in facial animation.  The most common area is the corrugator or frown line muscles located above the eyebrows.  Botox is injected into the muscles, the muscles relax, and so do the creases in the skin they cause.

There are two cranial nerves that pass through this frown line muscle.  These are sensory nerves that travel directly to the base of the brain.  So with tense muscles around these nerves, there is an irritation that can develop into a migraine headache.  With Botox, the muscle is relaxed and the nerve irritation is reduced.  There are other areas of muscle irritation that leads to migraines in the temple and at the back base of the head.  These can also be treated with Botox.

The FDA approval is for patients who have at least chronic migraine headaches: 15 migraine headaches in a month lasting at least 4 hours.  This is the group of patients that was studied.  The FDA points our that Botox has not been shown to work for patient who have 14 migraine headaches or less a month.  This doesn’t mean that it does not work for these patients, it means this group of patients have not been study yet.  Anecdotally, most of my migraine sufferers have a decrease or cessation of there migraines, even if the migraines occur only “once in a while”.

Another development for treatment of migraine headaches is surgical treatment. I perform corrugator muscle removal for permanent decrease in the frown lines in my Fort Wayne plastic surgery office.  It turns out that removing a part of these muscles around the sensory nerves and replacing this area with fat graft is successful in decreasing migraines in over 90 percent of patients.  Again, like Botox, a cosmetic procedure that can help with a medical problem.   Although often an uphill battle, particularly because these are relatively new procedures for migraine headaches, insurance may cover Botox or surgery for medically documented migraine sufferers.  The best place to start is a neurologist to make the diagnosis and referral to a plastic surgeon who performs these procedures.

Plastic Surgery Fort Wayne, IN

For the past 22 years the Indiana Plastic Surgery Center has provided plastic surgery in Fort Wayne by combining artistry and medicine to bring out the best in you! We offer compassionate, conscientious, and personalized care throughout treatment and recovery of a wide variety of plastic, and pediatric reconstructive and cosmetic surgery in Fort Wayne, Indiana. We specialize in Facial Cosmetic Surgery, mommy makeovers, breast augmentation, tummy tucks, liposuction, and have an on-site medical day spa designed to improve the way you look and feel.

Dr. Severinac is the co-founder and co-director of the Children’s Craniofacial Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana, treating Cleft Lip and Palate and craniofacial deformities with his advanced fellowship training in craniofacial surgery.

Dr. Severinac is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons as well as several well-respected professional medical orginizations.  

Yes, Plastic Surgery in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  We have patients from California to Florida coming for surgery by Dr. Severinac! They found us from our website, our reviews, and our patients. Join the hundreds of happy patients and get to know us. Take a look at real plastic surgery patient reviews on multiple platforms.  The 5 star reviews will confirm all that you have been hearing about Dr. Severinac and the Indiana Plastic Surgery Center.

Visit our website and call our Fort Wayne surgeon today for consultation.