LYCOMING COUNTY, Pa. — These days, plastic surgery is as routine as going to the dentist, largely due to the influence of social media. According to medical experts, some procedures are more popular than others.
Dr. Ashley Leberfinger, a plastic surgeon at UPMC Susquehanna Health, said, “The most common cosmetic surgeries are our breast augmentation, tummy tuck, liposuction, and eyelid surgery.”
Dr. Leberfinger said many patients seeking cosmetic surgery have unrealistic expectations due to edited and filtered images on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
“So, if a patient comes in for a consult, I'll ask them if they've done any research, and if they have, I ask if they have a goal photo of what they're looking for so we can kind of use that to talk about what's a realistic goal from surgery in their situation and if it's attainable or not.” Dr. Leberfinger said.
Recovery time for most procedures is about six weeks, although some patients can return to work sooner with certain restrictions. As far as the ouch factor.
“Pain for surgeries is variable. For some surgeries, it's pretty minimal and tolerable for patients. A lot of surgeries have limited narcotic requirements. Some surgeries don't require any narcotics, and some surgeries also require the use of drains.” Dr. Leberfinger explained.
Dr. Leberfinger emphasizes, "If you're seeking a doctor to perform your plastic surgery, make sure they are board-certified or board-eligible plastic surgeons. We go through a lot of training to know the anatomy and be able to do these surgeries. We see a lot of patients who go to quote-on-quote cosmetic surgeons that may be boarded by the board of cosmetic surgery, but they're not actually plastic surgeons.”
If you're considering plastic surgery, you should talk to your primary doctor first to see if you're a good candidate.