Month: November 2016

Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis is thrilled to officially welcome Dr. Nicholas Leonardi as part of our team of experienced, caring, and committed plastic surgeons.

Dr. Leonardi was born and raised in the Midwest, though he is also a Memphian, having graduated from Houston High School in Germantown. He returned to his roots for undergraduate and medical school, as well as medical school and general surgical training, before heading back this way for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery training at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center in Memphis. Once he completed this training, Dr. Leonardi decided to remain in the Midsouth to be closer to his friends and family. He’s still a lifelong Cubs fan, though!

Dr. Leonardi holds Bachelor of Science degrees in both Zoology and History of Science, Medicine, and Technology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During his time in Madison, he helped found the UW Waterski Team, and was a former record holder who won National Collegiate Team of the Year honors. He was also elected the Great Plains Conference Delegate for the Midwest Collegiate Waterski Association.

After Dr. Leonardo completed his undergraduate studies, he was able to secure an Associate Research Specialist position with the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, where he assisted in investigating gene pathways in prostate cancer development. As a medical student at the Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, he was a recipient of the Illinois Health Education Consortium Spanish Language and Cultural Immersion Program Scholarship. This allowed Dr. Leonardi to develop strong skills in cultural competency and medical Spanish proficiency.

Dr. Leonardi followed up this accomplishment with a five year residency in General Surgery at the University of Illinois Metropolitan Group Hospitals. Here he was Administrative Chief Resident, and was also awarded the Vijay Maker, MD Award for Academic Excellence in General Surgery.  Dr. Leonardi is board certified in General Surgery, as well as Plastic Surgery and Reconstruction.  

Outside of his education and training, Dr. Leonardi has enjoyed volunteering with United Cerebral Palsy of the Mid-South and the Wisconsin Early Autism Project.  He is married to a wonderfully supportive woman, Amy, and they have two beautiful children together. Cooper and Lily are 10 and 5, and they keep Dr. Leonardi young — and on his toes! In his spare time, he loves neighborhood walks with his dog, cooking out when the weather permits, and spending time with his family.

Dr. Leonardi does not have a specific focus within the field, but rather takes an interest in all aspects of reconstructive and aesthetic surgery in both the pediatric and adult population. He believes this is beneficial to his patients, as he is able to continue to hone his skills in multiple areas of Plastic Surgery and Reconstruction.  He also continues his commitment to lifelong learning by remaining involved in institutional review board approved clinical research.

Here at Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis, we believe that a practice is only as strong as its providers. Dr. Leonardi is a fantastic addition to our team, and we are so excited to welcome him!

With the holiday season quickly approaching, most of us have probably already started the annual struggle of finding the perfect gifts for the loved ones in our lives. What do you get for the friend that has everything? How will you ever find something unique for that hard to please family member? Sweaters and ties are useful, but don’t pack a lot of punch. Want to avoid re-gifting? With the Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis, you can now give the gift of plastic surgery! We offer gift certificates in any dollar amount.

We know, it might seem like a crazy idea. But gift certificates are an increasingly popular choice for Christmas, especially when they’re as easily customizable as ours are. You may be wondering what a Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis gift certificate could cover. Let’s take a look!

Skin care products

We have a range of speciality skin care products available, starting at around $25. These include moisturizers, facial scrubs, and a number of other creams and potions to keep skin glowing right into the New Year.

Skin care procedures

We offer several skin care procedures here at Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis, such as:

• Botox and Dysport, to smooth frown lines and temporarily diminish the look of wrinkles
• Juvederm and Restylne, to smooth facial wrinkles and folds by adding volume back to the skin
• Latisse, for inadequate eyelashes by growing them longer, fuller and darker
• Laser treatments, for skin resurfacing to reduce facial wrinkles, scars, and blemishes
• Spider vein treatment, using sclerotherapy to cause the vein to collapse and fade from view
• Chemical peels, to smooth skin and correct discoloration

Bonus: consultations with our aesthetic nurses are free! That means the entire gift certificate can be used to cover the cost of any chosen treatments.

Surgical procedures

Let’s say your loved one has already had a consultation with Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis, and has agreed with one of our plastic surgeons on a particular surgical procedure we offer. Assuming the surgeon has agreed that the patient is an appropriate candidate, a gift certificate can then be used towards the total cost of that procedure. And we offer many! From tummy tucks to facelifts, Sculpsure to liposuction, we have a highly trained staff to both consult with and carry out any procedure needed to bring out the beautiful in our clients!

So don’t let the search for the perfect gift steal your Christmas cheer this year. There’s no stressful shopping involved when you choose a Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis gift certificate, and you’re guaranteed to give a gift they’ll remember. For more information, get in touch with us today!

Who doesn’t want smooth, youthful-looking skin? Especially during the winter months, when our summer glow is fading and the dry air has us reaching for all the lotions and moisturizers we can get our hands on.

We often spend hours plucking, shaving, exfoliating, slathering on anti-aging creams and face masks, waxing, and threading in an attempt to look our best. There has to be a better way, right?

Luckily, there is! Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis offers laser skin treatments that can help you turn back the hands of time.

If you’re not familiar with laser skin treatments, you may be wondering what they can do for you and your skin. Let’s take a look at some of the ways they can bring out the best of your beauty.

How does it work?

It’s all about light! Our plastic surgeons use a laser to send short, concentrated pulsating beams of light at irregular skin. This removes the unwanted, damaged skin in a very precise manner, one layer at a time.

The laser beam used in laser resurfacing removes your outer layer of skin, called the epidermis. At the same time, it heats up the underlying skin, called the dermis. These actions work together to stimulate the growth of new collagen fibers. As the treated area heals, new skin forms, but this skin is smoother and firmer. Put simply, laser skin treatments have the ability to improve minor facial flaws, such as:

•     Fine lines or wrinkles around or under your eyes, forehead or mouth
•     Scars from acne or chickenpox
•     Non-responsive skin after a facelift
•     Aged or sun-damaged skin
•     Liver spots

These treatments also have advantages over alternative approaches, many of which may cause discomfort, bleeding or bruising. Not only are these uncomfortable, they also equal a longer recovery time. The good news is the lasers we use now are gentler and safer than lasers have been in the past, which means more comfort and less downtime for you!

What we offer

 

Laser Hair Removal

Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis offer laser skin treatments that can permanently remove hair. Shaving, waxing, depilatory creams, threading – hair removal often feels like a tedious and never-ending chore. And that’s before we talk about all the shaving nicks, painful waxing appointments, and expensive threading sessions. Stop wasting your time and money!

Our surgeons use Lumenis LightSheer® and the Lumenis family of permanent hair reduction products to offer unparalleled treatment speed and efficiency, while offering optimal comfort. LightSheer® offers a unique and effective solution for permanent hair reduction, pairing optimal results with maximum comfort. With LightSheer®, your treatment sessions are minimal, so it hardly makes an impact on your busy lifestyle.

Additionally, LightSheer® is more than 75% faster than the average hair reduction session. This treatment also features the unique HIT™ and ChillTip™ technologies for pain relief. LightSheer® is a smart economical choice, too, saving you all that money you’d normally spend on repeated temporary hair removal solutions.

Laser Skin Treatment

Would you like to even your skin tone? Reduce the appearance of old acne scars? Tone down those stretch marks, or get rid of that regrettable tattoo? At Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis, we use the Lumenis M22, a modular multi-application platform which treats over thirty different skin conditions.

The M22 has four versatile modes, each one providing different functions and benefits.

Universal IPL

•     Optimal Pulse Technology (OPT™)
•     Single handpiece with changeable filters and lightguides
•     For IPL skin treatments using photorejuvenation

ResurFX™

•     The only true fractional non-ablative, with CoolScan™ scanner
•     No disposables
•     For skin resurfacing

Multi-Spot™ Nd:YAG

•     The only laser with Multiple Sequential Pulsing (MSP)
•     2 sized lightguides, changeable in seconds
•     For treatment of leg veins and vascular lesions

Q-Switched Nd:YAG

•     Homogenous beam profile for enhanced treatment safety and efficacy
•     For skin toning by treatment of pigmented lesions, dark tattoos removal, and combination treatments

As you can see the Lumenis M22 is extremely versatile!

What to expect

Laser skin treatments are generally an outpatient procedure. Our surgeons may treat individual wrinkles around your eyes, mouth, or forehead, or treat your entire face depending on what you’ve discussed. Small areas will be numbed with a local anesthetic, or your surgeon  may choose sedation. General anesthesia might also be an option if your whole face is being treated.

If you’re only having parts of your face treated, the procedure will take about 30 to 45 minutes. A full-face treatment can take up to two hours.

Following laser skin treatments, your surgeon will bandage the treated area. About 24 hours after treatment, you will need to start cleaning the treated area four or five times a day. You’ll need to apply an ointment, like petroleum jelly, to prevent scabs from forming. This wound care is to prevent any scab formation. Usually the areas heal in 10 to 21 days, depending on what you have treated.

Some swelling after laser skin treatments is normal. You may be prescribe steroids to manage swelling around your eyes. Sleeping on an extra pillow at night to elevate your head can help ease swelling. Ice packs on the treated area also help reduce swelling in the first 24 to 48 hours.

Schedule a consultation

At Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis, we offer multiple laser devices and state-of-the-art laser skin treatments that deliver incredible results. If you’re ready to roll back the years, give us a call or fill out our contact form and book a consultation with us today!