A short interview with Sugar Land Plastic Surgery’s Dr. Nguyen, on one of our most popular procedures, a breast augmentation:

When did you know you wanted to be a cosmetic surgeon?  Well I have always been interested in cosmetic surgery, and having a background in art has really helped me look at it through a different eye. I think when I really knew I wanted to specialize in cosmetic surgery was after I finished my second year of general surgery trauma training.  That’s when you do a really wide variety of surgeries for all sorts of injuries that affect someone’s appearance. One of the things you always do as a general surgeon and/or trauma surgeon is save lives and get people to survive; but then there’s a whole new component of giving patients their confidence back and helping them feel like themselves again.  I always knew that will be a very satisfying and fulfilling component of surgery, and it has been.
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Do you have any plans on extending the mybodysurgeon^TM brand?  Definitely. We branded it because of our reputation of excellent service, superb results, and of course looking out for our patient’s best interest at all times. I’m hoping to extend what we do beyond just cosmetic surgery, for example skin care products, garments, and other services as well.

Sugar Land is growing rapidly in the field of plastic and cosmetic surgery.  What do you think sets us apart?  I think something that really sets us apart is that we pride ourselves in never pushing people into surgery. As a matter of fact, I think most people will tell you that I spend a good 20% of the time talking people out of surgery.  We have our patient’s best interest at heart, and that is something we will always stick by.

What is your favorite part of a Breast Augmentation?  My favorite part of a breast augmentation surgery is the very first post-op, because unlike many surgeries where there’s a longer recovery time with swelling and maybe even bruising, a breast augmentation looks good almost immediately.  Seeing my patient’s reactions is extremely fulfilling and never gets old.

Do you have any “pre-surgery rituals” you like to do before going to the OR?  Yeah you know, I’m kind of like Dr. 90210 and have nun chucks in my office (chuckles) I’m kidding!  What I like to do is stay with the patients until they actually go under anesthesia. I have a few jokes; actually, I literally only have 2 jokes that I tell to every patient. I just really want my patients to feel comfortable and have a smile on their face right before going under. That’s really my only ritual besides scrubbing of course.

How do you determine what type and size of implant a patient should choose?  Well the type of implant is fairly a personal choice… as far as sizing I try to give patients an option, but within a range that will fit their body. Certain measurements will help us give a range that would look good on the patients, but I always want to keep my patients goals in mind, which is why I like to give them that range.  I try not to make them look ridiculous, because we want to make the breasts fuller and pretty, not just gigantic.

What is the most common age for patients who are looking to have a breast augmentation?  For our practice, our age range is about 22-30; although older patients certainly have the procedure as well, however those patients usually require a lift with the procedure.

Do you feel scarring is a concern with breast augmentation?  Does it depend on the person? What do you do to minimize the scar?  Scaring is not a huge concern with a breast augmentation because the scar is so short.  Putting the incision in the crease of the breast rather than the axilla (armpit), or the areola, really helps conceal and hide the incision.  Keeping the scar very short also helps minimize the potential for a visible scar.  Then finally (and most importantly) as with any skin repair, every surgeon always says, ‘you want to close the wound tension free,’ meaning it’s not pulling on itself; and so when you do that, the incision heals really well.  So “tension free” is really key.

Are the implants placed in front or behind the muscle?  Most of the time the implants that I do are placed under the muscle, and this is for several reasons.  First of all, I think it looks better and gives a more natural result. Also, it provides more coverage and protection for the implant; and finally, studies show capsular contracture rate is lower when implants are placed submuscularly.

What is involved in the consultation process?  The consultation process usually involves general information about surgery overall, specific information about what you’re interested in, and then answering any and all questions.  The more questions a patient has, the more informed they become, so if they don’t have many questions, I try to answer the most typical questions that people might have; sometimes patients can’t think of questions to ask, so I just try and give them as much information as I can.  That way they get all the benefit of the information they should have before they make such a big decision.  Finally, we encourage our patients to take a period of consideration and contemplation before making such a huge decision.