Plastic surgery

WIStv.com Columbia, SC: Health Alert: Plastic surgery: "(National) April 27, 2006 - Does America 's make-over mania tempt you to do some radical reconstruction? Plastic surgeons says it's important to get the facts. Most warn against an all-at-once re-do.
When 52-year-old Gail Alba first met Doctor Allen Rosen, she knew she was looking for a change, 'I was very dissatisfied with my whole self. I wanted a whole life change.'
Doctor Rosen asked her to prioritize her concerns, then he recommended safely combining certain procedures. They first planned an eyelift with a facelift, the next year a tummy tuck and breast lift, later other body contouring.
Dr. Rosen says, 'We were able to take her over a three-year period of time to the place she wanted to be.'
But today's patients often have unrealistic expectations. Doctor Rosen and Doctor Valerie Ablaza wrote a book to debunk current myths about cosmetic procedures.
Dr. Ablaza warns that it's not as easy as it looks on TV, 'They think it's just an easy snap your fingers. That's how sometimes it's portrayed on TV, that they're ready for a walk down the red carpet in a week after having five different things done. And we're here to tell it like it really is, what the reality is.'
Truth is, real surgery has real risks. Dr. Rosen knows patients can go too far, 'I talk about it like we do extreme sports, which is very dangerous. Extreme surgery is ridiculous. I think that anything that's extreme by definition means you're overdoing it.' "