Beauty

  A graduate of Beloit College with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, Dr. Franco earned his Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Texas Medity School of Medicine. There, he was chief resident from 2010-2011. In 2011, he completed additional training at Chan Gung Hospital in Taiwan with a focus on microsurgery primarily in cancer reconstruction, followed by a fellowship at Gent Univical Branch at Galveston. Dr. Franco served his residency in Plastic Surgery at Saint Louis University Hospital in Belgium where he specialized in breast reconstruction and fat grafting. Dr. Franco has an impressive history of publications and presentations and has received many academic achievement awards including the Walter S. Haven Prize, Elizabeth W. Souter Award and the Merck Index Award. Originally from Las Cruces, New Mexico, Dr. Franco is bilingual in English and Spanish. MSM: Tell us what inspired you to become a plastic surgeon? I was always interested in surgery and medicine growing up. Early on in medical school I thought that I wanted to do transplant surgery, however the more exposure I had to plastic surgery the more I loved it. Plastic surgery is such a broad field with endless potential. One of the things that I love about plastic surgery is that it is truly a combination of technical skill, knowledge and an art form. Every person is different and there is no one correct way to treat everyone. This individuality from patient to patient makes every day exciting and a new challenge. MSM: What are the newest procedures in plastic surgery? There are a couple of new procedures that have changed plastic surgery in the past few years. The first is fat grafting which has allowed us to sculpt the body in ways that we were never able to do before. It allows a plastic surgeon to remove fat from unwanted areas and enhance other areas. The body can be shaped as whole rather than just individual enhancements. It also can avoid the need for implants or other foreign materials such as fillers. Fat grafting has become extremely popular here in Miami for procedures like the Brazilian Butt lift because of the overall improvement women receive in their entire shape! The gummy bear breast implants have improved the results that plastic surgeons have been able to achieve in both breast augmentations and breast reconstruction. It gives patients more options to achieve the shape and size that they desire for their breasts. It is now possible to individualize every breast augmentation to the patient. Voluma is a new facial filler that lasts two years compared to the typical six to nine months that most other fillers currently last. It allows patients to decrease the number of visits to their plastic surgeon! MSM: What are facial fillers and Botox? The most important comment I can make about Botox and fillers is that patients need to be aware of what they are having injected into their body. As mentioned earlier make sure that the person injecting you truly has your best interest at heart. If what the person is telling you sounds to good to be true it probably is to good to be true. Unfortunately too often I see patients that have had silicone or biopolymer (or they have no idea what was injected) into their face or buttock and then they come in for treatment because the individual that injected them is nowhere to be found. There are a lot of great fillers on the market that will give you a safe and beautiful result so please do not do something that is going to cause lifelong problems by using products by non-certified physicians. Botox is a neuromodulator that is most commonly used to treat wrinkles in the forehead and around the eyes. When used correctly it can also be used to give patients a non-surgical brow lift as well. Fillers like Juvederm, Restylane, Volume, Radiasse and so forth are most commonly used to rejuvenate and fill the lower two thirds of the face. The fillers replace the volume that people lose in their face to give them a more youthful refreshed appearance. They have become so popular because these procedures are done in the office with virtually no down time and they leave you looking refreshed and youthful. The popularity of Botox and fillers has come from the ease of the procedure and aesthetic enhancements. Many patients come in during their lunch hour to have their filler or Botox and can go back to work without any down time. MSM: Who is the perfect candidate for facial fillers such as Botox & Juvederm? Botox is perfect for anyone who is has started to notice wrinkles in their forehead and around their eyes. When done correctly Botox can give a very natural, smooth youthful appearance. Fillers such as Restylane or Juvederm are great for anyone who has started to notice that their face is sagging, deflated or just not as youthful in appearance as it once was. MSM: What are the best nonsurgical procedures that produce the most lasting results without going under the knife? Patient’s that get on a good skin care regimen early in life will thank themselves for it later on. Sunscreen is especially important in a city like Miami. The damage that we do to our skin in our youth will catch up with us eventually! Botox and fillers have become so popular because they give a very natural, but rejuvenated appearance without the need for surgery or down time. I tell patients to start with small amounts of these products, as they just want to enhance the great features that they already have that make them unique. The idea is just to maintain your beauty and not change your appearance. MSM: What questions should new patients who are interested in plastic surgery be asking themselves? They should seek out board certified plastic surgeons that can have open discussions with them. They should not be afraid to take a list of questions to their surgeon during the consultation. Patients should be