Philosophy & Practice Info

Practice Philosophy

Because aesthetic surgery is voluntary, and arguably even frivolous, I believe a unique burden is placed upon the doctor - and the patient - to be safe, prudent, and conservative. Though no plastic surgeon would openly disagree with that statement, I adhere to it stronger than most. It guides my philosophy from my lengthy initial consultations, to successive pre-operative contacts with the patient, to the techniques I use, and finally my post-operative and on-going care. I am distraught by what I see as an increasingly cavalier attitude toward cosmetic surgery by patients and physicians alike, with some doctors' offices having only a little more serious of an atmosphere than a beauty salon.

Practice Specialization

Dr. Teitelbaum is a specialist in aesthetic plastic surgery, including facial rejuvenation, breast and body sculpting, and much more. He occupies a niche for patients desiring natural results and demanding the highest level of attention to detail and service.

Cohesive Implant Expert
By now you’re sure to have heard about the latest advance in breast implants – the cohesive or so-called “gummy-bear implant,” which are all the rage in Europe. Thousands of European women are thrilled with their natural looking and feeling breasts and now select American patients can enjoy these phenomenal implants as well!

These implants offer a soft and supple feel with the added benefit of being relatively leak free due to the cohesion of the siliocne. It is this consistency that allows the implants to maintain the commonly requested tear drop shape. While the edges of the implant blend gradually into the surrounding tissue, the thinner top of the implant slopes gently down to a fuller bottom half, creating the gorgeous contour of a natural breast.

Although these implants are so new in the states that they have not yet been approved by the FDA, Dr. Teitelbaum has been using them in studies since 2000 and is one of the most experienced providers in the country! So experienced, in fact, that the manufacturers of these implants have asked him to help develop the curriculum to teach other surgeons how to use these implants. He has traveled to places as far away as Europe, Asia, and Africa to teach surgeons how to use them.

Click here to learn more about cohesive gel implants

24 Hour Recovery – Does a virtually pain-free breast augmentation sound too good to be true?
Many of Dr. Teitelbaum’s patients think it is - until they understand what he does differently and speak to actual patients who are pain-free just a day or two after surgery.

Recent developments really have allowed breast augmentation patients to return to normal activities within 24 hours, without the need for narcotics, pain pumps, special bandages, or bras.

Dr. Teitelbaum’s patients routinely go out to dinner the night of surgery, go to Lakers games, or just enjoy the evening with their family. Most drive within several days, and need no more than a few days off of work.

Bruising is minimal or non-existent, and pain is controlled with just regular Advil and Motrin.

When some surgeons hear this, they don’t believe it! That’s one reason why Dr. Teitelbaum teaches a course at the largest plastic surgery meeting in the world in which he describes how to do this.

How is it done? Meticulous preop planning assures not just that you will get the result that you want, but that time won’t be wasted during surgery making decisions that could better have been made with the doctor and you beforehand.

Very careful surgical techniques coordinated with excellent anesthesia and a detailed understanding of fine points of anatomy, allow the operation to proceed smoothly and with a minimum of trauma. With our current anesthesia technique, it has been years since a breast augmentation patient had significant nausea.

Because of rough or imprecise technique, some surgeons tightly bandage patients or make them wear a special bra. But Dr. Teitelbaum’s precise and gentle surgical technique allows his patients to move their arms in the recovery room right after surgery! That way, your arms never get stiff and frozen. We hear stories that some doctors tell patients to keep their elbows at their sides “as if you had a broken arm” for a week after surgery. In contrast, we encourage our patients to shampoo and blow dry their own hair the night of surgery.

The result is less pain, a shortened recovery, and a lower chance of hardening of your breasts.

Click here to learn more about 24 hour recovery from breast augmentation

Surgical Facility

The operating room has only the most up to date equipment. It has received the certification of AAAHC/Medicare. For decades, accreditation has been the highest form of public recognition a health care organization could receive for safety and quality of care it provides. Patients have come to expect accreditation with hospitals. Yet, it is just as important to seek accreditation from any independent provider where you are planning to have surgery. The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care handles accreditation of independent ambulatory health care providers and is Medicare approved.

Consultation

My consultations are particularly lengthy, and that is why I charge for them. Many plastic surgeons that offer complimentary consultations actually have them done by a "cosmetic consultant" or "patient coordinator," or they may spend only a few moments with the patients. I schedule a large block of time for each patient, and take as much time as a patient needs to discuss their situation. Photos are taken and we discuss them. Many patients return to continue the consultation on a second or third visit, and I do not charge for those subsequent visits.

I take a thorough history and perform a detailed relevant physical examination. My consultations in particular have a reputation of their own; I have a unique ability to gain an understanding of what a patient wants, to assess their anatomy, to imagine what would look best for a patient given their goals, and finally to discuss this all with them in an understandable way.

Computer Imaging

3D Simulation of Augmentation Results

Every woman considering breast augmentation has one major concern: choosing the right breast implant size. 

Almost every patient asks “Will I be too big or not big enough?” and “What size implant will look balanced for my body?”

Axis Three is the state-of-the-art device that help you determine what implant size will give your body the look you want.

Axis Three takes beautiful three dimensional images of the breasts, and the computer software then calculates the volume of the breast tissue and automatically makes many precise measurements.  This enables an unprecedented level of analysis of your breasts, which offers tremendous benefits in planning your surgery.

Dr. Teitelbaum was sought out by the manufacturer to consult with them on the clinical development of the device, and the first machine was placed in his office. They asked him because of his expertise at breast augmentation and experience with clinical trials of breast implants. 

Most of Dr. Teitelbaum’s patients ask to look natural and select an implant size that proportionally fills their breasts, without an upper bulge or looking fake.  He determines a size that will produce that look by taking measurements of your breasts and calculating what fits. 

That is the key to looking natural.

Still, most women want to visualize what that particular size will look like on their body, and the Axis Three is excellent for that. Any size implant can be simulated on your body, so this machine presents you with an opportunity to determine the implant size that creates the proportion on your body that you desire.

Of course, this is a simulation, and it does not give an exact prediction of the outcome.  But it does give some sense of the outcome, in a way not matched by any other technology yet available. 

Patients have been excited by Axis Three.  Many say that it played a big role in reducing their concerns about their implant size, giving them more confidence that they will achieve the result that they want.

More and more people who are interested in plastic surgery are discovering the power of digital imaging. Patients watch on screen as they are guided from their current appearance to a representative post-operative outcome. Plastic surgery patients who see a simulation are better informed—having seen what is surgically feasible and what is not.

Southern California plastic surgeon, Dr. Teitelbaum uses the Mirror imaging system, the most comprehensive patient imaging software available. Dr. Teitelbaum finds this to be most helpful in areas that are easy to visualize in two dimensions, such as a bulge in the outer thighs, a bump on a nose, or a small chin. It is less helpful when used on such things as the eyes, or in highly volumetric situations such as the breast, in which no two-dimensional alteration on a flat computer screen really shows what the three-dimensional change will be like.

With rare exception, the imaging program will not show you what you will really look like. Rather, it gives the patient a chance to see how changing one thing will affect another. For instance, adding a small chin implant can make a big appearing nose look smaller, and removing fat from the outer thigh can make the waist look wider. It is a very helpful device if it is incorporated into the consultation, but on its own it is of limited value. So I do not give patients copies of morphed images, as it would be misleading to look at them and expect that particular result - it is a guide for discussion. It is helpful in noticing asymmetries, in pointing out areas that are bothering a patient that they may not necessarily see when looking in the mirror, and in determining the direction of an operation.

The imaging system is an educational tool for the sole purpose of communicating with patients and no warranty is expressed or implied by its use.