Richmond Cosmetic Surgery
At Commonwealth ENT, our double board certified physician, Dr. Matthew Bridges, offers cosmetic services and surgical procedures and techniques to enhance a patient’s appearance. If you have been investigating cosmetic surgery as a treatment option for a problem area or as a way to restore a more youthful appearance, you have come to the right place. Dr. Matthew Bridges of Commonwealth ENT is double board certified in Otolaryngology and Facial Plastic Surgery.
- Facial Reconstruction – a surgical procedure offered to patients who have suffered facial trauma, skin cancer removal or trauma from an injury or accident to restore a natural looking appearance with minimal visible scarring
- Brow Lift – a cosmetic surgery procedure to raise drooping eyebrows that occur from age, gravity and thinning skin. A brow lift enhances the upper face by lifting the eyebrows helping patients to look more awake and alert
- Chin Augmentation – using a silicone chin implant, patients can improve the proportions of the lower face area and add definition to the jaw line. Chin augmentation is often performed alongside rhinoplasty surgery to give the face a more balanced appearance
- Eyelid Surgery – also known as a blepharoplasty, eyelid surgery aims to remove excess skin and tissue from the upper and lower lids that can lead to impaired vision in aging adults. Eyelid surgery is also offered as a cosmetic surgery to give patients a younger, fresher look
- Facelift – as we age, the skin of the face and neck can become lax and begin to sag and wrinkles form. The goal of facelift surgery, also known as a rhytidectomy, is to remove excess facial skin to restore a more youthful and refreshed appearance
- Neck Lift – natural aging and significant weight loss can leave undesirable hanging skin on the neck. A neck lift is a cosmetic procedure that removes the loose skin from the neck to create a smoother and toned appearance
- Scar Revision – scar revision surgery aims to improve the appearance, condition and visibility of scars caused by injuries. Some scars can cause pain or discomfort and become thicker over time. Dr. Matthew Bridges of Commonwealth ENT can perform scar revisions to help reduce and improve the appearance of scar tissue
Dr. Matthew Bridges has advanced training and a skillset that allows him to provide the highest level of patient care with outstanding treatment results. Call today at (804) 655-0400 for more information.
Richmond MEDSPA
Roll back the hands of time at Commonwealth ENT with medical grade skin care. Dr. Matthew Bridges of Commonwealth ENT, located in Richmond, VA is pleased to offer medical grade aesthetic treatments and skin care to improve skin texture and tone as well as the overall look and health of the skin. With many years of experience in rejuvenating skin treatments, Dr. Bridges will help determine the perfect combination of skin treatments that offer a comprehensive skin health care program. You will learn how to reduce risk of further damage and help your skin look and feel younger.
Commonwealth ENT of Richmond, VA offers the following MEDSPA treatments:
Skin Care Products
At Commonwealth ENT of Midlothian, VA we can evaluate your skin and create a skin care program using high quality medical grade products specifically designed to treat your skin type. Our aesthetician is dedicated to offering her patients the highest quality products while educating them on their skin types and what works best for their unique skin needs. Our skin care products include:
- ZO® Skin Health – an advanced line of medical grade skin care and home products designed to boost skin health between therapeutic treatments
- Elta MD® – from gentle cleansers to moisturizers, sun screen and eye repair, Elta MD® daily regimen skin care works to repair the visible signs of aging
If you are interested in learning more about improving the appearance of your skin, contact Dr. Matthew Bridges from Commonwealth ENT today at (804) 655-0400. We will be happy to discuss the personalized skin treatment options that address your needs and work for your skin type.
LASER Treatments
At Commonwealth ENT of Midlothian, VA our double board certified physician, Dr. Matthew Bridges uses advanced laser technology to treat a variety of skin conditions. By controlling the depth of the laser penetration, we can help you achieve a more youthful and even toned appearance of the skin.
The Sciton laser is scanned across the entire surface area of the skin to treat sun damage, sun spots and fine lines and wrinkles helping to restore new, healthy skin. Skin resurfacing procedures can help treat lumpy scar tissue, acne, remove unwanted hair, improve skin laxity and address the majority of pigmentation issues.
Laser treatment is versatile and is performed in the office with minimal down time. Most patients will see results immediately and continue to improve over 2-6 weeks after treatment. Laser treatments offered at Commonwealth ENT include:
- Sciton® BBL™ – the broadband wavelengths are capable of treating many age related skin conditions and restore a younger fresher look. Photothermal energy from the laser stimulates collagen and eliminates the tiny vessels that cause redness such as in the cases of rosacea
- Sciton® Contour TRL™ – this laser peel treatment addresses fine and deep wrinkles, rough texture, scars, sun spots, actinic keratoses and improves skin tone and texture
- Sciton® Halo™ – Hybrid fractional laser used to perform unparalleled skin resurfacing treatments with no patient downtime. Halo is used on all skin types and safely used on the neck, chest, arms, hands and legs
If you are interested in learning more about laser skin resurfacing and how it can benefit you, call Dr. Matthew Bridges today at (804) 655-0400.
Richmond Rhinoplasty and Nasal Reconstruction
While the purpose of a septoplasty is to improve breathing through the nasal passageways, a rhinoplasty aims to improve the aesthetics or the appearance of the nose. A rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure that can reshape, reduce or revise the way a person’s nose looks. Rhinoplasties can be performed for cosmetic purposes or as a reconstructive procedure. A nasal reconstruction surgery is performed to correct a congenital abnormality or fix a broken nose.
Structure and Function of Nose
There are two main considerations when performing a rhinoplasty surgery: structure and function. Regardless of gender, ethnicity or size, all people have the same anatomical components of the nose: cartilage, bone and skin. Dr. Matthew Bridges of Commonwealth ENT specializes in maintaining the structure of the nose during rhinoplasty surgery by a technique used to reshape the cartilage. Older techniques involved significantly reducing and removing the cartilage, which can cause problems in the future. Therefore, Dr. Bridges uses surgical techniques to retain the general cartilage structure and maintain the structural integrity of the nose.
The function of the nose is a major consideration during a rhinoplasty procedure. The nose takes air in and helps humidify it before entering the lungs. Dr. Bridges takes special care to ensure that the nose works optimally after surgery.
Rhinoplasty Techniques
There are two approaches that can be used during a rhinoplasty procedure, an open and a closed approach. Dr. Matthew Bridges exclusively performs the closed approach at Commonwealth ENT. The open approach to rhinoplasty begins with making an incision on the skin between the nostrils. The skin is then pulled back to allow access to internal structures and the open approach also gives the surgeon improved visibility of the cartilage. This approach is more invasive than the closed approach and does cause more swelling post operatively. It may take some patients about a year for all of the swelling to fully resolve.
The closed approach begins by making an incision inside the nose only. This technique is also known as the endonasal rhinoplasty. Dr. Bridges of Richmond, VA is highly skilled and trained in the advanced closed rhinoplasty approach, or scarless rhinoplasty technique. The closed approach is more advanced and difficult; however, Dr. Bridges has spent years mastering the closed surgical technique to offer his patients the best possible results.
Rhinoplasty During/After Surgery
Rhinoplasty is usually performed under general anesthesia and is always performed in an accredited surgical facility. It is considered an outpatient procedure. After surgery, patients will wear an external splint for about 1 week. Patients may experience bruising and swelling around the nose and eyes. Bruising usually subsides over the first few weeks. Swelling decreases rapidly over the first 3-4 weeks, then slowly over many months. It can take up to a full year for the nose to gain its final contour and softness. This is more true of the open approach, as previously described above. Dr. Bridges rarely uses nasal packing. Occasionally, small plastic tubes may be placed in the nose if extensive septal work has been done.
MOHS Facial Reconstruction
Skin cancer commonly appears on the face and nose and is often removed with the Mohs surgical technique. Depending on how deep the skin cancer is, you may be concerned about the appearance of your face after surgery. While the goal of Mohs surgery is to minimize the damage to surrounding tissues, the surgical area will often need to be repaired. There are various ways you can heal after Mohs surgery depending on the depth, location and size of the wound, such as:
- Allowing the wound to heal on its own – this is usually the choice for a small skin cancer that was not deep
- Closing the wound with stitches
- Using a skin flap procedure which uses skin around the wound to cover the wound for healing
- Performing a skin graft by using skin from another area to cover the wound for healing
Dr. Bridges of Commonwealth ENT specializes in reconstructive surgery after the Mohs surgery procedure. The reconstructive plastic surgery can be performed right after the cancer is removed. Depending on the type of wound you have after the skin cancer removal, Dr. Bridges will help determine the best surgical techniques to minimize scarring after Mohs surgery.
Cosmetic Reconstruction After MOHS Surgery
The location of the lesion and the type of tissue affected are factors that determine which will be the best surgical technique for you. Dr. Bridges of Commonwealth ENT in Richmond, VA will inform you of the reconstruction options that will best suit your needs. Some surgical reconstruction techniques include:
- Flap techniques – a flap is formed from a piece of tissue that is still connected to the body with its own blood supply. Flap procedures are highly successful in facial reconstruction.
- Cartilage grafting – If your skin cancer is located on the nose, grafting donor cartilage from the ear or ribs may be necessary to complete a successful cosmetic reconstruction.
- Tissue expansion – tissue expansion is rarely required in facial reconstruction; however, it is an option if the skin cancer is large or deep.
- Skin grafting – utilizes donor tissue from the patient’s body to replace damaged or surgically excised tissue. This technique has highly successful outcomes.
If you have or are having Mohs surgery to remove skin cancer on your face, Dr. Bridges of Commonwealth ENT is double Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon with superior training and experience in reconstructive surgery for the face, nose and skin. If you would like to learn more about facial reconstruction after Mohs surgery call (804) 655 – 0400 today.
RICHMOND ***WE’VE MOVED – NEW ADDRESS***
1501 Maple Avenue Suite 205
Richmond, VA 23226
Monday – Thursday:
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Visit Dr. Brian Fishero, Dr. Julie Kerr & Audiologists Karasa Wilson-Scott and Erin Nichols at this office.
MIDLOTHIAN
1 Park West Circle Suite 200
Midlothian, VA 23114
Monday – Thursday:
7:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday
7:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Visit Dr. Matthew Bridges, Dr. Patrick Gibbons,
Audiologist Sheri Stoots & Aesthetician Franki Lambiotte at this office.