The Tahoe Clinic for Plastic Surgery

The Tahoe Clinic was founded in 1976 by a board certified plastic surgeon from San Francisco, Dr. Lawrence Hunt Foster. It has grown to a full service cosmetic surgery facility. Patients come from across the U.S. and around the world to achieve their personal best. They return home looking and feeling better than ever!

Mark Twain put it eloquently: "Three months of camp life at Lake Tahoe would restore an Egyptian mummy to his pristine vigor." "You must come to Lake Tahoe to breath the air the angels breathe!"

If Mark Twain could only know that Lake Tahoe is now the site of a world-class anti-aging facility he would marvel at his own forecast!

We offer on-line consultation with a plastic surgeon, video-imaging and anti-aging advice. Be sure to visit our Body Contour Procedures and Facial Procedures pages to view before and after photos. And if you'd like to see how The Tahoe Clinic can help enhance your image, visit our Computer Imaging page.

Because everyone is different, the surgery procedures vary for each patient and this makes it very difficult to quote prices on the website. However, our prices are considerably lower than the prices in major metropolitan areas, and you can have your surgery done while on holiday in one of the world's most beautiful vacation wonderlands!

For a no obligation surgical estimate call: (530)541.3355 or 1 800 SHAPE UP (742-7387)

Please Call: 530 541-3355

Dr. Lawrence Foster

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He then furthered his plastic surgery training at the Crippled Children's Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona working on children with birth defects. He completed his training with an additional eighteen months back in San Francisco at UC Medical Center. He passed the Plastic Surgery Board exam in 1970 and was accepted as a fellow in the American College of Surgeons in 1971. Shortly after going into private practice in San Francisco he was appointed Clinical Instructor in Plastic Surgery at UC Medical Center.

In 1976 Dr. Foster moved his practice to Lake Tahoe. Soon there were so many patients coming to Tahoe for surgery that an overnight facility was designed. The Tahoe Clinic now accommodates patients from around the world, including New York, Anchorage, New Zealand, Miami, Rio de Janeiro and Geneva, Switzerland.

He is a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, the American Society of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons, International Society of Aesthetic Surgery, American College of Surgeons and the International Society of Clinical Plastic Surgeons. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Bariatric Medicine.

Dr. Foster is a former president of the California Chapter of Flying Physicians. He resides year-round at Lake Tahoe. When time permits he enjoys skiing, wind-surfing, sailing, scuba diving and water-skiing. His newest interest is Anti-Aging Medicine, to make the inner body as youthful as the surface looks.

Dr. Lilla Breyer

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Dr. Lilla Breyer first came to the Tahoe Clinic in 1990. She is a Fellow of The American College of Surgeons and a Diplomat of the American Board of Plastic Surgery . She is the only female Plastic Surgeon within 100 miles in all directions.

Dr. Breyer was born in Hungary, lived in four countries, crossed the equator twice and had learned three languages by the age of six. After growing up in the outback of Australia, she came to America at age 11. Her teens were spent in South Dakota, along the banks of the Missouri River. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota School of Medicine (1969). Her training in General Surgery and Plastic Surgery was at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago (1975).

She has had a wide range of experience in cosmetic, congenital and reconstructive surgery. She has performed face, eyelid, nose, breast, tummy, female genitalia and body contouring surgery at the Tahoe Clinic since 1990, all with a perfect safety record.

Dr. Breyer has a significant medical heritage; her great uncle performed the first pneumonectomy in Hungary. Her father was both the Chief of Pediatrics and the Superintendent of the National Children's Hospital in Hungary. Her brother set up the first Cardiology Lab in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Dr. Breyer is available to her post-op patients 24/7 by cell phone. You will like her. She's not only very competent and experienced, but open-minded and incurably joyful.

Face Lift Laser Face Lift Face Peel Sanding BOTOX® Cosmetic

Eyelid Surgery Collagen Injections Nasal Surgery Chin Surgery Ear Correction Hair Restoration

Fat Removal Breast Reduction Surgery Fat Injections

Tummy Tuck Other Body Contour Surgery Cellulite Reduction

Preoperative Requirements

In cosmetic surgery, a significant advantage is the good physical health of most patients. They do not require many of the preoperative considerations necessary in other fields where the elimination of pathological developments is the desired goal.

After a pre-op history and physical exam certain tests are performed, such as a complete blood count, a bleeding and clotting test, EKG and chest x-ray for those over 40. This is to assure that normal healing can be expected and to warn the surgeon of potential complications.

Patients should not smoke cigarettes for a period of time before surgery since smoking irritates the lungs and may reduce their functions during and after surgery. This directly interferes with healing, and impairs blood flow to all tissues.

Patients are asked not to eat or drink anything for at least eight hours before surgery. This restriction will reduce the possibility of vomitting. Don't trust any surgeon who would operate without all these safety precautions.

Anesthesia

With present methods of anesthesia, you are asleep if desired with no pain during any operation. There is usually only moderate discomfort for a short time afterward. Hospitalization is not necessary.

As with most surgical procedures, some complications may occur. The majority of these are minor problems and are easily treated. Keep in mind that you will be constantly monitored during surgery to prevent, correct and immediately treat any deviations before they become complications.

Most procedures described here are performed with the patient lightly asleep, using Xylocaine and Marcaine for local or spinal anesthesia. General anesthesia for some procedures is available with an additional fee. Occasionally, the patient is allowed to stay awake through a procedure on special request.

General anesthesia is a relatively safe procedure with the trained personnel and equipment presently available. Still, there is a slight risk of fatality, estimated to occur once in 10,000 operations. However, since the patients treated in our facility are ordinarily in good health, the risk is even less. The Tahoe Clinic has never had a life-threatening complication in over 40,000 operations.

Scarring

Complete removal of scars is impossible since it is the body's natural response in the healing process. Inconspicuous scar tissue, the desired end point of all healing, must be carefully cultivated. A trained plastic surgeon minimizes unfavorable scar development by eliminating all known obstacles to primary healing.

Surgical incisions are placed within the normal tension lines and natural skin folds to camouflage scars. Surgical closure of incisions is performed with meticulous care, usually with hidden, dissolving sutures.

It is impossible to accurately predict the exact character of the final healing. Complete resolution for most scars requires a minimum of six to eight months. Under some circumstances, the final healing may take twelve months and possible longer.

Postoperative care is important in the formation of scar tissue. Protective dressings and restriction of activity is necessary to promote good healing. Application of additional wound care measures, extending beyond the basic requirements, may also improve the degree and character of scar formation. This is standard treatment with trained, experienced board certified plastic surgeons such as those at the Tahoe Clinic.

Recovery

Patients must play an integral part in their own treatment program by adhering strictly to postoperative instructions, and using good common sense. This is just as critical as the technical performance of the surgeon. These instructions are directed toward avoiding injury and distortion during the recovery period which will stimulate excessive scar formation. Follow-up examinations can be performed to monitor the progress of healing.

Most procedures allow the patient to return to non-strenuous activity in one to two weeks. The more extensive operations, of course, will take longer.

Although the patient may feel well enough to resume normal activities in the first week, this is inadvisable. Healing is generally a very reliable and predictable process, but it is not instantaneous.

Most wounds regain sixty to seventy percent of their normal tensile strength in six weeks. This means that premature activity will cause them to stretch or widen, therefore it is imperative that the patient be very careful in the first few weeks after surgery. But that doesn't mean to stay in bed after the first day. Most patients stay only a few days at Tahoe. Expert follow-up care is available in most major cities through-out North America and Western Europe. Our toll-free nationwide telephone number keeps you in touch with your surgeon wherever you live. It's 1-800-SHAPE-UP.

Breast Enlargement

Breast Lift

Breast augmentation adds volume to the breast with an implant to increase fullness and create better balance with the rest of your figure. Due to the Breast Augmentation performed by Dr. Lawrence Foster, your clothing options will expand tremendously, and you'll be comfortable wearing many styles that you were not confident about before the procedure. The Breast Augmentation procedure is performed in Lake Tahoe, California.

For the Breast Augmentation, different types of breast implants are available and different approaches for the augmentation. You and Dr. Lawrence Foster will decide the best type of breast implant and approach for your breast augmentation after your consultation. Breasts are extremely different from person to person, and some approaches give the best breast augmentation results in certain patients.

Small breasts usually result from one of two causes:
Lack of development of the breast during puberty
Loss of breast fullness following pregnancy.

How much your breasts can be enlarged for the breast augmentation depends on your tissues and your desires regarding breast size. For example, if you have never been pregnant, and have a very small 'A' cup breast, your skin may be very tight. This may limit the size that can be achieved. Remember that you want your breasts to be in proportion to the rest of your body - resulting in a beautiful breast augmentation performed by Dr. Lawrence Foster.

At your consultation, Dr. Lawrence Foster will discuss your preferences regarding breast size, and how you would like your breasts to look. After examining you, Dr. Lawrence Foster will recommend certain breast augmentation procedures to you. Dr. Lawrence Foster performs the breast surgery in Lake Tahoe, California.

Breast implants do not cause breast cancer. Excellent scientific studies indicate that breast cancer occurs in about ten percent of women, regardless of whether they have had breast augmentation or not.

Breast implants (Breast Augmentation and Breast Surgery) may make a mammogram somewhat more difficult to read. This does not mean that a mammogram can't be adequately read, simply that the mammograms must be performed and interpreted by someone experienced in the proper techniques. When an implant is present, the breast should be pulled in front of the implant before compressing for a mammogram. This maneuver, combined with additional views if necessary, allows better visualization of the breast tissue. Don't forget Dr. Lawrence Foster is located in Lake Tahoe, California.

The Unforeseen Benefits of Breast Implants

• Breast implants can work like an internal airbag. A 65 yr. old patient came back to me 20 years after implantation and 1 year after a violent auto accident which not only ruptured her left implant but fractured 5 ribs under it. The gel implant had been removed and now she wanted it replaced. After hearing her story of a week in ICU and several weeks in the hospital, it became obvious to me that she had had a life threatening injury, which very well could have been a fatal cardiac contusion without the "internal airbag".

• Pre-op exams have caught soon-to-be fatal conditions early enough to be not only reversed but cured. After 34 years of practice and over 40,000 pre-op exams I have found over a dozen life-threatening conditions that the patients were not aware of, including a malignant lymphoma, two chronic leukemias, a constrictive pericarditis, a chronic cardiac failure, a lung cancer, a pyelonephritis, several chronic bladder infections, a silent coronary occlusion, severe hypertension, chronic atrial fibrillation and a metastatic carcinoma of the colon.

• After well over 5,000 augmentation mammaplasties there has not been a single fatal breast cancer to my knowledge. Implants flatten the breast parenchyma and push any nodule closer to the skin where they are discovered sooner. They block the lymphatic drainage toward the muscle and direct any metastases toward the axillary nodes which also buys time. I'm beginning to wonder if this vascular and lymphatic alteration might even discourage neoplasia in the first place!

• I recently had a patient tell me an endocrinologist said her hypothryoidism disappeared after her aug. mamm. I am wondering if the Betadine pocket irrigation cleared up an iodine deficiency situation. If there is significant absorption of iodine from Betadine pocket irrigation, it can saturate all the iodine binding sites in the thyroid and prevent any significant Iodine 131 absorption when exposed to a nuclear power plant disaster. Breast implants can protect you from "Terrorism"!

• Pregnancy is actually the commonest "complication" of augmentation mammoplasty. As such, augmentation might turn out to be the best initial treatment for infertility.

• A recent program on the Discovery Channel pointed out that nulliparous human females have larger breasts than is necessary for breast feeding compared to all the other primates. They implied that it may be due to evolutionary selection caused by the preference of human males. Human males have been unconsciously selecting the mates they think can nurse their mutual off-spring to a higher state of health and intelligence. If that is true, breast implants increase the selection of mates available to each woman and eventually elevate the health and intelligence of the entire human race. "Nuff said!"

Facial Structure

Youthful facial structure contains soft tissues that are firm and smooth with little mobility. The skin fits snugly over the muscle and bone with few facial lines. A rather firm fatty tissue lining just under the skin fills the contours leaving an overall smooth appearance.

With age the fatty tissue shrinks. The skin stretches. This change causes the skin to fit loosely. The remaining fatty tissue gravitates to the jowls and neck (turkey wattle). In addition, various linear marks become evident where the facial muscles attach to the under surface of the skin. These skin folds become more prominent as a result of gravity and muscular action.

The most profound changes in appearance due to aging occur:

• under the chin and on the upper neck
• along the outer most part of the eyebrows and upper lids
• where the skin folds at the corner of the mouth
• along the border of the jaw
• where underlying muscles attach to the skin and cause lines
• on the forehead, upper & lower lids, upper lip & Crow s feet

The nose also undergoes changes with aging. It becomes slightly larger in the tip and longer. Dental ridge shrinkage and sag in the point of the chin exaggerate these changes. Cartilage imperfections in the nose become more noticeable as the overlying soft tissues thin with age.

Many factors have a direct bearing upon the rate and degree of the aging process. Genetic characteristics can forecast potential developments: fair-skinned people with dry thin skin have more profound signs of aging which occur at a younger age. Other important factors include exposure to sun light and tobacco smoke. Both will cause the elastic fibers to degenerate faster and cause premature, or more severe wrinkling.

Fortunately, although getting older is inevitable and unpreventable, looking and feeling older is not.

Body Structure

Skin stretches, thins, wrinkles and sags. Bone thins, compresses and height decreases while cartilage continues to grow (nose, ears & rib cartilages). Body fat distribution changes and gravitates. Muscle shrinks. You eat less and gain more -- fat! Your hair line recedes and your hair thins. There is a silent but relentless plugging of the arteries with arterio-sclerotic plaques, until eventually memory decreases, sexual performance decreases, immune function decreases, cardiac & pulmonary function decreases, VO2 decreases, vital organs shrink and then you turn 40!

Yes, this all begins in the 20's and continues relentlessly until death. The good news is, most of it is not only preventable but reversible!

Anti-Aging Medicine

The Tahoe Clinic Phase II Project endeavors to make you feel as young as you look. Global hormone replacement therapy (melatonin, pregnenolone, DHEA, thyroid, testosterone, estrogen, progesterone & Human Growth Hormone) can return your metabolism to that of a 25 year old. Click here to go to Tahoe Clinics' Anti-Aging Web site.

Cosmetic Surgery

Each year, the number of individuals who undergo cosmetic surgery increases at an incredible rate. Age no longer is a barrier. Everyone faces the challenge of maintaining a positive attitude about themselves, especially with the social and economic influences of today.

It is well accepted that cosmetic surgery can satisfy a variety of needs, for instance, improving ones appearance will provide an extra measure of inner confidence, which then leads to improved career performance.

The final decision to undergo any elective surgical procedure must be made by you alone. Don t be encouraged or discouraged about it solely by the suggestions of others. It is a personal decision. You will find support from those who are truly concerned about your well-being.

More minimally invasive procedures are available now than ever before. That means you get bigger and better results with smaller and smaller incisions, or in some cases, no incisions at all (such as the laser face-lift). Only highly experienced plastic surgeons (we have over 50 years of combined experience) who are skilled in all available techniques can offer you the full range of available procedures, explain the various benefits and enable you to make an informed choice. We have each performed not thousands, but tens of thousands of plastic surgery operations of all types.

South Lake Tahoe CA Plastic Surgeon