celebrity plastic surgery : THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

Thirty years ago, cosmetic plastic surgery wasn't a topic of everyday conversation. It was still somewhat foreign to the public at large, something primarily done by the very wealthy and not discussed much, by them or anyone else.

Michael Jackson, version 4.0.

Now plastic surgery is front and center, not just in the celebrity universe, but in the everyday world. Tummy tucks, face-lifts, breast augmentations: People know a lot about them and aren't hesitating to have them done - Pueblo residents included. In 2005, $12.4 billion was spent on elective cosmetic procedures, according to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Ninety-one percent of those procedures were performed on women.

Here's one bit of information about the term itself: "plastic surgery" comes from the Greek word plastikos, which means to mold or give form.

Drs. Donald Luebke, Charles Kessler and Philip Marin, Pueblo's three plastic surgeons, all said that the increasing publicity about cosmetic surgery means people who come in for consultations already have gathered plenty of information.

"Most patients are well-read and have a fairly good database of knowledge," said Marin. “(Media exposure) desensitized the American population. They understand the process, so it creates a level of acceptance."

Marin said the baby-boomer population, in particular, is driving the plastic surgery trend.

"They're wanting to work longer and are competing with younger people," he said. "That in itself has increased the number of procedures nationwide."

Locally, breast augmentation and liposuction are the most common procedures; abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, and eyelid surgery are two other popular choices.

"I did my first implant 30 years ago," said Luebke, who's been practicing in Pueblo since 1979.

Silicone implants were the norm until the early ’90s, when problems arose with them. For now, surgeons use saline-filled implants, but a new, redesigned silicone version - already used for breast reconstruction in cancer patients - is expected to be approved for all surgeries soon.

"It's a cohesive gel implant. It doesn't leak; you can actually cut it in half. They call it the gummy-bear implant," said Luebke.

Another relatively new feature is adjustable implants. Several ounces of air can be added or removed through a tiny valve, which is eventually removed.

Kessler said he's seen an increase in the number of young women who want implants, but middle-aged patients are still more common.

"Usually, they've had children and now want to have something done, either an augmentation or something to correct sagging," he said.

JoAnn Schlegel, the clinic supervisor for Drs. Kessler and Marin (who share an office), is a nurse and has worked for plastic surgeons for 25 years. She's also been a patient. Her first procedure was rhinoplasty (nose job), then eyelid work and finally, in 1985, breast implants.

Schlegel said she's happy with the results of all three surgeries, but has one emphatic piece of advice for anyone thinking about cosmetic surgery.

"It's something you have to do for yourself, not anybody else," she said.

By AMY MATTHEW