If you’re planning facial plastic surgery, Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute (aka Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery) wants to make sure your experience is a positive one. That means taking every necessary safety precaution, including eliminating certain medications and supplements in the months leading up to your procedure. Many medications and dietary or herbal supplements can remain in your body for weeks and may interact with other medications and anesthesia required at the time of your surgery. A negative reaction between two drugs could put your health or life at risk.

It's imperative that you tell your surgeon about any medications or supplements you're taking prior to your facial plastic surgery. Jacksonville's Garcia Institute can advise you.

For your safety, be sure you tell your Jacksonville facial plastic surgeon about all prescription and over-the-counter medications, dietary and herbal supplements and recreational drugs you have taken in the six months prior to your scheduled facial plastic surgery. Jacksonville-area patients are advised to avoid all types of aspirin and ibuprofen for two weeks prior to your procedure. Both of these medications are temporary blood thinners and thus can cause excessive bleeding during your surgery. If you need a pain reliever, ask your plastic surgeon if it’s okay to take acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol. Acetaminophen may be safer because it does not interfere with blood clotting.

If you have been prescribed antidepressant medications, make sure tell your surgeon immediately. Antidepressants and other drugs classified as MAO (monoamine oxidase) inhibitors can negatively react to anesthesia. Telling your Jacksonville plastic surgeon and your anesthesiologist early allows them to make necessary adjustments and keep an extra cautions eye out for any potential problems.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that because herbal remedies are naturally derived they are safe. St. John’s wort, a popular natural supplement believed to help treat depression and premenstrual syndrome, is known to interact with anesthesia. St. Johns Wort, ginseng and Ginkgo Biloba can increase bleeding. Ephedra and kava can affect blood pressure and heart rate and interfere with anesthetic medications, and kava in particular can intensify anesthesia’s sedation effects. Echinacea can contribute to allergic reactions.

The Garcia Institute’s Drs. Phillip Garcia and Dr. Roberto Garcia also strongly recommend that you not smoke cigarettes for at least two weeks before and two weeks after your facial plastic surgery. Jacksonville patients who do not smoke heal quicker and have less noticeable scarring than do patients who continue smoking.

If you’re considering facial plastic surgery, contact Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute for a consultation today.

At Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery, Jacksonville-area patients have lots of questions about various procedures – how they work, what results they achieve and how long those results will last. That’s a good thing in light of the many myths circulating about facial plastic surgery. Here are a few that we hear most often:

Confused about facial plastic surgery? Jacksonville's Garcia Institute dispells the myths.

Myth #1: Only celebrities and wealthy socialites have or can afford facial plastic surgery.

Jacksonville-area cosmetic surgery patients’ demographics mirror those in other areas of the nation. Studies show that a full 86 percent of plastic surgery patients are working women. And in a 2004 study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 60 percent of the respondents reported a household income of between $30,000 and $90,000, and 30 percent reported making less than $30,000. In fact, many people struggling in today’s tight economy are springing for plastic surgery procedures that will help improve their looks and boost their confidence. Why? Because studies by trusted institutions including the Harvard University and the Journal of Economic Psychology reveal that people who feel they are attractive also tend to have higher opinions of their worth and capabilities. That confidence means higher chances of landing competitive jobs and an average 12 percent higher income than their less attractive peers.

Myth #2: All plastic surgeons are created equal.

Save for the occasional rogue busted for performing cosmetic procedures without a license, all legally compliant facial plastic surgeons have the same core training and licensing. However, not all are board-certified in specialties within facial plastic surgery. Jacksonville’s Drs. Phillip Garcia and Roberto Garcia both are certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Phillip Garcia also is board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic Surgery and Dr. Roberto Garcia by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Even with the same certifications, plastic surgeons across Jacksonville and elsewhere have their own personal styles. Remember that much of cosmetic surgery is an art, so it’s critical that you ask to see many photos of a cosmetic surgeon’s work before choosing one.

Myth #3: Plastic surgery leaves no scars.

All surgical procedures heal with scars, but advances in minimally invasive and endoscopic procedures are making those scars all but invisible. At Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery, our Jacksonville surgeons make tissue incisions in strategic positions and directions to hide or minimize their visibility.

Myth #4: Plastic surgery results do not last.

This is the one myth that has an ounce of truth – but it’s entirely up to the patient. Cosmetic surgery procedures are designed to give patients lasting results, though aging and weight will factor into the long-term efficacy of any procedure. By doing your part with a nutritious diet, ample sleep, regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle, you add years to your cosmetic surgery’s results.

If you’d love to look younger without the downtime of a traditional plastic surgery procedure (and who wouldn’t?) consider an endoscopic brow lift. Jacksonville’s Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery, also known as the Garcia Institute, offers this less invasive procedure as an effective alternative for its busiest clients.

An endoscopic brow lift offers a rejuvenated look with a fraction of the downtime, post-operative discomfort and scarring than a traditional brow lift.

With an endoscopic brow lift, Jacksonville patients who require less extensive treatment enjoy a rejuvenated look with a shorter recovery time than a traditional brow lift procedure entails. This procedure raises the eyebrow line and smoothes out wrinkles – much like its traditional counterpart. However, it’s achieved removing less skin. The difference is in the way incisions are made. A traditional brow lift involves the making one long incision from between the tops of ears, arching over the top of the forehead within the hairline. An endoscopic browlift instead requires just four to six small (about one inch) incisions behind the hairline.

In an endoscopic brow lift, Jacksonville’s Drs. Phillip Garcia and Roberto Garcia use an endoscope, a long, slender medical device that allows them to see the tissues beneath your skin on a monitor. This further allows them to work with smaller, fewer incisions. Less extensive incisions mean less recovery time, less post-operative discomfort and less scarring than is typical with a traditional brow lift. However, results may be less pronounced and shorter-lived. That’s why the ideal candidate is younger and does not need as much skin removed to achieve ideal results.

Both traditional and endoscopic brow lift procedures help address drooping brows, horizontal lines across the forehead, deep furrows between the brows, heavy upper lids and an angry or tired appearance that often comes with age or high-stress lifestyles. If you are interested in a traditional or endoscopic brow lift, Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute has the experience and expertise to offer you beautiful, natural looking results. Visit our website for more information and use our convenient Click to Call feature to schedule a consultation.

If you’re wondering about ear surgery, Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute has answers to all your questions. Formally referred to as “otoplasty” and often called “ear pinning,” cosmetic ear surgery is designed to change the appearance of your external ears. Most often, the surgery is performed on patients who feel their ears too noticeably protrude away from their scalps. When this is the case, an ear surgery procedure reshapes the cartilage in a way that brings the ear closer to the scalp.

However, other reasons for otoplasty exist, including genetic disorders such as Treacher Collins syndrome, hemifacial microsomia and Stahl’s deformity (known as “Spock ear”); and traumatic ear injuries caused by car crashes, fights or dog bites, for instance. Reconstructive or cosmetic ear surgery can involve moving, reshaping, adding or removing ear elements.

Before and after photos of an otoplasty procedure by Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery. Click the image to see more patient photos.

Otoplasty was first developed in ancient India around 600 BC and often was used to reconstruct ears that had been amputated as a punishment for crimes. Those same early procedures form the basis for the very procedures that are performed today. The most common ear surgery procedures involve removing excess cartilage from the center back of the ear, then reconnecting the ear closer to the scalp using absorbable sutures. In pediatric ear surgery, Jacksonville surgeons typically perform the procedure under general anesthesia. Adults are treated under local or twilight anesthesia. Immediately following the procedure, patients wear headbands that keep their ears in place 24 hours a day for three weeks. And most are able to resume normal athletic activity within two weeks following ear surgery.

Jacksonville’s Drs. Phillip Garcia and Roberto Garcia focus exclusively on facial reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. Otoplasty is a specialty for them, so rest assured that you are in the best of hands. To discuss your ear surgery, contact Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute at (904) 247-8522.

Considering cosmetic nasal surgery? Jacksonville’s Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery offers tips on making sure you get the best results possible with your rhinoplasty procedure.

Cosmetic nasal surgery, also known as rhinoplasty, is intended to correct aesthetic issues of the nose that make patients feel self-conscious. Among the most common issues that Jacksonville plastic surgery specialist see in patients are:

•    A nose that appears too large for the face;
•    A bump on the nasal bridge when viewed in profile;
•    A nose that seems too wide when viewed from the front;
•    A nasal tip that droops or plunges;
•    A thickened or enlarged tip;
•    Excessively flared nostrils;
•    An off-center or crooked nose;
•    An asymmetrical shape of the nose caused by a previous injury.

Cosmetic nasal surgery isn't like choosing a new nose from a catalog. Many factors are at play, so having realistic expectations is critical.

In 2009, the fourth most frequently performed plastic surgery procedure was cosmetic nasal surgery. Jacksonville’s Drs. Philip Garcia and Roberto Garcia specialize in reconstructive and cosmetic nasal surgery. Their most important piece of advice to patients is to clearly and fully communicate with your Jacksonville plastic surgeon and to have reasonable expectations.

It has been said that the best candidates for cosmetic nasal surgery – or any cosmetic surgery – are those who want to improve, not perfect the way they look. The nose is the face’s most prominent feature and many factors affect what a surgeon is and is not able to accomplish. Patients often mistakenly believe that the process is like choosing a new nose from a catalog. Surgeons today use advanced digital imaging and morphing software to help communicate ideas and expectations prior to a patient undergoing a nose surgery procedure. However, understand that each procedure is as unique as each patient.

To assure great results with your cosmetic nasal surgery, Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute asks that you be extremely clear as to what you would like to change about your nose and why. The decision to undergo any plastic surgery procedure should be yours alone, so be sure that you are not being influenced by your family, friends or media-fed perceptions. Even the most extensive cosmetic nasal surgery won’t make you look like that movie star on the magazine covers. It will make you look like you – only better. And that’s a beautiful thing!

To plan your cosmetic nasal surgery, contact Jacksonville’s Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery at (904) 247-8522.

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery recently debuted its ProjectBeauty.com advice site, featuring video blogs on beauty issues ranging from the perfect ponytail to porcelain veneers to plastic surgery. Sections such as beauty, style and healthy living cover makeup, hair, nails, fashion, fitness, diet, skin care and vitamin/mineral supplements. Video blogs are announced by reporter Audrey Hasson, by experts in various fields or by everyday people who have undergone plastic surgery procedures. Patient-centered video blogs include one from a New York teenager who underwent a rhinoplasty surgery.

Although ProjectBeauty.com is produced by the ASAPS, considered among the nation’s leading organizations for professionals in plastic surgery, it’s not a plastic surgery website per se. Still, the site offers lots of healthy advice that the organization’s 2,200 board-certified plastic surgeons stand behind.

If you’re considering plastic surgery, Jacksonville’s Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery (also known as the Garcia Institute) is among the leading facial plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery practices in Northeast Florida, primarily offering facial plastic surgery in Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach and St. Augustine areas. Our state-of-the-art surgery suite is the region’s only JCAHO (Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Organizations) certified office-based surgery suite. And our Jacksonville plastic surgeons are double board-certified – Dr. Phillip Garcia, MD, FACS by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Dr. Robert Garcia, MD by the American Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and both by the American Board of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery.

For facial plastic surgery, Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute is a trusted source. We work exclusively on the face, affording patients a higher level of focus than do Jacksonville plastic surgeons who offer both facial and body plastic surgery procedures. Visit our website to learn about the facial plastic surgery procedures and other facial services we offer; take a look at our Before & After section to see the results of our work; then give us a call at (904) 247-8522 to set an appointment for your consultation.

A screen shot of the ASAPS' new Project Beauty website

When considering plastic surgery, Jacksonville clients must consider not only the surgeons and staff, but the facility where the procedure will take place. The Garcia Institute is located on the first floor of the Atrium Building at 700 Third Street in Neptune Beach near Jacksonville, just blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. Ours is North Florida’s only office-based surgery suite accredited and certified by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Founded in 1951, the Joint Commission is the nation’s leader in developing and enforcing the highest standards of quality and safety in the delivery of healthcare and in evaluating organizational performance based on these standards. Accreditation and certification by the Joint Commission requires an exhaustive evaluation that ensures compliance with the organization’s standards plus requirements by various regulatory agencies governing the medical industry. Evaluators go through a firm’s facilities and organizational procedures with a fine-toothed comb and make suggestions for improvement where needed.

The Joint Commission’s Office-Based Surgery Accreditation Program was introduced in 2001 to help improve the safety of office-based surgical facilities. To date, more than 400 office-based surgery practices are accredited by the Joint Commission, and we are proud to be the forerunner in accredited and certified office suites offering plastic surgery in Jacksonville and throughout Northeast Florida. The distinction allows us access to the commission’s expert advice and education on quality improvement and the ability to attract highly trained and qualified staff.

Garcia Institute Summer House Cottages Recovery Suite

The Garcia Institute’s state-of-the-art facility carries a home-like feel with soothing color schemes, soft lighting and plush furniture to help patients feel at ease. And our surgical suites boast the latest in equipment and technologies to assure you the safest, least invasive surgical experience possible.

To help get your recovery started quickly and smoothly, we offer single-night and extended stays in our Summer House Cottages recovery suites, located in a private and secluded Ponte Vedra Beach residence. The home is backed by a tranquil pond and is just blocks from the Atlantic shoreline. You’ll enjoy peace and quiet in a plush environment with valet service to the beach.

If you’re considering plastic surgery, Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute is among the most trusted firms in Northeast Florida. Browse our website to learn more about our services, staff and facilities and use our convenient, online Click to Call feature to talk with a representative about your plastic surgery needs.

The word “plastic” has long been assumed to infer something artificial or fake-looking, causing many to be apprehensive about undergoing plastic surgery. Jacksonville-area residents considering plastic surgery invariably are concerned about the results of their procedures looking anything but natural, so this is a common question for staff at Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery (aka the Garcia Institute).

Actually, the “plastic” in plastic surgery doesn’t refer to artificiality at all. Instead, the term is derived from the Greek word “plastikos,” which means to mold or give form – which is exactly that plastic surgeons do for patients’ faces and bodies. The term comes from the practice of the earliest known plastic surgeons developing skin flaps to close wounds or replace tissue lost to injuries or skin-deforming diseases such as skin cancer in an effort to restore the patient’s original appearance. Archaeological and written evidence suggests medical treatments for facial injuries were performed more than 4,000 years ago, and in ancient India, physicians are known to have performed skin graft procedures as early as 800 B.C. Read more »

Perhaps among the most nerve wracking cosmetic surgery or reconstructive surgery options is nose surgery. Jacksonville’s Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery Institute offers nose surgery (informally called nose jobs) by highly skilled and board certified plastic surgeons Dr. Phillip Garcia, M.D., F.A.C.S. and Dr. Roberto Eloy Garcia, M.D. Each trained in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the world renowned McCullough Institute for Appearance and Health in Alabama, and Dr. Roberto Garcia completed a fellowship that included heavily specialized reconstructive surgery of the nose.

The nose is among the features that lend the most character to our faces, and it’s the one that causes the most angst for patients unhappy with theirs. A nose that’s too big, too wide or crooked either naturally for resulting from an accident (or a brawl – we don’t judge) can be a source of self consciousness or even downright embarrassment. When you need nose surgery, Jacksonville’s Garcia Institute can help.

Nasal surgery is performed for two reasons: to restore or improve the function of the nose, and to improve its aesthetic form. Functional reconstructive nose surgery primarily addresses cases of a deviated septum. The nose septum, made up of cartilage and bone, divides the nose into two halves. A deviation (either natural or as a result of nose trauma) obstructs airflow and can cause a cadre of symptoms including headaches, snoring, daytime sleepiness and sinusitis. Another common problem is enlarged turbinates, tiny structures within the nose that help warm incoming air and prepare the body for allergens such as pollen. When turbinates enlarge, they can obstruct airflow and cause symptoms similar to those of a deviated septum. Performed in our state-of-the-art surgical center near Jacksonville, functional nose surgery involves straightening the nose septum or reducing the size of turbinates.

On the other hand, cosmetic nose surgery – also called “rhinoplasty” or simply, a “nose job” – focuses on the nose’s aesthetic form. Drs. Garcia aim to improve the nose’s size and special balance with the rest face, so that the focal point of a patient’s face moves from the nose to the eyes. Cosmetic nose surgery primarily involves sculpting or adding cartilage to the nose’s tip or bridge to give the nose a better shape or make it less prominent.

Cosmetic nose surgery in Jacksonville typically is performed under twilight anesthesia, making it less risky than undergoing general anesthesia, which can be dangerous and leave you groggy for days. Patients have neither discomfort during the procedure or any recollection of the procedure afterward. And we use absorbable sutures that require no removal. Splints and tapes are removed seven days after nose surgery, though patients typically are able to breathe through their noses again within three days, and we’ll follow your progress for one year, performing any needed revisions.

If you have trouble breathing through your nose, or if you simply are unhappy with its shape or size, contact the Garcia Institute via our online email form or at or 800-803-0082 or 904-247-8522 to speak with a Jacksonville nose surgery specialist today.

If you’ve been putting off facial cosmetic surgery because of a packed schedule and a busy social life, consider opting for a Lifestyle Lift®. Jacksonville’s Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery Institute caters to many patients with hectic careers, full social lives and heavy travel schedules. Downtime is an elusive luxury for many, but Northeast Florida residents still want to look their best. After all, our year-round mild climate means lots of sunny days and clear nights to get out and about with friends and network with professional colleagues.

When you opt for a Lifestyle Lift at our Jacksonville surgery center, you’ll get a less-invasive approach to traditional facelift surgery performed by our highly qualified, board certified plastic surgeons. We use the most advanced cosmetic surgical techniques to tighten and smooth your face and neck, eliminating wrinkles and leaving you with a natural, youthful and refreshed look. The procedure is designed to address common signs of aging including a sagging jaw line, droopy eyelids and facial creases. The result is more significant than you’ll see with dermal fillers, but not as drastic a change as you would get with a traditional facelift.

Lifestyle Lift Before & After

Lifestyle Lift Before & After

With the Lifestyle Lift, Jacksonville area patients undergo local anesthesia (sometimes called “twilight anesthesia”), rather than general anesthesia. You’ll feel incredibly relaxed, even sleepy, but you’ll be able to respond and follow your plastic surgeon’s simple directions. While the thought of being awake during facial plastic surgery may sound a bit unnerving, local anesthesia typically causes a patient to forget all about the actual surgical procedure. The primary benefit, however, is that local anesthesia poses far less risk than does general anesthesia, which can be dangerous at worse and leave you feeling groggy for days afterward at best.

Fast becoming one of the most requested cosmetic procedures in Jacksonville, the Lifestyle Lift surgery typically takes about an hour for a skilled plastic surgeon to complete and most patients are able to return to their normal routines in a week’s time. Less time spent in surgery and the use of local anesthetics rather than more intense general anesthetics makes the Lifestyle Lift among Jacksonville’s most affordable options for effective, long-lasting facial rejuvenation.