Dr. Douglas Michael Stevens, MD

My approach to facial rejuvenation is one that I would like to share with you. The purpose of cosmetic surgery is to turn back the clock; eliminating or reducing the effects of time and occasionally to enhance features beyond what may have been present to begin with. A well-executed facelift, for example, does not elicit comments that compliment me or the procedure; rather, the goal is for people to notice a newness, a freshness but without the ability to put their finger on what leads them to notice this change. I want people to look at you and think that you look great – is it the hair, is it a vacation or a new sense of energy and optimism? I am not looking for, “wow, what a nice facelift.” The goal is not to have you look like someone else but rather to look like yourself without the effects of aging. In the case of a chin or cheek augmentation or nasal cosmetic surgery, these procedures can correct a deficit that was present before but in such a subtle way that it is hard …to realize that anything was done without looking at side by side before and after pictures.
When people speak and interact with you there is a movement of their focus revolving around your eyes and the nose. Facial recognition software that is in use to survey the crowds in New York utilizes digital image information from these areas because the features found there are most useful in identifying individuals of interest. Thus, any change made to the eyes, brows and nose are very subtle but very significant in the way others view you. One of my favorite procedures is the endoscopic browplasty. With tiny ¼ inch incisions behind the hairline I can elevate the brows and open up the eyes in a very different way then just removing excess skin of the upper eyelid. The result makes you look more awake, rested and alert without the surprised look that causes concern. Once the brows are properly placed then addressing the extra skin of the upper and/or lower eyelids puts the polishing touch on the result.
Another area that I have learned with experience is that different problems require different solutions. If you are treated with only one modality – such as a facelift – when volumization or fillers are also required, then you will always be dissatisfied with the end result. The purpose of a facelift or my local anesthesia Active Lift is to elevate tissue that has sagged under the effects of gravity along the jawline, jowls and in the neck. These lifts are most effective in the lower third of the face. The elevation should result in fullness over the cheeks and a youthful olive shape to the face rather than the rectangular shape that occurs with sagging and aging. This can and should be accomplished without a pulled appearance or alteration of the position of the corner of the mouth. Trying to get every crease and fold out by surgery is a mistake that results in the pulled, unnatural look that is far too commonly seen. Rather, after surgery, the small crease in the corner of the mouth or the folds to the side of the nose can be softened with the use of fillers such as Bellafill. These fillers are soft, natural and effective with duration of 60 months. They provide the “cherry on top” of a well done structural procedure such as a facelift.
I believe that the trend in cosmetic surgery is away from large, highly invasive procedures that require an operating room and general anesthesia towards in-office local anesthesia procedures. In the seventies, facelifts and browplasties were performed under general anesthesia with three days spent in the hospital. In the nineties, most cosmetic surgery was performed under IV sedation in an outpatient surgical setting. We are now performing the majority of our procedures under local anesthesia in an office setting.
There is nothing that brings me more joy than meeting new people, creating new relationships that ultimately lead to a great rejuvenation and transformation. I can’t wait to meet you.

• Healthpark Medical Center

Gladiolus Surgery Center

7431 Gladiolus Dr

Fort Myers

FL

33908

USA

+12396897000

• Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
• Plastic Surgery

• Rhinoplasty
• Myringotomy and Tympanotomy
• Inner Ear Tests
• Myringotomy and Tympanotomy
• Tonsillectomy or Adenoidectomy

• Accepts Medicare
• Florida Blue BlueCare HMO
• PHCS PPO
• BCBS Blue Card PPO
• CIGNA PPO
• Aetna HMO
• Aetna Choice POS II
• CIGNA Open Access Plus
• Aetna Managed Choice POS Open Access
• Florida Blue BlueOptions
• Multiplan PPO
• CIGNA HMO

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea
• Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
• Hearing Loss
• Allergic Rhinitis
• Otitis Media
• Deviated Nasal Septum
• Laryngeal Cancer
• Acute Otitis Externa
• Chronic Sinusitis