Using  new software, Dr. Renato Calabria shows his potential patients what they will look like after the surgery. Everybody wants to look good, especially in Hollywood, but a lot of Calabria's patients are CEOs, producers, lawyers and average people in this youth driven society.

LAFM: Can you give me a little background on yourself?

CALABRIA: When I was a little boy I grew up in Europe and went to medical school there. I was really good in art and wanted to major in art but decided to go into medical school. I still wanted to develop my interest in art and I think plastic surgery has a lot to do with art. Once I graduated from there I decided to do my medical training here so I came to California.

LAFM: Tell me surgeries you perform.

CALABRIA: I do mostly aesthetic surgery. I'm a plastic and reconstructive surgeon who specializes in aesthetic surgery. The procedures I do are face lifts, tummy tucks, breast enhancements and other new procedures with laser.

LAFM: What is your specialty?

CALABRIA: I do a lot of face‑lifts. I use the latest technique, which is one that I helped to develop. This new technique helps to do a face‑lift without the usual scarring around the ears. We use small, tiny incisions through the hairline using a small camera and scope and small design instruments. That allows us to do everything through the small incisions without the traditional scarring that causes the stigmata of the face lift face that we all dread.

LAFM: How painful is it?

CALABRIA: It's not very painful. The patient recovers in about a week to ten days. There is mild bruising but with this new technique there is a lot less bruising than before.

LAFM: How long do face lifts last?

CALABRIA: It depends on how your skin ages. It could last up to ten, fifteen years.

LAFM: HBO had a special called THE BREAST MEN, about the two Doctors who first did plastic surgery. Did you see it and what was your reaction?

CALABRIA: I didn't see it but I heard comments. I thought it was interesting to bring out that topic. I haven't seen it so I can't comment on how close to the truth the show was but there is a little bit of Hollywood in plastic surgery. If you stick to reality it is a lot less glamorous than it appears to be.

LAFM: There have been numerous health problems linked to silicone implants. Are breast enhancements finally safe for women?

CALABRIA: There are some safety issues involved. The silicone problems came out with Connie Chung and it really hit the medical community hard. But the bottom line is that the hard data hasn't shown any significance of the silicone being involved with the disease. The scare was more motivated by financial issues than scientific data. Right now they are not on the market and the saline implants are the only ones available. We have some new implants that are anatomical. They are more advanced, they give you a more natural look and they are a tier shape. They just came out on the market and we've been using them with success.

LAFM: Do implants last a long time?

CALABRIA: People were told they would last forever but that's not actually true. They can have some problems. Ten, fifteen years from now a woman can experience a tightening of the skin envelope around her breast and the breast can get a little harder. We have the answer for that. We can go back, take the scar tissue off and replace the implant. The implant can deflate but that happens only in about 1% of the cases so it's not very common. If that happens you need to replace them. I have patients who have had implants for many years with no problems.

LAFM: Do you develop a relationship with your patients or do you just give them their implant and send them off?

CALABRIA: You need to follow up with the patient, make sure she's doing okay and give routine mammograms. Overall. 99% of the women, despite the side effects, are happy and would do it again.