Ebinger was fed up with the sagging flap of skin on his neck. "I had three to four inches of really loose skin. It looked like a turkey neck," Ebinger said. He started noticing the problem when he was in his 60s, and it gradually got worse. "When relatives made comments, I started thinking about it more," Ebinger said.  

Ebinger regularly sees plastic surgeon Juan Angelats, M.D., for routine follow-up checks for skin cancer. On one of those visits last fall, Ebinger asked, "Can you do anything about my neck?"

"For many people, especially men, it takes a little courage to ask that type of thing," said Angelats, who is chairman of the division of plastic surgery at Loyola. Plastic surgeons perform both reconstructive surgery to correct a deformity from an injury or a disease such as skin cancer, and cosmetic surgery to enhance appearance.

Angelats has seen attitudes toward cosmetic surgery change in the past decade. There is much less social stigma and less concern about safety due to the advances in anesthesia and surgical techniques. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), in 2003, there were 1.7 million cosmetic surgeries performed in the United States along with 8.7 million minimally invasive cosmetic procedures such as botox injection and laser skin resurfacing.

"It used to be rare to have a male patient. In the past five years, the attitudes of men toward cosmetic surgery have changed substantially," Angelats said. "Men want to think young and look young. The Baby Boomers in particular want to look good compared to their competition in the job market." Men make up 14 percent of cosmetic surgery patients, according to the ASPS.

In Ebinger's case, Angelats had important health issues to consider. Ebinger was taking blood-thinning medication since having a minor stroke in 1995. For this reason, Angelats ruled out the traditional approach to lifting the neck, which involves pulling the skin tighter from behind the ears. The surgery requires general anesthesia and takes about three hours. The alternative was removing skin directly from the neck area. This short procedure can be performed with local anesthesia. It was a safer approach for Ebinger. In consultation with his cardiologist, Ebinger stopped taking the blood-thinning medication for five days to have the neck lift.  

"At Loyola we take into account the health of the whole person and plan the safest approach. All of our plastic surgeons have extensive experience and are board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. They have the background and knowledge to tailor procedures to each person's needs," Angelats said.

Ebinger had the neck lift performed last October. He was on his way home in only a couple of hours and says it was only slightly uncomfortable. "I think Dr. Angelats is great. In fact, a male acquaintance of mine has already had his neck done based on my recommendation."  

"My neck is beautiful now, real nice and tight like a young kid. I definitely should have done this earlier," Ebinger said. "My neck looks better than most people my age. My wife's getting a little jealous," he joked.

To make an appointment with a plastic surgeon at Loyola, call (708) 216-8563.

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