Dr. 90210

Season 3, Episode 9
Aired February, 6 2006

Dr. Linda Li

Now referring to their little boy by his middle name - "Max," Dr. Li and Dr. Fulcher throw a celebration for his circumcision. Although a non-Jewish family, they believe that it would be more hygienic for their son to undergo this procedure than to keep his foreskin. So they bring a Mohel (Rabbi Shalom Denbo) to their home to perform the circumcision, and despite Dr. Fulcher's nervousness, it's over before they know it. Then duty calls for Dr. Li. But she's just not ready to give into work demands yet! Now that the baby is here, the mother-of-one doesn't feel ready yet to divide her time between the office and spending time with Max at home. But whether Dr. Li is ready or not, she has staff to pay and a new building to utilize. So amidst wake-up calls in the middle of the night and a practice to attend to, Dr. Li has some decisions to make.

Patient #1: Lucy Code
Procedure: Rhinoplasty
Surgeon: Dr. Paul Nassif

Ever since fracturing her nose in a horrible bicycle incident at 9-years-old, Lucy Code has never been the same. Always embarrassed with the bump that has remained for years; the 41-year-old from Glendora, Calif. is ready to get her problem fixed. She feels confident going forward with her decision to have plastic surgery, especially with the support of her boyfriend, 16-year-old daughter Kimberly, and 11-year-old son Brian to see her through. So Lucy goes to Dr. Paul Nassif for "septorhinoplasty," which is a procedure that combines reconstruction of the nasal septum and deformity correction.

After evaluating Lucy's nose during her pre-op visit and learning how important this procedure is to her, Dr. Nassif feels confident that he will do her justice. He knows that once Lucy gets this surgery she will be able to get on with her life. And with a witty family by her side keeping her spirits up, she can't wait to undergo this procedure.

The day of surgery arrives and Lucy is anxiety-free! Once she is under anesthesia, Dr. Nassif gets started. He begins by removing the bone from her deviated septum to help her breathe without any nasal obstruction. Doing so, he removes some of the cartilage as well, which Dr. Nassif says that he will put right back if he doesn't use it. As a doctor who specializes in nose surgery, he explains that with cartilage tissue, he can take it out, change its shape, and once it goes back it will stay in place. Dr. Nassif then removes the bulbous tip from her nose. The final stage is removing Lucy's bump, and noticing that her tip is asymmetrical, he makes pockets for the cartilage that will be reinserted. Once Dr. Nassif finishes up, he admits that the surgery was trickier than he thought, but he is happy with the outcome.

Yet when Lucy visits him for her post-op visit, Dr. Nassif doesn't look too pleased with her. He has her spit out the gum she's chewing, explaining that it's using too much of her facial muscles. Then noticing that Lucy's nose is swollen, he knows that she's been active; Lucy admits that she couldn't resist doing housework. Dr. Nassif gives her a reminder rundown of what she should not be doing during recovery. He says that because rhinoplasty does not cause too much pain afterwards, many patients forget that they just had major surgery and he has to repeat healing instructions over and over again.

As time passes, Lucy feels more comfortable looking in the mirror and has a higher level of confidence. She says that she has no regrets with the surgery, only that she wishes she would have had it sooner.

To learn more about some of the procedures featured on this week's episode of Dr. 90210, please follow the links below:

Patient #2: Jesse
Procedure: Buried Penis Correction
Surgeon: Dr. Gary Alter

Jesse, a 26-year-old from Seattle, Wash. needs the help of Dr. Gary Alter. With an uncomfortable condition he has to live with everyday, Jesse has decided on a procedure known as "buried penis correction." He says that when he sits down or gets up, his penis itches a lot and takes on the appearance of a retracting telescope; basically going inside itself. Jesse says this problem has developed in the last three to four years; a time when his weight fluctuated. With wife Ayako in favor of this procedure, Jesse says that it bothers him mentally, not solely on a physical level. He can't handle it any longer.

Dr. Alter details the procedure to Jesse during his pre-op visit with use of a diagram, and also explains to him that he has a "penal scrotal web." This is when the skin of the scrotum is pulled up on the underside of the penis, commonly caused by an overaggressive circumcision; where too much skin is removed by the underside of the penis. As a specialist in the field of urology and a sub-specialist in genital reconstruction, Dr. Alter says that this procedure is actually pretty common; life-changing for the men that go through it. Yet, many men feel ashamed or embarrassed to admit the problem. According to Dr. Alter, the main causes of a hidden or buried penis are: obesity, aging, and circumcision.

On the day of surgery, Jesse is eager to get things moving, but would rather avoid the anesthetic needle injections. Even though he is a bit nervous on how he will feel afterwards, he is confident that Dr. Alter will do a good job.

Stage one starts with Dr. Alter closing space in Jesse's pubic area by cutting out extra skin. Then by using a "Z-plasty" incision, he rearranges the webbed skin under the penis. Dr. Alter points out that with this technique, the length is actually extended. During the last stage, he sutures the skin of the penis back onto the shaft and places stitches through the outer layer of the tough tissue chamber to the penis. Dr. Alter then stabilizes the skin from the upper scrotum area to the erection chambers; preventing the penis from sinking back into the scrotum. Following surgery, Dr. Alter is pleased with the results and says that it met his expectations.

Just 24 hours later, Jesse goes in for his post-op visit with Dr. Alter and is told that he is healing just fine. Fast forward a few weeks and Jesse is extremely happy with having had the surgery. He says that he feels more confident, social, and that even sex between he and his wife is better. Ayako loves that her husband has become more romantic and touchy-feely. Along with feeling more comfortable with his body now, he is able to be active again - whether playing tennis or walking for a long period of time. With quicker surgery than he expected and great results to enjoy - Jesse is a new man!

To learn more about some of the procedures featured on this week's episode of Dr. 90210, please follow the links below:

Breast Lift
Breast Augmentation
Chin Implant

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To find out how you can contact Dr. Jason Diamond of Dr. 90210, CLICK HERE.