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June 8, 2023

Steven Sigalove, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona

Steven Sigalove, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona

After 15 years in Chicago, Dr. Steven Sigalove took a bold leap and moved both his family and his busy, successful practice to start over in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Over the years while caring for breast reconstruction patients with his wife, who is an...


After 15 years in Chicago, Dr. Steven Sigalove took a bold leap and moved both his family and his busy, successful practice to start over in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Over the years while caring for breast reconstruction patients with his wife, who is an oncologic breast surgeon, Dr. Sigalove discovered that the acellular dermal matrix mesh material (ADM) they used in these surgeries might be preventing capsular contracture. But because ADM is essentially skin, it also stretches over time, resulting in the breast implants moving around and sagging.

Seeing the positive results of GalaFLEX, he began implementing it instead of the ADM for revision breast surgery in cosmetic patients. Over the last 5 years of using GalaFLEX, his patients’ incidence of capsular contracture has been next to zero.

With Scottsdale's booming fitness industry, Dr. Sigalove developed and introduced the “Sigalift,” a muscle-sparing, minimally invasive subfascial breast augmentation technique which has become very popular with fitness instructors, yoga teachers, bodybuilders, and others who want to return to their regular routines as quickly as possible.

For fitness professionals, it is commonplace to have breast implants and accept that those implants would shift around and not look beautiful or natural while flexing and posing, but this technique solves those problems known as “hyper-animation” or “flexion deformity” and patients can do chest exercises without limitation after just 3-4 weeks.

Dedicated to giving his patients the best results, these techniques pioneered by Dr. Sigalove are proven to deliver safer, longer-lasting results that don’t interfere with their lifestyles.

To learn more about Dr. Steven Sigalove


Follow Dr. Sigalove on Instagram

Check out Dr. Sigalove’s go-to store for his fashionable suits, Nick’s Menswear of Scottsdale

ABOUT MEET THE DOCTOR

The purpose of the Meet the Doctor podcast is simple. We want you to get to know your doctor before meeting them in person because you’re making a life changing decision and time is scarce. The more you can learn about who your doctor is before you meet them, the better that first meeting will be.

When you head into an important appointment more informed and better educated, you are able to have a richer, more specific conversation about the procedures and treatments you’re interested in. There’s no substitute for an in-person appointment, but we hope this comes close.

Meet The Doctor is a production of The Axis.
Made with love in Austin, Texas.

Are you a doctor or do you know a doctor who’d like to be on the Meet the Doctor podcast? Book a free 30 minute recording session at meetthedoctorpodcast.com.
Transcript

















Steven Sigalove, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona





























































































































































































































June 8, 2023



Steven Sigalove, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona









Steven Sigalove, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona












After 15 years in Chicago, Dr. Steven Sigalove took a bold leap and moved both his family and his busy, successful practice to start over in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Over the years while caring for breast reconstruction patients with his wife, who is an...
































After 15 years in Chicago, Dr. Steven Sigalove took a bold leap and moved both his family and his busy, successful practice to start over in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Over the years while caring for breast reconstruction patients with his wife, who is an oncologic breast surgeon, Dr. Sigalove discovered that the acellular dermal matrix mesh material (ADM) they used in these surgeries might be preventing capsular contracture. But because ADM is essentially skin, it also stretches over time, resulting in the breast implants moving around and sagging.

Seeing the positive results of GalaFLEX, he began implementing it instead of the ADM for revision breast surgery in cosmetic patients. Over the last 5 years of using GalaFLEX, his patients’ incidence of capsular contracture has been next to zero.

With Scottsdale's booming fitness industry, Dr. Sigalove developed and introduced the “Sigalift,” a muscle-sparing, minimally invasive subfascial breast augmentation technique which has become very popular with fitness instructors, yoga teachers, bodybuilders, and others who want to return to their regular routines as quickly as possible.

For fitness professionals, it is commonplace to have breast implants and accept that those implants would shift around and not look beautiful or natural while flexing and posing, but this technique solves those problems known as “hyper-animation” or “flexion deformity” and patients can do chest exercises without limitation after just 3-4 weeks.

Dedicated to giving his patients the best results, these techniques pioneered by Dr. Sigalove are proven to deliver safer, longer-lasting results that don’t interfere with their lifestyles.

To learn more about Dr. Steven Sigalove


Follow Dr. Sigalove on Instagram

Check out Dr. Sigalove’s go-to store for his fashionable suits, Nick’s Menswear of Scottsdale

ABOUT MEET THE DOCTOR

The purpose of the Meet the Doctor podcast is simple. We want you to get to know your doctor before meeting them in person because you’re making a life changing decision and time is scarce. The more you can learn about who your doctor is before you meet them, the better that first meeting will be.

When you head into an important appointment more informed and better educated, you are able to have a richer, more specific conversation about the procedures and treatments you’re interested in. There’s no substitute for an in-person appointment, but we hope this comes close.

Meet The Doctor is a production of The Axis.
Made with love in Austin, Texas.

Are you a doctor or do you know a doctor who’d like to be on the Meet the Doctor podcast? Book a free 30 minute recording session at meetthedoctorpodcast.com.











Transcript


















Steven Sigalove, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona





























































































































































































































June 8, 2023



Steven Sigalove, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona









Steven Sigalove, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona












After 15 years in Chicago, Dr. Steven Sigalove took a bold leap and moved both his family and his busy, successful practice to start over in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Over the years while caring for breast reconstruction patients with his wife, who is an...
































After 15 years in Chicago, Dr. Steven Sigalove took a bold leap and moved both his family and his busy, successful practice to start over in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Over the years while caring for breast reconstruction patients with his wife, who is an oncologic breast surgeon, Dr. Sigalove discovered that the acellular dermal matrix mesh material (ADM) they used in these surgeries might be preventing capsular contracture. But because ADM is essentially skin, it also stretches over time, resulting in the breast implants moving around and sagging.

Seeing the positive results of GalaFLEX, he began implementing it instead of the ADM for revision breast surgery in cosmetic patients. Over the last 5 years of using GalaFLEX, his patients’ incidence of capsular contracture has been next to zero.

With Scottsdale's booming fitness industry, Dr. Sigalove developed and introduced the “Sigalift,” a muscle-sparing, minimally invasive subfascial breast augmentation technique which has become very popular with fitness instructors, yoga teachers, bodybuilders, and others who want to return to their regular routines as quickly as possible.

For fitness professionals, it is commonplace to have breast implants and accept that those implants would shift around and not look beautiful or natural while flexing and posing, but this technique solves those problems known as “hyper-animation” or “flexion deformity” and patients can do chest exercises without limitation after just 3-4 weeks.

Dedicated to giving his patients the best results, these techniques pioneered by Dr. Sigalove are proven to deliver safer, longer-lasting results that don’t interfere with their lifestyles.

To learn more about Dr. Steven Sigalove


Follow Dr. Sigalove on Instagram

Check out Dr. Sigalove’s go-to store for his fashionable suits, Nick’s Menswear of Scottsdale

ABOUT MEET THE DOCTOR

The purpose of the Meet the Doctor podcast is simple. We want you to get to know your doctor before meeting them in person because you’re making a life changing decision and time is scarce. The more you can learn about who your doctor is before you meet them, the better that first meeting will be.

When you head into an important appointment more informed and better educated, you are able to have a richer, more specific conversation about the procedures and treatments you’re interested in. There’s no substitute for an in-person appointment, but we hope this comes close.

Meet The Doctor is a production of The Axis.
Made with love in Austin, Texas.

Are you a doctor or do you know a doctor who’d like to be on the Meet the Doctor podcast? Book a free 30 minute recording session at meetthedoctorpodcast.com.











Transcript


















Steven Sigalove, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona





























































































































































































































June 8, 2023



Steven Sigalove, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona









Steven Sigalove, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona












After 15 years in Chicago, Dr. Steven Sigalove took a bold leap and moved both his family and his busy, successful practice to start over in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Over the years while caring for breast reconstruction patients with his wife, who is an...
































After 15 years in Chicago, Dr. Steven Sigalove took a bold leap and moved both his family and his busy, successful practice to start over in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Over the years while caring for breast reconstruction patients with his wife, who is an oncologic breast surgeon, Dr. Sigalove discovered that the acellular dermal matrix mesh material (ADM) they used in these surgeries might be preventing capsular contracture. But because ADM is essentially skin, it also stretches over time, resulting in the breast implants moving around and sagging.

Seeing the positive results of GalaFLEX, he began implementing it instead of the ADM for revision breast surgery in cosmetic patients. Over the last 5 years of using GalaFLEX, his patients’ incidence of capsular contracture has been next to zero.

With Scottsdale's booming fitness industry, Dr. Sigalove developed and introduced the “Sigalift,” a muscle-sparing, minimally invasive subfascial breast augmentation technique which has become very popular with fitness instructors, yoga teachers, bodybuilders, and others who want to return to their regular routines as quickly as possible.

For fitness professionals, it is commonplace to have breast implants and accept that those implants would shift around and not look beautiful or natural while flexing and posing, but this technique solves those problems known as “hyper-animation” or “flexion deformity” and patients can do chest exercises without limitation after just 3-4 weeks.

Dedicated to giving his patients the best results, these techniques pioneered by Dr. Sigalove are proven to deliver safer, longer-lasting results that don’t interfere with their lifestyles.

To learn more about Dr. Steven Sigalove


Follow Dr. Sigalove on Instagram

Check out Dr. Sigalove’s go-to store for his fashionable suits, Nick’s Menswear of Scottsdale

ABOUT MEET THE DOCTOR

The purpose of the Meet the Doctor podcast is simple. We want you to get to know your doctor before meeting them in person because you’re making a life changing decision and time is scarce. The more you can learn about who your doctor is before you meet them, the better that first meeting will be.

When you head into an important appointment more informed and better educated, you are able to have a richer, more specific conversation about the procedures and treatments you’re interested in. There’s no substitute for an in-person appointment, but we hope this comes close.

Meet The Doctor is a production of The Axis.
Made with love in Austin, Texas.

Are you a doctor or do you know a doctor who’d like to be on the Meet the Doctor podcast? Book a free 30 minute recording session at meetthedoctorpodcast.com.











Transcript






















Steven Sigalove, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona





























































































































































































































June 8, 2023



Steven Sigalove, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona









Steven Sigalove, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona












After 15 years in Chicago, Dr. Steven Sigalove took a bold leap and moved both his family and his busy, successful practice to start over in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Over the years while caring for breast reconstruction patients with his wife, who is an...
































After 15 years in Chicago, Dr. Steven Sigalove took a bold leap and moved both his family and his busy, successful practice to start over in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Over the years while caring for breast reconstruction patients with his wife, who is an oncologic breast surgeon, Dr. Sigalove discovered that the acellular dermal matrix mesh material (ADM) they used in these surgeries might be preventing capsular contracture. But because ADM is essentially skin, it also stretches over time, resulting in the breast implants moving around and sagging.

Seeing the positive results of GalaFLEX, he began implementing it instead of the ADM for revision breast surgery in cosmetic patients. Over the last 5 years of using GalaFLEX, his patients’ incidence of capsular contracture has been next to zero.

With Scottsdale's booming fitness industry, Dr. Sigalove developed and introduced the “Sigalift,” a muscle-sparing, minimally invasive subfascial breast augmentation technique which has become very popular with fitness instructors, yoga teachers, bodybuilders, and others who want to return to their regular routines as quickly as possible.

For fitness professionals, it is commonplace to have breast implants and accept that those implants would shift around and not look beautiful or natural while flexing and posing, but this technique solves those problems known as “hyper-animation” or “flexion deformity” and patients can do chest exercises without limitation after just 3-4 weeks.

Dedicated to giving his patients the best results, these techniques pioneered by Dr. Sigalove are proven to deliver safer, longer-lasting results that don’t interfere with their lifestyles.

To learn more about Dr. Steven Sigalove


Follow Dr. Sigalove on Instagram

Check out Dr. Sigalove’s go-to store for his fashionable suits, Nick’s Menswear of Scottsdale

ABOUT MEET THE DOCTOR

The purpose of the Meet the Doctor podcast is simple. We want you to get to know your doctor before meeting them in person because you’re making a life changing decision and time is scarce. The more you can learn about who your doctor is before you meet them, the better that first meeting will be.

When you head into an important appointment more informed and better educated, you are able to have a richer, more specific conversation about the procedures and treatments you’re interested in. There’s no substitute for an in-person appointment, but we hope this comes close.

Meet The Doctor is a production of The Axis.
Made with love in Austin, Texas.

Are you a doctor or do you know a doctor who’d like to be on the Meet the Doctor podcast? Book a free 30 minute recording session at meetthedoctorpodcast.com.











Transcript






















Steven Sigalove, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona





























































































































































































































June 8, 2023



Steven Sigalove, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona









Steven Sigalove, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona












After 15 years in Chicago, Dr. Steven Sigalove took a bold leap and moved both his family and his busy, successful practice to start over in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Over the years while caring for breast reconstruction patients with his wife, who is an...
































After 15 years in Chicago, Dr. Steven Sigalove took a bold leap and moved both his family and his busy, successful practice to start over in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Over the years while caring for breast reconstruction patients with his wife, who is an oncologic breast surgeon, Dr. Sigalove discovered that the acellular dermal matrix mesh material (ADM) they used in these surgeries might be preventing capsular contracture. But because ADM is essentially skin, it also stretches over time, resulting in the breast implants moving around and sagging.

Seeing the positive results of GalaFLEX, he began implementing it instead of the ADM for revision breast surgery in cosmetic patients. Over the last 5 years of using GalaFLEX, his patients’ incidence of capsular contracture has been next to zero.

With Scottsdale's booming fitness industry, Dr. Sigalove developed and introduced the “Sigalift,” a muscle-sparing, minimally invasive subfascial breast augmentation technique which has become very popular with fitness instructors, yoga teachers, bodybuilders, and others who want to return to their regular routines as quickly as possible.

For fitness professionals, it is commonplace to have breast implants and accept that those implants would shift around and not look beautiful or natural while flexing and posing, but this technique solves those problems known as “hyper-animation” or “flexion deformity” and patients can do chest exercises without limitation after just 3-4 weeks.

Dedicated to giving his patients the best results, these techniques pioneered by Dr. Sigalove are proven to deliver safer, longer-lasting results that don’t interfere with their lifestyles.

To learn more about Dr. Steven Sigalove


Follow Dr. Sigalove on Instagram

Check out Dr. Sigalove’s go-to store for his fashionable suits, Nick’s Menswear of Scottsdale

ABOUT MEET THE DOCTOR

The purpose of the Meet the Doctor podcast is simple. We want you to get to know your doctor before meeting them in person because you’re making a life changing decision and time is scarce. The more you can learn about who your doctor is before you meet them, the better that first meeting will be.

When you head into an important appointment more informed and better educated, you are able to have a richer, more specific conversation about the procedures and treatments you’re interested in. There’s no substitute for an in-person appointment, but we hope this comes close.

Meet The Doctor is a production of The Axis.
Made with love in Austin, Texas.

Are you a doctor or do you know a doctor who’d like to be on the Meet the Doctor podcast? Book a free 30 minute recording session at meetthedoctorpodcast.com.











Transcript

Eva Sheie (00:03):
The purpose of this podcast is simple. We want you to get to know your doctor before meeting them in person, because you're making a life-changing decision, and time is scarce. The more you can learn about who your doctor is before you meet them, the better that first meeting will be. There's no substitute for an in-person appointment, but we hope this comes close. I'm your host, Eva Sheie, and you're listening to Meet the Doctor. Welcome to Meet the Doctor. My guest today is Dr. Steven Siglalove. He's a plastic surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona. Welcome to the podcast.


Dr. Sigalove (00:40):
Thank you. Thanks for having me.


Eva Sheie (00:41):
Tell us a little bit about yourself.


Dr. Sigalove (00:44):
So I grew up in Ohio, so I'm a Midwest guy to begin with. I did all my training and medical school and residency, um, in Chicago, and then I practiced in Chicago, uh, as a plastic surgeon for about 15 years. And four years ago we picked up and uh, left the Midwest and moved to sunny Arizona. So I've now been in Scottsdale for about four years, and it's the best move I ever made.


Eva Sheie (01:11):
What prompted you to move to Scottsdale?


Dr. Sigalove (01:13):
Honestly, my wife, she was so tired of the snow, the gray, and like six months of never seeing sun. And for many, many years she and her girlfriend used to go to Tucson to a spa and every time she'd come back, she'd say, oh my God, I gotta move to Arizona someday I wanna retire there. And she would be so relaxed and so happy and like she was like a different person. And, um, one thing led to another and we finally just picked up and said, we gotta get outta here. And, uh, we didn't look back and it's been the most amazing, like life change ever, and we're super, super happy.


Eva Sheie (01:52):
Was that during Covid or before it?


Dr. Sigalove (01:55):
It was right before Covid. And I have boy girl twins. They're now 21 years old. They're juniors in college and they were juniors in high school at the time. So you can imagine picking up, leaving, you know, midway through your high school career. My daughter literally didn't speak to me for like a month. She was so unhappy, but we had to, it was just really important for us to get out of Chicago and, uh, get onto bigger and better things. And so to this day they, they thanked me because they had a great time for those two years in Arizona and now they're in college. And of course they went back to the East coast.


Eva Sheie (02:29):
They'll be back, don't worry. 


Dr. Sigalove (02:31):
I hope so.


Eva Sheie (02:32):
There's an interesting parallel sometimes I think between like making a big move like that and having plastic surgery. Have you ever thought about that?


Dr. Sigalove (02:40):
I can't say that I have made that connection, but you know, plastic surgery is a big decision and it's potentially a life-changing decision. You know, you're altering something about yourself when you move, you're making a huge life change, you're altering your life. So yeah, I can, I can see the parallels for sure.


Eva Sheie (03:00):
Especially I think when you move from somewhere that is making you unhappy to somewhere that's making you happy, that you can look around and go, why are we waiting? Like why would you wait until retirement to go to the place that makes you happy? Why aren't you doing it now?


Dr. Sigalove (03:15):
That's, that's exactly what happened. You know, we were gonna let the kids finish high school and then once they're done, they go to college, we were gonna move, but one thing led to another and we just decided we gotta do this now. And I think you're right, when you're thinking about particularly aesthetic plastic surgery, you know, it's anxiety provoking, but there's something about yourself that you just aren't that happy with. And so you take all the pros and you take all the cons and you weigh them all against each other. And eventually if it makes sense, you end up doing it. And more times than not, you're happy you did. So. And I can safely say that I am so happy that we decided to make this huge change in our lives. You know, people said I was crazy, you know, I had this very big, very successful practice in Chicago.


(04:05)
Everybody knew who I was. I was busy. It was very easy. You know, I showed up and I had an office full of patients. I went from that literally in one day to showing up in a place where nobody knew who I was. My colleagues did, because I do do a lot of educating and a lot of teaching and public speaking and speaking at our societies. And I've done a lot of publications and research. So my, my colleagues did, but no patients did. So I had to kind of reinvent myself, get my name out there. I never did social media, I didn't know what Instagram even was because I was in a very mature practice where it was really on automatic. So I had to kind of start from scratch. And you know, at the age of like 50, I'm 55 by the way, and at the age of 50 I was like starting from scratch. It was really anxiety provoking. And also financially, you're also not making any money because you don't have any patients yet. So the thought of not having an income and having to figure it all out on the fly, it was anxiety provoking. But at the same time it was exciting. And I was like super pumped to get out there and like get my name out there and show people who I am and what I can do.


Eva Sheie (05:17):
When you're 35 or however you were roughly 35 when you started in Chicago on your own, right?


Dr. Sigalove (05:22):
Yeah. Around there.


Eva Sheie (05:24):
You have no idea that you're gonna get stuck in that one place until you retire. Not unless you do what you did. And I think maybe sometimes, uh, you know, because during training in college you move around a lot. I mean, most doctors are all over the country. It's sometimes all over the world. It it may not occur to you that when you like hang out your shingle, that you're gonna be hanging that shingle for 50 years.


Dr. Sigalove (05:50):
That's totally true. So it's interesting. My, my father was a physician and back in the old days, the norm was that you become a doctor, you establish yourself in the community, you become a part of that community. You go to the grocery store, you go to the gas station, Hey doc, how's it going? Hey, you know, and that was how it was. And, and that's how I was kind of brought up. So when I finished medical school and I finished my training when I moved to Chicago, I kind of figured, okay, this is gonna be it. And things were good. Things were very comfortable, we were doing well. My wife is also a surgeon, she's a oncologic breast surgeon. She takes care of breast cancer. And so I had the, you know, I get the privilege of, of working with my wife all the time, um, taking care of patients with breast cancer.


(06:40)
So she does the mastectomy surgery and I do the reconstruction. 


Eva Sheie (06:44):
Still to this day? 


Dr. Sigalove (06:45):
Uh, to this day, yeah. So we still do combined surgeries and it's actually really cool. But my wife kind of had the same mentality where we were in Chicago and we were gonna stay in Chicago. That was the way it was. I think times have changed a little bit and I think some of the younger surgeons coming out don't necessarily have the same goals of staying in one place for a prolonged period of time. And they're much more flexible than they can kind of go from town to town. But, you know, we had young children, we just wanted them to have a very stable, constant life and it worked out great for us.


Eva Sheie (07:20):
Yeah, it sounds like it. Yeah. So how are, how are your patients different in Scottsdale than they are in Chicago?


Dr. Sigalove (07:27):
So, you know, one of the things that I really love about Scottsdale is everybody, and I mean, everybody is extremely fit and kind of very consumed with being fit, being healthy and the market for aesthetic surgery in Scottsdale is absolutely incredible. There are a lot of plastic surgeons in Scottsdale, just like Miami, New York, LA there's like one on every corner, but there's also a lot of patients who are seeking plastic surgery. So it's an unbelievable market, it's an amazing place to practice. And I, I think the vibe in the Southwest and in Scottsdale in particular is getting a breast augmentation is pretty common. And I almost feel like walking around that it's almost, you're almost in the minority if you don't have breast implants when you're in Scottsdale. And, and obviously that's not completely true, but you get the feeling that it's just kind of a common thing. And in the Midwest, I think it's a little bit more conservative. And I think that cosmetic plastic surgery isn't quite as pronounced and you know, you don't necessarily see the facelift patients going to the grocery store with their dressings on. Whereas I've seen that numerous times in Scottsdale and LA and Miami. So I, I think that plastic surgery is very, very well accepted in Scottsdale and I think it's just kind of part of life for many people. So it makes being a plastic surgeon a lot easier,


Eva Sheie (09:15):
Certainly is a, an interesting difference. I'm from Minnesota, so yeah, Midwest, I know what you mean.


Dr. Sigalove (09:21):
Midwest. Midwest, it's just a, it's a little more conservative overall and I think that, you know, a lot of times in the Midwest, like people don't want anyone to know that they had cosmetic surgery. They don't want anyone to know. And in the Southwest, at least where I am, I think it's a lot more accepted.


Eva Sheie (09:37):
I think also we spend most of the year with, with a long sleeve shirt on, or a hoodie.


Dr. Sigalove (09:42):
100%.


Eva Sheie (09:44):
And so we're just comfortable in hoodies. I live in Austin now, so


Dr. Sigalove (09:48):
Yeah, there's a lot more exposed parts of the body in Scottsdale than there were in Chicago over a year's time.


Eva Sheie (09:56):
So today as we're having this conversation, we're sitting in Miami at the aesthetic meeting and you're wearing quite a, um, colorful suit and that's also a little bit different. You stand out. So I think people probably recognize you from a hundred yards away cuz you're not wearing a, a black suit. Tell us about why you dress this way.


Dr. Sigalove (10:21):
So when I was in Chicago, I wore blue and gray suits, okay, that's all I wore every time. Blue suit, gray suit, maybe a black suit here and there. And my wardrobe was literally like black. It's all I wore. Black sweater, jeans, dark clothes. And when we moved from Chicago to Scottsdale, there was a lot more color. I, I saw, you know, people wearing different colors and lighter colors and it was almost, I want to say happy. Like everyone just looked a little bit happier because there's sun and you're wearing just cool clothes. So I said to myself, I'm gonna adjust my wardrobe for where I live. And because in Scottsdale you don't really see a lot of people wearing dark colors because it's hot, the sun's out all the time. So a lot of people wear more colors. There's people with white suits and tan suits and yellow suits, you know, there's colors and, and I thought that it seemed more fun, right?


(11:20)
So I started looking around and I found this guy. I got a guy, by the way, everyone has a guy that does something. I got a guy. And um, I found this, this place that, that makes custom suits and you get to choose, you get to choose whatever color you want that you go through all these books and they've got fabrics and different colors and styles and everything. So you pick your fabric and they customize the suit for you. The downside is you pretty much can't ever gain or lose weight because you're, you're spending a lot of money on these suits and you know, if you put a lot of weight on, they're not gonna fit anymore and then you gotta buy a new suit. So I saw all these colors and, and I just wanted to look kind of colorful and, and it made me feel happy to be honest.


(12:04)
And I get a lot of like compliments on, you know, wow. And now maybe they're not complimenting me when they say wow. Like they could be saying, wow, that's pretty loud. Um, but I kind of like, I like being a little bit different to be honest. And, and I like to stand out a little bit and just kind of not be like your straightforward blue suit kind of a guy. I also started wearing three piece suits again, which I, I used to do when I was in like eighth grade and that was like a thing. And then for a long time it wasn't a thing. And I think it was a thing, it, it really was a thing like back, back in like the early eighties, like three piece, three piece was a thing, you know, you're probably too young to know that, but yeah. So, but it was a thing and now I think three pieces are coming back and I think that looks really cool. So I like three piece suits and I like color and I like patterns and the checkerboards and you know, it's,


Eva Sheie (12:57):
You wanna give a shout out to the guy?


Dr. Sigalove (12:59):
Hey Nick's Menswear, you guys are the best. You guys are the best.


Eva Sheie (13:03):
In Scottsdale?


Dr. Sigalove (13:03):
Scottsdale fashion square mall.


Eva Sheie (13:06):
We'll tag 'em.


Dr. Sigalove (13:09):
Amazing


Eva Sheie (13:10):
<laugh>. So what I,


Dr. Sigalove (13:12):
Keith, Keith, if you're out there, <laugh>, thank you for all of your hard work. I get a lot of compliments on these suits a lot. Thanks guys.


Eva Sheie (13:22):
Awesome. So we know that you like to be a little bit different. What else do you think patients can expect when they come to meet you for the first time?


Dr. Sigalove (13:32):
So, you know, one of the things that people say is, wow, you're just like, you are on your Instagram. Because I think a lot of times the way many people portray themselves on their social media may not be exactly how they are in real life, but most of my patients, they come in, they're like, oh my god, you're exactly the way you are. Like, I feel like I know you already. And that's one of the cool things about Instagram is that, that people kind of get to know you get to know your personality, obviously they see your work, your before and afters and so they put all that together and they come see you and usually people say, wow, you're exactly like you are. Or they also say, wow, you're taller than I thought you'd be. Um, I guess height doesn't necessarily translate on Instagram, but you know, one of the things that a lot of people come to me for is I do a very, um, minimally invasive breast augmentation that really has changed, uh, the game for many of my patients.


(14:25)
And I, it's called a subfascial breast augmentation. I use some bioresorbable mesh, it's called galaflex. And um, so I kind of coined this surgery and it's called the Sigalift by the way. And so all of my patients come see me because of my Sigalift and it's become like a pretty cool thing and it's minimally invasive muscle sparing. So I'm not cutting the muscle. Patients don't get animation and they can do chest exercises for the rest of their life. So it's literally been a game changer for my patients and most of my patients are extremely fit. I take care of a lot of fitness instructors, yoga instructors, body builders, weight trainers, and so all these types of individuals who, there's tons of them in Scottsdale and all over and they come see me specifically for this procedure because they can get back to the gym within three to four weeks and they have no restrictions regarding chest. So typically under the muscle implant, patients typically shouldn't do a lot of chest exercises because it's gonna move the implants around. So this particular procedure enables patients to pretty much do whatever they want and they look amazing, they get better cleavage and it's a game changer. So the Sigalift has, has become a, a, a really cool thing in Scottsdale.


Eva Sheie (15:33):
So that's uh, an internal bra 


Dr. Sigalove (15:35):
That's right 


Eva Sheie (15:35):
with Galaflex. 


Dr. Sigalove (15:36):
That's right. 


Eva Sheie (15:36):
You always use galaflex? 


Dr. Sigalove (15:38):
I do, yeah. I always use it.


Eva Sheie (15:39):
How long have you been doing this?


Dr. Sigalove (15:40):
Uh, I've been doing it for five years now, so I kind of pioneered this technique I've published on it. It's really, really cool.


Eva Sheie (15:49):
So this procedure is mostly for people who need a second or a third or, or even additional revision beyond the first.


Dr. Sigalove (15:57):
So I, I do it for my revisionary surgeries, but I do it in primaries as well. So I probably do 95% of my primary breast augmentation sub fascially. So they get a single lift right off the bat. And I still do about 5% under the muscle, the dual plane breast augmentation. But I have found that patients do better. The recovery is faster, the pain is less, they're back to the gym, back to work faster. And it's, it's really been a game changer, especially regarding patients who like to exercise. A lot of my patients are professional athletes, professional bodybuilders, they're back in the gym doing chest and it's, it's a game changer and there's no animation. So imagine if you're under the muscle and you've got someone who poses on stage, those implants are going all over the place. That's called hyper animation. It looks hideous.


Eva Sheie (16:47):
They all kind of accept that that's just what happens, but they don't have to?


Dr. Sigalove (16:51):
They don't have to because of this surgery. All these people who are into exercise working out and flexing can have beautiful above the muscle implants that look amazing and that don't move at all. It's a game changer.


Eva Sheie (17:04):
This is really fascinating. So I actually know a lot about the internal bra technique. 


Dr. Sigalove (17:09):
Yeah. 


Eva Sheie (17:10):
And one of the questions I usually ask about it is, are you using this in primary augs? And the answer until today has always been no, that's because I, there's no need.


Dr. Sigalove (17:18):
That's because I pioneered this and I've been doing this and I speak about this, this is what I talk about, this is my level of expertise and I love the fact that my patients know that those implants are gonna stay where I put them. The incidence of complications, especially cap contracture is exceedingly low. And that's one of the misnomers about being on top of the muscle. Everyone thinks because of old data that if you're above the muscle you got a higher incidence of capsule contracture. That's completely not true. Our studies show and there's some new evidence and we're actually gonna be publishing a paper on this, is that galflex actually reduces the incidence of cap contracture. We're actually publishing this, our three year data is unbelievable in cap contracture, it's near zero. And I treat all my cap contractures, particularly multi recurrent contractures with this product.


(18:09)
Now I do a different thing for my multi recurrent capsule contracture. So people that have had two or three capsular contractures, I'm actually wrapping my implants with Galaflex, it's called a galaflex ravioli. I started this, I coined it and it's been a game changer. It's how I do my reconstructions after cancer operations. And we have published on this, Alan Gabriel and I put a paper out, it was in our journal last October. And the results are really, really great. So Galaflex for me has been a game changer. Our capture contracture numbers are almost zero. Aesthetically they look better, better cleavage, minimal rippling it. It's been spectacular.


Eva Sheie (18:48):
Have you been able to make any conclusions about why the capsular contracture rate is lower?


Dr. Sigalove (18:53):
Yeah, so it's an interesting but topic. But a paper came out in 2019 in a histology paper and they actually looked at the degradation of poly four hydroxybutyrate, which is P four hb, which is what galflex is made of. It's a synthetic mesh, but it goes away, your body breaks it down. And what they found is that during the degradation of the galaflex, the body's immune system actually upregulates two peptides, which are proteins. And the job of these two proteins, number one was anti-inflammatory and number two is antimicrobial. And so you have a mesh that your body is basically telling your immune system, Hey, don't get an infection and don't get inflammation. We know that the most likely etiology of capsular contracture is inflammation and most importantly bugs infection. Cuz what happens is bacteria gets into the pocket, it clings to the surface of the implant, it forms something called a biofilm.


(19:49)
A biofilm is like a colony of bacteria that covers the surface of the implant. The body's immune system sees this biofilm, it mounts this massive inflammatory response. That's how capsule contracture begins. So we believe that the galaflex interferes with that process. You don't get the same bacteria levels and you don't get the same inflammation. We're actually just starting a huge study right now. It's gonna be unbelievable. But we're gonna be doing a study that's gonna really definitively show this once and for all. And once it happens, I think it's gonna be an absolute game changer. Our sincere goal is that we show capsular contracture is reduced heavily when we use this product. And thus far, anecdotally that's what we're seeing.


Eva Sheie (20:32):
One thing I think people don't know about biofilm is that it can form on any kind of implant that is, that's put in the body. So it could be, it could appear on a hip implant in an old person or it could or a young person. But biofilm isn't something that's unique to breast implants, right?


Dr. Sigalove (20:48):
That's correct. It's what happens when bacteria gets onto a foreign object and biofilm in and of itself isn't that big of a deal. But the problem is the immune system walls it off forms a capsule and occasionally that capsule


Eva Sheie (21:02):
To protect you. And this happens because there is also a breast implant inside of it. 


Dr. Sigalove (21:07):
That's right. It's your body's reaction to a foreign object. But when you've got the bacteria in there, there's gonna be inflammation. Inflammation leads to capsular contracture.


Eva Sheie (21:16):
This is so fascinating how 


Dr. Sigalove (21:18):
Yeah, it's pretty cool. 


Eva Sheie (21:18):
How did you even, like, what even led you to go to the place where you started putting galaflex in primary augs?


Dr. Sigalove (21:26):
Yeah, yeah, that's a, that's a great question. So the reason that I did it is it started with my breast reconstruction surgeries that I was doing with my wife. And so I used to use a cadaver skin and the cadaver skin mesh was great. And there's multiple papers that have been published that shows that when you use this type of cadaver skin, the capsule contraction numbers are near zero. We actually published one of the first papers ever on prepectoral breast reconstruction. And our first 350 patients that we did, this is back in 2017 when it got published, our first 350 patients are capsular contracture numbers. When we use this mesh was like zero. So these patients were not getting encapsulated. And so there are multiple papers that show when you use acellular dermal matrices. Capsular contracture is near zero. And both cosmetic surgery as well as reconstructive breast surgery, which is why we tend, when we treat capsular contracture.


(22:23)
In the old days we would use some type of an adm, acellular dermal matrix, typically the pig skin version because it most likely reduces capsular contracture. And there's multiple papers that show this. But what happened cosmetically, I was seeing this acellular dermal matrix, this cadaver skin, it was stretching over time because it's skin, it's dermis skin stretches. So over time the breasts were starting to look a little heavy, a little bit lower and a little bit droopier. Now cosmetically, you know, I just wasn't that psyched about it. But then what happened was, as the pockets would get stretchier, the implants had more room to move, the patients would lie on their, on their sides and they'd wake up and sometimes their implants would actually flip upside down. We call that AP malposition. I had a bunch of patients that this happened to all because that acellular dermal matrix stretched.


(23:12)
So I wanted to try a product that was not stretchy and I had used this GalaFLEX product for a number of aesthetic revisionary surgeries. And one of the things that I noticed, it's very rigid and supportive and quite frankly it was one of the main meshes that people used to use for like abdominal wall like hernias. And so I knew it would be strong. And so Alan Gabel and I actually embarked on this big project where we started using this in our reconstruction cases. It went so well. We published a paper on it, very successful that I said I'm gonna try to my cosmetic patients cuz if it can work for a patient who doesn't even have any breast tissue, imagine how easy it's gonna be for a patient that actually has breast tissue. It was amazing. And so I slowly implemented it into my cosmetic practice and now it's all I use.


(24:00)
I've been using this product for over five years now. It's been a game changer. And one of the best parts about it is it's less expensive than the acellular dermal matrix product exponentially. And you don't have to use drains with it. So one of the problems with using ADMs, whereas when you treat a capsular contracture, you'd all have to leave drains. Nowadays when I use this product, I don't have to leave, leave a drain. And that's a huge thing for patients. Like nobody wants to have surgery and have to leave having a drain now because of this product. There's much less fluid that gets produced by your body and you don't have to use drains typically. So it's really been a game changer.


Eva Sheie (24:36):
So I think the answer to the question, what do you want patients to know about you when they come to see you is that you're exceptionally dedicated to getting the best results.


Dr. Sigalove (24:49):
Absolutely. One of the things that I really do and pride myself on is I spend a long time with my patients when, when they come to me for a breast augmentation consultation or a revision or a mommy makeover or a tummy tuck or anything like that, they're getting me and they're getting me for the entire time. You don't see a nurse, you don't see someone who's not doing your surgery. You see me, you get me. I talk to you for a long time. And one of the things that I do is I educate my patients. I spend a long time just teaching them why I do what I do. Cuz a lot of things that I do, most plastic surgeons aren't doing. They aren't, they're not there yet. They're gonna be. And to be honest, like I, I speak at our podiums. I'm part of our, our national societies.


(25:31)
I do a lot of research publications. You know, I'm a KOL with multiple companies and I teach plastic surgeons. I teach a lot of surgeons how I do it. And over the years, I've, I've literally taught hundreds and hundreds of plastic surgeons all over the world. Not just the United States, but all over the world. Sweden, Germany, Israel, that I've, I've presented my work and um, I educate my patients the same way I do other plastic surgeons and they love that. And by the time that I'm done talking to my patients, most patients are honestly asking me, Dr. Sigalove, why doesn't everyone do it like this? And that's precisely what happens. But that's my question. I will say, I will say that what I started doing five years ago, people are now starting to do, people are copying. Look at the Instagram. Look how many people are talking about subfascial breast augmentations now. Okay, five years ago if you said that, people looked at you like you're crazy. When I went to our national meeting and started talking about pre petrol reconstruction, this was in 2017 and Boston, I literally got yelled at by numerous plastic surgeons telling me I'm dangerous. How dare I do that now? It's the number one way that people do breast reconstruction in 2023. So I'm just ahead of the curve. I'm a thought 


Eva Sheie (26:41):
Getting yelled at on podium is the way, you know, you're on the right track actually.


Dr. Sigalove (26:44):
Yeah. I love it when people question me like I, I'm all about people question me and I think that's healthy. I think it's important that you get called out for everything you do and the important thing is to have a good answer and to have a data driven answer. Not just make something up because it sounds good. That's not what I do. Everything that I do is based on experience, it's based on facts and data and long-term results.


Eva Sheie (27:09):
Well, we've covered a lot of ground we have. I'd love to know what you do when you're not at work.


Dr. Sigalove (27:14):
Yeah, so some people know this because they follow me on Instagram, but since the age of three I've been a pianist. I used to play piano and when I was in college, I used to play, I played at this piano bar and um, <laugh>, it was, it


Eva Sheie (27:29):
That's a good college job.


Dr. Sigalove (27:30):
It was super fun. It was super fun. So when I'm not here and when I'm not working, I love to just sit down, play some songs on the piano and it's just kind of like, it's like my private time. So I love that, number one. Number two, I'm a big dog guy. Okay. I've had dogs my entire life. I've got two Rottweilers and it's just, they're super amazing dogs. I've always had rottweilers, so I take 'em on hikes and walks and being in Arizona, there's like an infinite number of places you can go hiking. And Arizona's very dog friendly, so you can take your dogs anywhere, you can take 'em to restaurants and, and I just, I love hanging out with my dogs and obviously my wife, but I'm big into that as well. And then I play tennis every single day. Um, I usually play tennis six or seven days a week.


(28:12)
I play at 5:30 in the morning. I play the village. So Village in Scottsdale is like one of the best tennis facilities I've ever been to. I played in college and um, I played a year after college. So I'm a big tennis player and then I didn't play for like 25 years and I, when I moved to Arizona, I restarted it again and it's become like an absolute necessity for me. When I go to the OR in the morning, you know, the nurses know if I've played tennis or didn't play tennis because I'm either in a really good mood or I'm in a bad mood. So if I walk in and you know, I'm starting my surgery and I'm in a bad mood, all the nurses say, Hey, you didn't play tennis today, did you? I'm like, Nope. So <laugh>. So yeah, tennis, piano, and my dogs, love it.


Eva Sheie (28:51):
It's a great combo. 


Dr. Sigalove (28:51):
Yeah. 


Eva Sheie (28:52):
Thank you so much for sharing all of this with us. If someone's interested in coming to see you, where should they look for you online?


Dr. Sigalove (28:59):
So the best place is my Instagram is, which is at Steven Sigalove md. That's where there's a ton of information. Or you can go to our website, which is Scottsdale center for surgery.com.


Eva Sheie (29:12):
Thank you so much Dr. Sigalove. It's a privilege.


Dr. Sigalove (29:15):
Thank you so much. This is fun.


Eva Sheie (29:20):
If you are considering making an appointment or are on your way to meet this doctor, be sure to let them know you heard them on the Meet the Doctor podcast. Check the show notes for links including the doctor's website and Instagram to learn more. Are you a doctor or do you know a doctor who'd like to be on the Meet the Doctor podcast? Book your free recording session@meetthepodcast.com. Meet the Doctor is Made with Love in Austin, Texas and is a production of The Axis, t h e a x i s. io.