Plastic Surgeon Daniel Ronel, M.D.

It is well established that a positive mental attitude and the minimization of anxiety before surgery will lead to better outcomes. The Scents of Knowing technique uses highly distilled aromatic compounds from plants to affect mood and health. In a session before surgery, several aromatic oils are picked by the patient from a choice of 16. The patient is guided to a still and peaceful state of being which will allow healing to occur on multiple levels. A vial of the calming and restorative essence is given to the patient, and the scent can be used right up to the day of surgery to instill a soothing sense-memory.

Melissa Lee trained at the One Light Healing Touch school in Rhinebeck, NY. After an apprenticeship with Energy healer John Holden in Santa Fe, she was taught the Scents of Knowing technique in Hawaii by its founder, Jack Chaitman. Optional sessions after surgery are available by calling Melissa at 505-795-1317.

Homeopathy is the fastest growing non-traditional form of medicine in the world -- it is individualized, safe, effective, gentle, non-toxic, non-invasive, non-allergenic, and non-addictive. There are two treatment regimens for surgery: one regimen begins before surgery and targets the physical and "energetic" traumas, and the other is a detoxification from anesthesia regimen that targets the kidneys, liver, and lymphatic system.

The regimens are overseen by Debra Sherry, who obtained her DHHP, DynBC degrees in a comprehensive four-year program at Hahnemann College for Heilkunst in Ottawa, Canada. The College teaches a modern, progressive form of homeopathy geared towards the complex and confused health problems of today's society. She is additionally available for private consultations by calling 505-982-5685.

For those undergoing breast surgery, The White Cloud Institute is conducting a long-term study on the effects of a specific massage technique. Well Breast Massage gently increases the circulation of fluids, like blood and lymph, within breast tissue.

For those undergoing other surgeries, Medical Qigong and Chi Nei Tsang techniqes are used.

Caryn Boyd Diel is the founder of White Cloud Institute. She incorporates into her work a lifetime of study in the areas of counseling, bodywork and hands on healing. Caryn has a Masters degree in Education and Counseling from the University of California. She graduated from the Barbara Brennan School of Healing in New York, studied Medical Qigong at the Xi Yuan Hospital in Bejing, China and at the International Institute of Medical Qigong with Sifu J.A. Johnson. She is a Full Instructor with the Universal Healing Tao and has studied with Master Mantak Chia in Thailand. Optional additional sessions after surgery are available by calling the White Cloud Institute, which offers a large menu of energy healing practices: the number is 505-471-9330.

Patients undergoing facelift, eyelid tuck, and body contouring procedures (ie abdominoplasty, liposuction) are treated before surgery with therapies such as microdermabrasion, ultrasound, steaming, and oxygen treatments to hydrate and prime the skin's wound healing system. After surgery, additional treatments may include enzyme masks, light treatment, a complete body wrap with nourishing, exfoliating skin products in a heated immersion bed, and massage with serums customized to skin type and healing progress.

The treatments are overseen by Marian Urban of the Sterling Institute. Marian is one of the leading aestheticians in the Southwest, and was instrumental in the development of the specialty in New Mexico. She organized the licensing and credentialing of aestheticians in the state, and trained many of those currently in practice. Marian is the founder and director of The Sterling Institute, which over the past 20 years has developed an international reputation for medical skin care. She is the founder and director of The Medical Spa Professional Alliance, a consortium of aestheticians and physicians. Marian teaches an annual advanced skin care course to aestheticians in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and Spain. Optional sessions after surgery are available by calling the Sterling Institute, which is a full-service medical spa: the number is 505-984-3223.

Certain minerals, vitamins and antioxidants are known to speed wound healing and recovery from surgery. Patients are given a natural dietary supplement before and after surgery that is rich in anthocyanins and other antioxidants, glucosamine, essential fatty acids such as
Omega 3, 6 and 9, vitamin C, and many other natural products.

For some patients, even more important than the nutritional supplements is nutritional counseling to help establish healthy dietary habits. Mark Wood provides dietary recommendations to support wound healing. He has a holistic philosophy, using nutritional counseling as a way to touch on all aspects of a person. Focusing on clean food and water, physical movement, healthy relationships, fulfilling work and a connection to the spirit, his goal is to show patients their own power over their own health and lives.

Mark is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. He holds a post-graduate certificate in Integrative Nutrition from Teachers College, Columbia University, and is nationally board certified as a Health Counselor by the American Association of Drugless Practicioners (AADP). A professional botanist and horticulturist for more than 20 years, Mark studied herbal medicine, ethnobotany, Ayurveda and the Native American medicine wheel, all constitutional (based on your individual makeup) approaches to health.

Thai Massage combines massage, acupressure, energy work, yoga, and relaxation to promote and sustain a healthy, balanced life. Patients receive a treatment just before surgery to relieve stress and, from an Eastern perspective, to decrease congestion in muscles, joints, the lymphatic system, and connective tissue by opening lines of energy into the affected areas.

Kate Olafson has been a fitness and wellness educator for over 25 years. She was trained in Thai Massage at the White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara and the Lotus Palm School of Thai Massage in Montreal. She holds a Master's Degree in Education from Loyola University in Chicago. She is a former faculty member at Cal Poly State University and Saddleback College, and travels extensively to lecture on yoga and Thai Massage. She can be reached at 505-577-1890.

Acupuncture has been used for centuries to relieve pain and anxiety, and its use in conjunction with surgery is an excellent example of the integration between Eastern and Western medical philosophy.

Patients are extensively evaluated and treated before surgery by Marcy Newman, a Doctor of Oriental Medicine. She was trained at Southwest Acupuncture College, and has developed a particular interest in facial rejuvenation with acupuncture and pain therapy. She is a member of the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM). She has a Masters in Public Health from the University of Michigan and has worked in health education on local, state, federal and international levels. Marcy was a dental hygienist for 23 years, and is nationally recognized for her lectures on Oriental Medicine and Dentistry.

Reflexology is the physical act of applying pressure to the feet and hands with specific techniques. It is based on a system that reflects an image of the entire body onto the feet and hands so that massage there effects a physical change in the corresponding body part. Patients undergo a treatment several days after surgery, when they are still in the uncomfortable early post-operative phase. In addition to increasing the flow of energy into the affected area, the practice provides relief from tension, stress and anxiety.

Tess De Gange was trained in reflexology in the Netherlands and Thailand and has been practicing for over 12 years. Optional sessions after surgery are available.

Surgery can be such a life-changing experience that unexpected emotional, physical, and mental issues often arise that can be difficult to handle.

Karen Sands, LPCC, LMSW, has been a psychotherapist in private practice in Santa Fe for 20 years. Her practice encompasses a wide range of individual and family issues, and she is an advocate for those who wish to explore their behaviors, choices, and personal presentations. She is on the faculty of Southwestern College where she teaches Ethics and Advanced Counseling, and she has led Ethics and Counseling workshops throughout the region for the past 10 years. She serves on the Continuing Education and Ethics committees for the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board. She received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Colorado and her M.A. in Psychology and Social Work from Antioch University.