A Valentine’s Detour: French Riviera to the Hoover Dam
By Dr. Juris Bunkis, Medical Director, Orange County Plastic Surgery Honorary Consul of the Republic of Latvia
Valentine’s Day has a way of reminding us that the best gifts are not always things, but experiences. This year, Dr. Deborah Ekstrom and I decided to do something truly special. Instead of flowers or chocolates, we planned a journey filled with beauty, history, culture—and perhaps even the possibility of a second home someday.
We had heard for years how enchanting Southern France is year-round, and we decided to experience the French Riviera for ourselves during the off-season. We imagined quiet seaside walks along the Côte d’Azur, charming cafés, and that unmistakable French sense of romance.
But as our departure approached, I found myself glued to the weather app in disbelief. Rain every day. Temperatures in the 20s to 50. Hardly the Riviera dream we had pictured.
This forecast caused me to pull the plug on this trip. (About the only thing I hate more than being cold or wet is shopping for houses in places that I will never live!)
So, two days before we were supposed to leave, I scrambled. Plane tickets and hotel reservations were cancelled, new reservations were made, and our Valentine’s adventure took a sharp turn to the desserts east of us. Instead of the Mediterranean coast, we found ourselves heading to Arizona and Nevada.
We may have missed Paris and Provence, but we still saw the Paris Hotel—just in Las Vegas instead of France! And Dr. Ekstrom got to do what she was hoping to do on this vacation, look for another house!
We began by visiting Dr. Ekstrom’s brother and his wife in Arizona. There is something deeply restorative about reconnecting with family, slowing down, and simply catching up. Conversations, laughter, and a shared meal reminded us that the best part of travel is often the people we meet.
From there, we took our time driving toward Las Vegas, with an unforgettable stop at the Hoover Dam. Standing atop that massive structure is truly humbling.
The Hoover Dam was built during the Great Depression, beginning in 1931, as a bold effort to provide jobs, control flooding of the Colorado River, and generate hydroelectric power for the growing Southwest. Thousands of workers labored under extreme desert conditions. The project cost roughly $49 million at the time (a billion in today’s dollars), and tragically, more than 90 lives were lost during its construction.
Today, the dam still provides electricity for millions and remains one of America’s great engineering achievements.
Our Valentine’s trip may not have gone according to plan—but it reminded us that sometimes our journeys through life are the ones we expected.
Dr. Ekstrom with the Paris Hotel (instead of the real thing) behind her.
Dr. Ekstrom enjoying her days in Las Vegas, shopping!
The truly majestic Hoover Dam.
Modern Advances in the Tummy Tuck
The Drainless, Quick Recovery Abdominoplasty
By Dr. Deborah Ekstrom
Orange County Plastic Surgery, Corona del Mar/Newport Beach
Quiz Of The Day
Which of the following is one of the biggest reasons tummy tuck recovery is easier today than 40 years ago?
A. Patients must stay in the hospital for a week
B. Blood transfusions are routine
C. Long-acting local anesthetics and non-opioid pain medications improve comfort
D. Drains are always required
E. Surgery times have doubled
Correct Answer: C
Abdominoplasty, or the “tummy tuck,” has undergone a remarkable evolution. When we began our careers, tummy tucks were considered major, risky operations. They were usually performed in hospitals, with patients staying three to five days afterward. Blood loss was significant enough that patients were routinely cross-matched for transfusion. Procedures often lasted four to five hours.
One major advance has been the use of electrocautery dissection, which allows surgeons to cut while sealing blood vessels at the same time. This dramatically reduces bleeding and shortens surgical time. Today, blood loss in a tummy tuck is typically negligible, and most procedures are completed in about two and a half hours.
Another improvement is the use of multiple internal sutures to secure the skin and fat flap down to the muscle. This technique reduces fluid buildup and often eliminates the need for surgical drains.
Safety has also advanced enormously. Patients are now encouraged to ambulate immediately after surgery and wear intermittent compression boots, greatly lowering the risk of blood clots.
Perhaps the most exciting progress has come in anesthesia and pain control. Modern tummy tucks can often be done with a light general anesthetic, primarily intravenous sedatives, with minimal or no narcotics. Patients wake quickly and return home the same day.
We also use Exparel, a long-acting local anesthetic that provides pain relief for three to four days, reducing early postoperative discomfort.
And now, instead of oral narcotics, we can offer Journavx (suzetrigine), approved by the FDA in January 2025. This first-in-class, non-opioid medication is non-addictive, does not cause constipation, and allows patients to function normally much sooner. Many patients working from home are back at their computers by the third, fourth, or fifth day.
Truly, having a tummy tuck today is a completely different experience than it was 40 years ago—safer, smoother, and far more comfortable.
Before and “after” photos of a 55-year-old who sought consultation with Dr. Deborah Ekstrom, body contouring surgeon at Orange County Plastic Surgery, because she did not like the appearance of her abdominal wall after raising two children, She is shown here before and a year after an abdominoplasty. (Actual patient of Dr. Deborah Ekstrom of Orange County Plastic Surgery in Corona del Mar/Newport Beach, CA.)
Orange County Plastic Surgery at CosmetiCare
1101 Bayside Drive, Suite 200
Corona del Mar, CA 92625
Take the elevator to the second floor (Suite 200) and check in with the front desk for your consultation or follow-up.
Free Parking Available.
If you want to see if you can have any part of your body improved, contact us for a consultation:
For CA, please call 949-888-9700 or visit www.orangecountyplasticsurgery.com
