Single procedure breast lift and breast augmentation considered safe

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The Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical publication of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) released a report earlier this year which articulated that breast lift (mastopexy) and breast augmentation in a single procedure is safe.

In the study, ASPS Member Surgeon Dr. Michael Calobrace and his group stated: "With appropriate patient selection and a carefully planned operative approach, our data demonstrates a one-stage procedure can be safely performed with acceptable complication and reoperation rates."

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Data from 2005 to 2009 showed that out of 430 breast lifts performed, 332 of such instances were with patients who underwent breast augmentation at the same time. Dr. Calobrace and his colleagues compared these cases against those who only had breast lift surgery. After assessing the rates of complication and reoperation, they found a 13 percent rate of reoperation on the combined procedure as opposed to 10 percent on breast lift only. In terms of acceptability, the group concluded that the difference is insignificant.

Apart from being cost-effective, the single-stage procedure also requires a one-time recovery period for the patient. This single-stage procedure is not for everyone, though. It is always best to consult first a reputable cosmetic surgeon before deciding to go under the knife.

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REPOST: Spokane patients warned about needle use at plastic surgery clinic

Patients of the Aesthetic Plastic Surgical Center are warned about the possibility of being infected with hepatitis B, C, and even HIV, due to improper use of syringes and drug vials at the said clinic. More about this alarming news can be read in this article.

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SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - The Washington state Department of Health is notifying 415 patients of a plastic surgery clinic that they could have been infected when syringes and drug vials were used multiple times instead of being thrown away after one use.

Patients of the Aesthetic Plastic Surgical Center should consider blood tests for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, the department said Tuesday. The risk of infection is low, but the blood tests were recommended as a precaution for surgical patients of the Spokane clinic from 2006 to last April.

The clinic stopped the practices after an April inspection, the Health Department said.

The center disputed the department's information in a statement Tuesday from Dr. Jeffrey Karp, who denied that he and his staff improperly used syringes or drug vials.

"Every syringe is discarded after each patient's individual use," he said. "Additionally, the clinic has never improperly used single or multi-dose drug vials. The vials are only either used on the same patient multiple times and then discarded or they are used on up to three patients, but each time the vial is entered only with a new, sterile syringe."

A misunderstanding developed during an interview with a technician, Karp said.

"I take my responsibility to my patients very seriously and their safety and care is my absolute priority," he said. "I can say emphatically, no patient has ever been exposed to a needle or syringe used on another patient."

The Health Department acted in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said spokesman Tim Church in Olympia. The CDC's "One and Only" campaign emphasizes that needles and syringes should only be used once and a vial should never be entered with a used needle or syringe.

Health officials said the Spokane clinic used vials on up to three patients.

"We found a vial that had been used being stored and they said they were going to use the rest of it on another patient," Church said. "There should not have been a partially used vial of medication. It should have been used and thrown out."

The violation of infection control standards puts patients at risk, he said.

The inspector also was told syringes were being used multiple times, apparently on the same patient, Church said. That's unacceptable because blood could enter the syringe during an injection and then be introduced in a vial if it is reused, he said.

While the clinic agreed to changes its practices, it declined to notify patients so the state Health Department is sending letters to patients, officials said.
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REPOST: Plastic Surgeon David Matlock Sculpts, Marries His Perfect Woman

Meet David Matlock, a controversial plastic surgeon, who used his medical license and a scalpel to transform a patient into the "perfect wife" for himself. This Huffington Post article has the story.




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When plastic surgeon David Matlock first walked into a consultation with Veronica, he thought he'd just be giving her information about his famous vaginoplasty procedure. Little did he know, he'd soon be giving her an engagement ring, as well.

Matlock, who rocketed his Los Angeles Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation Institute to fame on "Dr. 90210," told Barcroft Media that it was "love at first sight." Without blinking an eye, he'd persuaded Veronica to go under the knife and get his "Wonder Woman Makeover," which includes liposuction of the chin, arms and thighs. (Hey, romance isn't always pretty.) She agreed to all of the procedures.

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The doctor proposed on the first date and has been using his Michelangelo-like sculpting skills to make her more beautiful ever since. Matlock's not one to be outdone by his muse, though. He notes that he's also taken advantage of the plastic surgery procedures that he pioneered to craft his own perfect body.

While Matlocks might call themselves an aesthetically "perfect" couple, not every member of the family is in favor of these artificial enhancements.

"I would never really wanna get surgery, cause it's not really you. I'd want to be myself," Veronica's 9-year-old daughter, Isabella, said.

But the girl is not the only person to question the couple's enthusiasm for surgically altering any perceived flaws: Matlock's encountered his fair share of backlash, sometimes in the legal arena. According to a 2007 Washington Post article, Matlock was sued for malpractice 10 times in just a decade. He has also been disciplined by the Medical Board of California, which tried to revoke his license in 1998 for negligence, fraud and dishonesty, according to the Wall Street Journal. He settled with the board and was given four years of probation.

As for the vaginal rejuvenation that won him the love of his life?

As a Reuters article discusses, many doctors question the ethics of aesthetic vagina surgeries, like the ones Matlock pioneered. According to a 2007 statement by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the procedure is "not medically indicated." The committee elaborates that, "Women should be informed about the lack of data supporting the efficacy of these procedures and their potential complications, including infection, altered sensation, dyspareunia, adhesions, and scarring." The organization confirmed to The Huffington Post that it still maintains this position.

Ultimately, however, the Matlocks say their love isn't about liposuction or botox injections. As Matlock puts it, he'll care for Veronica "for richer or poorer, till death do us part!" She chimes in: "But not fat!"

Not fat, indeed.

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REPOST: 5 Myths About Getting Flat Stomach

If you're doing everything to have flat stomach but to no avail, you may want to reevaluate your strategies. To guide you, read this Fitnea article. 

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We all want to have that sexy flat stomach, especially when the summer is near, and we are willing to work for it. The problem is that lots of people are wasting their efforts simply because they have a wrong information about getting flat stomach. Here’s 5 myths you should not believe about it:

Extra Crunches for A Flat Stomach

Extra crunches don’t lead to tight abs. The truth is that everyone has ab muscles. They just stay hidden underneath a thick layer of fat on the stomach. If you want a toned look, you need to focus on burning the layer of fat that may be covering your belly. The key is to not obsess about crunches, but focus on burning fat.

Starve Yourself to get A Flat Stomach

At times, you may think that starving yourself is the only way to lose weight and get a flat stomach. Starving yourself is not only ineffective, but also dangerous for your overall well-being. You may think that severe calorie reduction may lead to better and quick results. It is important to understand that the human body is complex. As a result, starving yourself may disrupt your body’s metabolism. This will only slow down results. It is important not to starve yourself, but eat wholesome meals after short intervals of time. Eating less may be the key to weight loss, but starving yourself is not.

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Diet Pills and Supplements

Well, diet pills and supplements can be quite tempting. There are many pills and supplements which claim to give you a flat stomach. However, you should not fall for it as there is no ‘magic pill’ available in the market. In fact, diet pills and supplements are more likely to hurt your pocket than showing any results on your belly. Instead of popping a pill, it will be better to burn calories with intense exercise.

Packaged Diet Products for Better Results

There are many packaged foods which are considered to be a solution for weight loss. Usually, such packaged products are packed with refined sugar. There are also some artificial ingredients which your body does not really need. Some ingredients in packaged foods don’t lead to weight loss. In fact, they may have a high-calorie content. You should try to avoid packaged foods and stick to a nutritious diet. Whole grains can be a good choice.

Avoid Carbohydrates for Tight Abs

Many notions and misconceptions make you think that carbohydrates are bad for your health. However, if you are one of the people who believe this, it is quite unfortunate. You can eat carbohydrates while slimming down. As mentioned earlier, it is important to avoid packaged foods and stick with oatmeal, whole grains and brown rice. In other words, you should stick with wholesome carbs rather than giving up all carbohydrates.

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It's not just for skin cancer: Daily sunscreen usage improves youthful looks

For the longest time, dermatologists have been prodding their patients to apply more sunscreen when going outside especially if there will be prolonged sun exposure. The sun’s ultraviolet rays were pinpointed to be one of the primary causes of skin cancer, and sunscreens were developed to provide an effective means of prevention from this type of malignancy.

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Apart from this obvious upshot, dermatologists also claim that using these skin products can also deter aging. This piece of advice was used to be taken with a grain of salt, as there was no study to support it. Recently, however, Australian researchers have found scientific proof to verify these claims.

The study, recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that people who applied sunscreen everyday were 24 percent less prone to skin aging than those who only did it occasionally. Researchers studied 900 subjects under 55 years of age in a span of 4.5 years.

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Dr. Doris Day, a dermatologist currently based at New York’s Lenox Hill Hospital, notes the great amount of improvement which came with consistent sunscreen application. “Those who even had a good amount of sun damage had an improvement in the aging of the skin,” she said. “As dermatologists, we have been saying for years and years, use SPF every day all year round. I always say, if you don’t need a flashlight to see outside, you need protection.”

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The physical westernization of Asians

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Racial issues aside, Asians look far from Caucasians. They have the most diverse of physical features, which renowned ethnologist Daniel Garrison Brinton described as having “yellow or olive skin, broad face, Mongolian eye form, abundance of head hair, scant beard, small stature, coarse straight hair, a round face, small black eyes and a medium-size, flat nose.” Wherever they are in the world, Asians are unmistakable, and their features are a dead giveaway.

Apparently, this Asian brand of beauty is not appreciated in its own realm. In Korea, one of the emerging centers of cosmetic medicine in Asia, more and more women are undergoing plastic surgery to alter their facial features, modifying their natural Asian features to look Caucasian.

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It is no surprise then that Western features are increasingly becoming the accepted benchmark for beauty, so much so that surgical alteration to conform to this standard has become a norm in many Asian countries. Many Asians, particularly women, want to get rid of their big cheekbones, big mandibular angles, and low profile noses, and are willing to go under the knife to acquire a westernized face.

Dr. Kim Byung-gun, head of Seoul’s largest plastic surgery hub BK DongYang, claims the benefits transcend the personal need to feel more beautiful. With the booming global economy, Dr. Kim claims that having a westernized face can be considered as an investment which will yield economic and personal advantages, such as the ability to land a great job and high chances of snagging a good marital partner.

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Are penile enlargement surgeries worth it?

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If men were asked if they would want their penis to be bigger, most of them would answer yes. This is because in this day and age, the media dictates that a man’s penis size is directly proportional to his power and masculinity, and most men believe that the larger his penis is, the more desirable he will be to women. This is why many men fall victim to numerous penis enlargement scams, such as penis pills, creams, and stretching exercises, while some even contemplate undergoing penile enlargement surgery.

How penile enlargement surgery works

Considering that most penis enlargement solutions out there don’t work, penile enlargement surgery might be the only solution for men who want a bigger penis. There are two types of penile enlargement procedures: lengthening and widening. Penis lengthening procedures involve cutting the ligament that connects the penis to the pelvic bone. This allows more of the penis to become visible outside the body, effectively increasing penis length to an average of less than an inch, while penis widening involves thickening the penis using silicone, fat, or tissue transplantations.

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What are the risks of penile enlargement surgery?

Scarring, uneven penis appearance, infection, nerve damage, and reduced sensitivity are just some of the risks that come with penile enlargement surgery. These risks, coupled with the fact that there is no major medical organization that approves of this kind of surgery, make penile enlargement surgery a very risky proposition.

Before deciding to go through penile enlargement surgery, most men should ask themselves this: Are the risks, both financial and medical, worth a half-inch increase?

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The many faces of plastic surgery

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The practice of plastic surgery is a very flexible one. Plastic surgeons, unlike any other surgeons, must learn how to perform a myriad of procedures using varying techniques on different anatomical locations. That is because unlike other specialized practice which confines them to a specific organ or system, plastic surgery adapts to the ever-changing preferences of its ever-growing clientele.

Because these preferences vary in many ways in many different levels, there are many plastic surgery procedures. In fact, listing down all procedures is a Herculean feat in itself. Some procedures, however, are more commonly performed than others, and in effect have become more known among the populace:

• Abdominoplasty. Also known as tummy tuck, this procedure is performed to make the abdomen and its underlying muscles firmer.

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• Blepharoplasty. It is the surgical modification of the eyelid involving the removal of excess skin and fat.

• Breast modification. This consists of three different subcategories: augmentation, reduction, and lift. It reshapes, and enlarges and reduces the size of the breasts for aesthetic purposes.

• Buttock augmentation. This procedure involves the insertion of implants to enlarge or lift the buttocks, giving it a rounder, fuller shape.

• Face lift. A face lift mitigates the effects of aging on the face by removing the excess skin, thereby stretching it and making it firmer.

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• Liposuction. This involves suctioning excess fatty tissues from the buttocks, the abdomen, and the thighs.

• Rhinoplasty. One of the more popular procedures in this list, this procedure reshapes the nose by using synthetic (silicon) or natural (cartilage) implants.

• Otoplasty. This reshapes the ear, and is mostly accomplished by bringing the ears nearer to the head.

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With the increasing popularity of plastic surgery, knowing all the possible options can greatly help in choosing one that’s best fit for an individual’s personal needs. The list continues to grow each day, which means there will be more options for people who want to enhance their natural beauty the scientific way.

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Chest reduction: Males need it too

Who says chest reduction is for women only? While this procedure is sought by and done primarily for women, there is a growing number of men who need it, too.

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Forty to 60 percent of men are affected by gynecomastia, says The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Gynecomastia came from the Greek words “woman-like breasts.” Big male breasts are caused by certain medical conditions such as cancer and liver impairment. It is also caused by certain drugs, such as anabolic steroids, and medications containing estrogen.

Chest reduction is commonly performed through surgery or in combination with lipoplasty where a suction device passes through existing incisions to remove excess fats. Results are permanent; only obesity can induce gynecomastia-like effects in the future.

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Because machismo is a highly priced character in men, chest reduction is a life-saver for those who have enlarged breasts. It improves the appearance of the chest by making it flatter, firmer, and better contoured. It also increases self-confidence, and lessens anxiety.

It is still best recommended for men suffering from gynecomastia who are healthy and emotionally stable, and for those who have firm and elastic skin that can easily follow the new contour of their body. Obese and overweight men who have not tried dieting and weight loss are discouraged to undergo chest reduction.

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Dr. Loren Borud is head of Borud Consulting, a consulting firm that specializes on plastic surgery. Gynecomastia is among the specialties worked on by Dr. Borud from his study and stint Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School. More information on cosmetic surgery can be found at this page.

REPOST : Cellulite got you down? There might finally be a solution

This article from Surgery.org talks about Cellulaze, a new treatment for cellulite. 

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Does the term "cottage cheese" make you cringe? If you're worried about the appearance of cellulite on your body, then the answer is probably "yes." Cellulite refers to the dimple-like skin texture that some people develop on their thighs, hips or buttocks. It's more common in women than in men, in part because of the way that fat and muscle are distributed in women's skin. Cellulite is caused by fat deposits that push against the connective tissues underneath the outer layer of skin and is not caused exclusively by obesity or weight gain.

So what can be done about this pesky and unsightly problem? Many companies have toted creams, massages, therapies and other topical ways of dealing with cellulite. All of them have been relatively ineffective for curing the condition; most might improve it for a short time but require continual maintenance.

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A New York Times article earlier this year highlighted a new and increasingly popular procedure that deals specifically with cellulite, known as Cellulaze. The treatment is aimed at people who have tried diet, exercise or other methods to treat cellulite to no avail. The procedure requires local anesthesia and involves making small incisions in your skin so a small pen tip laser can be passed underneath to break up the connective tissue that creates the dimpling effect.

While Cellulaze is approved by the Federal Drug and Food Administration to treat cellulite, like any other plastic surgery procedure, there are limitations to the treatment. The article featured three women who had the procedure – two had excellent results with no more signs of cellulite coming back, but the third woman is still dealing with complications like bruising and swelling. They all underwent the procedure as part of a study to test the safety and efficacy of the device.

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The plastic surgeon running the study told the NY Times, “Do too much, you’ll get a seroma (fluid build-up).” The woman with complications had a large amount of cellulite and loose skin; not the ideal candidate. He stresses the importance of going to a board-certified plastic surgeon with liposuction experience or someone with “a tactical sensing of what’s happening and whether you need to do more.”

As with any new technology, it’s best to do your research and get advice from experienced physicians before making any decisions. 

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