Archive for the ‘In the News’ Category

Surgeons Can Help Patients Avoid Cosmetic Surgery “Buyer’s Remorse”

Saturday, September 4th, 2010 by editor2

Heidi Montag after plastic surgeryA recent article on the ABC News website looks at the issue of “buyer’s remorse” for cosmetic surgery patients. ABC reports that reality TV star Heidi Montag, who had 10 plastic surgery procedures in one day is looking to get a breast reduction. Her most recent breast augmentation made her a G cup.

“I think [plastic surgery remorse] is actually increasing, and I think in part it’s increasing because of the drop in reimbursement by insurance companies, which is driving doctors in other specialties into the plastic surgery market,” says Chicago plastic surgeon Dr. Julius Few.

Ann Kearney-Cooke, a psychologist who specializes in weight and body image issues, believes those who have “buyer’s remorse” after cosmetic procedures are usually troubled by deeper issues. “[The surgery] changes the look, but if you have a problem that you haven’t resolved, you’ll have a temporary positive feeling, but then something else is the problem,” notes Kearney-Cooke.

Dr. Timothy Miller, chief of plastic surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, feels remorse after surgery is not increasing. “Maybe I’ve seen it a few times in my practice, but it’s very rare,” he says.

Most plastic surgeons do agree that potential regret after cosmetic procedures could be avoided if patients and doctors recognize and address the problem.

“I have a therapist who works in my practice,” says Dr. Few. “We know in plastic surgery that if somebody has undue stress, the risk of complication is higher.”

Dr. Miller notes that, “Most plastic surgeons will tell patients to work out their problems—go talk to a psychiatrist or confide in somebody else.”

When considering cosmetic surgery, communication between the patient and doctor is key. “It’s really important that both the patient and the physician understand what the motivation is behind the surgery,” says Brooklyn plastic surgeon Dr. Malcolm Roth.

Reality TV Viewers Have Positive View of Cosmetic Surgery

Saturday, August 28th, 2010 by editor2

Woman smilingA Rutgers psychology professor found that teens who watch cosmetic surgery reality TV shows, like Extreme Makeover, are more likely to be interested in these types of cosmetic surgery procedures afterward.

In one study, Charlotte Markey of Rutgers–Camden, along with Patrick Markey of Villanova University, surveyed 170 teens (average age 19.77, 59% female) about their impression of reality television shows featuring cosmetic surgery and their interest in cosmetic surgery.

The results found that those who had favorable impressions of cosmetic surgery reality television shows were more likely to have an interest in pursuing surgery.

A second study had 189 participants (average age 19.84, 51% female) split into two groups; one group watched a program with a cosmetic surgery makeover, while the other group watched one with a neutral message.

As the researchers suspected, women were more likely to want cosmetic surgery than men, and those who viewed the cosmetic surgery show were more inclined to consider the procedure for themselves than those who watched the neutral message program.

Dr. Charlotte Markey noted that many people equate changing their appearance with being happier, even though she says there is no evidence to prove this theory.

ABC’s Extreme Makeover, though canceled in 2007, has influenced the development of several other similarly themed shows, including Fox’s The Swan, MTV’s I Want a Famous Face, E’s Dr. 90210 and Oxygen’s Addicted to Beauty.

“There is a cultural context to never be satisfied with our physical selves. It’s the rare person who is either completely oblivious or has developed such a strong counter message to not be affected,” said Markey.

The two studies were done to “examine the influence of media messages about cosmetic surgery on youths’ interest in altering their own physical appearance,” according to the abstract, which is available at Science Direct.

Younger Patients Look to Cosmetic Surgery to Reverse Ear Gauging

Sunday, August 15th, 2010 by editor2

Woman smilingMore young people who have gauging, a process that deliberately stretches and widens earlobes, are looking to have it reversed and are turning to cosmetic surgery for help. Msnbc.com reports that ear surgery is being requested by individuals who have regrets about having their lobes stretched.

Also known as otoplasty, ear surgery is often requested by those looking for jobs and going on interviews, cosmetic surgeon Dr. Angelo Cuzalina tells the New York Daily News.

“It’s almost becoming a fad,” he says. “People have the gauging procedure where they gradually stretch out their lobe so it has a giant hole that’s larger than a quarter. But then they want to join the workforce and think their chances for a job might be better if they didn’t have this.”

Plastic surgeon Dr. Brian Glatt also reports that he is seeing more young patients who gauged their ears as teenagers but now regret doing it and look to have their ears reconstructed.

Dr. Cuzalina explains the basic steps involved in this type of earlobe surgery: first, surgeons remove small strips of skin from the bottom of the lobe; then the edges of the lobe are stitched back together; and finally skin tissue is used to re-create the shape of a normal ear lobe.

Patients should expect some scarring, but after several months, they should be able to wear regular earrings again, says Dr. Cuzalina. The procedure yields a relatively normal-looking earlobe, he adds.

“It’s not a really painful operation to have done, but you may never get the lobe back to its original shape,” says Dr. Cuzalina. “But more people are doing it. It usually takes some change in a person’s life to force them to come in and get the surgery.”

MSNBC Reports on Rise in “Beauty Bandits”

Sunday, August 8th, 2010 by editor2

A strange cosmetic procedure trend has been reported at msnbc.com: one in which the patient gets cosmetic procedures and never pays.

One case recently in the news was a woman, nicknamed the “Beauty Bandit”, who received over $3,000 worth of Botox and dermal fillers in a Fort Lauderdale cosmetic dermatology center and then disappeared after saying she had to get cash at an ATM.

The suspect was arrested recently and is just one in a line of “cosmetic criminals” who undergo beauty treatments and then leave without paying, according to msnbc.com. Others such crimes have been reported in Newport Beach, Calif.; Port St. Lucie, Fla.; Tampa, Fla.; Brisbane, Australia and Kenton, England.

A spokesman for the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, Jeff Karzen, says that from talking with their doctors, it’s a problem that’s occurring from coast to coast.

Some surgeons speculate it’s the bad economy and the perceived “necessity” of procedures like Botox that are the motivating factors behind these crimes.

“Botox is no longer a luxury,” says Dr. Jon Grazer, a Newport Beach plastic surgeon who was hit by a beauty bandit last year. “It’s something people have to have, and if they can’t afford it because of the economy, I think it’s going to push them to get it by whatever means they can.”

Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Samir Pancholi says that  it’s happened three times at his cosmetic surgery practice in Las Vegas. He recounts: “The first time, it was a woman in her 50s who came in and got treatment, then said, ‘My purse is in the car, I’ll go grab it and be right back.’ Then she was gone.”

These “beauty bandits” have forced some cosmetic centers to change payment rules—one now requires all new patients pre-pay.

Survey Reveals Growing Popularity of Cosmetic Surgery Among Minorities

Monday, August 2nd, 2010 by editor2

African-American womanMore than half of minorities think the popularity of cosmetic surgery has grown among members of their racial/ethnic group in the last five years, according to those surveyed recently by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. The AACS survey of minorities indicates that Asian. African-American, and Hispanic cultures are comfortable with cosmetic procedures.

Cosmetic surgery is the most popular among Asians (31.4 percent of respondents), followed by Hispanics (27.4) and African-Americans (18.8). About a quarter of those surveyed knew someone of their racial/ethnic background who has had cosmetic surgery.

Top Procedures

The survey found the most top invasive procedures were:

Ethnicity of Surgeon

More than 30 percent of those surveyed said they would search for a cosmetic surgeon of the same race/ethnicity as themselves, but 56 percent said that they believed it would be difficult to find a surgeon of the same race/ethnicity as themselves.

Reasons Deterring them from Surgery

Respondents were asked to give reasons that would affect their decision to have cosmetic surgery:

  • “Cost” was the reason mostly likely to affect Hispanics decision to have surgery
  • “Stigma” or “not interested” were the reasons mostly likely to affect Asians
  • “Don’t need it” was the reason mostly likely to affect African-Americans

Cosmetic Surgery Not Limited to Specific Culture

“Cosmetic surgery is en vogue no matter who you are,” said Mark Berman, MD, President of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. “Feeling better about yourself and making improvements to your looks is thankfully not limited to a specific race or culture.”

Dr. Frenzel is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and practices cosmetic surgery in Arlington and Dallas, Texas.

World’s Largest Breasted Woman Fights for Her Life After Latest Surgery

Monday, July 26th, 2010 by editor2

Sheyla HersheySheyla Hershey, a Brazilian model known for having what are believed to be the largest breasts in the world, experienced complications following her latest breast surgery.

Having undergone over 30 plastic surgeries, Hershey suffered her first complication during her most recent breast augmentation procedure when a severe staph infection reached both of her breasts, reports Fox News in Houston.

Hershey, who lives in Houston, has had to give herself infusions of intravenous antibiotics every 12 hours to fight the infection. She said her surgeon told her she should be concerned for her life because the infection could leak into her bloodstream. According to her website www.sheylahershey.net, she is currently undergoing treatment.

Is this type of complication common after breast surgery?

Dr. Michael Will, who performs breast augmentation and breast implant repairs in Frederick County, Maryland at his Ijamsville office, says that “infection related to breast augmentation is rare, and when encountered, the implants frequently need to be removed and replaced at a later date.”

He also stressed the importance of a thorough consultation with your doctor before undergoing breast surgery:

Breast augmentation procedures should be preceded by a comprehensive consultation between the cosmetic surgeon and the patient, where the patient’s concerns and expectations are discussed in relation to the patient’s breast and chest wall anatomy.

An effective evaluation and treatment plan should result in a post-operative outcome that reaches a balance between the patient’s expectations and the surgeon’s surgical and anatomical limitations to yield an esthetic and healthy outcome. When the surgical tissue tension and stress exceed the capacity for normal healing, wound breakdown and infection often develop.

Dr. Frenzel specializes in breast augmentation surgery and spent a year in a specialized cosmetic surgery fellowship to learn the art of aesthetic breast surgery, including breast augmentation.

Texas is State with 13th Highest Obesity Rate

Monday, July 19th, 2010 by editor2

2010 Obesity ReportA new report on obesity in the United States, “F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2010,” revealed that obesity rates increased in 28 states in the past year.

Texas tied with Ohio for 13th place in a list of states with the highest obesity rates for adults. Both states have an obesity rate of 29 percent; the state with the highest rate of obesity was Mississippi, where 33.8% of adults are obese. For historical perspective, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent in 1991. Colorado has the lowest obesity rate of any state, at 19.1 percent.

Given the obesity epidemic in the U.S., more people are turning to bariatric surgery to help lose weight.

The most common weight loss surgery is gastric bypass, which divides the stomach into a small pouch. The surgery reduces the size of the stomach so that the patient feels satisfied with less food. In addition to eating less, you will also absorb less food, leading to significant weight loss.

A lap band is another bariatric surgery option, in which a silicone band gets placed on the upper portion of the stomach, limiting the intake of food and suppressing hunger. The advantage of the lap band is that it is adjustable, which allows for a moderate progression of weight loss.

The gastric sleeve is a newer type of bariatric surgery where a portion of the stomach is surgically removed so that it takes the form of a sleeve. This process results in hunger suppression and brings about a gradual, significant weight loss.

For those battling obesity, Dr. Frenzel in is an expert in the field of bariatric surgery and has offices in Arlington and Dallas, Texas. He performs several bariatric surgieries, as well as post-bariatric body lifts in which excess skin and tissue, which is often present after significant weight loss, is reduced, and the skin is tightened to improve the body shape.

U.K. Now Treats Chronic Migraines with Botox

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010 by editor2

Botox injection

A few months ago a blog post explained Botox’s potential to work as a migraine treatment, and now the U.K.’s drug regulator has become the first in the world to approve Botox for the use of preventing chronic migraine headaches, Allergan announced last week. While best known as a cosmetic wrinkle treatment, Botox can now be used on migraine patients in the U.K. who have headaches at least 15 days a month, including migraines on 8 days.

Allergan’s clinical trial PREEMPT (Phase III REsearch Evaluating Migraine Prophylaxis Therapy) involved almost 1,400 adults with a history of migraines and who experienced 15 or more headache days of which at least 50 percent were migraine or probable migraine during a baseline 28-day period. At the end of the period, patients were randomized to receive either Botox injections or placebo.

Patients in the Botox group averaged 8.2 fewer migraine days by week 24 following treatment, which was significantly greater than the change from baseline observed in placebo treated patients of 6.2 days.

Lee Tomkins, director of Migraine Action, said, “We have been following these studies really closely and the evidence is really pretty solid. These people spend half their lives in pain. Even if they get half the attacks, it can really improve their quality of life.” Migraine Action says one in seven people in the UK suffer from migraine, affecting twice as many women as men.

The U.S.’s Food and Drug Administration is likely to decide this month whether the product can be sold for migraines, Aaron Gal, a Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analyst in New York, said in May.

Botox is still the most popular minimally-invasive cosmetic procedure in the U.S., according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ most recent statistics, which showed that the procedure was performed 4.8 million times in the U.S. in 2009  for cosmetic purposes. 

Cosmetic Surgery Society Launches Beauty Website

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010 by editor2
Project Beauty website home page

Project Beauty home page

Project Beauty, a new consumer website, claims to be the “video site that answers all your beauty questions.”

The goal behind the new site is to “cut through the clutter,” acknowledging that there is already plenty of information out there on beauty topics.  Project Beauty aims to be the singular online source for all things beauty. They’re bringing together experts on a range of topics including the latest trends in fashion, beauty treatment options, skin care, makeup, hair, nutrition and dieting, and cosmetic surgery.

Project Beauty is a web.tv, video on demand website almost two years in development and “extensively tested by consumers interested in plastic surgery, health and wellness topics,” according to ASAPS. It will be updated on a weekly basis and features a “who’s who” list of experts on fashion, makeup, and skincare as well as news and first person stories on all things related to aesthetic surgery.

Videos include a teenager who shares her reasons for getting rhinoplasty; a step-by-step guide to applying daytime makeup; and a dentist who shares why he got a facelift.

To kickoff the launch of Project Beauty, the site is hosting a month-long giveaway contest called “30 Days of Beauty.” Each day from July 6, 2010 to August 4, 2010, Project Beauty will offer one prize (prizes include a Sonicare toothbrush; Mederma Stretch Marks Therapy; and SmashBox cosmetics) per day. To win, you have to join the Project Beauty Community and enter daily to win the prize of the day. Participants can score a fabulous product every day for a month.

Project Beauty also launched a social media campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. To join the Project Beauty community, sign up at www.projectbeauty.com.

An Easy Way to Fight Aging Every Day

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010 by editor2

Woman smilingDon’t forget about everyday ways to fight aging between cosmetic procedures. Flossing daily may help fight the effects of aging over the long-term. Dr. Eugene Antenucci, a spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry told MSNBC that you leave 40 percent of your teeth dirty with bacteria if you’re not flossing, which causes staining and yellowing between and around teeth.

Too much plaque can lead to gingivitis, which is the first stage of gum disease. Symptoms of gum disease include swollen or bleeding gums, receding gums, and the formation of deep pockets between teeth and gums, according to WebMD. It can end with tooth loss due to destruction of the tissue that surrounds your teeth, if left untreated.

“You register an older look because you see more spaces, less and uneven gum tissue,” according to Antenucci.

Eventually gum disease can cause the bones underneath to dissolve away, says Dr. Donald Clem, a dentist in Fullerton, Calif. “In later stages of periodontal disease we would see disfigurement in terms of caving in of the lips and cheek and wrinkles around the lips and cheeks.”

Researchers looked at issues related to how specific bony aspects of the face change with age and what implications these structural changes may have on the techniques used in facial cosmetic surgery, according to the abstract of a study published recently in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal.

So don’t forget that good hygiene, such as flossing daily, can help your anti-aging efforts, in addition to cosmetic procedures such as eyelid surgery, a facelift, or wrinkle fillers.


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