Celebs and their plastic surgery

Articles about Plastic Surgery News

Chin Implants On The Rise: New ASPS Statistics For 2011

Friday, April 20th, 2012

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Here is an interesting segment from the Today Show based on the new plastic surgery statistics for 2011 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. For the accompanying article, including my comments on Chinplants, click HERE.

 

L.A. Times Publishes Series Of Plastic Surgery Articles

Tuesday, April 17th, 2012

The L.A. Times published a series of articles about plastic surgery this past Sunday.  There are some interesting reads here.  Please see links below if you have a few minutes and are looking for something plastic surgery-relate to read:

Good Plastic Surgery, Bad Plastic Surgery

Plastic Surgery Increasingly Is A Couples Activity

Plastic Surgery: The Price Of Eye Baggage

Plastic Surgery: It’s a Guy Thing Too

I have a new article on CNN.com which I will link very soon as well!

 

Women Waiting For Gummy Bear Breast Implants

Tuesday, April 10th, 2012

A recent study printed in the Cosmetic Surgery Times revealed that over half of 800 women surveyed are willing to wait for the FDA to approve form-stable “gummy bear” breast implants.  Gummy bear breast implants have been hailed world-wide as the only ones that simply don’t leak.  The devices, already approved in Europe and Canada, have yet to receive FDA approval here in the United States.

Or have they?

Recently the FDA approved the silicone breast implants of a company called Sientra, the third company to have approval of breast implants in the U.S. (along with Allergan and Mentor).  Among the Sientra implants approved are, yes, their version of the gummy bears.  Sientra has yet to distribute their implants to doctors, but have plans to do so in the near future.  This is an exciting development in the field of plastic surgery, and an event plastic surgeons and patients have been waiting years for.

I suspect that FDA approval of Mentor’s gummy bear implants aren’t far behind.

 

ASAPS Releases Plastic Surgery Statistics for 2011

Wednesday, April 4th, 2012

From the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS):

NEW YORK, NY (March 20, 2012) – The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) today released their 15thannual multi-specialty procedural statistics. The Aesthetic Society, which has collected plastic surgery procedural statistics since 1997, says the overall number of cosmetic procedures has increased 197 percent since the tracking of the statistics first began. Almost 9.2 million cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed in the United States in 2011. The most frequently performed surgical procedure was lipoplasty (liposuction) and the most popular nonsurgical procedure was injections of Botulinum Toxin Type A (including Botox and Dysport).

“For fifteen years these statistics have been a large part of the Aesthetic Society’s public education mission,” said Jeffrey M. Kenkel, MD, President of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. “Since 1997, the interest in and demand for cosmetic plastic surgery has risen exponentially and our comprehensive statistics continue to show that.”

Cosmetic surgical procedures increased almost 1 percent in the past year, with over 1.6 million procedures in 2011. Surgical procedures accounted for 18% of the total numbers of procedure performed representing 63% of total expenditures.  The top five surgical procedures were:

Cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures performed one of the surveyed physicians decreased almost 2 percent, with over 7.5 million procedures in 2011. Nonsurgical procedures accounted for 82% of the total number of procedures performed representing 37% of total expenditures.  The top five minimally-invasive procedures were:

  • Botulinum Toxin Type A (2,619,739 procedures)
  • Hyaluronic acid (1,206,186 procedures);
  • Laser Hair Removal (919,802 procedures)
  • Microdermabrasion (499,427 procedures)
  • IPL Laser Treatment (439,161 procedures)

For the first time ever this survey asked the doctors for the total number of non-surgical procedures being performed in their practices by BOTH physicians and their physician assistants and nurse injectors. Below is the TOTAL number of procedures performed in the practices surveyed:

“Growth in demand will likely coninue to grow as  baby boomers and their offspring begin to explore surgical options,” said Dr. Kenkel. “Minimally-invasive procedures such as Botox and soft tissue fillers work to a point. However, as you age and gravity takes over, surgical procedures that lift the skin and reshape the underlying tissues are necessary in order to show significant improvement.”

Women had almost 8.4 million cosmetic procedures, 91% of the total. The number of cosmetic procedures for women increased over 208% from 1997. The top five surgical procedures for women were: breast augmentation, liposuction, tummy tuck, eyelid surgery, and breast lift.

Men had almost 800,000 cosmetic procedures, 9% of the total. The number of cosmetic procedures for men increased over 121% from 1997. The top five surgical procedures for men were: liposuction, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, breast reduction to treat enlarged male breast, and facelift.

Americans spent nearly $10 billion on cosmetic procedures in 2011. Of that total $6.2 billion was spent on surgical procedures; $1.7 billion was spent on injectable procedures; $1.6 billion was spent on skin rejuvenation procedures; and over $360 million was spent on other nonsurgical procedures, including laser hair removal and laser treatment of leg veins.

The Aesthetic Society partnered with RealSelf, the most visited online community for learning about and sharing information and results for medical-beauty treatments, to get information on patients’ first-hand experience with procedures.  The RealSelf ‘Worth It Rating’ printed in the statistics report reflects the combined opinions of thousands of RealSelf community members. Each member shares whether an elective surgery or treatment was “worth it” all things considered.

To read the official ASAPS press release, click HERE.

 

FDA Approves New Silicone Gel Breast Implant

Saturday, March 10th, 2012

The FDA has approved the silicone breast implant from the manufacturer Sientra.  From the FDA website:

FDA approves new silicone gel-filled breast
implant
Approval conditioned on post-approval safety studies

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a silicone gel-filled
breast implant manufactured by Sientra Inc. to increase breast size
(augmentation) in women at least 22 years old and to rebuild breast tissue
(reconstruction) in women of any age.

As a condition of approval, Sientra is required to conduct post-approval
studies that will assess long-term safety and effectiveness outcomes as well as
the risks of rare disease outcomes.

Silicone gel-filled breast implants are medical devices implanted under the
breast tissue or under the chest muscle for breast augmentation or
reconstruction. These implants have a silicone outer shell that is filled with
silicone gel. They come in different sizes and have either smooth or textured
shells.

With today’s approval, there are now three FDA-approved silicone gel-filled
breast implants in the U.S. manufactured by Allergan, Mentor and Sientra.

“Data on these and other approved silicone gel-filled breast implants
continue to demonstrate a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness,”
said William Maisel, M.D., M.P.H., deputy director for science in the FDA’s
Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

“It’s important to remember that breast implants are not lifetime devices.
Women should fully understand risks associated with breast implants before
considering augmentation or reconstruction surgery, and recognize that long-term
monitoring is essential.” said Maisel.

The FDA based its Sientra approval on three years of clinical data from 1,788
participants. Complications and outcomes reflected those found in previous
studies of other breast implants and included tightening of the area around the
implant (capsular contracture), re-operation, implant removal, an uneven
appearance (asymmetry), and infection.

In June 2011, the FDA released a report that included preliminary safety data
from post-approval studies from earlier breast implant approvals. The experience
collecting and analyzing data from these studies informed the design and
structure of post-approval studies for Sientra breast implants.

In addition to other post-approval conditions, Sientra will:

  • continue to follow the 1,788 clinical trial participants in their pre-market
    study for an additional 7 years;
  • conduct a 10-year study of 4,782 women receiving Sientra silicone gel-filled
    breast implants to collect information on long-term local complications such as
    capsular contracture, as well as less common disease outcomes, such as
    rheumatoid arthritis and breast and lung cancer; and
  • conduct five case-control studies that will evaluate the association between
    Sientra’s silicone gel-filled breast implants and five rare diseases: rare
    connective tissue disease, neurological disease, brain cancer, cervical/vulvar
    cancer, and lymphoma.

“The design of these post-approval studies will require Sientra to collect
valuable safety information with adequate enrollment and follow-up,” said
Maisel. “The FDA is committed to working with breast implant manufacturers to
collect useful post-market data on long-term safety and effectiveness.”

My comment: This is a big deal in the plastic surgery field.  Mentor and Allergan (aka McGhan) have been the only real players in the breast implant market for 20 years.  Although Sientra’s implants are now approved for use, their products remain unknown to the vast majority of plastic surgeons.  Study results have not been publicly released (to my knowledge), and therefore how Sientra’s implants stack up to Mentor and Allergan’s is still in question.

Breast augmentation is the number one cosmetic plastic surgery in the country, with over 300,000 women undergoing the surgery each year according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.  If Sientra’s implants test as well as the other two companies AND have a lower price, then we may see more and more women being able to afford breast augmentation.  I’ll report on the new Sientra silicone breast implant as information is released.

 

Thank The FDA For Your Breast Implants

Thursday, March 1st, 2012

Last month 30,000 French women were urged by their government to have their PIP breast implants removed. The French Ministry of Health fears that the implants’ industrial-strength silicone filler, originally made for mattresses, could leak and cause serious health problems.

So what should American women with breast implants do?

Thank the Food and Drug Administration.

Breast implants are big business. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, last year nearly 300,000 women underwent breast augmentation in the United States. I currently perform over 150 breast implant surgeries per year, by far my most popular procedure.

So what went wrong in France that hasn’t gone wrong here?

The implants under scrutiny were manufactured by the now-defunct Poly Implant Prosthese (PIP), at one time the world’s third largest supplier of breast implants. The company, which went bankrupt and liquidated in 2010, fitted approximately 300,000 women around the world with these devices.

The advice given to women regarding their PIP implants has varied from country to country. France and Venezuela have urged their affected citizens to have the implants removed as soon as possible, while Britain has stated there is no evidence to recommend routine removal in all patients. Women with PIP implants around the world are furious that their government’s health ministries have allowed these unsafe implants to be used in so many people.

Here in the U.S., two companies manufacture the bulk of breast implants, Allergan and Mentor. The saline and silicone implants from both companies have stood up to the rigorous testing standards of the FDA.

Interestingly, PIP submitted their saline breast implants for FDA approval, but was rejected in March 2000. Specific reasons behind the FDA denial are unclear, but a study published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery by Stevens, et al., may provide a big clue. They discovered PIP saline implants had 3.5 times the rupture rate of Mentor saline implants. When an unacceptably high rupture rate is combined with contaminated silicone many complications can occur, including infection, inflammation, scar tissue, and possibly even cancer.

PIP silicone breast implants were never really used in the United States. If you had your breast augmentation in the U.S., it’s highly unlikely that you have these defective devices.

However, if you had your surgery overseas, then it’s a good idea to obtain your breast implant information from your surgeon. If your implants were manufactured by PIP, it may be a wise decision to switch them out for Mentor or Allergan implants.

If you’re thinking about undergoing a breast augmentation, don’t be afraid of silicone. Silicone breast implants are quite possibly the most studied medical device in the history of the world, and the FDA has deemed them safe for use.

Make sure you consult with a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Discuss the pros and cons of saline versus silicone. Recent surveys have found that, while silicone breast implants account for 60% of sales, a significant number of patients are still undergoing augmentation with saline. Silicone implants look and feel more natural than saline, but a broken silicone implant is harder to detect than a broken saline implant.

Studies show that over 90% of women with breast implants are satisfied with their outcomes. Still, I turn down one out of every five women who consult for breast augmentation, usually because I believe it’s not right for them.

Breast implants aren’t for everyone.

But the implants used in the United States are safe.

 

Plastic Surgery Grew By 5 Percent In 2011

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

From The American Society of Plastic Surgeons:

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The plastic surgery market continues to show significant growth – two years in a row. According to statistics released today by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), 13.8 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures (both surgical and minimally-invasive) were performed in the United States in 2011, up 5 percent since 2010. In addition, 5.5 million reconstructive plastic surgery procedures were performed last year, up 5 percent.
“While the rate of economic recovery in the U.S. is still uncertain, 2011 proved to be a good year for plastic surgery,” said the ASPS President. “Consumer confidence was up, auto sales rose 10 percent, so it is not surprising that we would also see increased demand for plastic surgery procedures.”

Cosmetic surgical procedures increased 2 percent, with nearly 1.6 million procedures in 2011. The top five surgical procedures were:

• Breast augmentation (307,000 procedures, up 4 percent)
• Nose reshaping (244,000 procedures, down 3 percent)
• Liposuction (205,000 procedures, up 1 percent)
• Eyelid surgery (196,000 procedures, down 6 percent)
• Facelift (119,000 procedures, up 5 percent)

Facelifts are among the top five cosmetic surgical procedures for the first time since 2004, replacing tummy tucks. Interestingly, a procedure popular with men, chin augmentation, nearly doubled in 2011, with 21,000 procedures performed, up 71 percent. Lip augmentation also rose significantly – up 49 percent, with more than 25,000 procedures performed.

Cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures increased 6 percent, with nearly 12.2 million procedures in 2011. The top five minimally-invasive procedures were:

• Botulinum toxin type A (5.7 million procedures, up 5 percent)
• Soft tissue fillers (1.9 million procedures, up 7 percent)
• Chemical peel (1.1 million procedures, down 3 percent)
• Laser hair removal (1.1 million procedures, up 15 percent)
• Microdermabrasion (900,000 procedures, up 9 percent)

Soft tissue fillers like hyaluronic acid (Restylane®, Juvederm Ultra®, etc.), calcium hydroxylapatite (Radiesse®), and fat injections experienced some of the largest growth in the minimally-invasive market during 2011. More than 1.3 million hylauronic acid procedures were performed in 2011, up 9 percent; 286,000 calcium hydroxylapatite procedures, up 36 percent; and 68,000 fat injections, up 19 percent.

Reconstructive plastic surgery, which improves function and appearance to abnormal structures, increased 5 percent in 2011. The top five reconstructive procedures were:

• Tumor removal (4.2 million, up 3 percent)
• Laceration repair (303,000, down 15 percent)
• Maxillofacial surgery (195,000, up 125 percent)
• Scar revision (175,000, up 9 percent)
• Hand surgery (120,000, up 13 percent)

Breast reconstruction rates continue to rise, with more than 96,000 procedures performed last year, up 3 percent since 2010.

 

Study Shows Breast Augmentation Can Improve Your Sex Life… Duh!

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

RealSelf.com is a plastic surgery site that’s great at creating dialogue between real plastic surgeons and the public.  This is the site that allows patients to vote on whether certain procedures are “worth it.”  For example, Breast augmentation has a 91% worth it rating, whereas the Lifestyle Lift has a 52% worth it rating.

RealSelf.com also has a popular blog which posts fascinating stories and graphics, like the one below.  Can breast implants improve your sex life?  Of course!  Read more about it HERE.

 

Package Deal: Injections Make Penis Grow, Study Finds: My Article in MSNBC

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

Does penis size matter?

A group of researchers from Korea University apparently believes it does, considering they discovered a way to make it happen

They recently published a study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine that analyzed how injections of a hyaluronic acid filler (Restylane Sub-Q) could increase penile girth.  These physicians injected an average of 20.5 cc (about  two-thirds of a medicine cup) using “a back-and-forth technique” into the deep soft tissue layers of the penises of 50 men.  The product was then ‘homogenized with a roller.’

The men’s penises had an average increase in circumference (girth) of 4 cm, which was maintained 18 months later.  They also assessed the patient and partner’s satisfaction with the treatment and found an average score of 3.3 (rated from 0-4) at 18 months.   Sounds like a nice result, right?  Keep in mind these patients underwent injections into their penises with relatively hefty needles.  Ouch.

So what is the average, less-endowed man to make of this?

To find out, visit the article on Body Odd at MSNBC.com HERE.

 

My 2012 Plastic Surgery Predictions on TODAY Health

Monday, February 6th, 2012

It’s become a tradition on this blog for me to look into my crystal ball each year and declare my plastic surgery predictions for the New Year.  Well, it’s already February, but better late than never!

The TODAY Show Health page recently published my Five Plastic Surgery Predictions For 2012.  They are:

5. Cosmetic filler injections will continue to get better and cheaper.

4. More and more Botox competitors will hit the market, but real Botox will remain the juggernaut.

3. The Ideal Implant will begin making waves.

2. The number of people undergoing nonsurgical fat reduction will skyrocket.

1. We’ll see more and more nightmare surgery stories from phony plastic surgeons.

For a complete write-up explaining each of my predictions, visit the TODAY Health page HERE.

 

ASAPS Releases Their Plastic Surgery Trends For 2012

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

According to surgery.org:

With a new year right around the corner, many are thinking about which plastic surgery procedures will be popular.

According to Denise Mann, editorial director for several plastic surgery information websites, consumers may see a lot of deals for injectables such as Botox, Dysport and Xeomin.

The recent introduction of Xeomin, which is available under the brand name Bocouture and is derived from the same ingredient in Botox and Dysport, botulinum toxin type A, means that plastic surgeons and cosmetic dermatologists have yet another option to offer their patients who want to treat wrinkles.

“Expect to see rebates, price drops and Groupons galore as companies and surgeons vie for your business,” Mann says.

The American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) reports that botulinum toxin type A injections were the most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedure in 2010, with more than 2.4 million people undergoing the treatment.

The topical use of Botox may also be another trend for the upcoming year. Studies are underway to determine whether or not the drug is effective for cosmetic use when applied topically. HealthDay reports preliminary studies are positive with the substance effectively reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will have to give the final okay for the drug to be used topically before it is available to consumers.

Some say that more men may turn to plastic surgery to enhance their appearance in the upcoming year as well.

In 2010, ASAPS reports that more than 750,000 men underwent surgical and non-surgical procedures, accounting for 8 percent of the total. However, many doctors say they’ve seen a bigger increase in the number of men seeking their services.

In the past, men have commonly undergone surgical procedures including liposuction, rhinoplasty, cosmetic eyelid surgery and facelifts. Botox (sometimes referred to as Bro-tox when it’s done on a man), laser hair removal and hyaluronic acid injections are popular non-surgical procedures many men have undergone.

“Men like getting work done,” a Florida-based plastic surgeon recently told WTSP-TV News.

Industry experts say that several recent, highly-publicized reports of botched plastic surgeries at the hands of inexperienced and unlicensed individuals may also prompt consumers to be vigilant about researching their plastic surgeons in the upcoming year.

“How many more horror stories do we need to hear about plastic surgeries gone wrong before realizing that these procedures should be left to the pros?” Mann asks.

Individuals interested in enhancing their appearance through surgical or non-surgical cosmetic procedures should contact a licensed, board-certified plastic surgeon to ensure they reach their desired outcome as well as maintain safety.

 

France To Pay To Remove Breast Implants Made Of Silicone “For Mattresses”

Thursday, December 29th, 2011

Interesting and scary story out of France.  A breast implant manufacturer, Poly Implant Prosthese, has been accused of using non-medical silicone (made “for mattresses”) in their breast implants.  Approximately 30,000 women in France have these implants, which have an unacceptably high rupture rate.  According to an article in CNN.com:

  • - The French Health ministry is concerned over a possible cancer link
  • - About 30,000 French women have implants made by PIP
  • - PIP implants are not approved for use in the United States
  • - British officials advise women concerned about implants to talk to their doctor

    • This shows the importance of the FDA regulatory process, as long and drawn-out as it may sometimes be.  PIP saline implants were rejected by the FDA in 2000, a very appropriate move.  If you are in the United States, make sure your breast implants are made by either Mentor or Allergan.  A new implant, The Ideal Implant, may be on the horizon, but isn’t FDA approved… yet.

    To read the CNN.com article, click HERE.

     

    “Smoking Can Make Your Nipples Fall Off” Goes Viral!

    Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

    I wish I could figure out the secret to making an article (or a blog post) go viral.  I’ve written several articles for CNN.com, with two having gone viral in the last several months.  Last week my most recent CNN.com article (Smoking Can Make Your Nipples Fall Off) exploded, garnering over 10,000 Facebook recommendations and God-knows-how-many reads.  Here are some of the major news sites that picked up my little article:

    ABC News.com

    CBS News.com

    The Daily Mail

    Huffington Post

    AOL.com

    San Francisco Chronicle

    The Examiner

    Gawker

    Newser

    If anyone out there knows the secret to getting an article to go viral, let me know!

     

     

     

     

    Another Victim Of “Fix-A-Flat” Injecting Phony Doctor – On Anderson

    Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

    Not much for me to say about this one that seeing this poor woman can’t express. If you are considering plastic surgery, Do Your Homework. Find a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (Mandatory), a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (Very nice), and a member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (a nice bonus).

     

    Update on the Phony Doctor Who Injected Fix-A-Flat Into Buttocks

    Monday, November 28th, 2011

    Here is an update on the story I reported last week on the transexual woman who allegedly injected a combination of Fix-A-Flat, cement, mineral oil, and superglue into the victims.  From the Daily Mail:

    A transgender woman accused of injecting a
    woman’s bottom with cement and tyre sealant has been re-arrested after a second
    alleged victim came forward.

    Oneal Ron Morris, 30, was arrested for a
    second time on fresh charges after the woman came forward claiming she was also
    taken in by the alleged cosmetic surgery scam.

    This time a man, Corey Alexander Banks, 40,
    was also arrested and charged as an accomplice of Morris, who also sports her
    own improbably proportioned behind.According to the arrest report, the patient went
    to Morris’s home and paid $700 for six injections ‘in each buttock to improve
    its shape and cosmetic’ appearance. Morris allegedly used superglue to seal the
    incisions.

    Police said after Morris’s arrest they have
    been inundated with calls from people claiming to have fallen victim to similar
    botched cosmetic procedures.

    The second alleged victim told police she had
    visited Morris for treatment on the same day as the first woman, but didn’t
    develop symptoms as fast, Sergeant Bill Bamford, spokesman for Miami Gardens
    police, told NBC Miami.

    She visited two hospitals in Miami-Dade and
    one in Broward complaining of symptoms including abdominal cramping.

    Eubanks allegedly helped Morris carry out a
    procedure similar to that apparently inflicted on the first reported victim.

    It is claimed the pair used a tube to pump a
    potentially lethal concoction of mineral oil, cement and ‘Fix-a-Flat’ into the
    woman, then used superglue to seal the wounds.

    MSNBC.com asked me to analyze photos of Oneal Morris and explain how on earth a person could develop a butt that massive in proportion to her body.  My best educated guess: String Implants.  You can read my article on MSNBC here.

     

    FDA Approves New Dermal Filler: Belotero from Merz

    Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

    Merz Aesthetics has scored a two-fer with the FDA recently.  They’ve just announced that their newest hyaluronic acid filler, Belotero, has been approved by the FDA for the correction of moderate-to-severe wrinkles, such as the nasolabial folds.  Like most hyaluronic acid fillers, Belotero scored well when compared to traditional bovine collagen injections.  Some physicians believe that Belotero is better at treating superficial lines and wrinkles when compared to the other popular hyaluronic acid fillers on the market today.

    The other big FDA approval for Merz Aesthetics was Xeomin, the latest Botox competitor.  You can read about Xeomin here.

    Although recently FDA-approved, most plastic surgeons and dermatologists don’t carry Belotero yet.   For more on Belotero, click here.

     

    Butt Injection With “Fix A Flat” Leads To Arrest

    Monday, November 21st, 2011

    It seems all the crazy plastic surgery happens in Miami…  MSNBC is reporting that a Miami Gardens transgender woman has been arrested for charges of practicing medicine without a license after injecting a woman’s butt with a mixture of cement, “Fix A Flat,” mineral oil, and super glue.  The amateur incision was then closed with super glue and the patient presented to the hospital shortly thereafter with severe complications relating to the procedure.

    Wow, I recently talked about illegal silicone plumping parties on the Rachael Ray Show, but using “Fix A Flat” takes the cake!

    By the way, the photo above is NOT of the victim, but of the perpetrator!  Look at that shelf butt!

     

    Ten Tips About CoolSculpting

    Thursday, November 17th, 2011

    Currently one of the most talked-about procedures in plastic surgery is CoolSculpting by Zeltiq.  I’ve mentioned it in previous blog posts here.  A lot of patients are asking about this procedure, but truthfully my experience with it is relatively modest.  I do not have the device in my office, but have demo’d it on myself and my staff.

    RealSelf.com recently posted a great article featuring “Ten Tips About CoolSculpting.”  If you are thinking about CoolSculpting, then it’s a good read.  You can find it HERE.

     

    Can Plastic Surgery Hinder Politicians?

    Monday, November 14th, 2011

    The Washington Times has a very interesting article about plastic surgery and politicians.  Some good examples include Nancy Pelosi (she appears to have had a facelift and eyelid lifts) and Joe Biden (his alleged Botox’d eyebrows in the VP debate with Sarah Palin was almost as comical as Palin’s debate performance).

    Can Botox hurt a politician by hindering their ability to express emotions?

    Possibly, especially when it’s overdone.  If a politician has a completely Botox’d up face (think Janice Dickinson-like), how can he or she furrow the brow to show sympathy?

    Some interesting thoughts and quotes -including some of mine- are served up in the Washington Times article HERE.

     

    PowerX – A New Type Of Liposuction Hits The Market

    Friday, November 11th, 2011

    There is a new type of liposuction device on the market.  Unlike some of the recent liposuction machines (such as Tickle Lipo and Body Jet) this device doesn’t promise the patient better or quicker results, but promises the doctor an easier time doing surgery.  Power X is produced by Sound Surgical, the innovators of VASER Liposelection.  It’s the newest power-assisted liposuction device that makes it easier for the plastic surgeon to remove fat.  The cannula rotates, allowing fat to be removed quicker, more efficiently, and with less work for the surgeon.  Apparently, it’s also very quiet, unlike the other well-known power-assisted liposuction machine.

    I bet you’re going to hear more about Power X in the near future.  As a patient, this technique may reduce your surgical time, thereby saving you money.  It also may help your plastic surgeon from becoming a sweaty mess after performing hours and hours of traditional liposuction like you see on TV.