While many people spend more time indoors during the cool, darker winter months, this chilly time may also be an opportunity to visit a surgeon’s office. In a recent New York Times story, several dermatologists suggest that many patients should consider laser treatments in the winter months, because they will have lighter skin from the lessened sun exposure. With more layers of clothing, patients may also be able to cover up post-operative effects and heal more easily.
In the article, dermatologist Dr. Jeffrey Dover suggests that his patients book laser and light treatments following the Halloween holiday. Laser treatments, which are often used to remove skin spots or tattoos, are typically not performed on tan skin because the pigment in your skin (melanin) absorbs the light and can cause some undesirable side effects.
One recent study found that treatments of intense pulsed light (IPL) and laser treatments both improved skin texture, pore size, and sebum secretion. The study also showed that IPL was a faster treatment, but laser treatments more greatly improved skin tone and macula.
Following breast cancer treatment and a possible mastectomy, patients have many continued treatment options moving forward. If the patient has undergone a partial or full mastectomy, she may choose to undergo breast reconstructionand make the decision to have breast implants to restore the breast.
A recent survey published in the journal Cancer found that women who had undergone a mastectomy and chose silicone implants were more satisfied with the result than those who had chosen saline implants. The survey included nearly 500 North American women who had undergone a double mastectomy; 176 chose silicone implants, while 306 chose saline implants.
“We now know that women who elect to proceed with the placement of a silicone implant report higher satisfaction with their reconstructed breasts than those who choose saline implants,” said Dr. Colleen McCarthy, a New York-based surgeon who led the survey.
McCarthy added, however, that patients should discuss implant options with their doctor as many factors play a role in what type of implant the patient may prefer. She reiterated that patient satisfaction is high when it comes to postmastectomy implant-based reconstruction in general.
While many individuals may immediately celebrate recent weight loss with a new bikini and a trip to the Bahamas, others will have to deal with the unintended side effects of such a change—excess skin.
For those patients who have lost a significant amount of weight, often as a result of bariatric procedures such as gastric bypass, The American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons (ASBPS) and online community RealSelf.com have created a consumer resource. The new section of RealSelf.com focuses on body contouring procedures, with topics ranging from liposuction to tummy tucks.
Individuals seeking information and answers to questions are able to explore RealSelf.com and access discussions, ratings of various services and procedures and share in the online community with the ASBPS’ 134 surgeon members. This is a significant expansion of the online community previously offered by RealSelf.com for patients seeking authoritative guidance.
ASBPS President Edward J. Domanskis, M.D., F.A.C.S., pointed out that given the personal nature of this issue, patients often turn to online sources for guidance and he sees the ASBPS’ partnership with RealSelf.com “providing consumers with an easily accessible expert community, an open forum for discussion, and credible, of-the-moment resources.”
The RealSelf.com online community provides information on hundreds of cosmetic services and procedures and includes first-hand accounts, ratings, costs, before and after photos, videos and more. Consumer questions on the community have yielded over 100,000 answers from board-certified doctors.
Can wrinkle correction change the image you project to the world? Surgeons at the Chicago Center for Facial Plastic Surgery sought to answer that question in a recent paper published in Dermatologic Surgery.
While many studies have documented the physical results achieved with dermal fillers like Restylane and Juvederm, few, if any, studies have documented how others perceive your appearance after such a treatment.
Using injections of hyaluronic acid filler, doctors fully corrected the nasolabial folds on 22 patients. To determine how treatment affected first impressions, they showed pictures of the patients to 304 people as blinded evaluators. They asked the evaluators about categories such as attractiveness, athletic ability, financial success, relationships and overall first impression.
“Significance was observed in all categories measured,” the authors conclude; “full correction of the NLFs with HA filler significantly and positively influences the first impression an individual projects.”
Funding and materials for the study were provided by Medicis, maker of Restylane.
After the devastating Haiti earthquake in January 2010, the country received medical aid from doctors all over the world, including plastic and reconstructive surgeons.
One plastic surgeon and member of the ASPS, Dr. Paul Rottler of St. Louis, had been involved in Haiti medical mission trips for 6 years before the earthquake occurred. When it struck, he was fit to lead a team of physicians in relief efforts.
In this video he discusses his role as a plastic surgeon treating victims of the earthquake.
Along with an OB/GYN and general surgeon, Dr. Rottler visited the central plateau area of Haiti to perform medical procedures such as burn reconstruction, cleft lip/palate repair, delivering babies, and hysterectomy. You can read more about Dr. Rottler and his team’s medical mission efforts on his website.
A recent survey of 762 breast cancer patients found that 43% felt they did not receive enough information about their options in breast reconstruction when making treatment decisions at diagnosis.
The survey, conducted by the CSC (Cancer Support Community) found that Just 60% of their respondents chose breast reconstruction following a partial or full mastectomy.
Survey results showed that patients wished they had known more about the following aspects of breast reconstruction surgery:
How they would feel after reconstruction (31%)
How they would look after reconstruction (31%)
Future breast health (23%)
Details of each procedure (15%)
Risks and benefits of reconstruction at the point of mastectomy vs. at a later point (14%)
“It is critical that women get information on breast reconstruction early on because it can be an important part of quality of life and image,” said Kim Thiboldeaux, president and CEO of the CSC, a non-profit group. “I think there is a lot of attention focused on treatment and curing cancer and sometimes in the health care system, reconstruction becomes a secondary concern,” she added.
The CSC is creating a program to deliver information about breast reconstruction to cancer patients. “Frankly Speaking about Cancer: Spotlight on Breast Reconstruction” will include 75 free patient education workshops scheduled to take place throughout the U.S. beginning next year.
Comprehensive patient education guides, breast reconstruction resource guides, multimedia education tools and online web content will engage women in discussions about breast reconstruction.
Danny Cahill, a contestant on The Biggest Loser, lost over 230 lbs through exercise and watching his calories. After such a dramatic transformation, he could not fully enjoy the results because he had a large amount of excess skin on his body.
On a recent episode of The Doctors television show, he found a resolution to the problem, a series of plastic surgery procedures commonly called “body contouring after massive weight loss.” With the help of plastic surgeons Dr. Ordon and Dr. Chopra, Cahill was able to remove about 15 pounds of skin from his tummy, chest and back.
Tuesday’s episode of The Doctors featured Danny Cahill once again, fully recovered from surgery, revealing his new body. “I really feel like I can take my shirt off in public now and not be embarrassed about it,” said the patient.
After massive weight loss, plastic surgeons can perform several procedures to help patients with excess skin. Body contouring procedures like the body lift, arm lift, thigh lift and other procedures may be recommended by your plastic surgeon.
Zeltiq was recently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for non-invasive fat reduction. The technology behind the Zeltiq CoolSculpting device actually allows plastic surgeons to reduce fat without surgery and offer patients a true liposuction alternative.
Like liposuction, Zeltiq can effectively reduce body fat, especially on the love handles and flanks. The procedure takes about an hour or two, and full results from the Zeltiq procedure can be seen within 2 – 4 months.
Although Zeltiq’s technology reduces stubborn fat deposits and produces results similar to liposuction procedures like Smart Lipo and VASER liposuction, the technology is quite different.
Zeltiq vs. Liposuction
Zeltiq is a non-surgical procedure while liposuction is a surgical procedure that requires small incisions. Also, no downtime is needed after Zeltiq whereas liposuction patients may spend anywhere from a few days to a week recovering from outpatient surgery.
How Zeltiq CoolSculpting Technology Works
During the Zeltiq procedure, fat cells are destroyed by way of a cooling process called Cryolipolysis. Liposuction relies on heat, sound or mechanical manipulation to breakup fat cells, but Cryolipolysis technology targets and shrinks fat cells by painlessly exposing them to extreme cold without damaging the outer layer of the skin.
This induces a natural, controlled elimination of the fat cells through the lymphatic system, which ultimately results in decreased fat deposits and unwanted bulges.
Although the new Zeltiq CoolSculpting procedure permanently destroys fat cells to smooth and improve body contours, it is important to note that like liposuction, it is not intended for weight loss and will not cure obesity.
The first week of October will bring thousands of plastic surgeons to Toronto for a presentation of the hottest topics, technologies, and research. Plastic Surgery 2010, the annual scientific meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), is taking place Oct. 1-5, in Toronto, Canada, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
The ASPS annual scientific meeting has an estimated attendance of 5,000 doctors, medical personnel, exhibitors and industry representatives in the field of plastic surgery.
“Plastic Surgery 2010 is the complete plastic surgery experience featuring the latest information on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery techniques,” said ASPS President Michael McGuire, MD. “Held in Canada this year, the meeting will serve as a first ‘congress of plastic surgery’ whereby international and U.S. physicians can easily come together to investigate and refine new techniques, review the safety and effectiveness of devices and procedures, and explore emerging trends in plastic surgery.”
During this roundtable event, on Friday, Oct. 1 from 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. EDT, plastic surgeons will discuss their volunteer experiences following the devastating earthquake in Haiti in January, 2010. Numerous plastic surgeons are still actively engaged in the Haiti relief effort.
In the future, you might see doctors prescribe the popular wrinkle treatment Botox Cosmetic as a remedy for severe headaches. A new study published in Archives of Dermatology shares new information about clinical studies with Botox for treatment of “eye popping” migraine headaches, finding that certain patients experienced less frequent headaches after using the injectable drug. Patients who responded to the experimental treatment reported that their migraines were reduced to fewer than 1 day per month from almost 7.
Botox manufacturer Allergan Inc has applied for FDA clearance to market Botox as a headache treatment. However, researchers say they cannot fully explain how Botox works to relieve headaches. One co-author of the study, Rami Burstein says, “it may block the signals in sensory nerves located on the outside of the head.”
While many individuals may immediately celebrate recent weight loss with a new bikini and a trip to the Bahamas, others will have to deal with the unintended side effects of such a change—excess skin.
Can wrinkle correction change the image you project to the world? Surgeons at the Chicago Center for Facial Plastic Surgery sought to answer that question in a recent paper published in Dermatologic Surgery.
Danny Cahill, a contestant on The Biggest Loser, lost over 230 lbs through exercise and watching his calories. After such a dramatic transformation, he could not fully enjoy the results because he had a large amount of excess skin on his body.
technologies, and research. Plastic Surgery 2010, the annual scientific meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), is taking place Oct. 1-5, in Toronto, Canada, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
