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Wrinkles Leave One in Five New Zealand Women Feeling Sad

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Alex

A recent survey commissioned by skin cream manufacturer Olay has highlighted debate in New Zealand about the use of plastic surgery to correct the signs of facial aging. Roughly 20 percent of New Zealand women feel “sad” about their wrinkles, and 38 percent would consider cosmetic surgery to correct the problem.

The online survey, which received 1,000 responses, also revealed that a quarter of women would be offended if someone asked if they had had cosmetic surgery. Roughly 90 percent said that they would consider a face cream over a cosmetic procedure.

“The survey highlights how appearance can affect a significant proportion of people, which is often unsaid,” appearance medicine expert Auckland Dr. Garsing Wong told the Otago Daily Times. “A majority of women want to age naturally, and having effective face creams is an acceptable method.” Psychologist Sara Chatwin agreed, saying that women may benefit more from a holistic approach to health and beauty.

There are some peculiarities about the survey. For one thing, while 38 percent would consider cosmetic surgery if money was not an issue, more than 75 percent thought it was best for people to age naturally. These seem like mutually incompatible statements. Dr. Howard Klein, president of the New Zealand Association of Plastic Surgeons, has questioned the validity of the survey and argues that face creams are often ineffective.

“I would much prefer for my clients not to undergo surgery if they can – but in some cases it’s necessary to get the results,” he told the Times. “If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is… And if they do show some improvements in the skin, they’re almost always temporary; for example, local inflammation of the skin.”

Fortunately, patients no longer need to choose between the extremes of over-the-counter facial creams and plastic surgeries, as there are a variety of methods available, including Botox and laser therapies. For those who wish to have a facelift, blepharoplasty, or rhinoplasty, different techniques can be used to fulfill the patient’s expectations and limit downtime.

Posted in Cosmetic Injections, Facial Surgery | Tagged face creams and Botox versus surgery options, facial rejuvenation, wrinkles and sadness | Leave a comment

Which Board Certified Your Surgeon?

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Alex

Cosmetic procedures are an increasingly lucrative market that is attracting more and more doctors, who offer elective procedures from their clinics. However, according to a recent article in the New York Times, doctors who offer cosmetic procedures but lack special qualifications are being associated with an increase in the number of botched surgeries.

This is a widespread but largely unrecognized problem in the US, where there are no laws against doctors practicing outside their specialties. Doctors from a variety of specializations, including ear, nose and throat, gynecology, and general practice, are marketing cosmetic procedures with little to no special qualifications.

As a result, according to many plastic surgeons, there has been an increase in the number of patients who are seeking revisionary surgery to correct the damage caused by botched procedures. Dr. Malcolm Z. Roth, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, says that “the public needs to be protected from doctors who are not upfront about what board certifications they have.”

Kate Murphy, the author of the Times article, spoke with a woman named Joan who recently fell victim to this trend. She received a facelift and tummy tuck from a “board-certified” Beverly Hills doctor who she later discovered was certified in otolaryngology. Her surgery resulted in thick scars on her temples and a wavy abdomen. “I had to use all my savings to get a real plastic surgeon to fix what he did to me,” Joan told Murphy. “I have an M.B.A. I’m not stupid. But when the doctor has a nice clinic and all those diplomas and certifications on the wall, you think he knows what he’s doing.”

Doctors who practice cosmetic procedures beyond their realm of expertise are not required to report their activities to any oversight authority, nor are they required to report complications that may arise through the course of their practice. This makes tracking the problem difficult. Patients seeking cosmetic improvements, from Botox to breast augmentation, should be sure to look for surgeons who are fully board-certified in plastic surgery and have membership in ASPS. This is the best way to ensure that their doctor has specialized in plastic surgery and is subject to stringent oversight.

Posted in Body Surgery, Facial Surgery, Plastic Surgery | Tagged ASPS, board-certified plastic surgeons, botched surgeries, non-specialists | Leave a comment

Fat Grafting and Implant Combined in New Breast Reconstruction Option

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Alex

Radiation therapy for breast cancer patients can reduce the risk of recurrent breast cancer and increase chances for survival, but also raises the risks associated with reconstructive surgery. However, according to a new study in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, mastectomy patients who have been exposed to radiation treatments may benefit from a new technique that consists of fat injection followed by implant placement.

Radiation is a double-edged sword in the world of breast cancer treatment. It can effectively neutralize potentially cancerous cells while at the same time having toxic effects on tissues and reducing the body’s natural healing abilities. Patient who have undergone mastectomy (breast removal surgery) and radiation therapy have traditionally been able to receive only autologous breast reconstruction procedures, which require an additional surgery to obtain graft tissue from the abdomen. These tissue grafts are more strenuous and have a higher risk of complications than standard reconstruction surgeries.

However, researchers found that by using the patient’s own fat, which is extracted via liposuction and grafted onto the chest wall or remaining breast tissue, a new bed of healthy tissue can be created. Once the signs of radiation toxicity disappear, the site of the graft is suitable for a breast implant. Of the 16 patients who underwent the procedure over a three-year period, with reconstruction beginning at least 3–6 months after the completion of radiation treatments, 15 reported that their reconstructed breasts appeared excellent to good appearance. Overall satisfaction ranged from high to very high.

Follow-ups averaging 15 months after the surgery revealed no complications and positive signs of breast tissue healing around the implant. Dr. Salgarello Marzja and his colleagues who performed the study have cautioned that further research is needed, with a larger number of patients and longer-term follow-ups. Nonetheless, these initial results offer a ray of hope to the growing number of breast cancer patients who are benefitting from radiation therapies.

Posted in Breast Surgery, Reconstructive Surgery | Tagged after radiation therapy, breast implants, breast reconstruction after breast cancer, fat grafting | Leave a comment

Software Can Spot Surgically Altered Criminal Faces

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Alex

What do John Dillinger, Hannibal Lecter, and countless soap-opera villains have in common? They received plastic surgeries to conceal their identities. However, according to the New Scientist, the old trick of evading recognition and capture by changing one’s face may soon become obsolete. A team of computer scientists at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana have developed facial-recognition software that can overcome the changes of plastic surgery.

John Dillinger probably wasn’t the first crook to evade the authorities with surgical modifications, but he’s likely the most famous real-life example. In 1934, the notorious bank robber forced a plastic surgeon to alter his face and fingerprints, and authorities were only able to locate him when his date turned informant. If Dillinger hadn’t been identified by the so-called “Woman in Red,” who was facing the threat of deportation, it’s possible that the gangster could have disappeared with his new face.

Conventional facial-recognition software often isn’t able to work with changes in lighting and facial position, much less the changes incurred by facelifts, dermal fillers, Botox, or rhinoplasty. Criminals who seek and receive plastic surgery have been able to evade these programs… until now.

The Notre Dame team discovered that matching individual facial features, rather than the whole face, would likely produce better results. With the new software, “before” and “after” pictures can be analyzed and compared with a general database of random faces. After individual features are matched to those on other faces in the database, the pictures are converted into composite pictures. Matching characteristics between the two composite pictures can then be easily identified. A nose or eyebrow may have stayed the same even if the cheeks have expanded or crow’s feet have disappeared.

With further research and modifications, it seems likely that this new software could help police identify disguised criminals by comparing current photos with older photos, such as mugshots.

Posted in Body Surgery, Facial Surgery | Tagged criminals, facial recognition software, plastic surgery | Leave a comment

Stretched Earlobes Appearing in Plastic Surgery Offices

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Alex

It used to be that tattoos were the only body modifications that plastic surgeons encountered in their practices. In recent years, however, many patients have been seeking to reverse more unusual modifications, according to San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Justin Berton. Fixing these generational fashion statements, which seem regrettable in hindsight to many young clients, has become a new niche market in California and other states.

Colton Tidwell, a 21-year-old resident of Oakland, had his ears modified with disc earrings during his teenage years. He stretched them so far that he “could fit a golf ball through the hole in his earlobe.” As he got older, however, he began to feel that the stretched earlobes weren’t the image that he wanted to project:

“I went a little too far with it… My body had become a bumper sticker… It bothered me that people could take one look at me and think they knew what I liked or didn’t like.”

Embarrassed of his appearance and often tucking his drooping earlobes under a baseball cap, Tidwell sought the help of plastic surgeon Dr. David Kahn, who has worked on a number of stretched earlobes over the last two years. The ear surgery took 30 minutes. Soon afterwards, Tidwell was able to get a new job at a bank.

Niche experts in the field of earlobe stretching reversal have cropped up all over the country. Houston plastic surgeon Dr. Haresh Yalamanchili, who has performed at least 14 such procedures, has become notorious as “the guy who does ears.” Fixing a stretched earlobe is a relatively simple procedure: surgeons make tiny incisions to release the hanging portion and then repair the ear’s surface to make it appear natural. Less squeamish readers may wish to view the procedure on YouTube.