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Doctors Experiment with At-Home Tissue Expansion Device

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Alex

While tissue expansion can be uncomfortable and time-consuming, an experimental breast tissue expansion device may soon provide a major alternative to traditional methods, according to a recent news report.

Mastectomy, or breast removal, is often necessary to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer. While breast reconstruction surgery can offer women the chance to regain breasts lost to cancer, the site of the mastectomy often lacks sufficient tissue to hold the implant. Tissue expansion involves gradually stretching the breast tissue and muscle so that the site will be prepared for an implant.

Tissue expansion often requires repeated visits to the doctor’s office in order to receive saline injections. However, an alternative method has been developed, using a device called the AirExpander. This device can be implanted in the chest and delivers bursts of carbon dioxide, which are triggered by a remote control. A study for Columbia University Medical Center examined the results that the AirExpander offered to a single patient.

Barbara Baxter, who received a mastectomy last year, received the AirExpander in preparation for breast reconstruction. She was able to create enough space for her implant in six days. “It’s a piece of cake compared to the other way I think,” Baxter told CBS. “I haven’t had the other way but it didn’t look that pleasant to me.”

According to Dr. Jeffrey Ascherman, who spoke with CBS:

“[Baxter] can do it through her clothes, she can be at work, she can be at home, she presses a little button and it releases a small dose of compressed CO2… She can do multiple small doses during each and every day. She has the potential with this to complete the process much more quickly.”

While not yet approved by the FDA, the AirExpander is currently being tested in clinical trials, and its producer will likely apply for FDA approval later this year.

Image source: Webster Lab/Brown University

Miss Piggy on her Botox Habit

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Alex

There aren’t many great stars of the stage and screen who can boast that their looks have actually improved since the 1970s. One famous actress and superstar who has managed to maintain her appearance attributes her success to Botox injections. It might also help that she’s a puppet.

One of the most famous Muppets, Miss Piggy has had a long and distinguished career since she was fashioned from felt by Sesame Street creator Jim Henson. In the nearly 38 years since her television debut, she has become widely known for her charm, passion, and wild temper. Recently, during a segment on Anderson Cooper’s new talk show, Miss Piggy admitted to having a Botox habit.

Botox is an FDA-approved injectable drug that has been used for cosmetic treatments since 2002. By temporarily inhibiting the movement of a particular facial muscle, Botox allows another muscle to stretch. This pulls the skin tight and erases the appearance of wrinkles. During the Anderson segment, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and CNN’s chief medical correspondent, discussed some of the potential side effects of Botox.

Miss Piggy revealed on the show that her continued youthful appearance is the result of repeated Botox injections. In fact, Miss Piggy said, she was perhaps “99 percent Botox,” although that might be “underestimating it.”

“There’s hardly a single expression I can make,” she told Dr. Gupta.

“I do think it’s possible to go overboard when it comes to plastic surgery or even Botox,” Dr. Gupta said. “Botox is something that can be safe, but one of the potential concerns is that if you use too much of it, your eyelids droop. It can cause headaches, it can cause other problems.”

Dr. Gupta is right to caution his viewers, especially since many practitioners lack the necessary skills and restraint to ensure the best results for their patients. Fortunately, the side effects of Botox can usually be avoided by a board-certified plastic surgeon who has trained in its use.

Posted in Cosmetic Injections | Tagged Botox, Miss Piggy, Sanjay Gupta | Leave a comment

Controversy Surrounds Cheaper Facelifts Company

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Alex

An embattled plastic surgeons’ group has once again been placed under investigation as the result of alleged shady business practices, according to a recent article on ABC Arizona. Former patients and employees are accusing the business of using high-pressure sales tactics, while the Florida Attorney General is investigating accusations of “unfair and deceptive trade practices.”

Lifestyle Lift is a nationwide group of 40 clinics that offers cheaper and less invasive facelifts to its patients. The company counters that the majority of its patients are satisfied with their surgical results, but this didn’t prevent at least 68 Floridians from filed complaints with that state’s attorney general over the past two years. Accusations levelled against the group include:

employees were given quotas to sign up a certain number of patients each week
the use of high-pressure sales tactics regardless of individual patient suitability
false advertising

This isn’t the first time that Lifestyle Lift has been investigated for shady and dishonest business practices. In 2009, the company was found guilty of creating fake online reviews, and was forced to pay a $300,000 fine by the state of New York. Florida’s AG is investigating whether the company is still posting fake reviews.

In response, Lifestyle Lift denies that fake posting is still taking place and accuses at least one former employee of being a disgruntled liar. Even the company’s website seems geared to respond to its negative reputation. On a page entitled “Internet Critics,” the company says:

Even with the best care and results, no one can make everyone happy. While you may find complaints on the Internet, it’s essential to keep them in perspective…. Many Internet blogs may be written by the same person writing over and over, and posting on a variety of sites. We have also found that competing doctors and their staff members sometimes post negative and misleading blogs.”

Posted in Facial Surgery, Plastic Surgery | Tagged facelift surgery, Lifestyle Lift | Leave a comment

Few Plastic Surgeons Perform Migraine-Curing Forehead Lift

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Alex

A surgical technique usually associated with facial rejuvenation can also be used to alleviate severe migraines. However, according to a study in the latest issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, few plastic surgeons are performing the procedure. The study authors, Dr. Theodore A. Kung and his colleagues, argue that there needs to be greater awareness about migraine surgery among plastic surgeons.

It may surprise many readers to learn that the overlap between migraine treatment and cosmetic enhancement is decades old. Botox, the most popular cosmetic injectable in the US, was originally used for therapeutic purposes such as treating migraines before the FDA approved it for cosmetic use in 2002. The migraine-relieving benefits of this newer procedure, which is adapted from the traditional forehead lift, have been confirmed in a number of recent studies.

The study found that although most plastic surgeons are aware of migraine surgery, and many express interest in performing the procedure, there are nonetheless “significant barriers” to its increased use. Eighteen percent of survey respondents had previously performed surgery for migraine treatment; more than 80 percent of these said the surgery improved the patients’ symptoms.

Many surgeons reported that they didn’t feel sufficiently familiar with the technique to perform the surgery. However, 60 percent said that they would be interested in offering the surgery if a patient were referred to them by a board-certified neurologist. The survey also indicated that most surgeons didn’t know that migraine surgery is covered by major health insurers such as Medicare.

Dr. Kung and his colleagues argue that a greater awareness of migraine surgery is needed. “Increased referral of suitable patients by neurologists and improved familiarity with the concept and techniques of migraine surgery may motivate more plastic surgeons to perform migraine surgery.”

Posted in Facial Surgery | Tagged brow lift, forehead lift, migraines | 1 Comment

Men’s Legs Possible New Source for Hair Transplantation

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Alex

Over the years, men’s dwindling hairlines have propelled extensive research into treatments for baldness, and many researchers are developing new ways to make hair transplants look more natural. A new study, published in this month’s Archives of Dermatology, indicates that transplanting hair from a patient’s legs to his head can lead to better results than more conventional techniques. However, a New Jersey plastic surgeon has expressed some doubt, citing the potential for mismatch and scarring.

Dr. Sanusi Umar, the study’s author, argues that the traditional method of hair transplantation, which takes hair from the back of the head, has some significant drawbacks:

“That hair happens to be the thickest hair on the head… if you take it from there and put it in the hairline, despite your best efforts, it will end up slightly harsh and unnatural in the hairline. The other issue is that people bald or thin to varying degrees. You can have mild baldness or it can be very severe.”

For the last seven years, Umar has developed a surgical technique that draws hair from different parts of the body. “With this approach I can combine beard hair, chest hair and leg hair, depending on the person’s hair distribution,” Umar told MSN in an interview. “Mixing that with some thicker head hair as well, I can come up with about 20,000 to 30,000 hairs, which means I’m then able to tackle some very severely bald individuals.”

However, other hair transplantation experts have reserved some doubts. New Jersey plastic surgeon Dr. Barry DiBernardo is one of them.

“Finding hair from other parts of the body is not new at all,” he said to MSN. “But when you use body hair it can be a different thickness. It can have more curl to it than the original hair. So these reports sound fine. But the approach does raise the issue of a hair mismatch, which of course will depend on the person.”

He also pointed out that the potential for visible scarring on the legs isn’t an issue with the back of the head.