July 30th, 2007 drberaka
Most of my breast augmentation patients want a reasonable increase in breast size and want their breasts to look and feel absolutely normal after surgery. For many women, I tell them that I will use the largest breast implant that will leave them looking natural. This rule meets most women’s expectations.
There is the occasional woman who comes in thinking that she wants “very large” breasts implants, and I spend a lot of time with this kind of patient, educating them about the risks of excessively large breast implants.
An interesting study was published recently which looked at 20 women who underwent breast augmentation and were followed for over one year.
The remarkable finding is that there was an inverse relationship between the size of the implant and nipple sensation. That means that the larger the breast implant, the higher the risk of reduction in nipple sensation.
There are other risks to using an implant that is too large for the available breast skin envelope of a particular patient. With the passage of time the weight of a very large breast implant will stretch out and atrophy the surrounding skin and breast tissue.
So for the occasional patient who I cannot convince to stay within the guidelines for breast implant size, I simply decline to perform the surgery.
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July 23rd, 2007 drberaka
Recent research shows that cosmetic surgery can actually be a powerful mood enhancer.
A significant number of people stopped needing anti-depressants after having cosmetic surgery. Also, 98% of patients said that cosmetic surgery markedly improved their self esteem.
These findings were presented at the 2006 annual meeting in San Francisco of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. One of the scientists said; “Plastic Surgery patients are taking a proactive approach in making themselves happier by improving something that truly bothers them.”
We have always known that cosmetic surgery improves self-esteem and body image.
In fact, that’s the best argument in favor of cosmetic surgery.
This study is summarized in the journal Plastic Surgery Practice Advisor.
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July 16th, 2007 drberaka
The FDA may decide that hydroquinone should not be available in skin bleaching creams sold over the counter and that it should only be available by prescription. This is because of weak evidence of a cancer link in rats and mice which were fed hydroquinone in high doses.
There is no evidence of any cancer link of hydroquinone in humans, even though it has been used for many years. Many plastic surgery and dermatology experts feel that hydroquinone is safe and effective to treat important medical and cosmetic conditions that result in excessively dark areas of skin. The use of hydroquinone should not be restricted.
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July 9th, 2007 drberaka
These treatments are called LIPOLYSIS, MESOTHERAPY, or the brand names LIPODISSOLVE and LIPOSTABIL. The claim is that a solution is injested under the skin that will cause fat to dissolve.
The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery issued a warning against these procedures, urging surgeons to avoid them until more is known about their safety. These procedures are not FDA approved and may be offered by inadaquately trained persons. There are no good studies showing that these treatments are effective but there are numerous reports of complications.
Contact our offfice if you have any questions.
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July 2nd, 2007 drberaka
An important study published in the July 2007 issue of the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery shows that breast reduction surgery does not interfere with breastfeeding. This is a concern for many young women who are thinking of having a breast reduction.
Two groups were compared. One group was 150 women with very large breasts who had no surgery. The other group was 150 women who had very large breasts who then had breast reductions. The study shows that breast feeding was equally successful in both groups. This is very important new information.
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