Interesting News on Breast Reconstruction

I thought this article was interesting, about how new reconstruction techniques help people who have breast cancer.  There is more to Los Angeles plastic surgery than simply chichi procedures!  Here is a summary of the article–

After lumpectomy or breast conservation surgery, plastic surgeons are now approaching the challenge of misshapen breasts by immediately remodeling the breast with remaining breast tissue or tissue taken from another area of the body. The result is a more natural looking breast that is more symmetrical with the unaffected breast.

Three additional advances the report examines are nipple-sparing mastectomy, deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flaps and acellular dermis graft slings. These are options for women who require a full mastectomy and young women who opt for preventative mastectomy due to a strong family history of breast cancer.

In nipple-sparing surgery, cancerous tissue and the duct system of the breast are removed, but a pocket of skin, the nipple and areola are saved. Plastic surgeons insert either an implant or the patient’s own tissue into the pocket to recreate the breast. The result looks very similar to the patient’s original breast because the original nipple and areola are used. Nipple-sparing surgery is still somewhat controversial, but if the origin of the tumor is away from the nipple and areola, it is considered safe, according to the report. DIEP flap surgery involves using skin and fat from the lower abdomen to recreate the breast. The muscle is left intact, eliminating potential muscle weakness in the donor area, according to the report.

For patients undergoing a mastectomy, DIEP flap done by a cosmetic surgeon may allow them to better resume normal activities since they have not loss muscle function in their abdomen. 

Finally, the use of acellular dermis (connective tissue layer of the skin) derived from cadaver tissue allows plastic surgeons to create a new breast pocket, in patients undergoing a mastectomy, without using a tissue expander. An implant may then be inserted, creating an aesthetically pleasing breast.  Breasts can be altered in many ways, with reduction, with liposuction, with a lift.  Here is a case where procedures after cancer surgery can help with appearance.

 

 

Breast Implants - Knowing what it can do for you

What it Can do:

Breast augmentation Los Angeles can be right for you if you are unhappy with your breast size. This surgery can help you with the following:

• Increase fullness and projection of your breasts
• Improve the balance of your figure
• Enhance your self-image and self-confidence

What it won’t do:

Breast augmentation surgery does not correct severely dropping breasts. If you want your breasts lifted, you should consider a breast lift along with breast augmentation surgery.

Are Breast Implants Right for me:

This is a very personal decision, but you should do this surgery for yourself, and no one else! Please talk to your Plastic surgeon in Los Angeles. A breast implant surgery is good for you if you are:

• You are in good physical health
• You have realistic expectations
• Your breasts are fully developed
• You are bothered by the feeling that your breasts are too small
• You are dissatisfied with your breasts losing shape and volume after pregnancy, weight loss, or with aging
• Your breasts vary in size or shape
• One or both breasts failed to develop normally

Stats

New data is out and it is interesting.  The findings are also similar for Beverly Hills plastic surgery, including Los Angeles tummy tuck.  Nearly 11.7 million cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed in the United States in 2007, according to statistics released by the plastic surgery society. The group says the overall number of cosmetic procedures has increased 457 percent since the collection of the statistics first began. The most frequently performed procedure was Botox injections and the most popular surgical procedure was liposuction.

The number of surgical and nonsurgical procedures performed on men increased 17 percent since last year, and 22 percent of the aesthetic procedures were performed on traditional racial and ethnic minorities. Women had 91 percent of cosmetic procedures. The number of procedures (surgical and nonsurgical) performed on women was over 10.6 million, an increase of 1 percent from the previous year. Surgical procedures increased 9 percent; nonsurgical procedures decreased by less than 1 percent. Since 1997, surgical procedures increased 142 percent, while nonsurgical procedures have increased 743 percent.

Traditional racial and ethnic minorities accounted for 22 percent of all cosmetic procedures in 2007. Hispanics again led minority racial and ethnic groups in the number of procedures: Hispanics, 9 percent; African-Americans, 6 percent; Asians, 5 percent; and other non-Caucasians, 2 percent.

Almost fifty-four percent (54 percent) of cosmetic procedures in 2007 were performed in office-based facilities; 28 percent in freestanding surgicenters; and 17 percent in hospitals. Americans spent just over $13 billion on cosmetic procedures; $8.3 billion was for surgical procedures, and $4.7 billion was for nonsurgical procedures.  When it comes to California cosmetic surgery, the trends are similar.

What to expect from your first consultation for breast augmentation

Your first consultation when you decided to have a breast augmentation or any plastic surgery depends on how honest you are with your doctor. During this time you will be asked questions about your health, desires, and lifestyle. Be honest, and you will get the best results. Be ready to openly talk about the following:

1. Why you want the surgery 
2. Your expectations of the outcome
3. Any allergies you may have
4. Any medical conditions you may have
5. Current Medications
6. Previous Surgeries
7. Family history of breast cancer

During this time your plastic surgeon my also do the following:

1. Look at your general health status and any other previous health conditions
2. Examine your breasts for any conditions
3. Take detailed measurements of your breasts
4. Examine your breasts for their size, shape, skin quality, and placement of your nipples
5. Take Photographs
6. Discuss your options
7. Recommend a course of treatment for you
8. Discuss likely outcomes of breast augmentation
9. Discuss any risks
10. Discuss the use of anesthesia during your los angeles breast augmentation

Ethnic plastic surgery

There was an interesting study about how different ethnic groups show signs of aging, and this has implications for ethnic plastic surgery.  Part of a summary is reprinted here—

While it is no secret African Americans’ skin may keep its youthful appearance longer than other ethnicities, many people don’t know African Americans show facial aging in the outer corner of the eyes earlier than Caucasians, according to March’s main plastic surgery journal In fact, African Americans require extra attention to their eyes because of their particular shape, position, and signs of aging.  These issues are important for ehtnic plastic surgery.  It comes up in the face, and also in Los Angeles breast augmentation.

“African Americans have a slight slant to their eyes, much like Asians do but not as pronounced,” said the study co-author. “During aging, we found not only do the outer corners of the eyes of African Americans droop lower than Caucasians, they also droop sooner.”

In the study, the median eye slant for African American women aged 45 years or younger was 3 degrees and decreased to 1 degree for those older than 45. The median eye slant in Caucasian women aged 45 years or younger was 1.3 degrees and decreased to 0 for those older than 45. While the forehead and eyebrow areas of Caucasian women tend to drop a decade earlier than African American women, the aging effects to the outer corner of the eye is exactly opposite.

With aging, the outer corner of the eye droops down, making under-eye bags more noticeable, lower lids looser and aging more evident. During an eye lift, if the outer corner is not raised up enough to recreate the slant, many African American patients will feel their ethnically unique features have been changed.

“On top of honoring their ethnic uniqueness, one of the biggest concerns African American women have is their tendency to show scars,” said the author. “By going through the inside of the lower eyelid and hiding a small scar in the upper eyelid crease during a lift, the scarring will not be visible.”

In 2006, more than 233,000 eyelid surgeries were performed in the U.S., according to the plastic surgery society. More than 783,000 cosmetic surgery procedures were performed on African Americans in 2006.

New Studies on Breast Implants

A new large study sheds new light on the psychological effects and health concerns of silicone breast implants.

• Body Image
  One review of important recent breast augmentation studies refuted a common perception – women who want breast augmentation do not suffer from lower overall body image than other women.

“Breast augmentation patients do not have a poorer overall self-image, nor are they more self-critical and preoccupied with their appearance than other women,” said a study author. “It appears it is their significant dissatisfaction with their breasts that serves as the motivation for surgery, not a poor overall body image.”

The positive effect of breast augmentation on women’s thoughts and feelings is also limited to their breasts. After surgery, they report being less embarrassed about their breasts and spending less time feeling upset about and camouflaging their breasts.

• Cancer Risk
  While some studies have raised concerns about the potential link between silicone breast implants and breast cancer, others have suggested the implants could cause other types of cancer (cervical, vulvar, lung, etc). A National Cancer Institute (NCI) review of past epidemiologic studies showed little support for an increased risk of cancer among breast implant patients.

• Effect on Breast-feeding
  Despite the overwhelming advantages of breast-feeding, some women with silicone breast implants may fear silicone could be passed on to their child, possibly affecting growth and development. However, according to a study, that measured silicon as an indicator of silicone, the levels of silicon found in lactating mothers with implants, as compared to lactating mothers without implants, was not significantly different.

These studies do lend support that some of the fears about Beverly Hills breast implants.

It is possible to get more information by consulting with a California plastic surgeon.

Information on Surgery Safety

When you are having surgery, you should put your safety first.  One way to do this is to go to a certified surgery center.  This is important for all procedures, such as California liposuction.

The history of accredting societies is interesting.  Office based surgery was so successful that single and multi-specialty centers were developed, offering the same advantages found in office based surgical suites. In the mid-eighties the organization changed its name to the American Society for Outpatient Surgeons (ASOS) as a response to the widening scope of ambulatory practice. Ten years later, in 1996, the name changed again to American Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (AAASC).  The names may change but the mission remains to preserve patient safety in all respects including during Beverly Hills cosmetic surgery.

The organization knows that the interests of the physicians and facilities are inextricable. The patient who comes to any ASC has a primary relationship with the physician who is doing a procedure such as Los Angeles breast augmentation. The customer focus provided by the ASCs to which physicians bring their patients is essential to keeping that relationship strong. It is in the mutual interest of physicians and ASCs to provide quality care-efficiently and cost effectively. AAASC acknowledges that physicians, administrators, nurses, and other stakeholders all need to work together to be successful.

The Importance of Physician Leadership

Today, AAASC is an organization that is physician-led, dedicated to ensuring that ASCs maintain and advance their position as high quality, low cost providers of ambulatory surgical services. We believe that physician leadership is key to addressing the major issues in this industry:

• maintaining the quality of care in the outpatient setting
• keeping costs down
• upholding reimbursement to a reasonable level
• working at the state and national level to define the legal and regulatory environment that best serves the interests of the patient.

Insurance and Plastic Surgery

As you plan for plastic surgery, you will probably learn a lot about what will happen in the operating room and discuss with your plastic surgeon how you will look and feel afterward. However, another important part of being an informed patient is knowing about the costs associated with surgery, and how these costs will be paid.  This can be confusing, but is it important.
It is important to have an understanding of health insurance benefits for California plastic surgery. It is intended to answer basic questions and guide you in communicating effectively with your plastic surgeon’s office staff and your insurance carrier. It won’t answer all of your questions, because a lot depends on individual circumstances and your own insurance. Be sure to contact your insurance company or your employer’s Human Resources/Benefits department with any questions you have about coverage for specific services, such as a tummy tuck in Los Angeles.

Breast Reductions — They Really Can Help

Women with very large breasts can have different problems caused by larger breasts. Such problems can range from back and neck pain to irritated irritation to skeletal deformities to breathing problems. Bra straps may leave indentations in their shoulders. Unusually large breasts can make a woman-or a teenage girl-feel extremely self-conscious.

Southern california breast reduction is designed to help for such women. The procedure removes fat, glandular tissue, and skin from the breasts, making them smaller, lighter, and firmer. The goal is to give the woman smaller, better-shaped breasts in proportion with the rest of her body. If you have any questions about this, you should contact your southern california plastic surgeon and setup a consultation.

Facelift and Botox

One facelift or Botox® injection does not fit all when it comes to looking younger. In fact, plastic surgeons analyze facial features and configurations to individualize results based on the decade of life a patient is in.  This provides best surgery results.

Patients in their 30s, who have had limited sun exposure, often show signs of aging first in their eyes and temple area with crow’s feet and some bulging of the eyelid. With minimal loss of volume at this point, fillers or Los Angeles Botox often smooth out the unsightly lines that people dread quickly and easily.

As patients enter their 40s, the midface begins to shift as the cheeks lose fat and laugh lines set in. Much like a balloon losing air, the cheeks become deflated toward the late 40s and the jowls begin to sag. To help restore their youthful appearance, patients can expect a plastic surgery combination of fillers as well as minimal lifting procedures such as a mid-face or short-scar lift.

By the mid-50s, the skin has relaxed and requires the most attention around the neck. In addition, the skin around the face usually has fallen and repositioned itself, needing a more extensive combination of a facelift, fillers or implants to rejuvenate the face.

In the 60s and 70s, individuals often battle hollowness from losing a large quantity of facial fat and having a sizeable amount of hanging skin. Facelifts during these decades often replace some of the volume but also remove excess skin to present a smoother, fuller face.

Although the appropriate procedural approach can often be determined by age, personalizing a cosmetic surgery procedure requires plastic surgeons to analyze a patient’s individual facial configuration and bone structure also – including eye shape, cheek width and face length.

More than 104,000 facelifts, 53,000 forehead lifts, and 233,000 eyelid surgeries were performed in 2006.  Customization is important of all procedures, such as Los Angeles tummy tuck.