It’s time to tighten up where diet and exercise leave you rolling Many of my patients are frustrated with that stubborn pooch that just won’t tone with diet and exercise. If so, then a tummy tuck may be the surgical option that can give your mid-section the tweak it needs. However, realistic expectations and talking… Continue Reading »
Beware of extreme lip augmentation. You may regret going too plump like some celebrities. Actress Emmanuelle Beart recently told French newspaper Le Monde, “I had my mouth done at 27. It was botched.” An overdone lip augmentation is often referred to as a “trout pout” because the plumped appearance makes them resemble a fish. The… Continue Reading »
If you decide to have cosmetic surgery, there are numerous decisions to make, including choosing your surgeon and procedure. Deciding how to pay for your cosmetic surgery procedure is also important to determine. While there are some rare instances when insurance covers the costs, such as after an accident, most of the time it is… Continue Reading »
Cosmetic surgery is more accepted than ever before, but that doesn’t necessarily make it polite to ask someone if they’ve have work done. Mary M. Mitchell, who has written several etiquette books, recently wrote a Reuters story about what she views as proper etiquette regarding cosmetic surgery. For instance, if you run into a friend… Continue Reading »
Couples have found a new activity to share—cosmetic surgery. There’s anecdotal evidence from surgeons that this is a growing cosmetic surgery trend. Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Mitchell Chasin says, “Years ago, we would see a wife come in and she would say, ‘I can’t let my husband know what I’m doing.’ And then the husband would… Continue Reading »
Hyaluronic acid gel injections are popular for smoothing facial wrinkles; now in Europe they are also being used to enhance the breast. Per Hedén, MD, PhD, of Sweden, says the injection is a simple and safe alternative for women who want to enhance their breasts, but aren’t ready to have breast implant surgery. “Hyaluronic acid… Continue Reading »
Arlington Heights, Ill.– Patients undergoing cosmetic liposuction and/or abdominoplasty (“tummy tuck”) procedures report significant improvements in self-esteem and quality of life, according to a study in the April issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
Outcomes are especially good with liposuction plus “tummy tuck,” although they include somewhat higher pain scores and longer recovery times, reports the new study by ASPS Member Surgeon Dr. Eric Swanson, MD, a plastic surgeon in private practice in Leawood, Kan.
Dr. Swanson formally evaluated quality of life and other outcomes in 360 patients undergoing liposuction and/or abdominoplasty to remove excess abdominal fat. About 60 percent of patients underwent liposuction alone, while 35 percent underwent a combination of liposuction and abdominoplasty. The rest underwent abdominoplasty alone.
The patients’ average age was 42 years; 85 percent were women. Thirty percent of patients underwent other cosmetic plastic surgery procedures (such as face lift or breast augmentation) at the same time. Outcomes were assessed an average of four months after surgery.
Patients undergoing liposuction alone had shorter recovery times: average time off work was about six days, compared to 16 days with abdominoplasty (with or without liposuction). The liposuction-only patients also had less discomfort: average pain score 6 out of 10, compared to 7.5 for those undergoing abdominoplasty.
Patients undergoing abdominoplasty rated their cosmetic outcomes higher than others: average score 9 out of 10, compared to 8 out of 10 with liposuction only. Liposuction plus abdominoplasty produced the highest patient satisfaction rate-over 99 percent-with no increase in pain compared to abdominoplasty alone.
Ninety-eight percent of patients undergoing liposuction plus abdominoplasty said they would undergo the procedure again and 99 percent that they would recommend it to others.
Overall, 86 percent of patients reported an improved sense of self-esteem after surgery. About 70 percent reported improved quality of life, more commonly after liposuction plus abdominoplasty.
Quality of life is an increasingly important focus measure of effectiveness for all types of medical and surgical treatments. Even though liposuction and abdominoplasty are among the most frequently performed cosmetic surgery procedures, few studies have formally evaluated their impact on quality of life and other patient-reported outcomes.
“Liposuction and abdominoplasty, individually and in combination, produce high rates of patient satisfaction and reliably improve self-esteem,” Dr. Swanson writes. By formally assessing these important outcomes in a large number of patients, he hopes his study will provide a clearer picture of the expected results and recovery times associated with these widely performed cosmetic surgery procedures.
Many breast augmentation patients are aware that they will need to choose the size and type of implant they want for their procedure, but many may not realize there is another important decision: where the incision will be. While there will always be scarring with breast implants, New You Magazine recently gave an overview of… Continue Reading »
There is a growing demand for cosmetic surgery to treat the hands, which often give away our age. The New York Times recently offered an overview on this growing trend of hand rejuvenation. How Your Hands Age As you age, your hands lose fat, volume and elasticity; because the skin is thinner and more translucent,… Continue Reading »
The FDA has approved a new silicone breast implant by Sientra Inc., adding to the breast implant choices available in the U.S. Sientra’s implants have been approved for breast augmentation in women 22 years and older and for breast reconstruction in women of any age. With the latest approval, there are now three silicone gel-filled… Continue Reading »
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