Here’s an interesting study, courtesy of Medscape. I’ve edited it for brevity. According to a study published in the online journal Health Affairs, American physicians spend almost 4 times as much on administrative costs related to dealing with insurance plans, compared to physicians in Canada. According to the research, the staff time to deal with multiple health […]
Compared to other areas of our field, skin care often lags behind when it comes to good science. That’s one reason why an article in this month’s issue of ASJ (the Aesthetic Surgery Journal) is exciting: it looks at the effect of the Obagi skin care system in a good quality study. Here the study focused on […]
Just this week, the FDA has approved another competitor for Botox. This one is called Xeomin, and it’s sold by Merz Aesthetics. Just like Botox and Dysport, it temporarily reduces wrinkle lines, such as the frown lines between the eyebrows. However, Xeomin does not require refrigeration prior to reconstitution and mixing. According to the manufacturer’s press […]
A Phoenix, Arizona physician who had three patients die during liposuction surgery was found guilty of murder and manslaughter last week in Maricopa County Superior Court. He was not a trained plastic surgeon, nor a surgeon of any kind. Dr. Peter Normann had been an emergency-room physician, certified as an internist, and had never done a […]
It’s always great to see people you know coming up with innovative ideas and making them work successfully. This time, a friend from my time at MGH in Boston, plastic surgeon Geoff Gurtner, MD, has come up with a neat scar-reducing dressing that looks quite promising in early trials. Here’s the concept: we know that scars […]
Here’s the story from wbtv.com. (Edited for brevity.) *********** NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) – After three people were charged with an illegal liposuction procedure in a North Myrtle Beach apartment, the doctor who treated the victim has spoken up to warn others about the threat of uncertified plastic surgeons. Dr. Ralph Cozart said he was […]
Get the word out! The 2011 Race for the Cure – the Susan G. Komen Foundation event for breast cancer awareness and fundraising – is happening October 16th in Orlando at BrightHouse Stadium. Our office has formed a walking team – and we’ll be there, helping! Our team name is “Fiala’s Breast Friends Forever” – […]
Here is the amazing story of how a man with cancer of the trachea (and no other remaining treatment options) was treated with a tracheal transplant created from “scratch” in the tissue engineering lab, using the patient’s own stem cells. Very exciting, cool stuff, reported today in the Wall Street Journal.************ Cancer Patient Saved With Lab-Grown […]
A few years ago, there was an FDA-approved injectable filler product called Isolagen. The company, however, couldn’t get their financing together, and went bankrupt in 2009. But now, rising from the ashes, the product is back, under a new name, laViv. The product just received FDA approval last week. But, to my review, it’s basically […]
Fireworks are beautiful – but care and safety are needed to avoid burns and injuries. Dr. Ramona Bates, from the suture for a living blog, has written an nice review piece about how to safely deal with fireworks. The link is below. It’s especially timely with the July 4 holiday fast approaching. Please read it, and explain […]
