When Abdominal Fat can be deadly – “Metabolic Syndrome”
Posted on April 1, 2009
It’s well known that America has an obesity epidemic, which affects both adults and children alike. But what’s not as well known, even in the medical community, is the rapid rise in an obesity-related problem called “Metabolic Syndrome”. Metabolic Syndrome is diagnosed if you have 3 or more of: – increased waist size (>40 inches for men, […]
Making a beautiful belly-button
Posted on March 31, 2009
It seems like a small thing, but many of my prospective tummy tuck patients mention how they like our photos, especially the nice looking belly buttons. During a full abdominoplasty, we re-use the original umbilicus, but we have to make a new cut-out in the skin for it, once the upper abdominal skin has been […]
The SoCal "Boobie Bandit"
Posted on March 30, 2009
And now, one of those “News of the Weird” stories… Allegedly, a woman in Huntington Beach, CA, recently used a stolen identity to open a line of credit, which was then used to finance a breast implant exchange and liposuction surgery, worth $12,000. The woman lied to her doctor and the staff of the surgery […]
Herbal Supplements and Surgery – Safe or not?
Posted on March 29, 2009
Herbal supplements are everywhere. And cosmetic surgery patients love them – in a recent survey, 55% of cosmetic surgery patients surveyed took 2 or more supplements, compared to only 24% in the general population. The most commonly used supplements in the survey were: chondroitin, ephedra, echinacea and glucosamine. Some supplements have some serious side effects […]
A Hero Passes
Posted on March 28, 2009
Last week, we lost a very special person here in the Orlando area, when Mark L. Parker passed away. As a rookie Correctional Officer full of promise at age 19, Mark was seriously wounded in the line of duty, at a shootout at the Orlando courthouse some 25 years ago. Two other officers were killed. […]
How to scrutinize Before and After Photos
Posted on March 27, 2009
Patients love to see “before and after” photos. I agree – it’s one good way to see the quality and artistic vision of a plastic surgeon. Unfortunately, photographs can be manipulated to look better or worse. And I’m not talking Photoshop here. Simple tricks of timing, positioning, and lighting can be used by the unscrupulous. […]
Double-Board Certified Plastic Surgeon?
Posted on March 25, 2009
Some doctors are calling themselves “double-board certified” or “triple board certified” surgeons. This terminology seems to be especially common on the Internet, and, in my opinion, is a bit of a pretentious marketing ploy. Since the whole board certification thing can be a bit confusing for consumers, let’s talk about it. As you probably already […]
Does Vitamin E help the appearance of scars?
Posted on March 21, 2009
From time to time, people ask me about Vitamin E…and whether rubbing some of it on their incision will make it heal and look better. It’s an interesting “urban legend”. The belief that Vitamin E helps scars seems pretty widespread. First of all, what is Vitamin E? It’s a fat-soluble vitamin that was discovered in […]
Do breast implants prevent breast cancer?
Posted on March 20, 2009
It sounds hard to believe…but a new study published in the January issue of International Journal of Cancer found a 27% reduction in the number of breast cancers in women who have breast implants. The researchers compared the incidence rates of breast cancers in 6,200 Scandinavian women with breast implants, compared to the number of breast cancers that would […]
Do the FDA recommendations for MRI's after breast augmentation make sense?
Posted on March 19, 2009
When the FDA re-approved the general use of silicone breast implants in 2006, there were some “strings” attached. One of these was the recommendation for follow-up testing of the breast, using an MRI scan, at years 3, 5, 7 (and so on) to look for clinically “silent” implant leakage. This was a new recommendation – […]