Massiha Plasic and Cosmetic Surgery

Local anesthetics mean less nervousness for some

admin — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 06:35:37 +0000

A new technique being developed in the United Kingdom may help many patients feel safer and more secure during breast augmentation surgery. Surgeons at the Westbourne Clinic in Birmingham, UK, according to a recent Daily Mail article, are completing complicated cosmetic procedures using only a combination of sedatives and local anesthetics. Traditionally, such operations require a patient to be “put under,” or administered a general anesthesia which renders them completely unconscious.

General anesthesia has a few drawbacks. First off, about a third of patients that are put under using general anesthetics experience nausea and disorientation upon waking. While that works to deter some, the biggest scare factor is probably the horror stories that are regularly circulated about general anesthesia. Potential complications such as nerve damage, paralysis, remaining “awake” but being unable to speak, and even death cause a fear reaction in many patients that prevents them from considering operations that require being put under. The truth is that these complications occur less than once in 10,000 cases, but for some the fear still remains.

Nuala McEwan, a patient who recently underwent breast augmentation at the Westbourne Clinic, was put at ease by the fact that she wouldn’t be rendered completely unconscious.

“I had looked into having a breast enhancement but had been put off by the idea of a general anesthetic,” she said.

“When I heard that surgeons could perform the operation with a local anesthetic, not dissimilar to one used by a dentist, I knew it was what I had been looking for.”

The technique being fine tuned at the Westbourne Clinic involves administration of local anesthetic at the site of the operation, as well as the use of sedatives to help patients relax and remain motionless. Operations performed under these circumstances are entirely painless, and patients are able to remain awake — and relaxed — throughout the procedure.

Nuala was very happy with the procedure and with the results.

“I don’t know why anyone would have a general if it’s possible to have a local,” she said.

“It’s the way forward for many procedures,” said Fazel Fatah, one of the surgeons performing the operation. “Operations on the knee or other joints, nose jobs and even hernia repairs could be carried out under a local.”

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Visit our website to learn more about the transformation you can achieve with cosmetic procedures which include surgical or non-surgical treatments. Cosmetic Plastic Surgery By Dr. Massiha, He Is Trained To Perform Both Cosmetic And Reconstructive Procedures. He Is Located In New Orleans, Metairie, Mandeville - Louisiana.

What to expect from breast augmentation surgery

admin — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 06:33:00 +0000

Nearly three hundred thousand women in the United States opt to undergo breast augmentation surgery each year. Breast augmentation is by far the most popular cosmetic procedure in America, and the figures aren’t much different across the world.

Women choose to have their breasts surgically enhanced for several reasons. While some women have suffered damage to their breast tissues due to illness or injury, most are simply enticed by the prospect of a boosted self esteem, an improved image, and a bolstered confidence with which to embrace the world. Most women can accurately imagine the effects that breast augmentation may have on their lives, but not many are clear on just how the surgery is performed.

Breast augmentation begins with a series of consultations with a qualified plastic surgeon. Surgeons help their patients explore implant options, and assist them in choosing a target shape and size for their breasts. Benefits to the patient such as improved self-esteem, social life, physical appearance, sex life, and overall quality of life are discussed. Surgeons also brief their patients on possible complications such as difficulty breast feeding or the possibility of necessary correctional surgery several years down the road. Recovery times are also discussed, and a date and time are chosen for the operation.

Breast augmentation patients are normally administered a general anesthetic, ensuring that they’re unconscious during the surgery. Their implants are placed in one of four major positions within the breast — specifically chosen for the most patient-appropriate compromise between implant coverage and natural shape — according to discussions already held with their surgeon before the operation. Once the implants are in place, any incisions made are repaired and the patient is allowed to recover from anesthesia.

Operation time ranges from one to several hours depending on the procedure, and full recovery is normally achieved within about six weeks. Many patients are able to return to work or their daily routines within about a week, and can expect to see any remaining scars completely fade within a few months.

Breast augmentation is not as much of a hassle as many women suspect. Talk to a qualified plastic surgeon to learn more.

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Botox breast lifts: a short-term solution

admin — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 06:29:15 +0000

Botox breast lifts are making the scene in the United Kingdom, and may be primed to gain popularity throughout the United States. The new technique for tightening and lifting has been acclaimed as an excellent solution for quickly improving the shape and smoothness of the breasts without the hassle of surgery or recovery. The drawback, however, is far from negligible. The treatment’s results only last about six weeks.

The botox breast lift procedure is fairly self explanatory: the firming, tightening agent known as botox is injected into the skin and around the nipples of each breast. The result is almost instantaneous. The breasts immediately begin to lift, smooth and tighten to rejuvenate cleavage and achieve a younger, firmer look and feel. The treatment works best for less ample breasts — at most about a size 34C — and is said to achieve a little more than an inch of lift.

One UK patient who underwent the procedure was clearly happy with the results.

“I could feel my chest tightening,” she said. “Almost immediately, my cleavage — which I thought I’d lost forever — reappeared with much smoother skin.”

Many plastic surgeons criticize the botox breast lift. They claim that botox is not appropriate for effecting that level of body molding, and cite its incredibly short period of efficacy as a clear drawback.

Longer term solutions for breast augmentation abound. Lifts, reductions, and implant surgery are all tried and true methods of delivering the beautiful shape and youthful firmness that many women desire. While botox breast lifts definitely deliver sensationally fast and seemingly effective results, it’s likely that the fad will vanish as quickly as it appeared. Results that only last a matter of weeks hardly represent a viable solution for women seeking the long-term confidence and renewed self-esteem that accompany quality cosmetic procedures.

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FDA deems silicone breast implants safe

admin — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:29:07 +0000

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a statement confirming that new medical studies have demonstrated the general safety of silicone breast implants. The studies were performed by Johnson & Johnson’s Mentor Unit and Allergan Inc., two well known and long standing breast implant manufacturers.

Silicone breast implants were removed from the market in 1992 by the FDA on the grounds that the product’s manufacturers had not demonstrated the safety of the implants. From 1992 until 2006 saline implants dominated the market. Saline breast implants consist of a bio-compatible pouch filled with a non-toxic saline solution. While they look and feel somewhat like silicone implants and are well known for their safety and reliability, they are generally less sought after due to their watery, less than life-like texture.

During the fourteen year ban on silicone implants in the United States, researchers were unable to link the implants with any long term adverse health effects. Failure to identify any serious negative side effects associated with the implants led to their reintroduction into the market. The FDA asserted, however, that the reintroduction must be accompanied by new studies concerning the long term ramifications of receiving breast implants.

After the ban on silicone implants was lifted, Allergan and Mentor both began independent studies to confirm that their products adhered to the highest health and safety standards. Their studies monitored some forty thousand women who had undergone breast augmentation surgery, and documented the success of the procedures as well as the reliability of the implants at several year intervals after the initial surgery.

While maintaining active, accurate records of as many as forty thousand patients proved to be a complicated and difficult task for both Mentor and Allergan, the studies thus far have delivered some promising results. The FDA’s statement released late last month concluded that silicone breast implants are generally safe, and that only about one in five women experience complications within ten years of an implant procedure.

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Improving technologies mean safer, better looking breast implants

admin — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:26:35 +0000

Breast augmentation surgeries have been around for nearly a century. The success of the first breast reconstruction surgery, performed by an Austrian-German surgeon in the late 19th century, triggered a flurry of medical advances that began to define cosmetic surgery as it is understood today.

Cosmetic surgery hasn’t always been as effective and refined as it is now. In the early 1900’s breast implants were crafted from such unlikely materials as ivory, glass, rubber and even synthetic sponges. The 1950’s brought about the marriage of cosmetics with modern medical science which swept aesthetic procedures into popular culture and bolstered their credibility with the general public. After a brief stint with less-than-perfect injectable fillers, mid 20th century surgeons moved on to more modern technologies which still see some use today. By the early 1960’s, safe, reliable materials like saline pouches and silicone gel devices were being manufactured by implant specialists around the world.

Breast augmentation has come a long way. Several generations of implant devices developed throughout the seventies, eighties and nineties helped to explore the field and lay the foundations for modern implant technology. Breast implants today are made with a life-like, soft semi-solid gel housed within a dependable and resilient medical grade pouch. Advances in surgery techniques have drastically reduced recovery time — sometimes to as little as 24 hours — while an increased demand, professional competition and improved manufacturing have driven down prices and brought breast augmentation into middle-income America.

Today’s breast implants are far and away from their humble beginnings. They offer attractive, firm shape, a natural look and feel, and the peace of mind that comes from safe, effective and reliable technology. Women today are more empowered than ever to take control of their appearance and present themselves to the world with beauty, style and confidence.

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Liposuction has its drawbacks, says Colorado study

admin — Tue, 10 May 2011 16:28:32 +0000

Drs. Robert H. Eckel and Teri L. Hernandez of the University of Colorado recently led a study that sought to clarify the long term effects of liposuction. They assigned a group of women to undergo liposuction as well as a control group to refrain from the procedure, then checked up on both groups regularly over the course of the next year. Surprisingly, each woman who had liposuction performed gained back all of the fat that was removed by the procedure.

The fat, however, did not return to the location from which it was removed, but instead was distributed throughout the upper abdomen and even the arms. The reason for the odd redistribution, says Dr. Klein, the director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the Washington University School of Medicine, may be that liposuction destroys the tissues beneath the skin that fat develops on, making it difficult or impossible for fat to re-accumulate at that site.

Obesity researchers say they aren’t surprised by the study’s findings. The body is protective of its fatty deposits, they say, and works to reproduce and maintain them if they’re removed or reduced. This is a fairly well known fact, and its ramifications have been stressing out dieters throughout the ages. “Gaining it back” is a pitfall that plagues all kinds of short-term diets.

The fact is that a person’s body is an accurate reflection of their lifestyle. Any weight lost through surgery or even a thirty day tooth-and-nail dieting effort is bound to return if the lifestyle that put it there in the first place isn’t turned around.

Do these findings spell trouble for liposuction? Hardly. They do, perhaps, illuminate the difference between corrective and preventative measures, and highlight the limitations of the former. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Americans still underwent 200,000 liposuction procedures last year. That’s not all, either. Remember the University of Colorado’s control group? More than half of them opted for liposuction even after the results of the study came back.

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Smooth tuck: a sculpted waistline, fast

admin — Mon, 09 May 2011 16:23:50 +0000

The Doctors recently featured a surgeon who claimed credit for a combination cosmetic procedure developed to flatten and sculpt the waistline at a single go. The “Smooth Tuck” combines liposuction and abdominoplasty, that’s a tummy tuck, to deliver the firm, flat stomach that so many women crave. The combination procedure is far from new, however, and while a brief mention on television and a catchy name like “Smooth Tuck” has launched the procedure into celebrity status, many “doctors next door” have been performing it for years.

Surgeons who didn’t receive their primary training in the last fifteen to twenty years still consider many combination procedures, including the “Smooth Tuck,” too dangerous to perform. Performing two separate procedures at once, according to some, increases the risk of tissue damage as well as the likelihood of a slow healing process. Theoretically, these are very real risks, but doctors who have benefited from the most modern training techniques understand that these risks can be managed safely for some patients.

So is the combination procedure for you? The best plastic surgeons weigh the appropriateness of each procedure on a case by case basis. That’s because the same surgeries have different results with different patients owing to the patient’s general health, rate of recovery, age, body type, etc. If you’re interested, the best thing to do is find a plastic surgeon with plenty of experience in both procedures.

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Your cosmetic procedures: getting the right results

admin — Sun, 08 May 2011 16:20:58 +0000

Embarking on a new cosmetic procedure is a major decision, and it’s one that should never be taken too lightly. While the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery asserts that between eighty and ninety percent of patients report being very satisfied with their cosmetic procedures, what does that amount to for the other ten to twenty percent? Often, dissatisfaction stems from disappointed expectations, wherein the patient expects more dramatic results than those delivered, or in rare cases, results of a different sort altogether.

So how can you steer clear of unsatisfying cosmetic procedures? Communication is the key. When choosing your doctor make sure to ask for before and after pictures of persons who underwent the same procedure that you’re considering. Talk over those pictures with your doctor, and ask him to clearly define any qualitative or quantitative language that he’s using. If, for example, you’re considering a face lift procedure and your surgeon promises an 80% reduction in wrinkles, ask to see before and after photos of an 80% reduction. Explore photos of 60% or 30% reductions as well, and take your time to really build an accurate picture of your procedure’s likely outcome.

More often than not, disappointment in a cosmetic procedure is one sided. Doctors are often glad with the results even while patients feel disappointed or even cheated. Why is that? Most commonly, it’s because the patients expectations were inaccurate and unrealistic.

When it comes to plastic surgery, don’t make an investment – emotionally or financially – until you’re positive that you understand the expected outcome. Talk to your doctor. They’ll be more than happy to make sure you’re both on the same page.

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Plastic surgery booms in South Korea

admin — Sat, 07 May 2011 16:17:09 +0000

Plastic surgery has always fared well in South Korea. In recent years, however, the trend appears to be on a steep incline fueled primarily by South Korea’s increasingly important medical tourism industry. Medical tourism attracted some 80,000 visitors in 2010, according to Lim In-taek, the head of the Korean Health Ministry’s Bureau of Health Industry. That increase, a staggering 20,000 person difference from 2009, was hardly a product of the Bureau’s historically lackadaisical promotion activity, and has prompted Lim and others in the Bureau to embrace a more hard-hitting promotion strategy for the future.

“We are focusing on the highly profitable patients,” explained Lim according to a recent report by the Christian Science Monitor. Lim explained that the highest paying customers generally come from Mongolia, Russia, Vietnam and Hong Kong, and went on to say that the Bureau hopes to target these and other countries for future promotion efforts. If all goes according to plan, South Korea could be boasting more than 300,000 medical tourists per annum by 2015.

While the Bureau of Health Industry’s promotion efforts are yet to be unveiled, the plastic surgery community in ritzy districts like Gangnam are already ahead of the game. Signs in subways, train stops and on exterior building surfaces push plastic surgery not-so-subtly, promising to “round your rectangular jaw” and even associating successful marriages with cosmetic procedures. Gangnam’s 430 cosmetic clinics have already engaged foreign customers as well, and regularly hire bilingual liaisons to coordinate procedures with high rolling customers from around the world.

However, keep in mind the significant drawbacks of medical tourism for plastic surgery. If you have any issues after your procedure, you’re a long distance from your surgeon and then you’ll remember that classic movie line… “There’s no place like home!”

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Fourth total face transplant in the country performed at BWH

admin — Fri, 06 May 2011 16:15:37 +0000

A team of more than thirty medical professionals including nurses, physicians, anesthesiologists and residents performed the country’s fourth total face transplant this month at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Bohdan Pomahac, a plastic surgeon at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital specializing in breast, facial and trunk re-constructive and alteration procedures, led the highly organized transplant team’s efforts for more than fourteen hours.

The face transplant was performed on Mitch Hunter, a thirty year old man from Indiana who was severely injured during a traumatic incident involving both a car crash and shock by a high voltage electrical wire. Hunter’s facial tissues were irreversibly damaged, necessitating the full transplant of lips, nose, eyelids, foundation tissues, the muscles which control facial animation, and the nerves which provide sensation to the face.

“It is remarkable and truly inspiring to see the entire Brigham transplant team, once again, perform this amazing life giving and life transforming procedure," said the president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Betsy Nabel, MD. She went on to say that the operation could not have been performed without a tissue donor, and that she hoped the success of the procedure would prompt others to consider “the most selfless human act” of organ and tissue donation.

The procedure’s astounding complexity, its need for donor tissue and its shocking professional collaboration requirements make it a truly miraculous achievement. The Brigham and Women’s Hospital is recognized as a world leader in transplantation, completing, among others, the first human organ donor transplant in 1954, the first heart transplant in New England in 1984, and the first heart-lung transplant in Massachusetts in 1992.

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