Entries tagged Plastic Surgery

Michael Jackson's changing Look

Published: Jul 2nd, 2009 | Author: Alex Bhaswara Add Comment

I have never been a particular fan of Michael Jackson’s music
, only really liking a handful of his songs, but I have always admired his showmanship and ability to continue producing more music, in spite of his troubled private life.

Hearing the news of his untimely death was a shock to everybody. Anybody under the age of 45 has grown up with his music which has covered 4 decades! Love or hate his music, everybody has heard it and you can only admire his musical talent and stamina for producing so much.

As I was watching footage of his extraordinary life from child phenomenon to the King of Pop, I cannot help feeling sad that his life cannot have been a happy one.

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Cosmetic Procedures: Plastic Surgery for Burns and Other Wounds part 2

What Happens After Surgery for Wound Treatment?

For any surgery involving the removal and transplantation of skin, it is extremely important that you follow the general instructions and guidelines for the care of your wound once you are sent home.
Daily Activity

Easy does it! Remember: your energy level will decrease when you return home compared to when you were in the hospital. Patients often report being more tired and easily fatigued when at home than while they were in the hospital. You may find it helpful to set up a regular routine, but remember to pace yourself. If you are tired, take time to rest. Do not overdo it.
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Liposuction and Body Contouring

Liposuction continues to the most common plastic surgery procedure all over the world, and also in India. It is basically a permanent removal of fat cells by the use of a suctioning device. It is a safe procedure, with minimum down time, and fast recovery. It has been shrouded in small controversies, and bad results, but this has been due to the procedure being done by untrained personnel, and other medicos who are not Cosmetic Surgeons. So it is important that a potential client look through the profile of their treating physician and asses really whether that person is actually capable of delivering all that he promises. Do not be led away by claims that they can remove 10 kgs or 12 kgs of fat and make you super thin. Please remember that the safe limits of liposuction are between 3-5% of the total body weight.

Procedure

The procedure involves infiltration of fluid into the areas to be liposuctioned. This has multiple benefits. It helps to loosen the fat, reduces the bleeding dramatically, and allows pain control after surgery as well. Usually I would infiltrate fluid in a ratio of 1:1 with the amount of fat that I plan to aspirate, ie, if I feel that I will aspirate about 1000 cc of fat from an area, I would like to infiltrate less than 10000 cc of the fluid in that area. I actually infiltrate much less than that, only about 0.5 :1 ratio. This has the benefit that I never face the risk of fluid overload ( potentially dangerous condition, where there is too much water in the body, and the lungs get filled with water). The other benefit is that, what is aspirated is pure fat, and not water mixed with fat. This gives an exact estimate of the amount of fat taken out. We surgeons have a bad habit of including the amount of fluid aspirated into the total volume taken out also, so that we can boast of having done large liposuctions. What is important is not the amount taken out, but how much of actual fat there is.

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Lasers – We Need to Know!

LASERS today are almost the in thing in every aspect related to beauty, but we need to understand that lasers are not magic and they need to be clearly understood by both the physician administering the laser as well as the client. Lasers have specific indications and there are over 25 different lasers for specific indications in cosmetic surgery practice. Some of the common indications are for hair removal, facial rejuvenation, birth marks, acne scar removal, correction of dark pigmentation, etc. What are the different lasers available to us? A lot of different companies market the lasers. in fact today the infamous “Chinese” tag has also been associated with lasers. A lot of Chinese products are the best in the world. But like products from every country, not everything is the best, nor it it the worst.

It is important for the clients to know details of the company of the laser and what type of laser is being used. For Hair reduction, some of the common lasers being used are ND YAG, Diode, IPL, and more recently SHR. All have their indications and limitations. Diode most closely matches the wavelength of the hair folicle pigment, melanin, but it is time taking and painful. ND YAG, tends to leave behind a lot of the finer hair. IPL is probably believed by a lot of plastic surgeons to be the most inferior of the lot.

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Otoplasty – Who Should Have Ear Surgery

Otoplasty is a cosmetic surgery used to reshape the external ear. Otoplasty candidates opt for the surgery in the attempt to correct many different ear abnormalities including ears that flare out from the skull, over sized, asymmetrical, deformed or damaged ears, as well as microtic and absent organs. Otoplasty does not alter a person’s ability to hear; it is primarily preformed because the patient is dissatisfied with the appearance of their ears.

Ear reshaping surgery is often preformed because these organs tend to flare out from the head. This is due to an enlarged concha bowl which causes the organ to be overly prominent. This surgery is often referred to as ear pinning because following the surgery they appear to have been pinned back to the head. In reality, the surgeon makes an incision behind the organ and removes a small wedge of cartilage from the concha. The result is less prominent ears.

When someone feels they have over sized ears it is usually because they lack appropriate folding along the antihelix (the outer rim of the ear). The surgeon is able to reshape the antihelix by making precise and predetermined scratches on the front surface of the organ. These scratches weaken the cartilage allowing the surgeon to fold and reshape it appropriately through an incision made in the back.

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Breast Augmentation – Can Implants Affect Your Ability to Breastfeed?

Published: Apr 9th, 2009 | Author: Alex Bhaswara Add Comment

In considering breast augmentation surgery, many women wonder about the consequences on pregnancy and breastfeeding. They want to know if having implants is safe for breastfeeding and whether they will hamper the process at all.

How It Works

Breast augmentation surgery can be performed in several different specific ways, but one of the most common methods is for the plastic surgeon to make an incision in the crease between the breast and the abdomen. The implants are then gently inserted into the desired position.

If they are silicone implants, they will go in at their complete size, requiring slightly larger incisions, while saline-filled devices can be inserted while deflated and can be filled with the fluid after they are well-positioned within the pocket. The incisions are then closed up and the anesthesia is allowed to wear off.

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The Basics of Plastic Surgery

Published: Apr 9th, 2009 | Author: Alex Bhaswara Add Comment

Plastic surgery is becoming more and more common. There are a dozen television shows devoted to people getting plastic surgery. There are people getting plastic surgery to look younger, plastic surgery to look better, or plastic surgery to look like their favorite movie star. But plastic surgery is serious business, and this overview can help you decide If it is right for you.

The most popular plastic surgery is liposuction. This is a surgery that removes fat from beneath the skin using a large vacuum. A small cut is made into the skin of the fatty area. A thin tube attached to a vacuum is then placed under the skin. Fluid is often pumped into the skin to deaden nerves and make the fat easier to remove. Vaccuum liposuction isn’t the only option though. There is also ultrasound liposuction that does not require any incisions. That makes recovery much easier and does not leave any scars like the vacuum procedure.

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The Endoscopic Facelift is Less Invasive and Traumatic Than the Traditional Technique

Published: Apr 9th, 2009 | Author: Alex Bhaswara Add Comment

There are many, many alternatives to the traditional facelift these days. One of these great options is the endoscopic facelift method. It allows patients with minor facial sagging and drooping to correct the problems without the invasive incisions and cutting of the traditional technique.

How It Works

Endoscopic basically refers to being able to look inside the face, under the skin with the help of tiny instruments. In fact, after the plastic surgeon makes just a few small cuts in appropriate, inconspicuous areas (usually in the hairline, behind the ears on the sides of the nose, or under the jaw line), she will insert a microscopic instrument that has a little camera attached to the end.

The camera send images to a video monitor that the surgeon uses to perform the necessary reshaping and tightening, all without have to lift up the skin and look at it directly. The doctor then removes fatty tissue, reshapes the muscles, and repositions other tissue. He can even insert cheek implants if desired during the procedure.

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Financing Liposuction Costs

Published: Apr 2nd, 2009 | Author: Alex Bhaswara Add Comment

There are a lot of people who want laser liposuction to fix the small areas but feel they have no means to make the costs of liposuction surgery. Had they gone in for consultation, they would have found that on top of being a candidate for laser liposuction they also could qualify for financing. Many surgeons will work out a payment plan that can suit almost any budget. In fact, there is more than one option when it comes to paying for liposuction surgery.

Because of the potential patient’s price sensitivity, many people make the mistake of shopping for cosmetic surgery based on price instead of surgeon credentials. This is a recipe for potential disaster. Don’t choose your surgeon based on the price. Choosing a low qualifying surgeon could jeopardize your health in a major way.

Most surgeons offer patients a range of payment options such as check, credit card, cash or some financing strategy. Some clinics offer in-house financing and can tailor a payment plan based on your ability to pay and your credit history. Talk to a surgeon in your area to see what financing options are available. Some surgeons will work with local companies to help patients financing for their treatment. They can help break the costs of your liposuction costs into affordable monthly payments.

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Liposuction Surgery Risks

Published: Apr 1st, 2009 | Author: Alex Bhaswara Add Comment

During the liposuction surgery, fat cells are removed from beneath the skin. Many experts warn liposuction is not a solution for obesity and should not be a part of anybody’s weight loss plan. While it is a relatively safe procedure and medical advances have limited much of the risk of surgical complications, any surgery must be carefully considered before proceeding as no procedure is perfect and there will always be a small chance of complications.

Skin irregularities, hematomas and seromas, hyper-pigmentation are some minor complications most commonly experiences. Patients need to be aware of the possible consequences of liposuction surgery.

Skin irregularities occur when too many of the fat cells are removed resulting in dimples and grooves in the skin. We all naturally have fat stores and areas that have too many fat cells will look abnormal. It’s always safer to have your surgeon remove too little fat in the first run and do touch up sessions. Once fat cells are taken out, they cannot be replaced.

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