Those interested in cosmetic and facial plastic surgery should first go through a sort of ‘lifestyle makeover,’ modifying their habits until they have reached a state of satisfactory health. At Seattle Plastic Surgery, we want our patients to have the best surgical experience and outcome possible, so we ask them to focus on being healthy first. The ideal patient refrains from smoking or using illegal drugs, has a stable weight, and realistic expectations about cosmetic surgery.

For more specific information on health and surgery outcomes, contact us for a consultation.

According to news sources in the UK, Ms. Halep complained that her large (34 DD) breasts have slowed her reaction time on the court and caused discomfort. “It’s the weight that troubles me – my ability to react quickly”, she told The Sun.

In 2008, Halep won the junior French Open. She is now ranked 317th in the world.

Women pursue breast reduction surgery for a several reasons, increased mobility being just one of them. One breast reduction patient stated, “Before I didn’t want to run anywhere. Even across the street if something happened I would not run. It was painful and embarrassing” (Klassen 2009).

Beside issues with physical activity, many women hope to alleviate irritation around their bra strap and underneath the breast, pain in the back and neck, and discomfort during sleeping.

The procedure can be described as a ‘normalizing’ experience for women. Once the surgery is complete, patients often say they are less self-conscious, they fit into more ‘regular’ sized clothes, and that they typify what is perceived as ‘the norm’ of the female body.

The full results (in an MS Word doc) are available here; some of the most noteworthy findings are as follows:

 - Most respondents described themselves as healthy individuals; 95 percent said they incorporated exercise into their lives, and 78 percent cited healthy eating habits.

•  Nearly 70 percent of the respondents who had been treated with Botox also opted for dermal filler treatment.
• According to the survey data, the average patient is “a married, working mother between 41-55 years of age with a household income of under $100,000.
• 66 percent of the respondents said they received Botox treatment 2-3 times per year.
• 72 percent of the respondents chose Botox to treat glabellar lines – the vertical lines that appear between your eyebrows.  
•  63 percent of the respondents chose dermal fillers to treat facial wrinkles and folds, mostly the nasolabial folds or ‘smile lines’ that travel from the nose to each side of the mouth. 
•  87 percent reported that they discussed their treatments with others, and 70 percent said they received support from the people they told.

The piece raises some interesting ethical questions: While the procedures could certainly be beneficial to individual nurses in the short term, would such a practice harm the nursing profession as a whole?  

According to reporter Dan Bilefsky, nurses in the region “insist they are under enormous pressure to look good in a society where attractiveness is often as highly prized as clinical skills.”  Critics argue that the incentives could promote an idealized body image for nurses, in a profession already suffering from misconceptions about technical competence.  A spokeswoman from the Czech nurses association suggests that nurses are still perceived as “low level workers” with little to offer besides manual labor.  Nurses after all, aren’t intended to be models, but caregivers that provide an enormous benefit to the medical profession and the public they serve.  A misplaced emphasis on their physical appearance could undermine public perceptions of their competence and value.

Still, others may not see any problem with offering incentives through procedures like breast augmentation or rhinoplasty; perhaps they’re analogous to employee discounts at a retailer, vacation packages, or other career perks.  

The supposed ethical problems brought by these surgical incentive programs probably aren’t a product of the programs alone, but rather an objection to the sexism and discrimination that underlie them.

These type of services are emerging more as internet-savvy patients choose to research surgery procedures online. CNN reports that some surgeons have gone as far as implementing a “virtual consultation” using live chat services like Skype or iChat. These platforms are known for being user-friendly. One East coast surgeon claims that roughly 15 percent of his patients opt for the virtual consult.

Surgeons in foreign countries have also capitalized on new technology, which has allowed them to reach a wider clientele. For patients, it’s a great way to gather information or determine if they are comfortable with a surgeon. Michael Boeckle, who helps schedule surgery “vacation packages” for patients, says “patients usually do not pick their doctor by price, but by how comfortable they feel with the information they have received.”

If you do decide to contact us, we can ensure your privacy. We’ll also do our best to address your questions in a timely manner.

Rather than rebranding the drug ‘Reloxin’ as planned, Medicis decided to retain its original European name, Dysport

The April 30th announcement coincided with a 3 percent drop in Allergan’s (maker of Botox) shares, and a 14 percent increase of Medicis shares.  Analysts and industry professionals expect Dysport to carry a slightly lower price tag than Botox, and say it could capture as much as 30 percent of the current market.

Botox and Dysport both perform the same basic function - neuromuscular blocking to relax and prevent wrinkles. Dysport however, is said to be more diluted than Botox and thus more cost effective for providers.  The recent FDA approval of dysport also came with a unique warning label describing the risks associated with the botulinum toxin.

For more information on wrinkle treatments in Seattle, see our homepage.

Doctors once thought off-label use of Botox - which was originally developed for treating muscles spasms - would be fairly limited. If you do a little research however, you’ll find that physicians are using Botox for many other interesting purposes.

Many doctors use Botox to treat headaches, and their basic procedures are hardly different than those of wrinkle treatment. It isn’t entirely clear how the Botulinum toxin provides relief; it may work to inhibit certain pain-transmitting nerves. But evidently, many people suffer from fewer headaches after being treated with Botox.

As reported in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, researchers from Allergan Inc. conducted surveys about sweating, revealing that almost 3 percent of the U.S. population (7.8 million people) believe their sweating to be excessive. At the time of the survey (in 2004), less than half of the respondents had sought medical help for the problem. Botox blocks the localized release of a specific chemical that stimulates sweating, and so the FDA approved it for this use years ago.

Last March, the New York Times published a story on the off-label use of Botox to help those who have suffered a stroke and have trouble relaxing certain muscles. According to the experts, “only about 5 percent of the stroke patients who could benefit from its use ever get it.”

Patients with even more obscure conditions have found success using Botox. In Feb 2008, USA Today reported that radio personality Diane Rehm (of National Public Radio) had received routine off-label treatments of Botox for a vocal disorder called spasmodic dysphonia.

Aside from these therapies, surgeons and dermatologists are finding even more cosmetic uses for Botox. Dr. Lawrence Reed recently told an ABC news affiliate that “we’re at the tip of the iceberg where Botox is going to be used.” Reed has apparently been pioneering some interesting new cosmetic applications.

For acne, Dr. Reed injects Botox just below the skin: “It decreases the muscle pump and blocks the production of oils, so we use it for acne,” he claims. Other patients of Dr. Reed found success using Botox to relax certain muscles and actually make their eyes appear larger, and to supplement laser skin resurfacing.

If you’re considering Botox for any off-label use, make sure you choose a qualified physician. Despite the optimism surrounding Botox as a ‘wonder drug’, there have been complications and side effects associated with off-label use and inexperienced providers

Finlo Rohrer of BBC news speculates that the media - especially the tabloid scrutinization of celebrities - has popularized the concept of ‘man boobs.’ Tony Blair and UK conservative party leader, David Cameron, were pictured shirtless during the summer of 2006, which led several media outlets to “comment on their moobs.”

The weblog www.manboobs.uk, which according to one reader, has “plumbed the depths of poor taste,” pokes fun at the concept, but further popularizes it.  American television sitcoms like Seinfeld and Friends have done the same.  According to Rorher of the BBC, this popularity could lead to “more men making their way through the surgeon’s doors.”

So what is the deal with male breasts?  Here are a few things you might not know:

• Gynecomastia that forms breast tissue in males, is a relatively common condition that is often mistaken for simple excess fat. It can affect newborns, pubescent boys, and adults.  While it isn’t serious (unless it is a sign of something else), it can be painful and embarrasing.

• While obesity often causes excess breast tissue, real gynecomastia is caused by a hormone imbalance. In either case, surgery can alleviate the symptoms.

• Medications, or illegal drugs like marijuana and anabolic steroids can cause gynecomastia. Particular drugs that are used during treatment for prostate cancer are to blame.

• Gynecomastia can also be caused by genetic conditions like Klinefelter’s Syndrome.

• Surgery isn’t the only option: in cases of pubertal gynecomastia, the condition will often disappear over time or when puberty is over.  Other cases have shown improvement without any interventions; one case published in the June 2008 issue of Endocrine Practices documented a rare case of bilateral gynecomastia in a 60 year old man. The patient’s examination results were normal, but he reported a daily intake of 3 qts soy milk.  Once the patient ceased his intake of soy milk, his condition improved and his hormone imbalance was resolved.

For many patients, surgery is the right choice.  It can restore the proper masculine appearance that people expect. If you are interested in learning more about male breast reduction, contact us for a consultation.

The product manufacturer, Medicis Pharmaceutical expects to receive FDA approval for Reloxin later this year.  This could bring the first real Botox competitor to the cosmetic surgery market of the U.S. - a market which allowed Allergan Inc. to net $1.3 billion in revenue last year with Botox.

A participating Los Angeles dermatologist commented to Bloomberg news about the study, saying “the side effects are the same as Botox” and “many of our patients liked it even better.”

Reloxin and Botox are both composed of a special ‘botulinum toxin’ that has been shown to relax the muscles that cause wrinkles in the face.

Reloxin has been sold outside the US for over 15 years under the name Dysport, but Botox has still managed to claim over 80 percent of the worldwide market for the neurotoxin.  One market analyst speculates that “Reloxin may be priced 15 percent lower than Botox” which could allow it to take a significant share of the market.

Surveys reveal that 355,671 breast augmentations were performed in 2008, while 341,144 liposuction procedures were done nationwide.

A recent press release quotes ASPS President Alan Gold saying that “for the first time in the twelve years these statistics have been collected, liposuction is a runner up in popularity to breast augmentation. He further predicts that “this turnabout will generate discussions in the medical community and the public at large.”

According to Dr. Gold it’s possible that “changes in fashion, i.e. décolletage baring styles, might be a factor behind this change.”