Plastic Surgery Blog

The well-known actress and model Brooke Burke-Charvet has been involved recently with the promotion for a new visualizer used by those considering breast implants. This story was  reported in a press release from PR Newswire.

This tool, known as the New You Visualizer, is part of a new overall campaign that is designed to give women more information and control over their decision to undergo breast augmentation.

Dancing With the Stars Co-Host Promotes Breast Augmentation Tool

Brooke Burke-Charvet is the current host of ABC's Dancing with the Stars, as well as the annual Miss America Pageant. She is a swimsuit model and international icon, and has recently moved into the realm of fitness and parenting advice. She has been featured in countless stories and interviews regarding her views on modern motherhood.

"If cosmetic surgery is something you're considering it's important to make an informed, healthy decision. In truth, I think the decision-making process is as important as the procedure itself," she says.

"Women are bombarded with information about breast augmentation, but don't get the answer they really want, specifically 'How will I look afterward?' I love that the New You Visualizer empowers women to inform themselves."

This new visualizer allows women considering breast augmentation to:

• Upload high quality photographs of themselves
• Adjust the photos to reflect different surgery types, implant sizes and shapes
• Create side-by-side before and after photos that help visualize the changes
• Save a number of images for future use or additional adjustment
• Pass these photographs on to friends and family for input
• Bring these photographs to medical professionals for assistance with the initial consultation

According to the president of Mentor, the company that has produced this visualizer, "our goal with this campaign is to enable a better conversation between a woman and her doctor so she can achieve the best results possible." Photo by rockwilder on Flickr

A new recovery device allows patients to hide their drains without the use of surgical tape or unnecessary discomfort. This new device is referred to as The Marsupial Pouch, and its effectiveness is reported in a recent Miami Herald article.

The Marsupial Pouch is the latest in a line of medical surgery products from Keller Medical, Inc. This company has achieved previous success from the sale of its Keller Funnel, a delivery device for inserting breast implants.

New Marsupial Device Combines Comfort and Convenience

This new device provides a simple and vital function by conveniently holding all drains and drainage tubes in comfortable pockets held from a comfortable belt. The belt is highly adjustable to fit patients of any clothing size, and the pockets may be added as needed to accommodate as many drains as necessary.

The story of The Marsupial Pouch is unique, as it was designed by a cancer survivor who happened to be a textile expert. The belt and pockets are made of soft terry cloth for ultimate comfort, and may also be used to hide drains when leaving the hospital or house.

Howard Preissman, the CEO of Keller Medical, says that, “Although not limited in use to the plastic surgery industry, The Marsupial® does complement our existing distribution network aligned with the Keller Funnel™and demonstrates our commitment to improving the comfort of women who undergo breast reconstruction, mastectomy or augmentation procedures."

In addition, the device may be used for patients undergoing body lifts, tummy tucks, or any other surgical procedure that requires drains during the recovery period. It may be useful for patients who will have recovery periods of several weeks as well as those who will only require drains for the first few days.

Following a mastectomy, more women may be able to keep their nipples, due to recent breast cancer reconstructive surgery developments discussed in a press release from the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.

Traditional mastectomies and breast reconstruction often require the removal of the nipple, and areolar tattooing may help achieve a suitable cosmetic result. However, as breast surgery techniques advance, more women may be candidates for surgical procedures that allow for the sparing of the nipple. This would allow women to breast feed normally following surgery.

Breast Reconstruction Spares Nipple for Breastfeeding

Breast reconstruction may involve the use of body tissues or skin in addition to silicone and saline implants for the restoration of breast volume. According to Dr. Thomas Jackson, a pioneer in this area of reconstructive breast surgery, “this approach gives breast cancer survivors a new lease on life and restores much-needed confidence during an incredibly difficult time,” states Dr. Jackson.

“The power it has to transform what has traditionally been a traumatic experience into a positive one is amazing. And to witness this change in my patients post-op is nothing less than inspiring and humbling.”

Due to the high percentages of breast cancer and the increasing survival rates, more and more people now know somebody who is a breast cancer survivor. Some of the relevant statistics include:

• One in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer
• There are 2.6 million breast cancer survivors in the United States
• 75% of women who have mastectomies choose to have breast reconstruction

Not all patients are candidates for the nipple-sparing technique. During this procedure, the mastectomy is first performed taking great care to preserve the nipple and its attached nerves. The breast skin may be expanded using the tissue expander technique. The breasts are then reconstructed using body tissue or surgical implants.

The new breasts may be the same size as before the surgery, or may be adjusted using breast reduction or breast augmentation techniques. These procedures may occur in one surgery or over multiple surgical sessions.

As reported in a recent article in Skin & Allergy News, teenagers who undergo cosmetic surgery in general have a better surgical recovery and shorter healing period.

In addition, it was also determined that patients under the age of 18 have cosmetic surgery procedures at a more even break across genders. While over 90% of adult cosmetic procedures are performed on women, the split is more balanced for the 18 and under patient population. Closer to one third of all cosmetic procedures for patients under age of 18 are performed on males.

Common Cosmetic Procedures for Teens and Children include Otoplasty, Rhinoplasty and Male Breast Reduction

Although only 1.4% of cosmetic procedures are performed on patients who are 18 or younger, this number is still almost 35,000 surgical procedures. Most of these procedures are done to address clear physical issues that pose a potential psychological issue for patients.

Dr. Mary H. McGrath, who was interviewed for this article, stated that, "When we do cosmetic surgery in teenagers, it is remarkably conflict free, compared with other medical interventions in teenagers, and compared with other age groups." In Dr. McGrath's words, they tend to "sail through surgery more easily."

One possible reason for this may be the dramatic physical changes which are already occurring at this time. This may mean that the body is already primed to deal with healing and physical changes.

For patients 18 years and younger, the most common cosmetic procedures are:

• Otoplasty: Nearly 11,000 surgical corrections of the ears were performed in 2011, with 34% of them on male patients
• Rhinoplasty: 9,500 nose jobs were performed in 2011, 20% of which were for male patients
• Breast augmentation, liposuction, breast reduction, and male breast reduction were also common

Generally, for patients younger than 18 years of age, cosmetic surgery such as breast augmentation or rhinoplasty is performed to address an obvious physical deformity or condition, such as severely imbalanced breasts or breathing conditions partially caused by nasal anatomy.

A plastic surgery report on The Wall Street Journal's MarketWatch explains how forehead lifts have been wildly successful in treating migraine pain. This gives these popular procedures another wide-reaching benefit in addition to their youthful and energetic aesthetic results.

This information was released in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal, and announced the incredible success rate for migraine cure among the forehead lift patients involved as 92%. These patients received a standard forehead lift with a focus on the removal of muscle or nerve tissue that could lead to migraines.

Cosmetic Procedures Provide Dramatic Benefits to Appearance and Migraine Pain

The forehead lift is quickly becoming a popular alternative to the traditional and historically popular facelift procedure. A few facts about the forehead lift, also known as the brow lift:

• 28,200 people received a forehead lift in 2011, according to the ASAPS
• Ideal patient age for the procedure is 40-60, though it may be useful for those beyond that range in either direction
• Generally more affordable than facelifts, with a shorter recovery time

Forehead lifts come in two basic types, including the endoscopic forehead lift and the coronal forehead lift. The endoscopic procedure uses four small vertical incisions hidden within the hairline, through which an endoscope is passed to complete the surgery. This offers patients a very minimal recovery time with excellent results.

For greater effect, the traditional coronal forehead lift may be a better option. This procedure uses an ear to ear incision that extends along the hairline. The skin and underlying tissue are stretched and wrinkles and facial lines are reduced.

These popular procedures are often performed in conjunction with other procedures, such as eyelid surgery, skin rejuvenation procedures or injectable facial fillers to provide the best overall facial result. Now these results can be combined with a decrease in migraine pain.