Blog Archives
Posted on May 28th, 2012 in
Body Surgery, Liposuction
The belief that liposuction can help to reduce the risk of obesity-related health problems is a widespread misconception. In fact, liposuction cannot reduce the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and similar conditions. Liposuction is a
cosmetic procedure that can remove persistent fatty deposits that have not responded to proper diet or exercise. This myth was recently highlighted in a recent post on the
ASAPS website.
Two Types of Fat
People have two types of fat: the time that lies just beneath the skin, and the time that lies deeper within the body. The former is the type of fat that is targeted through
liposuction, while the latter presents the greatest obesity-related health risks.
Subcutaneous fat. Located beneath the skin in parts of the body such as the abdomen, thighs, and hips, subcutaneous fat is the tissue that is targeted through liposuction. It’s easy to identify by appearance.
Visceral fat. Located deeper within your abdomen, visceral fat lies close to your internal organs, such as the liver, heart, and lungs. It’s almost impossible to identify by appearance.
According to a study published in the
New England Journal of Medicine in 2004, female patients who underwent liposuction experienced no positive changes in their cholesterol levels, blood sugar, or blood pressure. However, another study indicated that some liposuction patients experienced a reduction in triglycerides and white blood cells, which are both indicators of heart disease and other health problems.
As a result, while the possible health benefits of liposuction are still being investigated, you should not count on liposuction as a substitute for healthy diet or exercise. If you’re considering liposuction, or other types of
body contouring surgeries, you should make sure that you have attained a stable, healthy body weight. This can help to ensure that your results will last for many years.
Posted on May 21st, 2012 in
Body Surgery
Bye-bye, BMI. While this measure of body fat and associated health risks remains in widespread use, its days may be numbered, according to a
recent article by WebMD Health News. Recent research suggests that your waist-to-height ratio is more accurate in assessing your body fat and health risks. It’s also easier to measure than BMI, so that people looking to lose weight can put away their calculators.
Body mass index (BMI) is based on ratio of weight to height. It has been used for over 150 years to assess whether someone may be underweight or overweight. It requires you to take your weight in pounds and divide by the square of your height in inches. This method has been widely criticized as being cumbersome, especially since you have to multiply by another number whenever using non-metric units (such as pounds and inches).
But that’s not the only problem with BMI. Bodybuilders and athletes with significant muscle mass are often shown as “obese.” This is because muscle weighs more than fat. People who are exercising to lose weight are often surprised to find that they gained some weight in the short term, because of muscular development.
New research shows that your waist-to-height ratio might be more useful in determining your health. By reviewing 31 studies, researchers found that waist-to-height ratio proved to be more accurate than BMI in predicting health risks such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.
Taking your waist-to-height ratio is easy. For the most accurate measurement, you should place the tape measure at the level of your belly button. Ideally, your waist measurement should be half or less of your height. If your waist is more than half your height, you may want to consider modifying your diet and exercise regime.
Many overweight individuals are pursuing weight-loss surgeries that can help them shed excess pounds when diet and exercise have not helped. After bariatric surgery, patients often benefit from
body contouring surgeries that remove excess skin. These include the
arm lift,
breast lift,
body lift,
thigh lift, and
tummy tuck.
Liposuction is also sometimes used to better contour problem areas.
Posted on May 14th, 2012 in
Breast Surgery
While Brazilians are among the world’s most frequent
plastic surgery patients, new regulations on breast implants may soon mean that some Brazilian citizens may travel to the US to receive
breast augmentation, according to a
recent article by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. This comes as the PIP breast implant scandal continues to reverberate throughout much of the world.
Last year, when the French breast implant manufacturer Poly Implant Prothese was found to have been using industrial-grade silicone in its breast implants, it created shockwaves throughout Europe.
While the United States was unaffected by the scandal, since the FDA has some of the world’s most stringent regulations on breast implants, many other countries were forced to re-evaluate their own regulations. Now it seems that Brazil is among them.
Shortly after the scandal broke, Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) temporarily stopped imports of foreign implants, but then developed new testing rules to ensure the quality of the products. Reuters reports that implants sold in Brazil will now have to undergo new testing procedures, which will guarantee their strength, durability, and lack of toxicity. This certification process could take up to two weeks.
“Manufacturers will be able to choose between certification through on-going pre-market tests on batches of their products, or on-site inspections of production processes that will come on top of existing factory inspections by Anvisa,” Reuters reports.
The ASAPS article suggests that many Brazilians may decide to simply fly to the United States in order to receive breast implants. To date, the FDA has only approved three silicone breast implants for use in the US, none of which were implicated in the PIP scandal. Breast implants, which may be filled with either saline or silicone, are also frequently used during
breast reconstruction surgery.
Posted on May 7th, 2012 in
Plastic Surgeon
Cosmetic procedures continue to sell well in Europe despite the continent’s high unemployment and widespread austerity measures, according to the chief executive of Allergan. This
report from the
Financial Times reinforces recent statistics released by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, which indicated that Greeks and Italians remain major cosmetic consumers despite their countries’ ailing economies.
According to David Pyott, Allergan’s chief executive, the US pharmaceutical giant has managed to generate double-digit growth in its European sales of breast implants since 2011. Pyott says that much of this success can be attributed to the aftershocks of the Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) breast implant scandal. After it was revealed that PIP’s breast implants contained industrial silicone, many European plastic surgeons switched to Allergan’s breast implants.
Botox sales have also been performing strongly, especially since the drug is increasingly being used for non-cosmetic purposes. Its ability to cure chronic migraines has generated a great deal of excitement in the medical community.
The
Times report comes after
statistics released by the ISAPS that indicate that Greece and Italy occupy the second and third spots worldwide in terms of percentage of population receiving cosmetic procedures. This may come as a surprise to many Americans who watch the economic situation in the region with unease. However, says Pyott, this trend is nothing unusual.
“In southern Europe, people spend a higher proportion of their income on appearance and lifestyle,” Pyott says. “They are happy to live in a modest apartment and look good facially and body-wise when they go out.”
In Italy,
Botox is the most popular non-surgical procedure, while
liposuction tops the list of cosmetic surgeries.
Breast augmentation surgery is the most popular cosmetic procedure in Greece. Based on the figures, only South Koreans pursue plastic surgery with greater frequency than Greeks or Italians.
