Category: News

On the October 13 episode of E! Entertainment Television’s plastic surgery reality show, “Botched”, Drs. Dubrow and Nassif saw a woman who had “E” cup sized breasts after augmentation. She said she had sought treatment of her saggy breasts 4 years prior.

The plastic surgeon this woman visited inserted very large breast implants, advising that they would lift her breasts. She was unhappy with the results because now her breasts are so large that they fall out of her clothes and yet they still droop. Dr. Dubrow correctly stated that using bigger implants to treat ptosis (droop) never works.

If you are unfamiliar with the show “Botched”, the premise is that Dr. Terry Dubrow (a plastic surgeon) and Paul Nassif (an ENT/facial plastic surgeon) are sought out by people who are displeased with the results of other doctors’ work. Between consultations the “Botched” repair doctors chitchat about their exercise routines and attire. For reasons that are not clear, the ENT doctor gets to watch while the plastic surgeon examines women’s breasts (must be a clause in his contract).

What Can a Breast Lift do?

Dr. Dubrow correctly advised the unhappy, over-augmented 32-year old DJ that sagging breasts need a breast lift (mastopexy). Giant implants alone will not fix the problem and if anything may make it worse. The breast tissue will now sag over the implant.

Dr. Dubrow went on to remove the large implants, insert smaller ones (the show does take place in Beverly Hills after all), and perform a breast lift. The patient was happy with her smaller (D cup-see above re: location of show), perky breasts.

Memphis Breast Augmentation Procedures

At the Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis, we perform breast lifts, breast augmentations, and breast lifts combined with augmentations. Schedule your consultation to discuss how we can make you feel happier about the appearance of your breasts. You can rest assured there will not be an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor looking over our shoulders.

The “Angelina Effect” on Breast Cancer Reconstruction

A study from Austria just published in the journal Cancer shows that women’s awareness of breast reconstruction increased after actress Angelina Jolie announced in May 2013 that she had undergone a preventative double mastectomy and reconstruction. Ms. Jolie carries the BRCA1 gene which gives her a 60-80% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer.

The researchers from the Medical University of Graz (Austria) had fortuitously surveyed 1000 women about their knowledge of breast reconstruction one month before Angelina Jolie’s announcement. Realizing the educational potential of the media focus on a celebrity’s breast cancer and reconstruction, they conducted a poll of another 1000 one month later.

In the first prospective study of the media’s influence on the public’s breast cancer knowledge, they found that the percentage of women who knew that reconstruction was an option after mastectomy increased from 88.9 to 92.6. The awareness that reconstruction can be performed at the same time as mastectomy increased an even larger percentage from 40.5  to 59.5.

Breast Reconstruction in the U.S.

In the United States, federal law mandates that breast reconstruction after mastectomy, including surgery on the opposite breast for symmetry, be covered by health plans. We have encountered Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) policies that do not cover preventative mastectomies to reduce a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. Reconstruction after partial mastectomy (lumpectomy) was not specifically required by the 1998 law passed by Congress, so some insurers cover that surgery while others do not.

Breast reconstruction surgery is available to Mid-South breast cancer patients through the Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis. If you are interested in learning more about your options with mastectomy surgery, please contact us for a breast reconstruction consultation.

As part of our ongoing efforts to bring professional skin care solutions to Memphis and the Mid-South region, the Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis now offers the ZO Skin Health line of products.

What is ZO Skin Care?

Created by world-renowned dermatologist Zein Obagi, the ZO Skin Health line treats skin conditions ranging from acne to aging.

Thirty years ago Dr. Obagi revolutionized skin care by combining Retin-A (tretinoin) and hydroquinone along with pH balancing to treat fine wrinkles, discoloration, and signs of skin aging. He eventually sold his initial company, Obagi Nu-Derm, which is now owned by a pharmaceutical company that no longer innovates the product line.

Zein Obagi subsequently started ZO Skin Health, which produces a range of skin care products based on Dr. Obagi’s latest research and development. The line includes hydroquinone and non-hydroquinone based regimens as well as acne treatment products, an eyelash growth product, and sunscreens. ZO products are available in our office or through the PSG section of the ZO Skin Health online store after a patient has been seen for a consultation.

ZO Skin Care Products Available Here

Does this sound like the skin care solution you’ve been looking for? Now is the time to reveal your younger, healthier, smoother skin. Schedule a complimentary skin care consultation with our aestheticians, Carla Mask, Lynn Day or Tracy Wallace, and they can get you started with ZO skin care products and any of our other skin care treatments you might be interested in trying. 

The Union-Times newspaper of San Diego reported that on April 8, 2015 the Mexican government closed 10 cosmetic and plastic surgery clinics in Tijuana for violations of health laws. The investigations followed the death of a 28-year-old Australian woman who had undergone liposuction in a Mexicali clinic.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an alert in March 2015 after two dozen cases of non-tuberculosis mycobacterium infections were noted among patients who had travelled to the Dominican Republic for plastic surgery.

Is Medical Tourism Worth the Risks?

The news items noted above are warning signs of the risks some people take when they chose to travel abroad for discounted plastic surgery. There are certainly outstanding plastic surgeons practicing outside the United States (although they are not likely to be the ones offering discounts). The primary risk facing the medical tourist is that they generally do not know the qualifications of their surgeons abroad. Regulation of medical clinics and hospitals can be lax in developing countries.

If people are looking to travel abroad for aesthetic surgery they should consult an American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) International Member or a plastic surgeon who is a member of an international plastic surgery society that is a Global Partner of the ASPS. The Joint Commission for Accreditation of Hospitals, which certifies US hospitals and surgery centers, has an international program that has accredited 368 hospitals in 46 countries. A list of these facilities can be found on the Joint Commission website.

Plastic Surgery Tourism Complications

The medical tourism complications we have treated here at the Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis in the past few years have included a severe infection requiring three weeks of hospitalization following a tummy tuck in Mexico, upside down breast implants inserted in Vietnam, and an infection after a Dominican Republic tummy tuck.

Less severe plastic surgery tourism problems we have seen range from breast implants lounging in the arm pits to a misplaced belly button after tummy tuck, and ear lobes attached to the cheeks after a face lift. Once again the Latin warning rings true: caveat emptor (buyer beware). If you are experiencing complications due to plastic surgery tourism, please contact us and we will take care of your needs. 

If you read only People, Allure, or Buzzfeed, you would get a skewed view of plastic surgery in the United States. According to these types of sources, the cosmetic surgical procedures that increased in popularity the most during the past year were pectoral implants (up 208%) and buttocks implants (increase of 98%). There is an old saying, “There are lies,
damned lies, and statistics.”

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) 1,054 (male) pectoral implant procedures were done in 2014 and 1,863 buttocks implants surgeries. Since these augmentation
procedures are very uncommon, even a slight increase in number from one year to the next results in a large percentage increase.

What is Truly Popular in Plastic Surgery?

Now what are the top cosmetic surgical procedures? Out of 1.6 million cosmetic surgeries reported to the ASPS in 2014, (female) breast augmentation was number one with 286,254
performed. Women chose silicone implants 77% of the time compared to saline implants at 23%.

Coming in second was nose reshaping (rhinoplasty) at 217,124 with liposuction a close third at 210,552. The figures for the top three procedures are essentially unchanged since 2013, but a comparison with the year 2000 results yields an interesting finding. Breast implant surgery is up 35% over 14 years while rhinoplasty and liposuction are down 44% and 41% respectively. The increasing popularity of breast enlargement may reflect an acceptance of the safety of the new generation of silicone implants as it coincided with a decrease of 42% in the cases of breast implant removal.

Minimally Invasive Procedures are Most Popular

Dwarfing the numbers for surgical procedures are the figures for minimally invasive procedures. Number one was Botox and its competitor, Dysport, which were injected
into 6.7 million anatomic units (facial locations). Soft tissue fillers (Restylane, Juvederm, and others) were also very popular with 2.3 million treatments.

For people who like to study numbers and popular culture, it would be interesting if the American Society of Plastic Surgeons broke down their figures by zip code. Alas, they don’t, so Kardashians – your secret is safe.

“The relentless pursuit of perfection”. Although this phrase is taken from a luxury car commercial, it also describes the goals of cosmetic breast surgery. So what is the perfect breast shape? As the old saying goes, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.

Research on the Ideal Breast Shape

 

In 2012, two British doctors, Mallucci and Branford, set out to answer the question of the ideal breast shape. They studied photos of 100 topless models with un-operated breasts (Oh! the sacrifices in
the name of science). They published their preference for breasts with slightly more volume in the lower pole than the upper – specifically 55% of breast tissue located below the nipple.

In a follow-up study published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in September 2014, the doctors sought to validate their findings by having a large number of people view Photoshopped pictures of a woman’s breast to see if the preference for the 45:55 ratio was widespread. The observers were 660 women and 655 men divided across different age groups and different ethic and national backgrounds.

Once again the 45:55 ratio was chosen as the perfect breast shape, with the 50:50 breast coming in second. Only among women older than 40 was the fuller upper pole look popular. The doctors were surprised that among men, the preference for the more natural, unaugmented-look, was even higher than among women.

A conclusion of their findings was that plastic surgeons use shaped breast implants that are supposed to offer less upper pole fullness. The findings of the study, however, do not correlate with the desires of many of our patients seeking their own ideal breast shape.

The Perfect Breast Shape is up to You

 

Very commonly our patients are desire the return of upper pole fullness that disappeared after
pregnancy. They are usually happier with round breast implants that add more volume to the upper part of the breast than the shaped implants.

The real take home message is – there is no such thing as the perfect breast shape. Women should discuss their goals with their plastic surgeons so that surgery can produce whatever their own ideal breast shape might be.

Welcome to the all new and improved MemphisPlasticSurgery.com!

Thank you for visiting our new website, we are excited to share it with you and hope that you find resources for all of your plastic surgery procedures, options and needs. We invite you to explore the website to learn about the procedures we offer, find patient forms and more.

In addition to surgical and outpatient procedures, we also offer a variety of skin procedures, ranging from fillers and Botox to chemical peels and spider vein treatment. Our staff is skilled in many procedures and are able to take care of all of your cosmetic and aesthetic needs. Visit our providers page to learn more about our physicians and staff.

Stay tuned to our blog to read more about the variety of procedures we offer in our office, the latest in technology and cosmetic trends, and news from the Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis.

If you have any specific questions about any of our procedures or our practice, please contact our front office at (901)761-9030 or fill out our contact form.