A breast augmentation procedure in which fat from other parts of the body is transferred to the breasts causes / can cause false suspicion of breast cancer on follow-up mammograms, according to a study in the April issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
The mammographic changes occurring after fat injection are indistinguishable from abnormalities associated with breast cancer, according to the study by Dr. Cong-Feng Wang of Meitan General Hospital, Beijing. Based on this “mammographic confusion,” the authors conclude that the use of autologous fat injection for breast augmentation should be “prohibited continuously.”
Before and After breast augmentation with breast implants
Microcalcifications Cause Confusion on Mammograms after Fat Injection
Dr. Wang and colleagues report on 48 women who underwent autologous fat injection for breast augmentation between 1999 and 2009. In this procedure, small amounts of fat obtained by liposuction from one area of the body (such as the hips or thighs) are injected to shape the breasts.
In the study, mammograms obtained some years after fat injection showed “clustered microcalcifications” in eight of the 48 women – a rate of 16.7 percent. In all eight cases, the microcalcifications were regarded as “highly suspicious” for breast cancer.
Alexandria, VA – New survey results released by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) showed three-fourths of the procedures performed by the Academy’s surgeons in 2010 were non-surgical procedures, highlighting a trend that more people are choosing non-surgical procedures to delay more invasive surgical procedures. The survey results also showed that the number of procedures performed annually has risen 45 percent over the last two years, with a 16 percent increase in non-surgical procedures.
A majority of surgical procedures, including facelift, revision surgery, rhinoplasty, forehead lift, chin augmentation, lip augmentation, and scar revision, increased in cost from 2009, which may be one reason why people opted for less invasive surgeries. In addition, surgeons reported performing fewer lip augmentations, hair transplants and collagen/cosmoderm/cosmoplast procedures in 2010.
“Non-surgical cosmetic procedures are an excellent option for some people, with the added benefits of lower costs and shorter recovery time; two things that are consistently important to those considering facial plastic surgery,” said Jonathan M. Sykes, M.D., President of the AAFPRS. “We have been seeing a trend over the past few years that people who want to look and feel younger and rejuvenated are turning to non-surgical, less invasive procedures to obtain the refreshed look they want.”
The most common non-surgical procedures last year were Botox and hyaluronic acid injections. Surgery is still popular, with the most popular cosmetic surgical procedures in 2010 being rhinoplasty, facelift, and blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery).
- PIP breast implants were sold under a different brand name in Europe
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons issues a warning to women who have gone abroad for breast augmentation – following reports of implant rupture from patients who never suspected they were given controversial devices now taken off the market. PIP implants, it has emerged, were being sold under a different name in some of the most popular cosmetic surgery tourism destinations around Europe, regularly visited by British patients seeking low-cost procedures.
It has been estimated that around 50,000 women in the UK have Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) breast implants, but the discovery that the fraudulent devices were also sold in countries such as Belgium, Poland and the Czech Republic under re-branded name ‘M-Implant’ by Dutch firm Rofil Medical means that the number of women who should be on the alert is much higher. Studies last year found that the company originally making the low-cost implants, which has since gone into administration, not only dispensed with a protective shell but used an untested gel, said to have been intended for use in mattresses.
- Breast Implants (no specific brand)
Although the French medical device regulatory authority (AFSSAPS) found no acute toxicity (cytotoxicity) effect on tissue, tests for genotoxicity (effect of the gel on DNA of cells) did not give a conclusive result and further extensive testing will need to take place.
PIP implants were known to have been popular with the larger domestic chains and commercial clinics because of their low cost. It has been estimated that 60,000 people travel out of the UK for medical tourism every year, and roughly a third of those do so specifically for cosmetic surgery.
Chicago – We’ve all heard stories about medical breakthroughs involving stem cells in recent years. But stem cells and cosmetic surgery?
“We’ve learned that your own fat is a great source for stem cells,” says Dr. Mark Berman, MD, President of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. “With our current technology, we can harvest fat and actually separate the stem cells.”
While progress with stem cells is in the early stages, cosmetic surgeons will be one of the principal players in this new segment of medicine.
In cosmetic surgery, a patient’s fat can be fortified with stem cells and used for procedures to rejuvenate the face, eyelids, hands, breast augmentation, buttock augmentation and more. Many cosmetic surgeons perform liposuction already, and they will likely be the foundation for many stem cell procedures in the near future.
“Not only will this be the next major plateau in cosmetic surgery, this is likely to represent the next major breakthrough in medicine in general,” Dr. Berman says.
Botulinum Toxin May Offer Temporary Drooling Relief in Children With Neurological Disorders
Chicago — Botulinum toxin treatment appears to offer a temporary, short-term solution to relieve drooling in children diagnosed with certain neurological disorders, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
“Recent estimates suggest a prevalence of [drooling in] nearly 60 percent in children in special care school, of which 33 percent could be classified as severe,” the authors write as background in the article. “Depending on the associated neurological disorder, cognitive abilities and oral motor function, affected children may experience anything from stigmatization and social neglect to numerous daily clothing changes, perioral dermatitis [skin irritation around the mouth], aspiration pneumonia or even dehydration.”
Arthur R. T. Scheffer, M.D., of Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands, and colleagues studied 131 children diagnosed as having cerebral palsy or other non-progressive neurological disorder, and who also had moderate to severe drooling, to test the efficacy of botulinum toxin when used as a treatment for drooling in children with neurological disorders. For the injection of the toxin, children were under general anesthesia and the injections were limited to the submandibular glands, which are responsible for 70 percent of resting saliva production. The sublingual glands and parotid glands were not treated.
Of the 131 children participating in the study, 77 were boys and 54 girls with an average age of 10.9 (age range was 3 to 27 years). About 90 percent of the patients were diagnosed as having cerebral palsy. The researchers developed a drooling quotient to assess the severity of drooling, and this measurement served as the primary measure for both efficacy and duration of botulinum toxin treatment. At the two-month follow-up, the average drooling quotient had decreased from 28.8 (on a scale of zero to 100) at the start of the study (baseline) to 15.5 and 61 patients experienced a 50 percent reduction in the drooling quotient from baseline. At the eight-month follow up, the drooling quotient increased slightly to 18.7, but the authors noted there was still a significant difference compared to baseline assessment.
Additionally, patients benefited from the botulinum toxin injection for an average of 22 weeks and 25 percent of initial responders (11.3 percent of entire population) still showed a clinically significant response to the treatment after 33 weeks, with a handful of patients experiencing continued relief from drooling after one year. “Secondary beneficial effects following injection included improved oral hygiene (reduced perioral dermatitis or reduction in halitosis) in four patients (3.1 percent) and improved speech in another four patients. These effects generally disappeared after eight months.”
The authors conclude that their findings “indicate that most patients who initially respond well to injection can expect an effect to last between 19 and 33 weeks. Although the 46.6 percent success rate might appear low, its safety and efficacy make botulinum toxin a useful first-line invasive treatment if conservative measures have failed.”
Sublimis Argentina offers botox cosmetic injection abroad. Feel free to contact us for more information
Louisville, CO – Sound Surgical Technologies, a leading manufacturer and distributor of ultrasonic body contouring technologies, announced the launch of VASER Shape MC1, a non-invasive ultrasound and massage system. Most well-known for the VASER Lipo® System, Sound Surgical Technologies has expanded its product line to include both minimally invasive devices for aesthetic body contouring and non-invasive systems to smooth and shape the body by temporarily reducing the appearance of cellulite and increasing local blood circulation.
“The VASER Lipo System has revolutionized the way surgeons approach fat removal, and we’re excited to add an effective non-invasive tool to the VASER product line,” said Daniel S. Goldberger, CEO of Sound Surgical Technologies.
VASER Shape MC1 received FDA clearance in May 2010 for relief of minor muscle aches, pain and muscle spasms, temporary improvement in local blood circulation, and temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite. VASER Shape can be used alone or in combination with surgical body contouring procedures to minimize postoperative pain and swelling. The VASER Shape MC1 device is derived from a technology known as MedContour™ outside of the US, which has been used by hundreds of physicians to achieve excellent results.
“This new technology is the perfect complement for existing body contouring and liposuction procedures,” said Dr. Paul Zieg, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon at Zieg Plastic Surgery Center in Henderson, KY. “The VASER Shape MC1 System allows physicians to target specific problem areas for maximum results, while leaving the surrounding tissues unaffected.”
The VASER Shape MC1 technology was designed to allow physicians to tailor each treatment to the needs of the patient. Multiple handpieces provide a combination of ultrasonic diathermy (the application of high-frequency sound waves for local heat therapy) and zonal lymphatic massage. Physicians can also choose between multiple program settings that allow for a gentle postoperative session or more aggressive therapy for non-surgical results.
“VASER Shape is an excellent non-invasive option for patients who do not want a surgical procedure,” said Dr. Michael Nagy, F.A.C.S., Personal Enhancement Center in Toms River, New Jersey. “Most patients undergo a regimen of 4 to 5 total treatments, and many notice an improvement after just a single session.”
Surgeons impact whether a woman gets breast reconstruction
Note: For information about breast reconstruction surgery abroad please do not hesitate to contact Sublimis Argentina
When breast cancer surgeons regularly confer with plastic surgeons prior to surgery, their patients are more likely to have reconstruction, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Where a woman goes for breast cancer treatment can vary widely – ranging from small private practices to large hospital settings. That choice can impact the type of care a woman receives when it comes to reconstruction.
“Breast reconstruction is a very complex treatment issue that requires a lot of discussion. Our results suggest that discussion can be quite different depending on where a patient gets initial treatment,” says lead study author Steven J. Katz, M.D., M.P.H., professor of internal medicine at the U-M Medical School and of health management and policy at the U-M School of Public Health.
“Patients with similar characteristics or preferences may get a different story from different surgeons – and this depends largely on whether a plastic surgeon is on the treatment decision team from the get-go. Plastic surgeons are the ones with the expertise to explain the increasingly complicated procedure options,” Katz adds.
Results of the study appear online in the journal Medical Care and will be published in the October issue.
Popularity of cosmetic surgery growing among American minorities
American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery survey indicates Asian, Hispanic cultures comfortable with procedures
Chicago – In a survey released by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, more than half of respondents said they think the popularity of cosmetic surgery has grown among members of their racial/ethnic group in the last five years.
Among racial/ethnic groups, Asians reported that cosmetic surgery is most popular (31.4 percent of respondents). They were followed by Hispanics (27.4 percent) and African-Americans (18.8 percent) in cosmetic surgery popularity. About one quarter of respondents surveyed indicated they knew someone of the same racial/ethnic background who has gotten cosmetic surgery.
“Cosmetic surgery is en vogue no matter who you are,” said Mark Berman, MD, President of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. “Feeling better about yourself and making improvements to your looks is thankfully not limited to a specific race or culture.”
For invasive cosmetic surgery procedures, the most common surgery for Asian respondents is a facelift. Among black respondents, the top procedure is liposuction. And for Hispanic respondents, the most popular procedure is abdominoplasty (tummy tuck). More than 30 percent of respondents said they would seek out a cosmetic surgeon of the same race/ethnicity as themselves. And over half of respondents (56.6 percent) said it would be difficult to find a surgeon of the same race/ethnicity as themselves.
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