Plastic Surgery 2009 news briefs

Cleavage Rejuvenation, Do-It-Yourself Lasers, Botox® Breast Lift – Hype or Reality?

Whether their effectiveness is fact or fiction, less invasive cosmetic procedures such as cleavage rejuvenation, do-it-yourself (DIY) cosmetic therapies, and using Botox® to “lift” the breasts are making headlines, but are they safe? Plastic surgeons will discuss if these, and more, are cutting edge new discoveries or just “buyer beware” marketing hype at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Plastic Surgery 2009 conference, Oct. 23 – 27, in Seattle. Cleavage rejuvenation involves injecting a non-allergenic filler into the cleavage to alleviate wrinkles. DYI cosmetic therapies include hair removal devices, lasers, even fillers that some patients are ordering off the Internet. With a Botox Breast Lift, the toxin is injected into the chest muscles, temporarily paralyzing them, and causing the back muscles to compensate. The patient, in turn, is forced to standup straighter, thereby creating a lifted appearance in the breasts. Plastic surgeons are concerned that these may be some of the procedures consumers are turning to in the weak economy. A new procedure called Awake-Breast Augmentation, where the patient is awake during surgery and gives feedback regarding her preferred size of implant, will be examined. Additionally, the latest information on cosmetic gynecology, laser liposuction, cellulite, new fillers such as Selphyl (being touted as a new blood-based injectable), and more will be discussed.

By the Numbers:

* More than 10.4 million cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures were performed in 2008, according to the ASPS.

* Laser hair removal (1 million procedures) was among the top 5 minimally-invasive procedures and more than 400,000 patients had laser skin resurfacing in 2008.

* Cosmetic breast procedures totaled nearly 400,000 procedures last year.

Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons

What Influences Women’s Opinions On Their Breast Surgery?

The six major factors that affect how happy a woman feels with the outcome of her breast surgery have been uncovered. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Women’s Health have determined that, as well as final breast appearance, there are five other major concerns that influence surgical satisfaction.

“Patient satisfaction with breast appearance was without doubt the key theme and is a salient factor in determining the success of breast surgery. However, other themes were also identified that related to the broadened notion of quality of life, including concepts such as physical, psychological and sexual well-being”.

The authors found that breast conditions and breast surgery impact women in the following six main areas: satisfaction with breasts; satisfaction with overall outcome; psychosocial well-being; sexual well-being; physical well-being; and satisfaction with the process of care. Although these six themes were common to women in all three groups, the importance ascribed to each was seen to vary by surgical group. According to Pusic, “While physical well-being was of only limited importance to breast augmentation patients (only a few reported pain and discomfort post-operatively), it was often the main motivation behind breast reduction surgery (patients reported substantial pain and activity limitations pre-operatively), and was often an issue for women following breast reconstruction”.

Pusic and her colleagues have used their framework to develop a new patient-reported outcome measure called the BREAST-Q©, which consists of three procedure-specific modules (Augmentation, Reconstruction and Reduction). The authors hope that their findings may be used to guide the development of patient education materials and facilitate shared medical decision-making. They conclude, “The combination of extensive detailed qualitative research and modern psychometric methods make it possible to measure constructs, such as patient satisfaction, in a more clinically meaningful and scientifically robust way than has ever been done in this patient group”.

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Source: BioMed Central Limited

Breast Augmentation – Not Just for Models

While some people still assume that anyone seeking to enlarge her breasts is just “looking for attention,” this kneejerk stereotyping is unfair. In reality, there are as many reasons for undergoing breast augmentation as there are women who desire one.

How a woman feels about her breasts can have a profound impact on her self-image and self-confidence. If she feels embarrassed or self-conscious because her breasts are small, uneven, or have a shape she’s not happy with, it can cause her to avoid certain social situations or affect her ability to enjoy intimacy. If increasing the size of your breasts or pursuing a breast augmentation procedure to make your breasts “match” will help you feel more comfortable in a swimsuit or wearing a fancy party dress, then you might want to speak to a qualified plastic surgeon about your options.

In other cases, a woman might wish to have a breast augmentation because of changes in her breasts due to pregnancy, breastfeeding, or rapid weight loss. Any of these life events can drastically alter the size, shape, and resilience of the breasts, leaving them with sag, lack of volume, or no longer proportional to the rest of your body. A breast augmentation can restore the youthful look of your breasts. In these cases, often a breast lift is also necessary to correct the loss of tone.

In even more extreme situations, a breast augmentation procedure can be used to reconstruct one or both breasts after a mastectomy or even a severe injury. In this case, a  breast augmentation can go a long way toward helping a woman regain her feminine identity and sense of self in the face of a drastic challenge in her life.

Whatever the reason you choose to pursue a breast augmentation, it’s very important to consider what results you wish to achieve, and how they are best accomplished. A consultation with a plastic surgeon can help you determine the best way to reach these goals.

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Breast Lift, before and after photos

Breast Implant before and after photos

Before and after Breast Implants Surgery

Breast Procedures Leave Women Extremely Satisfied

99% Would Have Surgery Again, Says Study Presented at ASPS Annual Meeting

Chicago – Breast augmentation, breast lift, combination lift/augmentation and breast reduction achieve high satisfaction rates; enhance self-esteem and quality of life; and 99 percent of women would have their surgery again, according to a first-of-its-kind study presented at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Plastic Surgery 2008 conference, Oct. 31 – Nov. 5, in Chicago. The study found breast lift and lift/augmentation to have a high level of patient satisfaction that rivals breast augmentation and reduction.

“Many studies have shown breast augmentation and breast reduction are highly gratifying procedures for women, but until now we’ve had limited information on patient satisfaction for breast lift or combination lift/ augmentation. This data fills in the gap,” said Eric Swanson, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and study author. “When the vertical technique is used in the augmentation/lift procedure, patient satisfaction is high.”

In this prospective study, 325 patients were interviewed about their breast procedures over a five year period, with a response rate of 81 percent. Almost all patients, 99 percent, would have their procedure again and 91 percent of patients reported improved self-esteem. Overall, patient satisfaction was 96 percent. The average result rating was 9.2 out of 10. According to Dr. Swanson, the high patient satisfaction rates for breast lifts and reductions in the study applied only to the vertical technique, which was used on all patients.

The study also evaluated preferred breast shape, discomfort level, and recovery. Most women preferred a convex breast shape, i.e., fuller contour at the top of the breast.

“Naturally, breasts are fuller towards the bottom, but our study found patients want more fullness on top, which is hardly surprising in view of the purpose of bras,” said Dr. Swanson.

Patients reported using prescription analgesics an average of 5.4 days, resumed driving in 5.8 days, returned to work in 7.5 days, and felt “back to normal” in 27.8 days. Pain rating was moderate overall, 5.4 out of 10, higher for breast augmentation (5.9) and lower for breast reduction (3.3).

Nearly 348,000 women had breast augmentations in 2007, making it the number one cosmetic plastic surgery procedure performed last year, according to ASPS statistics. In addition, more than 106,000 women had breast reductions and 104,000 women had breast lifts last year.

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Breast Implant before and after photos

Before and After a breast augmentation surgery