A 28-year old woman from Redmond was busy making preparations for her wedding day and decided to have laser-assisted liposuction to improve her appearance.

Laser-assisted liposuction has been available in the United States for several years, and is among the most sought-after procedures for men and women that want to get rid of a few ‘vanity’ pounds and improve their silhouette. This procedure is attractive to many because it is less invasive than traditional liposuction that requires the use of general anesthesia, and the procedure promises lasting results with less downtime and a lower risk of side effects.

Sadly, Ms. Aura Javellana of Redmond, a healthy bride-to-be, passed away recently shortly after her laser-assisted liposuction procedure from the Sono Bello Body Contour Center in Bellevue.

Sono Bello claims that they have “ruled out the major risk and complications that existed with traditional liposuction by introducing the use of new micro-instruments and laser assistance.” The center promotes the fact that patients can walk and walk out of the center the very same day, and that they can even return to work and resume regular activities the following day.

Unfortunately, these claims did not hold true for the 28-year old who simply wanted to get rid of a few unwanted pounds before her big day. On May 26, 2009, Ms. Javaellana underwent a 3.5 hour procedure that cost $8,000 to remove fat from her abs, love handles and upper arms. She checked into a hotel to recover from the procedure shortly after the procedure, but by the next morning, she was dead. Maids found her when they opened the door to clean her room.

The King County Medical Examiner reports that it was the procedure that killed her, and she died from “acute lidocaine intoxication”. She had lost blood and body fluid from the 11 puncture wounds that were left behind from the liposuction tubes used in the procedure.

The Corporate Medical Director of Sono Bello continues to claim that the woman’s death was of no fault of the clinic.

A new Senate bill introduced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev now includes a 5 percent tax on elective cosmetic surgery.

Millions of Americans who set their sights on procedures such as Botox, rhinoplasty, tummy tuck, hair transplants and breast augmentation will now be responsible for paying this cosmetic surgery tax, now known as “botax” on every procedure.

According to WebCPA.com, the cosmetic surgery tax will raise $5 billion over the next decade, and the bill will also include an increase in the Medicare payroll tax for couples earning more than $250,000 a year and for individuals earning over $200,000 – an increase of .5 percent.

Nova Cosmetic Center, a cosmetic and aesthetic center in Orlando, claims that the excise tax is actually a discriminatory tax because “this will not have considerable consequences on the wealthiest patients, but, as usual, affects the middle class. Working women, soccer moms and scores of others who carefully save and budget to improve their appearance and self esteem will be penalized for doing so.”

Dr. Angela Cuzalina, a cosmetic surgeon based in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the president-elect of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery also points out out that “You’d be surprised how price sensitive people are to this…It’s a tax against women and the baby boomer generation having these procedures.”  (Source: KaiserHealthNews.com)

Many plastic surgeons say that this will be a “devastating” move because many practices are only just beginning to recover from the effects of the recession. Some cosmetic surgeons and industry professionals are urging patients to contact their State Senator and fight for no government interference in medical care.

Procedures that will be affected by the “botax” include aesthetic treatments such as teeth whitening, Botox and dermal filler injections, some skin tightening treatments, face lifts, hair transplants, and all cosmetic surgery procedures.

Current fat reduction and removal methods include a combination of exercise, maintaining a healthy diet and undergoing liposuction to remove stubborn body fat. While some people need to undergo stomach stapling and counseling to get their weight under control, many are better candidates for localized fat removal using liposuction and lipoplasty methods that remove fat cells permanently. Dermatologists that met at the American Academy of Dermatology’s SKIN Academy in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts claim that ultrasound technologies that promote non-invasive fat removal may be  a better choice for many people struggling with a few ‘vanity’ pounds.

According to Dr. Jeffrey Dover, associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut and adjunct professor of medicine at Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, New Hampshire, “There is a strong demand for non-invasive procedures that can address the concerns of people who are not considered overweight, but despite diet and exercise, have pockets of fat that bother them…while traditional liposuction and laser liposuction are invasive surgical procedures that are designed for overall fat reduction, new procedures are emerging that are non-invasive and showing promise in clinical studies for removing fat without the potential risks and downtime of invasive procedures.” (Source: MedicalNewsToday.com)

High-intensity focused ultrasound systems – that are currently not available in the United States – are considered to be an effective new technique for fat removal because they are capable of selectively destroying fat beneath the skin without damaging surrounding tissues or requiring any incisions. The ultrasound energy is able to deliver thermal energy into the tissues and dissolves the fat cells. The fat cells can then be eliminated out of the body naturally.

Ultrasound liposuction techniques are still being tested, but may soon become a viable option for people that want to target specific areas of fat without undergoing surgery.

Rosacea is a common skin disorder in the United States and is identified by excessive redness of the skin, along with transient papules and pustules. This chronic skin condition affects about 14 million Americans and cause significant psychological and self-esteem problems if it is left untreated. Current rosacea treatments include Intense Pulsed Light therapy (IPL) and topical ointments. However, the FDA is currently reviewing a new drug by Sol-Gel Technologies that may offer multiple benefits for rosacea patients.

Sol-Gel has developed the DER45-EV Gel, a topical solution designed to enhance the efficacy and stability of topical drugs by creating a protective barrier between the drug and the skin. According to Dr. Stanley Shapiro, Sol-Gel’s Head of Skin Care Science and Technology, “As Sol-Gel’s microcapsulation forms a protective barrier between the drug and the skin, we expect it to reduce irritation when applied to the relatively sensitive skin of rosacea patients.”

The FDA has acknowledged receipt of this drug as an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) for the topical treatment of rosacea. People who were eligible for this study had to be 18 years of older, have facial rosacea with 15 or more inflammatory lesions, have moderate or severe ratings (a 3 or 4) of rosacea on the IGA, and could not have any allergies or sensitivities to ingredients in the test product. The gel was applied topically once per day to the facial area only for a course of 12 weeks. Women who were pregnant, breast feeding or planning pregnancy, and those with other dermatological conditions of the face were excluded from the trial.

The Sol-Gel study was first received on July 14, 2009 and is currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. More information about the latest rosacea treatments and dermatologic solutions for patients with rosacea can be found here.

Current post-operative care methods for skin grafts and burns involve the application of bandages, administration of vitamins and topical agents to the skin, and protection from sunlight. One company has developed a proprietary solution that may help to speed up the wound healing process while killing off infectious pathogens. PuriCore, a life sciences company that specializes in developing various types of skin solutions, has been performing randomized clinical trials with a product called Vashe Wound Therapy.

Vashe Wound Therapy is a medical device designed to support the wound healing process. The treatment has been used successfully and without any adverse side effects in more than 100,000 treatments, and is proving to an effective and economical alternative to common wound irrigation solutions.

The clinical trials were conducted by the Co-Director of the Arizona Burn Center of the Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona and results show that the treatment is just as effective as the 5% Sulfamylon® solution, a synthetic agent that is commonly used for the post-operative care of grafts for burns. Infection rates for the Vashe Wound Therapy and the Sulfamylon® solution were equivalent, but Vashe Wound Therapy boasts a greater than 50% cost savings.

Dr. Foster points out that, “Vashe Wound Therapy is an exciting new alternative technology that demonstrates clinical efficacy for post-operative skin graft irrigation while offering significant overall cost savings…this trial also suggests that Vashe has further potential for pain improvement opportunities.”

PuriCore’s CEO Greg Bosch also indicates that the clinical results prove that Vashe Wound Therapy is very effective for wound care and offers an additional boost to the body’s own defense system, making it much easier for the body to heal after burns or different types of surgery. The treatment is biocompatible, non-mutagenic and non-cytotoxic, and offers a safe and effective alternative to many solutions used to treat infected wounds and post-operative surgical sites.

(Source: MedicalNewsToday)

A St. Louis resident experienced partial respiratory paralysis after receiving an overdose of Botox at the St. Louis University Hospital recently. He was being treated for muscle spasticity, and Botox was being used for one of its off-label purposes in this particular case.

The patient Richard Hart suffers from a medical condition that affects his neck, and reportedly received 300 units of Botox on August 20, 2007, 200 units on September 20, 2007 and 400 units on October 5, 2007. By the middle of October that same year, Hart reported breathing problems and difficulty swallowing. The effects continued, and resulted in blurred vision, muscle weakness and the partial paralysis of his respiratory muscles.

The lawsuit alleges that the doctor who administered the drug was negligent and did not accurately monitor Hart’s Botox doses. If the doctor had maintained the recommended dosage schedule, Richard Hart may not have experienced any of the side effects or had to deal with the eventual partial failure of his respiratory system.

Mr. Hart’s case is being represented by the Lowe Law Firm based in St. Louis, a firm that handles a variety of personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability and commercial cases throughout the United States. According to Jeff Lowe, one of the attorneys representing Dr. Hart, “Botulism is one of the most toxic substances known to man. My client suffers from botulism poisoning, a painful and terminal illness.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has already taken a stand on the potential risks and dangers of Botox, requiring that a warning is added to the packaging of all botulinum toxin products. The FDA requires that the Botox warning label explains that toxins can spread from the injection site to other areas of the body, and that they may also be the cause of many symptoms associated with botulism.

(Source: MedicalNewsToday)

Elsevier is the world’s leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information, and has recently produced a comprehensive book about aesthetic plastic surgery. The book is full of illustrations and has been created by international contributors to provide a broad view and up-to-date perspective on aesthetic surgery procedures and the state of the industry.

In addition to outlining what the various outcomes of cosmetic surgery procedures are, the text lays out various techniques and innovative tools used to perform advanced procedures including the MACS lift,  endoscopic facelifts, cohesive gel breast augmentation, lipoabdominoplasty and suture suspension threadlifts amongst others. The book also covers, in detail, the procedure and outcomes of Sculptra, Restylane, Botox and Radiesse.

According to Sue Hodgson, Publishing Director for Global Medicine at Elsevier, “All of the major contemporary procedures in aesthetic plastic surgery are covered and described by the experts in the field. It is a resource no surgeon who performs aesthetic procedures can afford to be without.”

The text has been edited and reviewed by several notable plastic surgeons and professors of plastic surgery. The three editors of the Aesthetic Plastic Surgery book are Sherrell Aston, MD, FACS, the past president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and Chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital in New York; Douglas Steinbrech, MD, FACS, the Clinical Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at the New York University School of Medicine and an attending surgeon at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital in New York, and Jennifer l. Walden, MD, FACS, an attending surgeon and Program Director in Plastic Surgery at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital in New York.

The book is designed to serve as a practical guide for both beginner and experienced surgeons, and contains the latest information on a wide range of procedures and techniques.

The media and advertisers continue to produce persuasive ads promising the fountain of youth in an injection or with surgery, but some plastic surgeons around the globe are saying that it’s time to call a ‘time out’ on this type of marketing. Nigel Mercer, President of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) recently stated that it’s time to call a ‘halt’ on the unregulated trade of advertising cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures.

Dr. Mercer points out that many of the medical and non-medical procedures that have entered the market have been able to draw in huge profits by promoting the illusion of a perfect body – only to leave patients disappointed after they pay the high price for surgery.

He states, “We have reached a stage where public expectation, driven by media hype and, dare one say, professional greed, has brought us to a ‘perfect storm’ in the cosmetic surgical market.”

Today, many plastic and cosmetic surgeons have been able to attract more business simply by offering non-invasive procedures such as Botox, Hydrelle, laser peels and other wrinkle treatments that cost a fraction of the price of most types of surgery. Still, demand for breast augmentation, facelifts and liposuction continues to remain strong, but much of this is prompted by surgeons who are boosting business by offering two-for-one offers, deep discounts on conventional procedures, and aggressively marketing the idea of transforming the body or face with just a single procedure.

Members of the BAAPS warn that it’s every doctor’s primary responsibility to protect the patient, and to not always look out for their profit potential. However, many doctors are simply looking for financial gain, and will do everything possible to attract more patients – even if it means undertaking false advertising practices. Still, many UK surgeons are stating that surgery is simply not a ‘quick-fix’ solution, and that all patients should be advised about the potential risks and dangers associated with their procedure.

Rhinoplasty, otherwise known as a ‘nose job’, typically involves the removal of nasal tissues and resculpting of the nose to create a more aesthetically pleasing profile. However, rhinoplasty is often associated with post-operative pain, and this pain is a common fear of rhinoplasty patients. Dr. Oleh Slupchynskyj, Director of the Aesthetic Institute of New York and New Jersey, has recently unveiled an innovative rhinoplasty procedure that does not use traditional packing methods and results in less pain.

Dr. Slupchynskyj uses a state-of-the-art plant-based biopolymer material which is easily absorbed into the tissue and helps with the clotting process.  He states that, “rhinoplasty can be performed with minimal or no bleeding post-operatively, therefore with a majority of my patients, I don’t use nasal packing…if it is necessary, I use a dissolvable packing which is much more comfortable for the patient and disintegrates over 24 hours.”

Rhinoplasty procedures continue to be among the most sought-after cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures for men and women alike, but many people refrain from undergoing this procedure because of the pain associated with it. The procedure typically takes several hours and requires several days  and weeks of downtime. Only a few surgeons use advanced techniques that can minimize pain and irritation associated with the packing process, and this may provide more options for patients.

Dr. Slupchynskyj is double board-certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngolgoy, and has advanced training for the head, neck and face. He has been named one of the Top Surgeons of 2009 by the Consumers’ Research Council of America, and has created a number of surgical alternatives including the “S” implant that helps create an attractive profile for African American patients.

More information about the latest rhinoplasty procedures and developments can be found here.

Women who do not want to undergo breast augmentation and breast reconstruction surgery may now have an attractive to silicone and saline implants. After much debate over the safety and effectiveness of fat injections, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons has confirmed that liposuctioned fat may be a good alternative to breast implants. Results of a new study were presented at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Plastic Surgery 2009 Conference in October, and research pointed to the efficacy and safety surrounding fat injections in breast tissue.

Testing was performed on 50 women between the ages of 17 to 63. Five of the women had two grafting procedures, while the others had just one grafting procedure. Fat was extracted from various parts of the body including the upper thighs, hips and abdomen, and then re-injected into the breasts. In some cases, a graft was performed so that the skin could expand easily from the extra tissue. Each patient returned for a follow up test at the 9 month, three year and five year mark, and researchers report a high satisfaction rate and an average increase in breast volume between the 6 month to 12 month mark (approximately less than a full cup size). The overall success rate for this innovative fat grafting technique was 85%. (Source: eMaxHealth.com)

While this procedure presents a number of benefits and some new options for women seeking breast augmentation, it does have some drawbacks. If the woman was to gain or lose a significant amount of weight, the effects of the fat graft would become obsolete. Researchers also pointed out that natural changes in breast volume because of hormones, stress and other issues, would result in less than desirable results.

Demand for breast augmentation procedures continues to be strong in the United States and overseas. In 2008, more than 307,000 breast augmentation procedures were performed in the United States alone.