With holiday season right around the corner, now may be a good time to freshen up your skin and enjoy a more youthful appearance. Choose from any of these non-invasive skin rejuvenation treatments to improve your appearance for holiday events.
Birthmarks are typically benign skin lesions that can become progressively darker with age. Here are some of the most common procedures used to get rid of all types of birth marks.
An estimated 3 to 6% of Americans have fibromyalgia syndrome, a complex condition that often results in fatigue, cognitive or memory impairment, jaw pain, chronic headaches and sleep disorders. Fortunately, chiropractic treatments and natural therapies can help improve symptoms.
BodyJet liposuction is one of several advanced techniques used for permanent fat removal. Now, surgeons are using this form of liposuction to perform a breast enhancement procedure that involves fat transfer.
Laser eyelid surgery, also known as blepharoplasty, is a variation of conventional eyelid surgery. It's designed to eliminate the sagging and puffy skin around the eyes and can be performed without general anesthesia. Find out what this procedure's key benefits are.
Cancer patients who need to undergo breast reconstruction surgery may benefit from an innovative liposuction technique which can help to sculpt and define the breast tissues with ease.
According to a recent report by BBC Wales, patients at the Singleton Hospital in Swansea are among the first in the country to benefit from liposuction with their breast reconstruction procedure.
Liposuction was used to transfer fat from their thighs and stomach, and then re-injected into the breast where the tumor had been removed. This entire process is less invasive and more comfortable than traditional breast reconstruction procedures, and may provide several benefits for cancer patients around the UK, and around the world.
Many patients who have had a tumor removed from their breasts notice asymmetry and an imbalance in their chests. Some can afford to have breast implants or surgery to restore their original shape and size, but many cannot. The liposuction procedure may help to fill out the breasts with more natural results, and in some cases, may even be more affordable.
According to consultant oncoplastic surgeon Nader Khonji who interviewed with BBC Wales, the new technique has a higher success rate than traditional procedures because it uses stem and regenerative cells from fat to perform the transfer. This results in a more natural appearance and few risks of side effects because it involves the patient’s real body tissues.
Part of the procedure process involves breaking down the tissue and splitting it into a concentrate of stem cells. These cells contain the essential growth factors that need to be present for the breast tissues to adopt the cells. These cells are mixed into the fat and re-injected into the breasts, with new growth occurring over a period of a few weeks.
The first ten patients in Wales who underwent this procedure enjoyed successful outcomes, and did not need to undergo the entire breast reconstruction procedure with implants after mastectomy.
The Zerona laser has been in the media spotlight recently with appearances on the television talk show “The Doctors”, as well as the “Rachel Ray Show”.
Zerona also appeared in Harper’s Bazaar Magazine and other lifestyle publications as the latest alternative to liposuction surgery. Now, the Skin Physicians and Surgeons (SkinPS) dermatology practice in Rancho Cucamonga has unveiled the procedure for its clients.
Zerona costs less than conventional liposuction and may offer similar benefits in some people. According to Sandra Lee, M.D., one of the three board-certified dermatologists at SkinPS, “People clearly see that this [Zerona] is a cost benefit to them.” Dr. Lee says that the procedure does not require the patient to undergo any anesthesia, and that most patients will see results after a series of six treatments over a two week period.
Zerona treatments typically last about 40 minutes, with 20 minutes for the front of the body and 20 minutes for the back. The procedure is designed to stimulate the release of fat cells which are eliminated through the body’s natural elimination process. Studies and trials with the Zerona laser showed an average reduction of 3.5 inches from the hips, waist and thighs after six treatments.
SkinPS is among the few plastic surgery centers in California to be set up for the Zerona laser system, and the procedure is appearing in major markets in the U.S. including Chicago, New York and select cities in Florida.
Some experts believe that Zerona is a valuable alternative to liposuction an can help many people lose a few unwanted pounds without undergoing surgery. However, Zerona can only be used to treat subcutaneous fat, which means that any layers of fat sitting directly on top of the skeletal system can only be removed with surgery. The Zerona laser does not involve any downtime or incisions, and in some cases, can be performed over the patient’s lunch hour.
Many people who only want to lose a few pounds and inches turn to minimally-invasive liposuction techniques to achieve their ideal silhouette. The VASER Hi-Def liposuction system is among several of the most sought-after procedures in liposuction, and has emerged as one of the most effective procedures for fat transfer.
According to a recent article in AmericanHealthandBeauty.com, the VASER system can help to not only remove the extra fat from unwanted areas, but the doctor can use that fat to transfer it into other parts of the body. This procedure uses ultrasonic energy to melt and break up unwanted fat, and the ultrasound technology helps to target the fatty tissue without damaging surrounding tissues. This procedure was recently featured on the CBS Morning Show with Dr. David Broadway and Dr. John Milliard who worked on a patient who just wanted to trim up some problem areas on her lower stomach and flanks.
The doctors claim that it is possible to remove the excess fat and add a cup size to the breasts if the patient wants to. The fat is suctioned out and then immediately transferred into syringes. At this stage, it can be injected into almost any area of the body.
The VASER Hi-Def liposuction procedure can be performed on an outpatient basis, and depending on the area where the fat is removed, can be performed with only local anesthesia. The VASER device allows the doctor to target only the fatty tissue, which results in less bruising and trauma to the skin overall. This procedure may be most appropriate for patients who only want to lose a few inches in problem areas, and enjoy a breast augmentation or buttock augmentation procedure at the same time.
A brief clip about the VASER transformation spotlighted on the Morning Show can be found here:
A medical spa in Weston, Florida is currently in the media spotlight after a woman who had liposuction performed there died shortly after her procedure. The liposuction procedure was performed by Dr. Omar J. Brito and involved minimally-invasive techniques. Rohie Kah-Orukatan had been visiting this particular medical spa in the past, but suffered a seizure after her procedure and was reported brain dead on life support at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida.
According to InjuryBoard.com, Mrs. Kah-Orukaton had been a client at the Weston medical spa for five years before undergoing liposuction. However, the medical spa was not licensed to perform liposuction and Dr. Brito states that he was unaware that this was the case. Experts say that the seizure was brought on by the anesthetic lidocaine used prior to the surgery. Dr. Brito reports that he did not experience any difficulties during the procedure, but realized something had gone awry near the end of the procedure, at which point he called 911.
Dr. Brito’s attorney states that the doctor has been performing liposuction without any problems for about four years. However, Florida state law does not allow any doctor to perform liposuction in an unlicensed facility.
Liposuction surgery, even when performed using minimally-invasive techniques, still has many risks involved and can be deadly if the patient experiences an adverse reaction from the anesthesia. While some doctors perform certain types of techniques without anesthesia, traditional liposuction techniques cannot be performed without anesthesia. It’s also important that the patient verifies whether the doctor performing the surgery is board-certified.
Dr. Brito’s profile on the medical spa’s website does not point to any evidence of training or residency in the field of cosmetic surgery, even though the doctor has several years of experience. Patients interested in liposuction can contact the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery to verify if their doctor is in fact board-certified.
Custom Acoustic Liposuction is an innovative technique that has been used in Europe for several years for permanent fat removal.
The procedure was recently made available in San Antonio, Texas, and is offered at the offices of Dr. Thomas Jeneby. According to Dr. Jeneby, this technique can help break up fat much easier than conventional liposuction, and also causes much less pain than other fat removal procedures.
Custom Acoustic Liposuction works by pumping air via a compressor, and the tip vibrates rapidly as it passes through the fat between the skin and muscle. This makes it easier for the fat cells to break away from the skin tissues and get sucked through the cannula. The vibrating liposuction procedure takes about half as long as conventional liposuction, and is a relatively easy procedure for the doctor to perform.
According to the Custom Acoustic Liposuction website, this FDA-approved procedure uses low-acoustic INFRASONIC vibration to remove the fat cells, and the vibrations help to safely remove large amounts of fat from all areas of the body. Since there is no heat involved, there is no risk of burning the skin tissues surrounding the fat. The fat is aspirated while it is emulsified, which means the doctor can perform the procedure quickly and efficiently. This procedure can be performed under local or IV sedation, which also lowers overall risks linked to general anesthesia.
Custom Acoustic Liposuction was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this year in the United States. It has been deemed effective for removing large amounts of body fat, and also for body sculpting and reshaping. The system promises rapid recovery, smooth contouring, and fewer risks and side effects than conventional liposuction. Dr. Jeneby reports that this procedure is also “less fatiguing for the doctor”, which may mean that doctors can perform the procedure with more accuracy and precision.
Dr. Steven Victor, a cosmetic surgery professional and Founder of the LaserSculpt Network, has recently been appointed as a Blue Ribbon Panel Member for the “Super Models Hall of Fame” event. The event is directed by seven-time Emmy Award winner Gary Smith to recognize the achievements of models in the past 60 years.
Dr. Steven Victor is a practicing cosmetic dermatologist in New York City and founder of the LaserSculpt Network of Physicians. He has treated many celebrities and models with his innovative liposuction alternative, and will now be working with the entertainment and media professionals directly as part of the judging panel for the event.
In a recent press release about the announcement of judges, Dr. Victor states: “I am honored to be selected to be on the panel with all the other talented people from other industries and I feel it is time we have a venue to honor the models of the past and present for all their work and their influence on fashion, beauty and society.”
Dr. Steven Victor has been practicing for over 25 years and was trained at New York Medical College. The LaserSculpt technique is an innovative alternative to liposuction that involves laser lipolyis to break down fatty tissues with ease. The FDA-cleared devices used to perform this type of liposuction are only available through doctors who are part of the LaserSculpt network, and the procedure promises effective results with minimally invasive techniques.
According to LaserSculptNetwork.com, the laser device used in the LaserSculpt procedure uses less energy to liquefy the fat cells, which makes it easier for the surgeon to remove the cells from the body. The heat from the laser device also helps to tighten the skin, so the patient benefits from a combination fat removal and skin tightening procedure.
Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, a world-renown plastic surgery center in Beverly Hills, has announced its new transformative body sculpting procedure called the First Year of Your Diet in a Day ™.
This program is designed to help individuals lose a significant amount of body weight by jumpstarting their diet process with liposuction. The procedure involves removing only some of the body fat that the person desires to lose, and then focus on making dietary and lifestyle changes so that the patient can lose the remainder of the weight on their own.
According to Medical Director Dr. Lloyd Krieger, “At Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, we believe there is a middle ground…We offer select patients liposuction designed to jump-start their dieting process…[this] provides enough change that people are in the position to have greatly improved body image and continue the process of dieting – from a position of physical and emotional strength.”.
Dr. Krieger further points out that those who think they need additional help may be more suitable candidates for a tummy tuck procedure or a complete liposuction procedure.
The emphasis of the First Year of Your Diet in a Day ™ program is to shift the focus away from instant results with liposuction, and focus more on maintaining a healthy lifestyle after the fat has been removed. Many patients who undergo liposuction struggle with keeping the weight off for months and years following the procedure because they do not maintain a healthy diet or undertake any type of exercise regimen. The First Year of Your Diet in a Day ™ gives patients the opportunity to learn how to eat sensibly and start introducing exercise into their daily lifestyle so that it become easy to lose the weight and keep it off for the long-term.
Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery has relationships with nutritionists and other health professionals in the area so that the transition can be more successful for all patients.
Liposuction is among the most sought-after procedures for cosmetic makeovers and improving one’s physical appearance, but Cosmetic Surgery Times reports that they may be a positive link between abdominal liposuction and the treatment of metablic syndrome as well. Abdominal obesity, a condition where an excess amount of fat is stored around the abdomen, has been associated with metabolic syndrome that causes high blood pressure, decreased levels of high-density lipoporteins and other health problems.
Dr. Douglas S. Streinbrech, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon based in Manhattan, is currently working on a review of the link between abdominal liposuction and metabolic syndrome. He suggests that abdominal liposuction may help reduce the impact of metabolic syndrome because the body will no longer be producing the chemicals linked to the disorder once the excess fat has been removed.
There is still a lot of controversy surrounding the connection between abdominal liposuction and metabolic syndrome, but numerous studies have been brought forward to indicate that there may be a relationship, a connection that doctors could control.
Individuals who are morbidly obese or are storing a significant amount of body fat around their abdomen typically experience the symptoms of metabolic syndrome, and this may not be corrected with diet and exercise alone. People who are prone to storing abdominal fat may not be able to lose the excess weight on their own, and liposuction could help to improve not only their physical appearance, but possibly also reduce the symptoms of metabolic syndrome.
Still, some researchers believe that there is no relationship at all. Dr. Weber, an assistant professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s Montefiore Medical Center states that “Because liposuction in humans is a tool for sculpturing problem areas, not all of the fat is removed. I don’t think you can correlate directly this animal study to human application.”
Instead of extracting fat from patients directly for stem cell research purposes, researchers have found a way to make use of the fat removed during liposuction surgery.
A recent report in Scientific American points out that researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine are learning how to use fat cells to turn them into stem cells. Previously, researcher had been using standard skin cells to make induced “pluripotent stem (iPS)” cells for medical research. This process involved scraping the cells from the skin and then working with the cells for several weeks before preparing them for stem cell research processes.
Doctors found that it is much easier to use fat cells for this type of research because it’s easy to access the resource, and each liter of fat yields millions of potential cells that researchers need for stem cell studies. Fat stem cells are more suitable for this type of research because, according to Dr. Joseph Wu, co-author of the study and assistant professor of medicine at Stanford University, “We know that these fat cells are multipotent, which should [make it] easier to reprogram them.” (Source: Scientific American)
Using fat cells for stem cell research means the research process can begin immediately after the fat has been harvested. The fat cells are harvested via liposuction and can be put to use that very same day. In many cases, the turnaround time for these cells to be prepared for stem cell research is just two weeks, which is about half the time it would take for cells extracted from the skin, liver or other tissues.
According to Dr. Wu and his team, there are still some questions to be answered before fat cells can become the standard for iPS cell research. However, they could be the critical link for speeding up the stem cell research process and allow researchers to culture the cells they need at a faster rate.
VASER liposuction is one of the newer technologies available for permanent fat removal, and has recently been reviewed by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
According to the results of a study published in the August issue of the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal, the official journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, VASER Lipo is now among the clinically-proven procedures for fat transfer. The study suggests that VASER liposuction is indeed safe and effective, and can be used to plump up other areas of the body after fat is removed from another area.
According to Dr. Robert Schwartz, a plastic surgeon who owns a private practice in Dallas, Texas,
“The VASER Lipo System is unlike any other device in that it emulsifies the fat and removes it in small clumps of cells. This emulsion re-injects more smoothly and easily than fat harvested via traditional liposuction.” (Source: Medical News Today)
The study was conducted at Stanford University and involved taking tissue samples of both male and female patients who underwent lipoplasty of the abdomen, back and thighs. Researchers compared the tissue samples of those who had undergone VASER Lipo and suction-assisted liposuction on one area of the body, and found that there was no cellular difference between the two treatments. Consequently, they concluded that VASER Lipo can be just as effective as suction-assisted devices (traditional liposuction).
VASER liposuction uses ultrasound energy to destroy fat cells permanently. Since the fat is emulsified during this process, the procedure allows the surgeon to extract the body fat with ease. VASER liposuction can be performed on nearly any part of the body, and may be particularly effective for treating larger areas that have stubborn body fat such as the hips, buttocks, thighs and abdomen. More information about VASER liposuction can be found here.
Cancer patients who need to undergo breast reconstruction surgery may benefit from an innovative liposuction technique which can help to sculpt and define the breast tissues with ease.
The 
Custom Acoustic Liposuction is an innovative technique that has been used in Europe for several years for permanent fat removal.
Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, a world-renown plastic surgery center in 
Instead of extracting fat from patients directly for stem cell research purposes, researchers have found a way to make use of the fat removed during 
VASER liposuction is one of the newer technologies available for permanent fat removal, and has recently been reviewed by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.