The authors were able to do a comparison of 92 patients who underwent breast surgery at the ASC and 92 who underwent surgery at the hospital because they had an ASC that was closed in 2005, and then breast operations were moved to a hospital.

The study analyzed anesthetic techniques; recovery room events; and the patient’s total duration of stay, pre- through post-op.

Results found that age and recovery times were similar and complications were negligible at both, but the preoperative and total facility time increased for breast operations done in the hospital setting.

“Findings support a common perception, namely, that outpatient surgery can be more efficiently performed at a dedicated outpatient center rather than at a hospital setting,” according to the study’s authors.

Reasons for the efficiency of the ASC include:

• Nurses at the ASC only prep outpatients, whereas hospital nurses may process both outpatients and critically ill patients.
• The ASC was limited to a relatively small and uniform set of cases, whereas the hospital has a more varied and complex case mix, which can cause surgery delays.
• The preoperative area in the ASC was physically closer to the OR compared with the hospital setting.

The study conclusion states that “the potential efficiency advantage of an ASC over a hospital has implications for patient and staff satisfaction, facility expense, and surgeon productivity.”

While both the ASC and hospital are safe places for plastic surgery, the ASC may have the advantage in efficiency.

In today’s economy looking good is something that can’t be dismissed as frivolous, according to the article.

“Economists have long recognized what’s been dubbed the ‘beauty premium’—the idea that pretty people, whatever their aspirations, tend to do better in, well, almost everything,” writes Jessica Bennett in the online article. Economist Daniel Hamermesh says a good-looking man will make some $250,000 more during his career than his least-attractive counterpart.

Here are a few other statistics the article cites to make this point:

• Handsome men earn, on average, 5 percent more than their less-attractive counterparts (good-looking women earn 4 percent more)
• Attractive people get more attention from teachers, bosses, and mentors
• Babies stare longer at good-looking faces

It’s not a surprise then that some may turn to plastic surgery. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 13 percent of women (and 10 percent of men, in a Newsweek survey), say they’d consider cosmetic surgery if it made them more competitive at work.

Newsweek also surveyed 202 corporate hiring managers and found that 56 percent of them said that qualified but unattractive candidates are likely to have a harder time getting a job. Over 50 percent advised spending as much time and money on “making sure they look attractive” as on perfecting a résumé.

Hiring managers also rated nine character attributes from one to 10 (with 10 being the most important). The results? Looks came in third, below experience and confidence, but above where an applicant went to school and five other attributes.

You can find a variety of online essays, photo galleries, and interactive features on the “beauty advantage” at Newsweek.com.

In the United States, the FDA may decide later this month if it will allow Botox to be used for migraines, according to Aaron Gal, a Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analyst in New York.

In the United States, in addition to treating wrinkles, Botox can be used to treat eye muscle spasms and muscle stiffness in the elbow, wrist, and fingers in adults with upper limb spasticity. There are also several off-label uses for Botox, such as treatment of excessive sweating.

Allergan’s clinical trial involved 1,384 adults who had a history of migraines and experienced 15 or more headache days of which at least 50 percent were migraine or probable migraine during the 28-day period. At the end of the baseline period, patients were randomized to receive either Botox injections or placebo.

By week 24 following treatment, those who received Botox averaged 8.2 fewer migraine days, compared to the placebo group, who averaged 6.2 fewer migraine days.

“We have been following these studies really closely and the evidence is really pretty solid. These people spend half their lives in pain. Even if they get half the attacks, it can really improve their quality of life,” said Lee Tomkins, director of Migraine Action in the U.K. She stressed it is not a cure but does offer hope for those who suffer from migraines.

Botox was the number one minimally-invasive cosmetic procedure in 2009, during which the procedure was performed 4.8 million times in the U.S., according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ most recent statistics. Overlake Plastic Surgeons offers Botox to Bellevue and Seattle patients and is often able to schedule evening and same day appointments for the procedure.

The new consumer website will be inclusive about all things beauty and not just focus on cosmetic surgery. It will cover a variety of topics, including hair, makeup, staying fit, fashion trends, and plastic surgery.

Billing itself as a “video news magazine,” Project Beauty will be updated on a weekly basis and features experts on topics such as fashion and skin care as well as news and first person accounts on all things related to aesthetic surgery.

To celebrate the launch, the site is holding a month-long giveaway contest called “30 Days of Beauty.” Each day from July 6, 2010 to August 4, 2010, Project Beauty will offer one prize—such as a Sonicare toothbrush, Mederma Stretch Marks Therapy, or SmashBox cosmetics—per day. To win, you must join the Project Beauty Community and enter daily to win the prize of the day.

Videos on the site include a teenager who shares her reasons for getting rhinoplasty at fifteen; a step-by-step guide to applying makeup for daytime; summer fashion ‘must-haves’ for men; and a young professional on her decision to have a breast augmentation.

Project Beauty also launched a social media campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to promote the website and share videos from ProjectBeauty.com.

To join the Project Beauty community, sign up at www.projectbeauty.com.

Beware if you’re looking for discounted plastic surgery—there is usually a catch, according to a recent posting on AOL’s Stylelist website. The article warns consumers of bargain plastic surgery, citing everything from billboards advertising “bargain boob jobs” in California to an ad near Clearwater, Florida touting “$8 Botox” injections.

While some are just marketing ploys other “bargains” could be at the cost of safety. “To get the cost down, they could be cutting back on things like general anesthesia. They make you feel like the procedure must be easier and not so serious if you’re just getting local sedation. Nothing could be further from the truth,” says Long Beach, Calif., plastic surgeon Dr. Marcel Daniels.

Another cosmetic surgery trend, according to Stylelist, is that doctors who studied a different branch of medicine, such as gynecology, are performing plastic surgery procedures.

“Many physicians not trained as plastic surgeons can legally perform a surgical procedure in their office. These people often claim that they can do the same procedure as a plastic surgeon under local anesthesia and may even claim they are more scientifically advanced,” says Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. John Anastasatos. “The truth is that they don’t have surgical privileges at hospitals and surgery centers because they simply are not surgeons and never trained as surgeons.”

How do you avoid these plastic surgery pitfalls? Research your doctor to make sure he or she has plastic surgery training. Consumers can check any doctor’s board certification for free at the American Board of Plastic Surgery website. Another red flag, according to the article: a lack of before-and-after photos.

Dr. Leff is a board certified plastic surgeon who practices in the Bellevue, Washington area. His website contains a before and after photo portfolio of his work.

The full article, “‘Free’ Plastic Surgery: The Dangers of Bargain Breasts and Botox” is available on Stylelist.com. (Photo by Aaron Gruenert, courtesy of Stylelist.com)

Three injectables received FDA approval in February 2010 for lidocaine versions in the U.S.:

• Juvederm XC
• Restylane-L
• Perlane-L

The products performed similarly to their lidocaine-free predecessors in terms of efficacy and safety, according to Dr. Michael H. Gold, a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and School of Nursing.

In the clinical trials, he says, “the incorporation of lidocaine has surely provided a higher comfort level for patients.”

Dr. Gold says that, based on his clinical experience, when a patient undergoes an injection that includes even a small percentage of lidocaine, “Most patients say they barely feel the second stick. To me that is the home run of lidocaine in these fillers.”

Patients were blindfolded in the 72-patient trial of Juvederm XC, and their nasolabial folds were treated with either Juvéderm or Juvederm XC. Patients assessed pain levels during treatment and then 30 minutes and 24 hours post-treatment. Ninety-three percent reported less pain when treated with the lidocaine version versus the non-lidocaine version of Juvéderm.

A method for doctors mixing lidocaine with Radiesse was also cleared by the FDA in July 2009. “Originally, I was against doctors mixing a lot of fillers because I was afraid of potential changes in the products themselves,” says Dr. Gold. But once the FDA clears these products, especially those premixed by manufacturers, “I’m pretty comfortable with it.”

Dr. Leff offers Juvederm XC, Restylane-L, and Perlane-L procedures, as well as the non-lidocaine versions of the fillers, at his Bellevue office.

The full article, “Fillers with lidocaine among latest injectable advancements,” is available at Cosmetic Surgery Times.

Over 8,000 U.S. teenagers aged 18 and 19 had breast enlargements last year—more than triple the number in 2001, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The increase came during the height of the recession, at a time when there was a dip in the overall number of plastic surgeries.

Teens now make up just 2 percent of all cosmetic surgery patients in the country, but their numbers are growing, most likely in part because of plastic surgery reality shows and more openness about plastic surgery in the U.S. culture.

“In the past few years, I’ve seen more younger people doing more plastic surgery than ever before,” says Dr. Andrew Jacono, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon in New York City. “There’s a lot of pressure on young people to look a certain way, and when kids go away to college, it’s a chance to start all over.”

Some of the most popular procedures for teens are nose jobs, liposuction treatments, and breast augmentations. “Breast surgery is at the top of the list for graduates now,” says Dr. Mauro Romita, a plastic surgeon in Manhattan.

Stephanie Michelle, who just graduated from the University of Buffalo, wanted a nose job for her high school graduation present, but her parents said no. Now that she’s finished college they’ve agreed, and the family has begun to research doctors.

“This is the perfect time to do it,” says Ms. Michelle. “I am going to be on my own and moving to the city and becoming an adult.” To view the full story on this trend, go to Crain’s New York Business.

If your mother had a successful rhinoplasty, would you do the same?  One young woman gives her compelling nose-job story to Elle, discussing the years she spent deliberating about the operation and how she finally decided to follow in her mother’s footsteps. After her rhinoplasty, she confesses: “I hate to say it, but my mother is right: It’s the nose I was meant to have.”

[Elle]

Would your mother undergo cosmetic surgery before you?  If so, you might find yourself inspired to do the same when you see the results.  The number of mother-daughter pairs visiting Dr. James Koehler in Tulsa has him seriously considering a “family discount.”

[msnbc]

Last month, reporters confirmed that supermodel Christie Brinkley had a facelift and her daughter Alexa Ray Joel checked in for a rhinoplasty the following day.  According to reports from the New York Post, the pair have already made several public appearances to show off their new looks.

[New York Post]

With an injection of certain chemicals ((phosphatidylcholine, deoxycholate, and others) lipodissolve is said to remove areas of persistent fat.  Consumers should be cautious about lipodissolve says the FDA; the procedure lacks scientific evidence supporting its use as a fat removal treatment.

The Medspas involved were apparently claiming that lipodissolve was “superior to other fat removal procedures, including liposuction” and making misleading claims about the safety record and effectiveness of lipodissolve.

Given the lack of supporting evidence for lipodissolve and the side effects reported by consumers, officials in the FDA felt it was necessary to crack down on these misleading claims and warn consumers about them.  The medical spas are being instructed to “correct these violations and prevent similar violations in the future.”

Patients are learning to prioritize their treatments, while surgeons are offering financing and even money back guarantees, says the LA Times.

Minimally invasive procedures are way up, not only because they’re priced lower, but because some of them are just plain effective.  Who’s getting these low cost cosmetic procedures?

People in North Texas are doing scary things to save money on cosmetics.  Some are buying generic injectables and administering them at home with instruction via youtube.  DIY Plastic Surgery? No thanks.

While the rest of the world is pinching pennies, celebrities are getting ten cosmetic surgery procedures a day.