According to news reports over the weekend, lawmakers have dropped the elective cosmetic tax from the health care reform bill. In an interesting twist, they decided to trade one controversial tax for another; they’re replacing the elective cosmetic tax with a 10% tax on indoor tanning!

Representatives of the Indoor Tanning Association accused plastic surgeons of throwing the tanning industry “under the bus,” transferring a tax on wealthy cosmetic surgery patients and doctors to “struggling small businesses. “

“The irony is that ultraviolet light at least has proven health benefits where botox treatments have none” said John Overstreet of the aforementioned group.

Continue reading ‘Elective Cosmetic Tax Replaced… by Tanning Tax’

Considering a cosmetic surgery procedure? A recent article from CNN health offers a multitude of tips and guidelines that can help you get a safer experience. We organized them into 7 basic rules to follow.

Do.

1. Ask about your plastic surgeon’s experience, credentials and hospital privileges.

As ASPS president Phil Haeck says, “Good surgeons expect you to research them and won’t be afraid to answer personal or tough questions.”

2. Ask about board certification.

Find out what board has certified your surgeon and what standards must be met to receive that certification.

3. Find out if your surgeon has a prevention plan for complications such as DVT.

Deep vein thrombosis is a possible plastic surgery complication. Your doctor should take steps to minimize the risk and be prepared to see early signs of its occurrence.

4. Research your procedure thoroughly.

Yes, your doctor should be a trustworthy, knowledgeable authority, but you still need to seek out more than one resource for information. Research will help you protect yourself and help you decide if elective cosmetic surgery is truly in line with your personal values.

Continue reading ’7 Common Sense Guidelines for Patients of Plastic Surgery’

Rather than getting something fancy and new this holiday season, why not lose something that detracts from your appearance?

I know – it sneaks up on you.  You wake up one morning, look in the mirror and realize that your peaches-and-cream-complexion morphed into something like the peach itself, complete with a fine covering of fuzzy hair.

You might begin to notice excess hair on other women’s faces too, especially as they get older.  Just another minor indignity of aging, right?  The hair on your head and brows thins and in return you get more … facial hair.

So what’s the best way to remove this stuff?

• Shaving only works for a day or so at a time before you have to do it again.  If you shave the hair on your legs, underarms, and face then you’ll probably spend lots of time shaving.
• Cream hair removal products from the drugstore are also temporary and tend to have an unpleasant smell.
• Some dye their facial hair, but the color seldom looks natural and it grows out and has to be colored again and again.
• Electrolysis is a one-hair-at-a-time removal and it’s a time consuming, somewhat painful process.
• Waxing works.  Hairs can be removed from under the skin surface, giving you weeks of bare skin before it must be repeated.

Laser Hair Removal

With advanced laser hair removal systems, we can now treat lighter hair, such as the strays that show up on our checks, necks and chins or around our eyes.  Several laser treatments are necessary to account for the varying growth cycles of facial hair, but once the treatments are over you will have smooth skin once again, and time to spare.

Laser hair removal is relatively comfortable with topical anesthetic that can be applied beforehand.  It can sting a bit, but the tradeoff for a short time spent in mild discomfort is certainly offset by the convenience of not having to shave and the beauty of soft, smooth skin.

Many say the best part is saving that 75 or 100 hours of your time by not having to shave.   Not to mention saving money on shaving gel, razor blades and soothing lotions.  It’s far better to have the peach fuzz off your face and leave it to the actual peaches where they belong.

The so-called “Botox-tax” that was dismissed last July is now back in the healthcare reform bill.  After it was made public Wednesday, professionals from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery organized to make their opposition to the bill known.

A special bulletin sent to ASPS members urged them to contact their representatives in congress and voice their opinions.  Many have commented in the news already, such as Dr. Jennifer Walden, who appeared on Fox News with Neil Cavuto.

Surgeons all over the country have voiced their objections; here are some of the arguments against the “elective cosmetic medical tax.”

• Discrimination: Women purchase almost 90 percent of all cosmetic medical procedures in the United States, so the tax unfairly falls on a female (middle class) demographic.  Dr. Renato Saltz calls it a “soccer mom tax.”
• Not effective: New Jersey implemented a similar tax in 2004 and it fell drastically short (59 percent) of its projected revenue.
• Attempts to make tough distinctions: the tax imposes the burden of making clear distinctions between procedures that are medically necessary and simply elective.  Who will draw the line and say when a procedure is necessary (or unnecessary) for you?
• Could promote medical tourism: Patient safety is a major priority; keeping costs down will discourage Americans from seeking risky cosmetic surgeries abroad.

Journalists at King 5 have revealed serious problems at a local cosmetic clinic well known in the Seattle area because of their pervasive advertising.  Sono Bello, a clinic that advertises body contouring all over the Puget Sound, is denying accusations of questionable conduct documented by King 5.

What is a cosmetic clinic? Watch this segment for more information on regulation and reporting required for cosmetic clinics in the state of Washington.

This week, King 5 documented several cases of complications – from liposuction and laser treatment, to problems with anesthesia.  One patient reported burns from her laser treatment; another said she experienced blood clots as a result of facial liposuction, and another patient died following a body liposuction procedure under local anesthesia. It is unclear what the qualifications are of practitioners at the clinic, but one of the above mentioned procedures was reportedly performed by a “surgical consultant.”

The cause of death ruled by the medical examiner was “acute lidocaine intoxication” a rare complication that according to American Society of Plastic Surgeons president Phil Haeck, “raises the question of how much lidocaine was placed into the body at the time of the surgery, and whether there was an adequate way to monitor the patient after the surgery.” She was reportedly recovering from the procedure alone in a hotel room.

Make sure you check the qualifications of the people performing your cosmetic procedure to ensure they have formal training in plastic surgery, and make sure the operating facility is accredited and safe.

Scientists are hoping that an incredible new surgery developed in Australia could replace breast reconstruction with synthetic implants.

The procedure is said to stimulate regenerative growth of breast tissue, and trials are set to begin – with real human patients – in less than 6 months.

A biodegradable chamber is placed within the chest, containing stem cells obtained from the patient’s own fatty tissue. As the cells divide and grow, the natural fat of the breast is recreated.

Phillip Marzella from the Bernard O’Brien Institute of Microsurgery, told ABC radio that the trials were “a proof of principle trial with about five to six women just to demonstrate that the body can regrow its own fat supply in the breast.”

It may take several years to fully develop this procedure, but scientists are optimistic about its potential to replace the current procedures in breast reconstruction, which use saline or silicone breast implants to recreate the breast after mastectomy.  The science of breast reconstruction seems to be progressing rapidly in recent years, causing some writers to say we are “winning the war on breast cancer.”

________________________________________________________________________
Read more about breast augmentation in Bellevue, Washington.

Doctors in Germany are going to investigate whether a specially designed surgical adhesive can improve the safety success rate of tummy tuck surgery.  A Pennsylvania based company called Cohera Medical has introduced TissuGlu®, a product that CEO Patrick Daly says “will ultimately help surgeons address a critical need and improve patient care.”

Sections of tissue that get separated during surgery are supposed to be bonded by the adhesive, a process said to reduce accumulation of fluid and thereby improve patient safety.  About 40 people are expected to enroll in clinical trials this November to ascertain the safety and efficacy of TissueGlu.

What is Abdominoplasty?

Abdominoplasty, also known as the tummy tuck, is a common cosmetic procedure designed to reduce the appearance of a protruding abdomen, whether it is due to weight fluctuations, pregnancy, or aging.  See our homepage to learn more about how Dr. Michael Leff performs tummy tuck surgery here in Bellevue, Washington.

Pharmaceutical company Allergan Inc. – the manufacturer of Botox -  has filed a suit against the FDA, contending that marketing restrictions for Botox are actually inconsistent with the interests of patients and physicians.

While Botox is commonly used, as FDA approved, to treat wrinkles on the face and forehead, a wide range of other treatment applications have been successfully used.  Doctors have used Botox to treat hyperhidrosis, migraine headaches, muscle spasms, and many other problems.

According to current U.S. law, doctors are permitted to administer medicine for whatever application they deem appropriate.  Doctors aren’t however, allowed to market medicine for any application they please.   Last year, the FDA announced that Botox reactions had been linked to off-label use, particularly in children treated for limb spasticity.

The marketing restrictions placed on off-label Botox have evidently hindered Alelrgan’s ability to distribute safety information related to such uses.  The current lawsuit is intended to increase the physician’s ability to access safety information such as possible risks, benefits, dosing, patient selection, etc. and is in no way intended to boost Botox sales.

Read more about Botox Cosmetic.

During consultations at our Bellevue office, patients often ask about breast augmentation and whether breast feeding could be disrupted in a future pregnancy.  Sometimes, they ask whether the presence of a synthetic implant poses any safety risk for the newborn.

It is uncommon, but a certain number of patients do experience a disruption in the ability to breast feed.  Usually, this problem is associated with the type of breast augmentation incision chosen.  If future breast feeding is a concern, you should investigate the surgical incision techniques that avoid manipulation of the nipple such as those near the armpit, breast crease, or navel.

Some surgeons will recommend sub-muscular breast implant placement as well, even though breast feeding is not necessarily compromised by sub-glandular (above the muscle) placement.

Research studies published in the late 90s regarding infant safety haven’t found any measurable risks associated with breast implants.  In the late 90s, a study was published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery showing that women with silicone breast implants carry no higher levels of silicone (silicon) in their breast milk than women without implants.  It isn’t known what effect would occur if a small amount of silicone were to pass through to the infant.

If you still have concerns, feel free to speak with Dr. Leff or your OB/GYN.  Whether you plan to become pregnant or not, it is best to understand all of the possible breast augmentation risks before proceeding with surgery.