Renaissance Plastic Surgery

A most unexpected and welcome side effect of Botox treatments for the correction of wrinkles has been the relief of migraines. At first it was considered coincidental but the frequency in which migraine sufferers obtained relief lasting as long as the Botox was too profound to ignore, and neurologists began to investigate the role of Botox in the treatment of migraines.

Neurologists concluded that Botox did give some, but not all, migraine patients relief and it is now part of the standard treatment regimen. The theory is that in some cases muscle contraction compresses the nerves that cause the pain in a migraine headache.

A new and even more interesting development is the role of plastic surgery in the treatment of migraines. A plastic surgeon, Dr. Guyuron, began to identify muscles which are trigger points for migraines by injecting Botox. If the headaches are releieved by injecting Botox into a muscle, such as the one that causes the squint line, he reasoned that surgical removal of a portion of the offending muscle would give long term relief. Thus far the success rates with this technique have ranged from 50% to 90%.

Additional research on this innovative approach to the treatment of migraines will be forthcoming, but it already appears clear that Botox and plastic surgery are valuable additions to the treatment options now available to migraine patients.

Imagine that you could have your cosmetic surgery of choice at a discount and recuperate poolside at a luxury hotel or on a white sandy beach on a resort island. Does it sound like the ideal way to have your surgery and pamper yourself at the same time? Yes. Is it a good idea? Not necessarily.

Medical tourism is the newest cottage industry to develop as an offshoot of cosmetic surgery. At first glance, we would all be tempted even if it does sound too good to be true, but the old adage of "look before you leap" should be diligently applied to medical tourism. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons recommends that you research any offer for cosmetic surgery in a "luxury locale" outside the United States very carefully and ask the following questions:

Is the physician qualified?
Are the medical facility and equipment safe?
How will my post-operative care and any complications be handled?
Are travel and vacation activities compatible with surgery?

There are qualified plastic surgeons practicing all over the world but how do you know you will be getting one of them? You can never be sure but consider selecting an ASPS (American Society of Plastic Surgeons) Member Surgeon Abroad or an International Corresponding Member Surgeon because they have submitted to the scrutiny of on of the pre-eminent plastic surgery societies in the United States.

The safety of the surgical facility is an important issue because not all countries have the rigorous standards we are accustomed to in the United States. The question of who will take care of you back home for routine care or if you have a complication should be resolved ahead of time. And don't forget about the risks of flying after surgery. Some procedures, such as Rhinoplasty (Surgery of the Nose) are not compatible with flying for weeks because the pressure changes can cause sinus pain and infection. Other procedures, such as Tummy Tuck and Liposuction, have an increased risk of blood clots after long flights.

Cosmetic surgery abroad can be done safely and expertly but you as a consumer are assuming all of the burden of finding a qualified plastic surgeon and safe surgical facility without the benefit of a face-to-face encounter. If you choose this path, proceed with caution. If you get there and it doesn't feel right or look safe, turn around and go home while you are still healthy.

The quest for a safe, pain-free, easy and non-surgical way to lose fat, the ultimate "quick fix", has becomes the 'Holy Grail' in the war against fat. The latest in a long line of candidates for this title is the technique known as Lipodissolve. The concept of Lipodissolve is that a mixture of chemicals can be injected into the fat and cause it to melt away. This technique is drawn from mesotherapy, an alternative form of medicine practiced mostly in Europe, in which chemicals are injected under the skin to treat a variety of diseases.

Lipodissolve certainly sounds attractive, but before you jump into the fray there are some things you should consider. First, just because something is available doesn't mean that it works, and even if it works, it may not work the way you want it to work. In other words, even assuming that Lipodissolve works, the amount of fat that dissolves may be too much, not enough, or it may not dissolve evenly throughout the area that is injected. This is quite different from liposuction or a tummy tuck, in which the plastic surgeon has the precision of knowing how much fat has been remove and how much remains.

A second consideration is that Lipodissolve has not been approved by the FDA regarding either its' safety or effectiveness, and it is essentially unregulated. There is also no consensus on what chemicals, and at what strength, should be in such a mixture. Depending on where you go, the chemical mixture and technique may vary quite a bit, and so may the outcome.

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the leading organization representing cosmetic plastic surgeons, issued an advisory today "...warning against the use of injection fat loss treatments." The basis of this warning is both the absence of any studies showing that Lipodissolve works and numerous reports of complications, such as deforming scars and dangerous infections. Their biggest concern is that many mesotherapy centers are staffed by lay persons without any medical training.

The book is not yet closed on Lipodissolve or other fat loss injection treatments, and they may prove to have their place. But for now the potential risks are substantial and the benefits are unproven, exactly the opposite of what you should be looking for in any cosmetic procedure. Liposuction is still as the only time-tested safe and proven method to permanently remove fat.