Cosmeticsurgeon.co.uk - UK Cosmetic Surgeons

The United States is trying hard to find money to fund their huge overhaul of health care which will cost an estimated $871 billion. Senator Harry Reid’s proposed bill included seventeen tax increases and new taxes. One tax that was included on the proposal raised a cry of outrage: the ‘Botax’. This tax was outlined as a 5 percent excise tax on elective cosmetic surgeries. The outcry was enough to squash the proposed tax.

The proposed tax was expected to raise at least $6 billion over the next ten years. However, cosmetic surgery providers did not want their patients to have to pay that money. An aggressive lobbying campaign was organized by 22 surgical societies including the American Medical Association and Botox maker, Allergen Inc. The campaign fought fiercely to derail this idea by focusing on the fact that the tax was unfairly geared toward women.

Nearly 90 percent of all cosmetic procedures are performed on women, 91 percent of which are between the ages of 19 and 64. Some have called the tax sexist. Terry O’neil, president of the National Organization for Women, told the Times that, during this time of recession, many middle aged women are using cosmetic surgery to help them to stay competitive in the shrinking job market. She also said, “[the government] is going to put a tax on middle-aged women in a society that devalues them for being middle-aged.”

Dr. Renato Saltz, president of the ASAPS, said, “This tax is effectively a “soccer Mom” tax that will adversely impact mainstream American wives and mothers, who are the majority of plastic surgery patients. As doctors, we understand and appreciate the need for health care reform, but taxing physicians and cosmetic surgery procedures to pay for the reform is not realistic or beneficial.” These comments and others made by the campaign seem to have struck the right chord. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid heard the chord and removed the tax from the bill.

Thus, many people have exhaled a sigh of relief, knowing that the proposed tax is no longer an issue. However, Dr. Saltz warns, “I’m glad the cosmetic surgery tax-at least for now- is out, but we are not ready to celebrate just yet.” This proposed tax was a wake-up call to the cosmetic surgery industry. Protecting their patients from unfair treatment is one of the responsibilities that doctors hold on their shoulders. Cosmetic surgeons hope to be able to protect their patients from the possibility that this unfair tax will be proposed again.

The Botax was replaced on the bill by a tax on services provided by tanning salons. The tanning industry is of course outraged by this as well. The proposed tax is a 10 percent sales tax.

Each surgeon has a different story concerning what lead them to choose cosmetic surgery. Many join because of the joy that they believe people can gain through their services. Dr. Michael Obeng is the chief plastic surgeon at St. Elizabeth Boardman Health Center in Youngstown, Ohio and he told his story to WYTV 33.

Dr. Obeng grew up in Ghana and it is there, during his childhood, that he decided he would one day become a plastic surgeon. In 1985 he saw the results of a reconstructive surgery performed on his neighbor who had suffered a facial disfigurement. The surgeons were from Operation Smile, a not-for-profit, volunteer
medical services organization that provides reconstructive facial surgery to children and young adults all around the world. The results were motivational to him and he told WYTV, “She had a whole new different outlook on life. That really inspired me to be a doctor, specifically a plastic surgeon.”

Not many children in Ghana dream of becoming a plastic surgeon but that is exactly what Obeng dreamed of, and he would not allow himself to fail. He moved to the states in 1993, where he attended medical school. He took a fellowship at Harvard Medical School, while also being an assistant surgeon at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr Obeng said, “I never let anything deter me, because when you have a
dream, people say you can’t do it, but actually it motivates you and makes you work harder.”

He has performed over 400 procedures and is doing complex reconstructions, cosmetic surgery, and hand surgery. He says of his patients, “These are people that would rather be treated elsewhere. But with my skill set, we’re able to keep these sets of patients in the Youngstown area, and it has been very rewarding.” Dr. Obeng is proud to be able to provide a service that is so badly needed for many who have deformities and disfigurements.

He has also started an organization to help provide reconstructive surgeries in other countries. The organization is called Restore Worldwide and it stands for Restoring Emotional Stability Through Outstanding Reconstructive Efforts. This organization obviously stems from his experiences of the life changing effect that reconstructive surgery can have on a person. Some of his efforts have been geared toward surgeries on women who have congenital breast deformities from breast cancer.

He has a goal of traveling to a different country each year, and teaching the local surgeons how to perform these reconstructive procedures. He knows that his organization cannot help everyone in each area that he visits. He says that he wants to teach the local physicians, “So when we leave they can still continue to do some of the work that we’re not able to get to.”

Terrorists have been known to be cunning and relentless in their mission to spread terror around the world. They plan massive attacks, usually on civilian targets and will put bombs anywhere that they suspect will recieve the most notice. Terrorists have even been known to strap bombs to themselves and thus, become heroes to their cause as suicide bombers. It has now been rumored that terrorists are contemplating breast implant bombs.

WHDH News 7 in Boston, Massachusetts US, reported that British spy satellites have intercepted communications from Pakistan and Yemen concerning this. Terrorists in the communication were talking about making explosives that could be placed in a breast implant and then inserted into female terrorists. Sources say that British intelligence has reported, that the surgeries will be performed by plastic surgeons
that had come to London’s hospitals to be trained. Houston plastic surgeon, Dr. Franklin Rose, told KPRC Local 2, that the technology for such a thing is available and would not be very difficult. However he is appalled by the idea saying, “To have a plastic surgeon put a liquid explosive in an implant and teaching somebody how to detonate it , it’s unfathomable.”

Ron Clark, a former Houston FBI Director, believes that homeland security is taking this threat seriously and will be able to handle it. He said, “I’m sure we are gathering all the information, intelligence that the government can. They are also securing all the ports, airports and main attractions as much as possible. The government takes these types of threats seriously and not relaxed. He is confident in the governments ability to prevent these threats from being implemented successfully.

This threat comes right on the heals of the botched bombing on Christmas day. Nigerian terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to detonate a bomb on the Northwest Airlines Flight 253 bound for Detroit, with 300 people aboard. He sewed the bomb to the inside of his underwear and attempted to detonate it as the jet-liner prepared to land. The bomb failed to detonate and thus the flight was saved, however it raised awareness that such an attack could, in theory, work.

Breast implant bombs is a frightening idea that is very plausible. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has implemented the use of full body scans and believes that these will be successful in preventing these attacks. The full-body scan is equipped to detect explosive materials and residue and so, should be able to detect these bombs. However, it is not really known whether the scanners will be competent in finding explosives inside of breast implants.

Plastic surgery is meant to make people more beautiful and in some cases it is merely to make someone look like everyone else around them. Accident victims often must undergo reconstructive surgery to restore features that have become deformed. Some people are not victims of an accident but instead are born with a physical deformity. Such deformities include cleft palates and lips, which occur in one of every 600-700 births in Nepal. Many lucky children in Nepal, with these defects, are being treated for free, thanks to the Interplast Surgical Outreach Program (ISOP).

Dr. Shankar Man Rai, founder of ISOP, is a motivated surgeon who performs many of these free surgeries. In 1992 he had a fated meeting with an Interplast Inc. team of surgeons from the United States. These plastic surgeons were performing a free surgery to repair a cleft lip on a child and Dr. Rai wanted to learn this procedure. Interplast had been looking for a local surgeon to lead the free surgery initiative in Nepal and he fit the bill. By 1999 Dr. Rai was able to form the ISOP at the Model Hospital on Pradarshanimarg. The organization has, since, done 13,000 surgeries on Nepalese children born with cleft lips and palates.

Dr. Rai told myrepublica.com, “I don’t need to worry whether a needy patient can afford treatment, as what we provide is free of cost. Tell me, how many doctors in the country have the privilege of not having to think about a patient’s financial background?” He says that he feels rewarded knowing that these children can be transformed into normal looking people, regardless of their financial status.

Dr. Rai has created a large organization which performs a wide range of free reconstructive surgeries. His team has many specialists, including plastic surgeons, maxillofacial surgeons, and orthodontists. He even has Nepal’s first hand surgeon working with the ISOP. The team offers more than just surgery. They provide
aftercare such as speech therapy and dental therapy. They have organized camps in many villages to help congenital and burn deformity victims. They also travel to Butwal, Biratnagar, Nepalgunj, Birgunj and Pokara at least once a month.

Dr. Rai told myrepublica.com that he believes that doctors in a country like Nepal must reach out to the people. Many people are afraid to leave their small villages. Towns and cities are foreign to them and they may not have the finances to travel there in the first place. He said, ” A majority of patients are in peripheral parts of the country. To make sure that they get treatment, we must go there ourselves.”

Dr. Rai feels fortunate to be able to provide this service for the Nepalese people and would be happy to see similar programs in other fields of medicine.

People undergo plastic surgery for a wide range of reasons. Some have a procedure to ake themselves look younger and be more marketable in the job market. Others have surgery to be more attractive in the eyes of the opposite sex, and some just want to possess that perfect beauty that they have always wanted. Many brides-to-be decide that getting plastic surgery, before their wedding, is necessary to give them the wedding that they always dreamed of.

New research performed by The Good Surgeon Guide showed that 58 percent of women engaged to be married, are considering having a cosmetic treatment before the wedding. The study asked 512 brides-to be a series of questions concerning their intentions concerning cosmetic surgery before their wedding day. The results were intriguing. Botox, teeth whitening, and liposuction were the three most appealing treatments according to this group of women. Botox, the wrinkle relaxing injection, is a very popular procedure. It is non-surgical, which appeals to many people and is a quick temporary treatment. Teeth whitening is of course high on many people’s list. A bright flashing smile is important, especially when a person’s picture is being taken. Liposuction is much more invasive, but the patients who have undergone
this procedure are amazed at the results.

Breast augmentation ranked in the fourth position with only 47 percent of the women, that would have surgery, considering this procedure. Breast augmentation is the most popular plastic surgery in the cosmetic surgery field. In fact during 2009 the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons performed 8,565 breast augmentations. This is over 23 percent of all procedures performed for both men and women. The Harley Medical Group has also reported that they have performed an increasing number of breast augmentations and expect 2010 to have record numbers.

The most common reason for these brides-to-be to consider cosmetic procedures was because of the wedding pictures. Every bride wants her wedding to be perfect, and wants to be able to look back at the wedding pictures with fondness. Every thing has to be just right and that includes how she looks. Christiana Clogg, co-founder of the Good Surgeon Guide, said, “A wedding is the single most important day in plenty of men and women lives and a large number want everything to be perfect, including their appearance. I can understand the appeal of a flawless image for weddings; there’s absolutely nothing wrong with people getting some work done before they get married, providing they do their homework.”

The survey also included 509 engaged men, of which around 33 percent said they were considering a cosmetic procedure. Their choices ranged from veneers to chest reduction and most men said that they considered a procedure in order to please their partner.

Plastic surgery has been practiced in Europe for many years. The first supranational society for plastic surgeons was founded in 1936 and named the Societe Eropeene de Chirurgie Structive. The activities of this association were ceased near the beginning of WWII and never resumed. It was 1989, before a new supranational society was again formed, this time known as the European Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (ESPRAS). Every two years this society meets for clinical and aesthetic presentations. The year of 2014 will see the 12th annual European Plastic Surgery Congress held in the Scottish capital Edinburgh. This will be the first time that a plastic surgery conference has been held in the UK since 1959.

The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRS) in coordination with Congrex UK and the Edinburgh Convention Bureau won the bid. The bid was won in part because of the choice of this city over others in the UK. Edinburgh is an easily accessible city due to its major transport links including the Waverley railway station and the Edinburgh Airport. The historical allure of Edinburgh was also an asset in the bid, with Holyrood Park, Edinburgh Castle, and Craigmillar Castle all attesting to its rich history. Edinburgh is home to state-of-the-art venues and the conference will be held at the modern Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

Chris Khoo, a former President and European Board member, was one of the individuals who presented the bid and said, “It was important to remind voting delegates of the founding of the British Association in 1946, its longstanding connections with Europe in the training of surgeons, and its extensive experience in organising Meetings and Conferences.”

BAPRAS is working closely with Congrex UK to make this event spectacular. They have already formed a local organizing committee and have high expectations. The Account Manager from Congrex UK, Krystina Snaith is very happy with the collaboration between the two companies. She said, “The 12th ESPRAS Congress is an extremely prestigious congress to organise, and we are delighted to have been able to work
with BAPRAS and the Edinburgh city partners from the outset, through the bidding process to what we very much hope will be a hugely successful event that will attract a record attendance for ESPRAS Congress in Edinburgh in 2014.” An estimated 1,00o members of the cosmetic surgery community from around the world are expected to attend the Congress.

Many people have cosmetic procedures because they believe that it will make them happier. Some would say that this is ridiculous and that cosmetic surgery is not ‘medicine’. They would claim that plastic surgery is merely a vanity tool and a luxury. The US. Government is even now considering taxing what they call ‘elective cosmetic surgeries and procedures’. Dr. Eva Ritvo, would strongly argue that cosmetic surgery is actually an anti-depressant.

Dr. Ritvo, a board certified psychiatrist, co-authored a book with Dr. Debra Luffman, a board certified dermatologist. The title of the book is ‘The Beauty Prescription’ and it describes this idea that looking good can indeed be an anti-depressant. It explains a concept called the ‘feedback loop in the environment’, also called the Beauty-Brain Loop. It shows a cycle that includes inner beauty (mental state), health, outer beauty, and environment. This loop creates a scenario where, every choice a person makes affects all aspects of beauty from a person’s skin to their emotions and relationships. In a nutshell this means that if you like the way you look outwardly it will be easier for you to like the way you look on the inside.

In more detail the authors write, “in our modern world, research shows that beautiful people earn more money, get a better break in the legal system, get more help from strangers, advance further in their careers and are generally happier.” Getting better rewards from life causes prettier people’s brains to be fueled with positive feelings and self esteem.

In the book Dr. Ritvo describes an experience that she had, after having Botox injections around her eyes. She came out of a sad movie and could not cry. She writes, “..when I couldn’t cry, I quickly stopped feeling sad….Sadness was nowhere to be found. It was as if the emotion came up, couldn’t be expressed, and so, went away.” In this instance the Botox injections actually allowed her to be happy during an experience that would have otherwise made her sad.

These ideas follow other research that suggest that Botox can indeed make people happy. This earlier research was conducted in 2006 and the results found that people who had Botox injected into their glabellar frown lines were less depressed than they had been before. Dr. Ritvo would very much like to see these ideas studied out more. She understands that knowing the emotional benefits of cosmetic surgery will help to paint the practice into a new light. She knows that looking good is beneficial to a person’s emotional state and she now wants others to accept this fact as well.

Many people would like to have cosmetic surgery. There is at least one feature on their bodies that they don’t like and can’t change, except through a cosmetic procedure. However, many have fears and thus, never pursue their dream of improving their appearance. The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS) is hoping to allay these fears and arrest hesitation from potential patients with a new cosmetic surgery magazine.

The magazine to be launched is titled ‘New You’ and it is an official consumer magazine to accurately represent the views of the AACS. The 2,500 member organization is hoping to overturn the stigma surrounding cosmetic surgery. Editor J.P. Faber says, “For every person who has undergone a cosmetic procedure, there are at least two more people who would like to. Our job is to overcome their barriers to
making that decision.” He says that the purpose of the magazine is to promote the practices of cosmetic surgery, “so that people who are thinking about it today will take action tomorrow.”

According to a study done by the global market research firm Synovate, 77 percent of the Americans surveyed, said that beauty is something that is not about physical attributes. However, nearly half said that they would change the way they look if they could. 26 percent of the Americans said that they would consider plastic surgery, if money were not an issue. Synovate also reported that 41 percent of all the people surveyed pay attention to beauty tips in magazines.

Jeff Knezovich, executive vice president of the AACS, says, “Our goal is to educate the public about their choices in cosmetic procedures. Whether our readers want to reduce wrinkles to look younger, or change something more fundamental with a facelift or liposuction, we want them to be fully informed about the costs, the results and the safety issues.”

The magazine’s first run is to have 250,000 copies. They will be delivered to waiting rooms in plastic surgery clinics, hotels, and spas. Also book stores and newsstands will carry the publication. Faber explained that they were not planning on making it a mass audience magazine because of the downturn that has been witnessed with other publications of this type. They have geared the distribution toward a specific demographic instead. He said, “Our readers are actively spending on their appearance, specifically to reverse the signs of aging. This is a great audience for any provider of cosmetic products or procedures.”

Faber is encouraging AACS members to submit ideas for the magazine to him. He would like these members specifically to send in before and after pictures, and other real stories that will depict the true benefits and effectiveness of AACS doctors.

Society is slowly changing their attitudes toward cosmetic surgery. The continuous increase in the numbers of procedures performed each year is a testament to this fact. However, not everyone is comfortable admitting to having undergone a cosmetic procedure. United States politicians are rumored to have undergone plastic surgery, but they are not telling.

Dr. Ayman Hakki, of the Luxxery Cosmetic Medical Boutique in Waldorf, Maryland, is an accomplished cosmetic surgeon who has a keen eye for individuals who have undergone plastic surgery. He has performed procedures on Miss America and Washington Redskins Hall of Famers. He has been touted as a celebrity cosmetic surgeon and his opinions are respected throughout the US. He has compiled a list concerning which politicians he believes have undergone plastic surgery.

The Plastic Surgery Channel reported some of these results and many high profile politicians have made the list. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has denied having any plastic surgery when question about it, however Dr. Hakki sees strong signs that indicate that Mrs. Clinton had Botox injections in her forehead. Another high profile female politician is Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who he claims has had a face and neck lift.

Dr. Hakki is sure that political plastic surgery is not monopolized by women. He claimed that Vice president Joe Bidden and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger have both under gone procedures. He believes that Bidden had hair transplants and Botox, and Schwarzenegger had a partial face lift. Dr. Hakki admits that he has not performed any procedures on these individuals , but he is confident in his ability
to spot the signs.

Even with the change of attitude in society, concerning cosmetic procedures, many politicians are not willing to admit to them. They fear that people will consider them vain and some will have procedures done in small stages over a long period of time, to avoid arousing suspicion. On the website A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Cap Lesesne said, “Politicians want to come away looking younger, better, healthier, but with something that does not say they have had plastic surgery.”

Some Chinese officials who have also undergone plastic surgery are reluctant to admit to it. Whereas Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and Queensland Premier Anna Bligh all admit to using Botoz, the injectable wrinkle relaxer.

Cosmetic surgery has indeed come a long way from its days of being a thing only spoke of in whispers and performed under clandestine conditions. Today most people are not afraid to talk about their procedures and some are even willing to broadcast them. A new show in Ireland is doing just that.

The Cosmetic Surgery Show: What A Load of Botox, airing on TV3, is taking a thorough look at plastic surgery. Caroline Morahan, star of Off the Rails, and Dr. 90210′s Dr. Robert Rey will present the six part series. TV3 says, “This amazing multi-item magazine show will take an in depth look at cosmetic surgery in Ireland as we follow a different Irish person each week going through a different procedure whose result
will be revealed in studio.” This show will give people a really good look at what each procedure entails. Plastic surgery procedures such as tummy tucks, liposuction, breast augmentation, and face lifts will be shown.

The program is also featuring some non-surgical procedures. As stated by TV3, “the programme will feature non-invasive treatments, such as dermal fillers, being carried out live in studio. The series will get to the heart of many of the issues surrounding cosmetics in Ireland, featuring a studio discussion about an issue each week, as well as poling the public.” There are many issues and confusions shrouding cosmetic procedures and it is hoped that this series will be able to pull that shroud aside and get to the truth of the issues.

The series is not to be solely based on Ireland cosmetic surgery. It is also going to look at things around the word. As reported by TV3, “the show will take a look at many of the ground breaking procedures being practiced in other parts of the world such as the United States, which range from extraordinary to completely shocking, and as we ask whether these techniques used could be replicated in Ireland.”

This series should be able to open the eyes of many people, to the benefits of cosmetic surgeries. It will also give people a better understanding of what procedures are available and what these procedures could mean for them. The series will broadcast for six weeks beginning on Wednesday 13th January at 9pm on Irish TV3. Its result should be a new understanding of plastic surgery for many in society.