Cosmeticsurgeon.co.uk - UK Cosmetic Surgeons

Cosmetic surgery experts are concerned that there might be an increase in patients looking for cheaper cosmetic treatment and consequently risking their health in relation to the difficult economic situation.

The British Association of Cosmetic Doctors (BACD) have made an announcement addressed to individuals who are considering plastic surgery in the near future not to trust clinics and practitioners that offer treatments at significantly reduced prices.
 
According to Dr John Curran, the president of BACD: “In times of economic uncertainly people turn to non-surgical cosmetic treatments as they are cheaper than cosmetic surgery and provide an immediate result.

“However we are concerned that people may be tempted to “shop around” for cheaper treatments which could lead to a surge in horror stories if administered by poorly trained practitioners.”

Dr Curran pointed out that dermal fillers and Botox injections can be especially risky, since the regulations for these particular procedures in the industry are not strict enough and patients can become victims of an underqualified treatment.

General Medical Council has introduced new guidelines that require all patients undergoing Botox, Vistabel and Dysport procedures to be examined by a professional doctor.

Surgeons have been advised to assess all patients who request cosmetic surgery to make sure they do not have body dysmorphic disorder.

The number of women choosing to have their breasts enlarged has increased by 39 per cent over the past 25 years, according to the data of Harley Medical Group, a UK-based cosmetic surgery company.

However, the medical community has raised concerns that quite a lot of the women addressing cosmetic surgery clinics might be suffering from body dysmorphic disorder, which makes them emotionally and intellectually fragile and not in the best position to undergo plastic surgery.

Dr David Sarwer, of the University of Pennsylvania’s departments of psychiatry and surgery and Dr Canice Crerand, of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, wrote in the journal Body Image that between 5 and 15 per cent of people who are interested in cosmetic surgery may have body dysmorphic disorder.

They claim that individuals with body dysmorphic disorder “rarely experience improvement in their symptoms” after the treatment and decide that the disorder may be “a contraindication to cosmetic surgery and other treatments”.

A review published by US National Cancer Institute has revealed that silicone breast implants are not likely to be a cause of breast cancer.

Recently published studies have mentioned that a link may exist between breast implants and breast cancer A number of previous studies have raised the possibility of a link between the implants and breast, cervical or lung cancer. However, the studies seem to provide very little factual evidence that there is any link between developing cancer and having breast implants.

Dr Louise Brinton, the author of the study, claimed: “At present, there is no convincing evidence that breast implants alter the risk of cancer. “The few increases in risk that have been noted in studies appear to be largely attributable to lifestyle characteristics of the women, such as smoking, rather than the implants,” she said.

The review can be found in a supplement of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal. In addition, another study published in the same journal concluded that mothers who have implants do not pass silicone to babies while breastfeeding.

A plastic surgeon has revealed girls aged just 14 have had cosmetic surgery in order to escape being bullied at school.

Cosmetic surgeon and president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons Douglas McGeorge claimed he had adjusted a teenager‘s nose shape and performed breast enlargement procedures on other teens.

Mr McGeorge, who is a specialist in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, said some parents and children addressed him believing there were no other options to escape severe bullying. The surgeon did not think these procedures could be influenced by teenagers‘ wishes to look like celebrities they admired. ‘Children are very cruel and there’s a lot of stigma attached to appearance,’ said Mr McGeorge. However, charities against bullying claim that the bullies are the ones who need to change and not the ones that are bullied.

Mr McGeorge said he had already performed surgery on a 14-year-old girl’s nose costing around £3,500 after she was targeted over her appearance at three schools. Most plastic clinics do not agree to perform surgery on people who are younger than 18, but children are eligible to receive any medical treatment if their parents agree.

Mr McGeorge claimed that he was approached by the girl‘s parents as their last resort after none of the ways to stop the girl being harrassed had worked. The private surgeon said that the operation had completely changed the girl‘s life. ‘This was an unusual case, but the parents had been through every other option available before taking the decision,’ he added.

He said there have been cases when he was requested to perform breast enlargement procedures on young girls who were slower at developing sexually than other girls of the same age. They were given expandable breast implants to stop them from being harrassed.

To perform the procedure, the surgeons insert breast implants that work by slowly expanding the breast tissue. However, director of the charity Bullying UK Liz Carnell, said: ‘I don’t think bullying victims should be changing their appearance or anything about themselves to please the bullies. It is the bullies that have got the problem, not the victims.’

Director of children’s charity Kidscape Michelle Elliott was alarmed by the fact that young girls were requesting breast enlargement procedures. She said: ‘I can understand a child undergoing cosmetic surgery if there is something specifically wrong that needs correcting, regardless of the bullying, but not breast implants. That’s crazy.’

Last year, there has been a 150 per cent increase in teenagers demanding breast enlargement procedures.

Surgeons think that young girls choose surgical breast enlargement because of the influence of celebrities who have undergone plastic surgery in order to improve the  appearance of their bodies. Statistics gathered from three of UK‘s biggest cosmetic surgery companies reveal that just under 600 teenagers between 18 and 19 had breast implants fitted in the past year.

A website received criticism for encouraging young girls to save money for breast implants.

Wake Up Frankie! is an online retail outlet specializing at selling clothes and accessories for teenagers.

But the US-based website has raised negative reaction among parents for offering buyers a pink piggy bank saying Boob Job on it.

The pink ceramic saving box, decorated with dollar signs, raised concerns because of the implication that the collected savings are going to be used for a breast enlargement operation.

Louise Colley, who is a mum of two, told the Telegraph: “I would never give this as a present to any young girl, it just doesn’t seem right.”

“Just because a girl is 13 or over doesn’t mean she should be encouraged to think about major cosmetic surgery.”

Breast enlargement operations are still a popular solution for young women who are not satisfied with their current breast size.

Women are often influenced by images of celebrities in glamour magazines.

Results appear despite approval for silicone prostheses

As breast enlargement operations increase in the UK, unsurprisingly they are also increasing in popularity in the US, according to figures published by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, with 400,000 breast procedures performed in 2007.

Findings also show that women are still opting for saline breast implants despite approval for silicone implants by the FDA (The US Food and Drug Administration). Saline implants are described as the “workhorse of breast augmentation” by Dr Thomas Kotoske, a surgeon awarded America’s Top Physician in Plastic Surgery 2008 by the Consumer Research Council of America. He is also medical director of the Cosmetic Surgery Institute in Arizona.

“[This is] because there are many different saline profiles and shapes available, which allows your doctor to achieve a better match to your individual body frame.” He added.

“Saline breast implants are great for women who need correction for asymmetry, or that have reservations about silicone breast implants,” Kotoske continued. He pointed out that patients themselves should weigh up the options to decide what choice is best to suit their type of situation.

The benefits of saline implants include the flexibility of their fill volume, which instead of being prefilled, are actually filled after they have been inserted into the breast and can be adjusted accordingly. It allows the doctor to create symmetry much more easily as well as reducing the size of scarring, as a smaller incision is required to insert an unfilled implant.

As with all procedures patients should discuss the options with their surgeon as all of the options are designed to fit in with the needs of individuals.

Dr. Kotoske is a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon as well as a total body cosmetic surgery specialist. He is an adjunct clinical professor for KCOM and Midwestern University in plastic surgery, reconstructive surgery, ear, nose and throat surgery. He is currently Chairman of the Department of Surgery at John C. Lincoln Hospital in Deer Valley in the United States.

Breast enlargement procedures have the ability to create a larger shape and size for the breast. Surgeons make an incision in the natural creases such as underneath the breast or in the armpit and insert the implant or prosthesis to carry out the procedure.

Why are shops now having to stock bigger bras sizes.

The Telegraph is reporting that the average bra size has increased in size in recent years, with the average bra sold now being an entire size larger than those five years in the past.

As a result, shops such as Debenhams are being forced to stock larger size bras to cope with the rise – some as large as a G cup.

The new statistics come from sales figures provided by Debenhams and do not take into account reasons for the rise, though some suspect that new ways of measuring customers’ figures could account for it.

Another factor is the increase in the number of women deciding to undergo cosmetic surgery. In recent years, the procedure has been gaining widespread acceptance.

Earlier this month it was reported that the number of breast enlargement surgeries has increased to around 6,500 in the last year. These findings were presented at the annual conference of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS).
Delegates at that conference looked at the results of a wide UK study that looked at over 26,000 patients, which showed an increase of 275% since 2002, a rise of 4,136 operations per year.

The Telegraph refers to Sharon Webb, a specialist lingerie buyer for Debenhams, who said that Britiain is “now entering the age of the fuller bust”. This is due to a number of factors.

“Some of the increase has undoubtedly been due to poor bust measuring techniques in the past – our results show that many women are often between one and two cup sizes larger than they realize.” She refers to how women now have their bust size measured more regularly than in the past, with further checks as they get older. Changes could take place in size due to pregnancy, age and weight gain, as well as weight loss and of course surgery.

“There is no doubt that the popularity of surgical breast enhancements is also having a major impact on the average bust size. It is sometimes possible to tell who has had a helping hand from surgery, because the relationship between the women’s back measurement and cup size is altered dramatically.”

She said that she recommends all women be re-measured every six months.

Sources: The Telegraph and BAAPS figures from The Independent

Why are a Large Number of Women Dissatisfied With Their Breasts?

According to a recent survey by Cosmopolitan Magazine, 95% of women are dissatisfied with their breast size. But how much of this is due to the image of women most people see in magazines and posters with airbrushed features that could never be attained naturally?

In a Press Release from website 24/7, Patricia Woloch thinks this is the case. She also believes that many women need to look beyond size in looking for improved breasts.

“Women think breast enhancement is the same as breast enlargement, but if you are considering breast enhancement surgery, it’s important not to get too caught up in mere size. There are many factors in considering what makes breasts attractive, and bigger is not always better.”

Breast enhancement surgery is a procedure that can change the appearance of the breasts beyond mere size – they can also reshape and uplift them and do not have to be in conjunction with breast augmentation surgery.

The press release goes on to refer to preferences men have with large breasts. It points out that though a lot of men do prefer larger breasts, the majority do not want breasts to be above a C cup. It shows that past a certain point, larger breast are actually considered less attractive, with women with these breasts thinking of breast reduction surgery instead.

“These women not only feel uncomfortable with unwanted attention from some men, but also often suffer from self-esteem problems as they feel they have a “babushka” type body. For these women, breast reduction, not enlargement, is the real breast enhancement.”

Earlier this month the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) announced that patient satisfaction for breast related procedures were at a high. Speaking at the Plastic Surgery 2008 conference in Chicago they pointed out that breast lift and the combination surgery of lift and augmentation have higher levels of success than previously thought and in fact rival the popularity of breast reduction and augmentation procedures. Previous studies have tended to focus mainly on the latter two procedures.

In their study that found that 99% of the 325 patients they talked to have an improved self esteem following breast surgery.

Sources: 24/7 Press Release and Medical News Today

New US Study Shows breast lift and lift/augmentation have high satisfaction levels

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) will present findings at the Plastic Surgery 2008 conference later in the month showing that the main four breast-related procedures have high satisfaction levels in women.

Breast augmentation, lift, reduction and the surgery combining lift and augmentation all have positive results that improve the quality of life in patients, according to the study, which will be presented at the conference in Chicago (31st October to 5th November 2008).

This is the first research to include the surgeries for breast uplift and the combination lift/augmentation procedures, with previous studies focusing on augmentation and reduction. The results have shown that lift and lift/augmentation have such high levels of success that they in fact rival breast reduction and augmentation.

Eric Swanson, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and study author pointed out that the new data fills in the gap that previous studies have left behind, “Many studies have shown breast augmentation and reduction are highly gratifying procedures for women, but until now we’ve had limited information on patient satisfaction for breast lift or combination lift/ augmentation”. He points out the satisfaction is high when the ‘vertical’ technique is used in the lift/augmentation procedure.

The study looked at 325 patients. They were interviewed concerning their breast procedures over five years. 99% of the patients would have the procedure again with 91% reporting that they have an improved sense of self-esteem. The overall patient satisfaction came to 96%. The mentioned ‘vertical technique’ was used on all patients.

As well as overall patient satisfaction, the study also explored the preferred breast shape for women, finding that most women liked the fuller contour at the top of the breast – “Naturally, breasts are fuller towards the bottom, but our study found patients want more fullness on top” added Dr Swanson.

He also pointed out that “Prior to breast surgery, women often ask about discomfort level, recovery time, and when they’ll be able to return to normal activities. With this study, we now have the answers, provided by patients themselves.”

Breast uplift involves reshaping the breasts so that they return to a more natural, gratifying shape. It is often used in conjunction with breast enlargement but it can also be perfumed on its own. Patients often undergo the treatment following the adverse effects of aging or childbirth/breast feeding.

Breast implant operation rise to over 6,000 a year according to BAAPS.

The annual conference of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) has produced more results with news that the number of breast enlargement surgeries has increased to nearly 6,500 in the last year.

The Independent reports that delegates at the conference observed the results of the large UK study. It showed that breast augmentations carried out by members of BAAP had increased by 275% since 2002. This is a rise from 2,361 to 6,497 in 2007.

The study also looked at 26,852 operations and found that the rate of infection has dropped from 2.5% in 2005 (from a study for Lancet that year) to 0.53% this year. As a result, the rise in surgeries has come as the number of complications has dropped.

Consultant plastic surgeon and the secretary for BAAPS, Rajiv Grover collected the information and came up with the results, which also showed that as little as 1.2% of operations has resulted in bleeding (haematoma).
He provides a number of reasons for the increase in operations, such as improvements to surgeries themselves, including shorter hospital stays and reduction in scarring. It is also a result of modern media.

“People used to think that breast augmentation was open only to celebrities and film stars whereas they are now aware that the procedure is open to all members of the public, should it be right for them.” He adds that magazines which run articles about celebrities undergoing treatment have lead to the increase, raising “awareness of the procedure.”

The study comes as other procedures in the UK are also on the rise, including the number of labial reductions and the number of men undergoing treatment. The idea of going under the knife is becoming less and less of a taboo.

Grover added, “This survey of over 26,000 patients undergoing breast augmentation is the largest of its kind in Europe and demonstrates that reduced complication rates can be achieved by the application of careful surgical technique and a safe hospital environment.”

He urges patients to make sure that they have chosen the right surgeon for the job, rather than settling for an operation where “one size fits all”.

The conference also urged advertising for cosmetic surgery to be more responsible rather than creating false expectations.