Cosmeticsurgeon.co.uk - UK Cosmetic Surgeons

Maybe you’re considering plastic surgery? One part of recovery that might be unsettling to you, is post-op surgical drains. Below is some information that may help with going home with the surgical drain attached to you.

What is a Surgical Drain?

Surgical drains are used for heart, abdominal, and other in-depth surgeries. For cosmetic surgeries, the drain will likely be made out of tubing that will be coming from the site of surgery, and ending in a bulb that will collect the fluid.

Why Would a Surgical Drain be Necessary?

Surgical drains direct fluid away from the place that the surgery occurred. The most apparent reason is to avoid fluid build-up.

There’s several benefits to using drains, according to surgeons that use them. A great reason is that the drains support a quicker, and healthier healing process. Correct healing requires the skin to stay attached to tendons, ligaments, and muscles. The healing takes longer when fluid piles up between the tendons, ligaments, muscles, and skin.

Also, fluid build-up is a perfect place for bacteria to grow, so its important the fluid leaves. Fluid build-up can cause physical soreness during the healing, too.

What Procedures Need Drains?

Your surgeon will more then likely want you to have a drain or a couple of them if your surgery is very insidious. An example would be heart surgery. Minor surgeries like facelifts, and breast augmentation don’t require drains.

How Long Does the Drain Typically Stay In?

Depending on the surgery you have and how quickly your body heals, you may have your drains for a few days or a couple weeks. If you have a somewhat insidious procedure, you can expect your drains to stay in for a few days. You’ll be asked to monitor them to make sure fluid is leaving the wound. By the time you are feeling like yourself again, and are ready to presume with your regular activities, the drains will likely come out.

If you do happen to have the drain bulb in for an extended period of time, your surgeon will tell you how to care for it, and what to monitor.

What Problems Can Possibly Occur?

Obstacle, and seepage around the drain and infection are rare, but can occur.  If your surgeon does use a drain as part as your recovery, keep in mind that they have your best interest at heart.

Consumers now a days are using personal loans now to pay for cosmetic and medical procedures, whether needed or not. With the rise of cosmetic surgery, personal loans have become the new way to pay for procedures, whether needed or only for aesthetic reasons now.

Since there has been a rise in cosmetic surgery, even with the recession in full swing, the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, also known as BAAPS, notes that procedures have exceeded 36,400 in the year 2009 alone. This means that there has been a 6.7% over all increase since 2008 alone. The largest cosmetic surgery provider in the UK, the Harley Medical Group, has seen an overall growth increase of 4% for the 2008 and 2009 fiscal years. They saw a 23% increase in abdominoplasty and a 13% increase in liposuction procedures.

They have noticed, that regardless of the recession, both non-surgical and surgical procedures are more popular than ever. Also, data from the Sainbury’s Bank shows that consumers and patients are looking at and comparing personal loans more and more to pay for these procedures and medical surgeries.

Sainbury’s Bank shows that Britons have borrowed £11.57m in personal loans last year alone. There were over 800 loans, which totaled £5m of the amount above that were used for cosmetic surgeries. The other portion, the £6.8m covered elective and medically necessary procedures, such as hip replacement. Procedures such as joint replacement is covered by the NHS, however the wait list is too long, many patients are serious pain and discomfort and many patients decide to pay the £7,000 to £9,000 themselves.

Sainbury’s Finance departed commented that although many loans are taken out for home improvements, buying cars, buying other luxury items and vacations, there is a high number of loans that are used strictly for cosmetic expenses that people feel they need.

Financial advisers note that loans should be compared when looking to cover medical and cosmetic procedures before any loan paper work is filled out. In the long run, this could save a person anywhere from hundreds to thousands of pounds in repayment fees and interest.

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.

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.

The number of plastic surgery procedures performed in 2009 hit record numbers. In fact the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) reported nearly a seven percent increase in surgical procedures over 2008. Besides the overall numbers of procedures performed there has also been an increasing number of cosmetic surgeries performed on men. Mr. Rajiv Grover, BAAPS Secretary, said, “This year we have recorded a dramatic rise in the number of male surgical procedures, probably due to heightened media attention, which has allowed men to realise the positive outcomes that can be achieved.” The BAAPS actually reported a 23% increase in procedures performed on men in 2009.

The Harley Medical Group also reported an impressive increase in procedures performed on men in 2009, seeing a 5 percent increase over 2008. Men actually accounted for 18 percent of all procedures performed by The Harley Medical Group. Most of the increase can be attributed to men opting for non surgical procedures such as ‘Boytox’ (male Botox and Sweatox).

Men’s busy lifestyles are indeed causing their skin to be at risk for premature wrinkles. Dr. Nick Milojevic is a Botox doctor, voted as the best for Botox in the Daily Express. Concerning men receiving Boytox he revealed, “Young men in the City have been spending a lot of time frowning over the last year and we’re seeing the fallout .. Men coming into the clinics are telling us that they want to stay looking wrinkle-free despite their demanding lifestyles.”

A report by the Dailey Mail reported that much of the increase in cosmetic procedures performed on men is attributed to City bankers spending their bonuses on Boytox. The City clinic saw huge growth once the banker bonuses returned to the agenda with a ’24 percent month by month sales increase in September alone’. Other non-surgical procedures that grew in 2009 were dermal fillers with a 26 percent increase and chemical peels with a 306 percent increase.

Jeremy Baker, Consumer Analyst at ESCP Europe Business School said, “There’s a huge emphasis on grooming in popular culture and the job market is tough – people need to be younger, fitter, and better and this is reflected in the maintenance of personal appearance. Men have now caught up with the times and don’t want to be left behind so I’m sure we’ll see big increases in this sector in particular.” Men have surely
become comfortable with beautifying themselves with cosmetic surgery.

The recession has not seen a decrease in cosmetic surgeries, on the contrary it has flourished. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) reported nearly a seven percent increase in the cosmetic surgeries performed by them in 2009 in the UK. Mr. Nigel Mercer, President of BAAPS, said, “The public’s interest in aesthetic surgery appears to remain strong and indeed growing..”

Along with the increase in surgical procedures, the cosmetic procedures that are non surgical have increased substantially. These procedures include accent laser treatment, Botox, collagen injections, and others. Liz Dale, director of The Harley Medical Group, said, “Non-surgical procedures, which saw a big growth last year, have continued to be a strong area for us and now account for 32 percent of all our
business.” A non-surgical procedure that has become very popular is the skin peel, also known as a chemical peel. During the recession many people have tried to find less expensive ways to look beautiful and chemical peels are one of these recession-proof procedures. The Harley Medical Group’s Obagi Blue Peel, which gets rid of blemishes, acne scars, uneven pigmentation, sun damage, and wrinkles, has been in high demand. It has actually been dubbed ‘the recession facelift’ since chemical peels have outstripped facelifts in popularity.

Skin peels are a skin resurfacing technique which removes the top layer of skin. The body replaces this skin with a fresh layer of skin that is clearer and no longer has the problem that the old layer of skin had. There are three different levels of skin peels which include light, intermediate, and deep. The different levels of peel correspond to the severity of the problem that the patient wishes to erase. The deep peel is actual able to remove deep lines and medium sized wrinkles. Many people have found that a face-lift is not always necessary because a chemical peel can indeed make their face look fresh and young.

Mr. Dale also reported, “The surgical side of the business is also continuing to grow. While breast augmentations remain the most popular surgical procedure, rhinoplasties (nose operations) are closing the gap in second.” Breast augmentation is very popular for mothers who are trying to regain their figures after giving birth. They actually account for 75 percent of the breast up lift patients, and an astounding 90 percent of the tummy tuck procedures.

2009 also saw the number of men undergoing plastic surgery increase dramatically. In fact 18 percent of all procedures performed in 2009, were on men. The Harley Medical Group reports that Botox and Sweatox actually account for much of this growth in procedures performed on men.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) reported over 36,000 procedures in 2009. This is nearly a seven percent increase over 2008. The organization is a not-for-profit group that was established for the advancement of education and practice of aesthetic plastic surgery for the patients benefit. They have a strict set of rules and regulations that members must follow. There are surgeons who perform cosmetic surgeries in the UK, who are not members of the BAAPS. Some of these surgeons are not regulated and BAAPS is calling on the government to change that.

There was a One Show episode that focused on cosmetic surgery. It revealed that there were a lot of false PR claims and corrupt practices performed by plastic surgeons, and that there is no regulation preventing it. In the article ‘Minimizing Risk in Aesthetic Surgery’ Foad Nahai, of the International Society of Aesthetic
Plastic Surgeons, said, “Regulations governing the training of all cosmetic surgeons are sorely needed. Governments are reluctant to become involved, as they see this issue as a dispute between various physician groups and not a public safety issue.”

BAAPS’s Nigel Mercer could not disagree more with this reluctance. He believes that regulation of the cosmetic surgery field is a matter of public safety and thus should be taken on by the government. In a paper titled ‘Clinical Risk in Aesthetic Surgery’ he said , “There has been a massive increase in ‘marketing’, including discount vouchers, 2-for-one offers and holidays with surgery. In no other area of medicine is there such an un-regulated mess. What is worse is that the national governments would not allow it to happen in other areas of medicine. Imagine a ’2-for-1′ advert for general surgery? That way lies madness.”

France has instituted regulations and guidelines that must be followed by their plastic surgeons. In ‘France Sets Standards for Practice of Aesthetic Surgery’ a French surgeon lists some of these regulations as: -surgical procedures can only be undertaken by surgeons who are registered specialists and deemed competent -neither possession of a general medical degree nor that the practitioner is experienced are sufficient qualifications -a ban on all forms and methods of publicity and advertising, direct or indirect, in
whatever form, including the internet.

Many people believe that regulations similar to these should be implemented in the UK. The law in the UK presently says that , as long as the patients gives permission for the procedure than that surgeon can perform it, whether they are qualified or not. The BAAPS believes that this is unacceptable. Mr. Mercer said, “We have seen what a lack of regulation has done for banks and for the British parliament. There is a British Potato Council so why not an OFFCos [official cosmetic surgery regulator]? Surgeons can do more harm than potatoes….!”

Some women have a celebrity that they worship, and would do most anything to look like her. For many women it is Angelina Jolie, Megan Fox, or Scarlet Johansson. According to the Jarkarta Post there has been a huge increase in the number of women wanting surgery to give them a figure like Beyonce and Jenifer Lopez. But for one women, it is a cartoon character whom she idolizes. The character is Jessica Rabbit, from the cartoon film ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit.’

57 year old Annette Edwards, of Worchester, is a rabbit breeder. She loves rabbits and even bred a rabbit that holds the record, as the largest rabbit in the world. She has, however, taken her love of rabbits to a whole new level. In the film ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’, the main character Roger is a rabbit who’s wife is named Jessica Rabbit. Annette decided to get ,10,000 worth of cosmetic surgeries done, to look just like Jessica. In an interview with This Morning she said, “I just think she’s a very sexy cartoon.”

She went on a strict three month diet, eating ‘like a rabbit’, to lose enough weight. Then over a period of a week she underwent a wide range of procedures. She had a breast lift to approximate the characters bossom better. Then came a brow lift which tightened up her face a little. She also had Botox injections in her upper cheeks and a plastic implant in her chin. She is very satisfied with the result and loves to dress up as Jessica. She told This Morning that she does not dress like Jessica all the time, only for shoots. She said, “I am not Jessica at home, I’m just a normal person.”

Many people choose plastic surgery to give them the body that they have always dreamed of. Annette’s dream face was a cartoon character and she was able to get it, through cosmetic procedures. She said that her children think she is a little mad, but they are supportive. She told the Daily Mail, “Since I had it done I have had loads of compliments and I love the way I look now.”

Being able to achieve the body of her dreams has been a wonderful experience for Annette. When asked, on This Morning, about the money that she spent she said, “Yeah, well, you only live once. Do what makes you feel good.”

Plastic surgery is a great way for women to get the body that they want. The contours of the body can be sculpted to any shape that is desired and even the face can be altered in a great many ways. Boob jobs have proven to be the most popular surgeries in previous years and surgeons expect 2010 to be no different.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons has reported that breast augmentation has been the most popular procedure in plastic surgery for many years. In fact, the reports from as far back as 2004 show that the number of breast augmentations in the UK was higher than other procedures. Of all the cosmetic surgeries that women received in 2009, nearly 26 percent were breast augmentations.

Breast augmentation is a procedure that increases the breast size or corrects asymmetrical breasts. It is most often achieved by putting an implant under the breast tissue or the chest muscle behind the breast. There are two main types of implants used. Saline implants have a silicone rubber shell that is filled with a
saline solution. Silicone implants also have the silicone rubber shell, but are filled with a silicone gel instead. Many women find that the silicone implant looks and feels more natural.

Improved surgical techniques and technology have helped in making breast augmentation even more popular. New processes in making silicone gel has made it much more cohesive so that it sticks to itself. This helps to create the same feeling as tissue cells sticking together. Techniques available today allow the
surgery to be done through small, inconspicuous or hidden incisions. The procedures are quicker, less painful, and have a greatly reduced recovery time. Paul Collins, editor at BuyAssociation, says, “There’s always innovation-there’s always new techniques coming forwards and new techniques in recovery as well.”

The new year has once again encouraged women to consider having plastic surgery. Dr. Richard Chaffoo, a triple board-certified plastic surgeon, indicated in a press release that “Most New Year’s resolutions boil down to one simple desire: to look and feel more like the person you want to be.” The most common resolutions for women in 2010 revolved around improving their bodies. Some vowed to get a new membership at a gym where as others decided to buy exercise equipment themselves. Still others are deciding that plastic surgery is the way to go.

A study by the GoodSurgoenGuide revealed that over fifty percent of women were considering to have plastic surgery in 2010. If previous years are any indication of what to expect, we can be sure that many of these procedures will be breast augmentations.

Cosmetic surgery is popular throughout the year, but surgeons say that around Valentine’s Day the number of procedures increases. Many people actually give cosmetic surgery as a gift to their partners on this day. Some surgeons even offer special packages during the Valentine’s Day season. During this time of the year when many are searching just a little harder for love. They may think that a little tuck here or there might give them a better chance at finding it.

Manoj Kumar Manwani, a surgeon at Criticare Hospital in Mumbai, is not surprised by this years increase in procedures around Valentine’s Day. He sees the same increase each year and says that at this time of year ‘everyone wants to look good’. He reports that the most common procedures near Valentine’s day are changes in the nose and under the chin. A new trend is now rising, though. A large increase in the amount of people getting dimple creation surgery has been seen.

Cosmetic surgery used to be a thing for the rich and famous. The increase in procedures shows that this is no longer the case. Due to an increased confidence in the results of the surgeries, many people are getting procedures done all around the world. This increase in the range of peoples making use of cosmetic surgeries is accredited to the fact that many people have more money now. The increase in surgeries has also allowed the price of the procedures to drop substantially.

These factors have allowed men and women to attain the body that they always dreamed of. Valentine’s day is a perfect time to gift that special partner in a person’s life. A surgeon, at the Divine Cosmetic Surgery Clinic, named Amit Gupta says that it is normal to see a twenty percent increase in procedures requested around Valentine’s.

Cosmetic surgery is indeed on the rise. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons reported that, in 2009, there were around 34,187 procedures performed in the UK alone. This is over three times the amount performed in 2003 which was around 10,700 procedures.