Cosmeticsurgeon.co.uk - UK Cosmetic Surgeons

The Irish Times reported that a plastic surgeon was found guilty of misconduct in the treatment of a 33-year-old Dublin woman. Twelve allegations were made against him and a three person inquiry team found him guilty of six of them.

Ms. Catherine McCormack underwent a breast augmentation at an Advanced Cosmetic Surgery (ACS) clinic in Dublin, with Dr. Marco Loiacono as her surgeon. A few days after the procedure her left breast became infected and Dr. Loiacono failed to arrange for adequate post-operative treatment. He did not remove the implant in a timely manner, kept inaccurate records, and failed to treat the infection properly. The inquiry team also found that he did not apply adequate standards of clinical competence or judgment.

Ms. McCormack had undergone the procedure to move from a B cup to a D/DD cup, and was initially happy with the results. When the left breast became infected Dr. Loiacono stitched up the wound and gave her an antibiotic. He did not remove the implant and thus the antibiotic was ineffective. Instead of ending up with enhanced breast, Ms. McCormick ended up deformed.

Dr. Peter Meagher, a reconstructive breast surgeon at Dublin’s St. James’s Hospital, gave evidence to the enquiry team. He said that Dr. Loicono’s handling of Ms. McCormack’s case was “fundamentally flawed” and “suboptimal”. His refusal to hospitalize her was negligent and inevitably harmful. He also attacked Dr. Liocono’s choice of operation facility. The ACS clinic did not have the proper post-operative facilities. The clinic has actually gone into liquidation.

Criticism was also lodged because Ms. McCormack was not seen for the first time until 20 days after her surgery. This follow up was not even effective because at that time the infection was observed but not treated correctly. Also she was not seen until eight days after that follow up .

Dr. Loiacono represented himself and said that given the chance he would not have done anything differently. He claimed that he was available to Ms. McCormack within 24 hours after her procedure. He claimed that when he saw her for the follow up appointment, she only had a mild infection and he put her on antibiotics. He said that he would have had her admitted to the ACS clinic if he had found it necessary.

The inquiry team recommended that Dr. Loicona keep his license to practice provided that he meet certain conditions. He must undertake an appropriate professional development program, however the decision must be ratified by the full council.

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.”

Before there were silicone implants women who wanted breast augmentation were forced to have saline implants put in. Now that silicone implants are available, and approved to be used, many women are rushing to get them. Women who already have saline implants must not be discouraged, because the switch from saline to silicone is easy and quick.

Dr. Allan Parangao, the author of ‘A Woman’s Guide to Cosmetic Breast Surgery and Body Contouring’, reports that replacing saline implants with silicone implants is a simple procedure. In fact, the surgery can take less than 45 minutes to complete because a pocket already exists in the breast where the old implant had been. A local anesthetic is sufficient and Dr. Parangao reported that many women returned to work the very next day after having their breast implants switched.

Some women with saline implants wonder if it is really necessary to have their implants changed. In a press release, Dr. Cohen, a board-certified plastic surgeon of the Scottsdale Center for Plastic Surgery, said, “Some of my corrective surgery patients choose silicone partly because they weren’t happy with their experience with saline, but what’s interesting is that we’re starting to see many more patients wanting to ‘trade up’ to silicone for its own sake, without necessarily requiring significant correction at the same time.” He says that the silicone implants have a more natural texture and that they can help to compensate for many of the aesthetic challenges that come along with revision breast surgery.

Dr. Parangao said , “silicone gel implants feel more like natural breast tissue than saline implants do. Especially for women with relatively little natural breast tissue, silicon gel implants can give much more natural looking breast enhancement.” Saline implants sometimes take on a rippled effect which is not seen with silicon. Also silicon gel has been refined with a property that causes the gel to ‘stick’ to itself in the same way that breast tissues stick to each other. This creates a feel that is nearly indistinguishable from natural breast tissue.

In an article by American Health and Beauty, 41 year-old Patty said although “saline implants improved my figure 100%…they were hard. They looked great but did not feel natural.” After her breast implants were changed she said that her silicone breast felt better and she was actually able to push them together in a Wonder bra, which had been impossible with the saline.

UK cosmetic surgery companies such as The Harley Medical Group and Make Yourself Beautiful offer breast augmentations.

During a consultation, a plastic surgeon will help a person decide what procedure is right for them. They will be able to give the patient advice as to whether they should get liposuction or merely liposculption. They can encourage chemical peels or a face lift. One thing that they try to do is give the patient a visualization of what they will look like after the procedure. Most surgeons will rely on before and after pictures of other patients. Some may even have a computer program that can give them an idea of what the results of the procedure will be. One surgeon has gone much further than that. He has a 3-D simulator, that will give the patient a picture of what they will look like after the surgery.

Dr. Brett Kotlus, of the Allure Medical Spa in Michigan in the US, has an innovative 3-D simulation system. This system ‘sculpts’ a 3-D image of the patient’s features into the more desirable profile. He reported, “This 3-D system has a clever interface that constructs a realistic, modifiable image that can be sculpted in the same way that cosmetic surgery would sculpt a nose or a breast. Within minutes, we can see possible surgical results. In this scenario, a picture is truly worth a thousand words.” He likes that the system allows him to make modifications or changes based on the patients desires, before they go under the knife.

It is called the Vectra 3-D system, from Canfield Imaging Systems, and has become an integral tool in Dr. Kotlus’s consultations. It captures an image of the face or body with 12 different cameras at a resolution of 36 megapixles. This image is then placed on a computer screen. Dr. Kotlus is then able to make modifications to it and create, before and after images.

There is a Canadian website called Modiface that allows potential patients to see how they might look with a procedure also. This site allows a person to download their picture and then see what it will look like with a nose job or face lift. These images however are not as advanced as those made by the Vectra 3-D system.

Good cosmetic surgeons want to give their patients the best consultation possible. Dr. Kotlus has found that his new imaging system makes it easier for a patient to have realistic expectations, because it gives them a very good picture of what they will look like after the procedure. This has helped to increase patient satisfaction and makes them feel more comfortable about having the procedure done.

The plastic surgery field has grown very quickly in the UK. In fact, the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) reported over 36,000 procedures in 2009. This is nearly a seven percent increase over 2008. But not all surgeons in the UK are a part of the BAAPS. A broadcast of the One Show uncovered some of these ‘none member surgeons’ performing bad practices.

The One Show episode focused on cosmetic surgery and found that there is no regulating body to keep bad practices from occurring. In the hospitals the General Medical Council and the Care Quality Commission regulate the doctors. The Independent Healthcare Advisory Service (IHAS) is talking with the government about starting a joint regulation but many people do not believe this is enough. The problem with the IHSA is that their code of practice is not mandatory and thus is not enforceable throughout the entire field of plastic surgery.

Members of BAAPS have a strict set of regulations that must be followed. The organization is pushing to have all surgeons that perform cosmetic procedures to be held to the same standards. Nigel Mercer, president of BAAPS, in a paper titled ‘Clinical Risk in Aesthetic Surgery’ 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 strict laws which limit who is able to do procedures. These laws state that a general medical degree is not sufficient to perform surgeries and advertisement of plastic surgery is also tightly regulated.  These are regulations that many would like to see instituted in the UK. Dr. Harvey Marcovitch, editor of a UK-based journal called Clinical Risk, said, “We need proper regulation of the industry and we need both surgeons and GPs to manage patient expectation.”

Goodsurgeonguide.co.uk is a website designed to help people learn more about plastic surgery. The site encourages people to carefully consider their choice of surgeon and make sure that they are respected and trusted. In response to the episode of the One Show, the managing director of this website, Christina Clogg, said, “We are not surprised that the One Show unearthed such bad practice at leading surgery groups in last night’s expose, it is one of the reasons why we developed the site and has lead us now, more than ever, to believe that the whole industry needs regulating.” Choosing a plastic surgeon needs to be based on more than just saving money. Finding a good and respected surgeon is necessary, because, as Ms. Clogg says, “[you] cannot put a price on good health and a safe procedure.”

Many people under go plastic surgery to help or treat a medical condition. Tumor removal is the most common cosmetic surgical procedure in this category and is performed on a variety of different tumors each year. Breast cancer survivors as well as some people who suffer from sleep apnea also have procedures done. Victims of disfiguring accidents usually need cosmetic surgery to return their bodies to normal and Connie Culp is such a person.

45 year old Connie Culp, of Union point Ohio, suffered a horrible disfigurement to her face, from a shot gun blast fired by her husband. The blast shattered her nose, cheeks, and the roof of her mouth. She lost one eye, much of the tissue in her mid face, and had to have a tube placed into her windpipe in order to breath. Her chin and lower lip, as well as her eyelids and forehead, were spared. After the shotgun pellets were removed, some initial surgery was done and then two months later she was able to visit a plastic surgeon.

She told Fox News that upon seeing her face, “He [Dr. Risal Djohan of the Cleveland Clinic] told me he didn’t think, he wasn’t sure, if he could fix me, but he’d try.” After 30 operations, where doctors took pieces of her ribs to make cheek bones and made an upper jaw from one of her leg bones, she was disappointed to find that she was not fixed. She was still forced to breathe through a tube and eat liquid foods.

Dr. Maria Siemionow then led a team of doctors to perform a facial transplant on Ms. Culp. In the 22 hour operation they replaced 80 percent of Connie’s face with parts from a woman’s face, who had just died. The procedure left her face looking much improved, though it sagged in places and was bloated in others. These features were necessary to help her facial nerves to reconnect to the new muscle and blood circulation to improve. Eventually, surgeons will be able to smooth these features out.

In the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal, Dr. Maria and some of her colleagues wrote, “We are pleased to report an excellent functional, psychological, and social outcome for our patient at eight months following transplantation.” The procedure was estimated by Siemionow to have cost between $250,000 and $300,000. Performing a dozen separate surgeries to accomplish the same affect could cost over $1 million.

Connie was very grateful for the successful procedure and is happy to be able to rejoin society without looking like a ‘monster’. Facial transplants are still experimental, with only a few having been performed around the world. This procedure is wonderful and could prove to help many victims of terrible accidents.

Finding the right plastic surgeon has become easier for Americans. Many surgeons have created facebook pages for potential customers to visit. The pages include customer testimonials as well as blogs written by the surgeons themselves. Past patients are able to connect with potential patients to give them advice and share their experiences.

Facebook, privately owned and operated by Facebook, Inc., is a social networking website which allows people to keep in touch. Each member is able to create a profile and send messages back and forth among friends. There are many networks that a person can join in order to network with cities, businesses, schools, and clubs. The website is free to users and generates money through advertisers. Facebook is often compared to myspace, another social networking website.

The rush to add plastic surgery to facebook has many benefits to both the surgeons and the patients. People are able to learn about different procedures and find the right one for them, right from the comfort of their home. They are able to connect with experts and get questions answered directly. This makes finding a plastic surgeon easy and convenient.

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) is also on facebook. Their facebook page includes news about advances in the organization as well as blogs about what to expect from many different procedures. It has connections to other websites that are sponsored by the ASAPS including online journals and loan offers. Minutes from ASAPS meetings can even be viewed and people can keep up with everything that is going on in the plastic surgery field.

Some surgeons use other venues to promote their procedures. Twitter has become popularly used for updating people with new advances in surgeries and the benefits of different types of procedures. Some are even thinking of broadcasting the surgeries on the web. These patients would have their identities protected, while allowing others to see how the procedures are performed.

Modiface, a Canadian website, has a very innovative feature which allows potential patients to see how they will look after a procedure. People who are interested in facial surgery, are allowed to download a photo and then alter it to see what they will look like after a nose job or facelift. Other sites are considering adding the same features for whole body procedures.

Choosing a cosmetic procedure and finding the right surgeon has never been easier. Logging on to facebook can provide unlimited access to tons of information about plastic surgery.

The pressure of looking good and having a nice body has grown overwhelming in today’s society. Men and women alike feel that they must look good to be successful. In many ways, this is true. In order to remain marketable in the job market or to get those promotions, looking good is essential. This ideal has leaked into the psych of teens, who are undergoing a rising number of cosmetic procedures.

The pressure of looking good is felt very keenly by teens. They are picked on at school because of a wide range of physical differences. It doesn’t take much of a difference for a bully to pick at. Many teens are awed by a celebrity idol and they dream of looking as beautiful, as that celebrity. The teen years have always been hard, but now there is a way to lighten some of that burden. Plastic surgery can help to give teens the confidence that they lack and allow them to be more accepted among their peers.

Natural News reported that the figures for 2008, from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, showed that surgeries performed on people under the age of 19 was very high. In fact 160,283 U.S. residents of that age underwent some form of cosmetic surgery. The surgeries ranged from breast augmentation and liposuction to hair removal and birthmark removal.

369 people of that age group actually had a controversial procedure called blepharoplasty. Blepharoplasty, also know as ‘Asian eye surgery,’ is a surgery where the eyes of people of Asian descent are widened. Gerald Pitman, a plastic surgeon in New York City, told USA Today, “The kids I see, their desire is almost uniformly to be normal, non-deviant. Kids don’t want to stand out in a negative way.”

The fact that cosmetic surgery has become very mainstream has made society much less judgmental about it. If a person is willing to undergo a procedure to make themselves look and feel better wouldn’t they do the same for their child? Donn Chatham, president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, told Natural News, “…parents may themselves even be undergoing cosmetic surgery and may feel for our children that it’s not such a stretch.”

Many parents and surgeons believe that since the technology exists and can benefit their children, then there is nothing wrong with using it. Most people have cosmetic surgery to give them confidence and allow them to live a happier, more full life. In this regard, people under the age of 19 are no different.

Contrary to popular belief, ageing is not always gradual. A nine year study by leading plastic surgeon, Rajiv Grover, has shown that aging can manifest in accelerated spurts. These spurts are centered upon different regions of the face and can be addressed before they become an issue.

The study began with 118 women between the ages of 40 and 45 and monitored them for nine years. Facial volume and ageing in the upper, mid, and lower face was measured and then correlated with data compiled about each woman’s lifestyle. Rajiv Grover hoped to prove that, as with children, growth in adults can come in spurts. His study did indeed prove this.

These growth spurts, that Grover found, were directly linked to stress in the women’s lives. Such stresses included rapid weight loss, divorce, illness, job loss, and bereavement. Stress is a defining emotion in the human experience and is virtually impossible to avoid. These ageing spurts can however be turned back with the technologically advanced procedures now available through plastic surgery.

The results of Grover’s study noted that ageing spurts were more rapid in the mid face and cheek area when compared to the upper and lower face. Loss of volume in the upper and mid cheeks draws attention away from the eyes and cheeks. These features are agreed upon as key areas of beauty. Women over forty who wish to maintain their youthful should keep a close eye on the volume of their mid face.

In 2009 face lifts were the fourth most popular cosmetic procedure in the UK. According to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, over four thousand women underwent a face lift in 2009. Keeping that youthful face has become much more important to the women of today, because, in today’s society, women with younger looking faces are more marketable.

Whether a woman is a news broadcaster, a billboard model, or a company executive, she is held under a beauty radar and she must fit the bill or suffer the chances of being cast out. This has been proven in society time and time again. Plastic surgery can beat back that ghoul of old age and preserve the youthful beauty that creates success.

Well, this recession seems to have been dragging on for quite some time now doesn’t it? It’s been about 18 months and still there is no let up in the gloom; no recovery in the housing market, no increase in interest rates and one of the only good things is the massive reduction sales we are seeing- if only we had the disposable income to go and spend in them! However, there is one good piece of news for all those in the Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery industry; the industry seems to be highly resilient despite the continued economic recession. 

A poll commissioned by Oxygen media has shown that, despite fears about job security and financial stability plaguing their generation, 63% of 18 to 34 year old thought positively about cosmetic surgery whilst the figure rose to 73% for those people aged 35-49.  One of the lighter points of the survey was that 22% of women said they would rather have breast augmentation surgery than receive a diamond bracelet; one feels many male partners would also prefer spending money on a boob job than a decorative piece of jewellery as well. 

Dr. Gilbert Lee, a U.S based plastic surgeon has spoken out about the buoyant industry, saying that: “Interest in plastic surgery remains very strong, despite the economy.” You can read other blogs on this page which might give an indication as to why this is.  Almost 25% of women who took part in the survey said that, if they suddenly gained a windfall of $10,000, they would prefer to spend the money on cosmetic surgery rather than invest it; such an attitude may not be prudent but it certainly spells good times ahead for the plastic and cosmetic surgery industry.

This recession-beating skill is not just limited to the U.S, the British cosmetic surgery industry seems like it is going to be able to weather the storm as well.  During 2008, when the economic storm first broke to mass media and market panic, there was a 5% increase in the number of surgeries performed on women within the U.K. This figure shows that here in Britain we really have a cosmetic surgery industry which is going to remain pert and resilient throughout the economic downturn. This can only be good news as, when the recovery comes, the cosmetic surgery industry will be in an unrivalled position.