Friday, May 24, 2013

Top 10 Reasons To Get Liposuction


Most everyone has heard of liposuction. We know it can take off fat and help slim you down. But what are the top reasons that we see in our San Antonio, Texas surgery center? Here's Dr. Robert Young's top 10:

“Jump-start weight loss”  Many men and women set to reduce their weight need a boost or incentive that will kick them into a regimine of diet and exercise that will eventually get them to their goals. Liposuction can be a very effective method to jump-start a long term plan for a more healthy lifestyle for some.

“Get flatter stomach or abs”  Not everyone is blessed with genes that provide for a flat stomach or the ability to develop washboard abs. As a matter of fact, it seems many are cursed with genes that make a flat stomach almost impossible. Sometimes no amount of exercise and proper diet can reduce stubborn stomach fat that can occur in both men and women.

“Get back pre-pregnancy body” Having kids takes a huge toll on your body, resulting in weight gain in many different body areas. Liposuction can help get back the body you once had before the kids.

“Fat transfer”  Using the fat harvested during liposuction is becoming more popular and more effective. The Brazilian Butt Lift is just one way our body fat can be used to give us a desired shape. Fat taken by liposuction from an area such as the hips, thighs or abs can be injected into other areas such as the buttocks in order to create more volume and fullness.

“A more proportional body”  Body sculpting artfully utilizes liposuction to create a more desired shape. In some cases this is done without removing large amounts of body fat you might require in a  liposuction to flatten a bulging stomach or heavy thighs because the goal is shaping and not so much reducing.

“Get rid of my handles”  This is one of the most popular reasons given by men opting for liposuction. The fat that accumulates in the love handles tends to be very stubborn and one of the areas last reduced through traditional weight loss. For some, it cannot be effectively controlled even with good diet and heavy exercise.

“Look better in clothes” Both men and women share this goal. Liposuction is often thought of as a solution to having clothes fit better and look better.

“Wear a bathing suit” While we often worry most about this at vacation time, summer itself can be stressful for those who worry about needing to wear bathing suits that just emphasize the extra weight or fatty areas.

“Take care of problem area” Sometimes we feel generally fine about our body, but have one special area that is problematic or that we wish would just go away. It may be a heavy chin or neck, fat arms, big knees, or a bulge that pops out under our bra line. These small areas are often ideal for liposuction.

“Feel better about myself” Liposuction has been reported to increase ones confidence. Many believe that liposuction can help you feel confident about yourself whether it be at work, home, or play.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Elective Breast Surgery Found To Be Safe

by Andrea L. Algar
Contributing Author

In last October's presentation at the American College of Surgeon's 98th Annual Clinical Congress, an award winning study showed that "breast surgery is safe, with little risk for life threatening complications and mortality."

In addition to the study results demonstrating breast surgery safety, it also was able to look at complication rates for a variety of breast surgeries, which in the past has been difficult to accurately examine. Philip J. Hanwright, a medical student at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, won an award for best scientific poster at the meeting. His research analyzed data from ACS's National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP).

Unlike previous studies that relied primarily on single-surgeon experiences, this program has compiled a very large database that includes both inpatient and outpatient surgeries from institutions nationwide. The database was created specifically to improve the quality of surgical care in the private sector.

With over 550,000 breast augmentation procedures performed each year in the United States, the study found complication rates to be low, at only 1.43%. Breast reduction and breast lift procedures had slightly higher complication rates of 2.75% and 4.64% respectively, with more surgical-site infections and wound disruptions.

What was also good news was that re-operation rates were also low, with breast augmentation at 1.19%, breast reduction at 1.94% and breast lift at 2.60% at thirty days. There was only one death in the entire group, and life threatening complications were extremely low at 0.0% for breast augmentation, 0.18% for breast reduction, and 0.15% for breast lift.

Martin U. Egenti, MD, from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, was quoted as saying. 'What we are doing is working." With most breast surgeries being elective, this is an important finding, and one that many women will feel great comfort in.

As in any type of surgery, discuss the risks and benefits with your surgeon. Your surgeon wants a successful outcome as much as you do, and he/she wants to keep you safe. You can do your part by being honest about your medical history, as well as any over-the-counter or unprescribed medications you take.

ARTICLE REFERENCE/RESOURCES:

American College of Surgeons (ACS) 98th Annual Clinical Congress: Abstract 232. Presented October 3, 2012
Medscape Medical News, WebMD, Elective Breast Surgery Safe According to National Database, Lara C. Pullen, PhD, 10-04-12, Chicago, IL