Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery Blog – Harley Medical Group

Liposuction has been voted as the surgical procedure of the year in the 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards from online magazine American Health and Beauty.

In spite of the huge rise in popularity of non-surgical procedures such as Botox and laser hair removal, surgical procedures are still able to produce the most dramatic results and liposuction seems to have had the most transformative results.

Rising obesity levels in the US have been cited as one of the reasons why liposuction has gained so much popularity in recent years, even though the procedure is not designed to be used as a weight loss tool. Instead, liposuction surgery is used to remove stubborn pockets of fat in order to sculpt the body into the desired and well-proportioned shape.

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The rumour mill is fuelled by willing and unwilling celebrities and celebrities in turn often get much needed publicity thanks to the rumours the mill churns out. And one of the favourite subjects to be fed in is whether or not so and so has had cosmetic surgery, Botox or another non-surgical treatment, and with these questions come common myths about the industry.

Face lifts are for the rich and famous – while this used to be the case, thanks to a variety of methods, including the “quick” facelift which makes use of keyhole surgery techniques, more and more ordinary people are opting for this as a way to rejuvenate their appearance.

Botox is only used to plump up fine lines and wrinkles – while this is the primary use of the toxin and the one that everyone knows it for, Botox can also be used to tackle deep frown and smile lines, as well as hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) and migraines too.

Fat removal surgery is a weight loss tool – Liposuction and other fat removal techniques were not designed to be a quick way for the obese to lose weight. Any reputable and ethical clinic will advise overweight people to change their diet and embark on an exercise regime before they’ll consider performing this type of surgery.

Nose jobs are performed purely for cosmetic reasons – While this is the case for many patients, nose reshaping surgery is also regularly performed on those who have breathing difficulties as a result of a misshapen nose or other defect.

Dermal fillers are just used to plump up lips – Yes, they are used for this purpose but can also be used to make cheeks more prominent and change the shape of the face. It is popular with those who have lost fullness in the face due to the natural ageing process or because of medical treatment for serious illnesses.

There are many other rumours that any ethical and reputable clinic will be able to confirm or deny for those people who are interested in cosmetic surgery procedures.

Reducing the number of cosmetic procedures performed on the NHS could help to save some Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) somewhere in the region of £12million every year.

The Audit Commission has revealed that weeding out the removal of teeth and tonsils, as well as procedures such as rhinoplasty operations (nose jobs), fat removal surgery, and elective hysterectomies, all treatments that can in some circumstances be deemed to be cosmetic, could save the NHS around £500million per year in total.

The Audit Commission’s managing director of health Andy McKeon said: “PCTs are currently paying for treatments that cost the taxpayer money and according to clinical experts have little or no real value to patients. This needs to change.”

The report highlights the need for fundamental changes to be made to the way the NHS is run if we are to stop essentially pouring money down the drain.

Male chest reduction surgery procedures rose by 28 per cent in 2010 compared with 2009, according to the latest figures from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS).

These positive figures are made even more impressive by the fact that they were recorded during tough economic times, and this alone suggests that awareness of the procedure has grown considerably. Fat removal surgery, a form of liposuction, is used to treat gynaecomastia – the medical term for the condition of excessive breast tissue in men – and is a quick and apparently increasingly common procedure in the UK.

In an interview with the Metro, personal trainer Adam Stowell advocated a healthy diet and a good multivitamin to combat the development of man boobs in the first place.

“Take a good quality multivitamin, as this will decrease pressure on your liver, leaving it free to detox any bad oestrogens entering the body. Drinking green tea also metabolises bad oestrogens”, he said.

One UK hospital has seen a huge rise of 210 per cent in the number of patients enquiring about male chest reduction surgery.

Reconstructive surgeon and consultant Alan Park told the Coventry Telegraph: “The number of men we see has been gradually increasing for some time.

“I think it is because there has been a lot on television about male appearance, so men are not so embarrassed by it anymore. They feel like they can talk about it with their friends and come to us.”

Men suffering from what are commonly known as ‘man boobs’ often choose to undergo the specialist fat removal surgery in order to achieve a flatter chest. This is because these deposits of fatty tissue are difficult, and in some cases impossible, to shift simply through a better diet and increased exercise regimes.

Follow the Scouts’ motto when you’re considering any type of cosmetic surgery – be prepared. Below are 10 important questions to ask your surgeon before going under the knife (and the answers you should expect), but don’t be afraid to ask a hundred if you need to.

1.  Can I see a range of before and after photographs?
Don’t be satisfied with the ones on the marketing material as these will of course be the best examples. Instead, ensure you see a range of photographs showing the results of operations performed by your cosmetic surgeon.

2.  Please can you explain the procedure in full?
Ensure that your surgeon can fully explain your chosen procedure to you, in terms you understand. If he/she tries to gloss over the details, ensure you dig further – it is important that you are confident in the surgeon’s knowledge and experience of the procedure, and that you know exactly what you are about to undergo.

3.  What are the recovery times for my operation?
Make sure that your surgeon is specific, and gives you the worst-case scenario, as well as the best. While you are sure to fit into the latter, it is always important to be prepared. Ask them to explain how long you will need to take off work, what activities and exercise you will and will not be able to do, how long you will have to wear any post-surgical garments for, and when any prominent scarring and swelling should reduce.

4.  Will you carry out my surgery, from start to finish?
This may sound like a strange question but some surgeons pass over the closing or stitching to another surgeon once the actual procedure has been completed. Ideally you want to ensure that your surgeon performs everything.

5.  Are you board-certified?
The clinic you visit should be registered with the CQC (Care Quality Commission) if it’s in England. You should expect your Surgeon to be on the Specialist Medical Register, to be highly skilled, qualified, innovative and have many years’ experience in Cosmetic Procedures.

6.  What care will you provide to me after my surgery?
Ask for details about the clinic’s aftercare policy – it is absolutely essential that they have a plan in place to check that you are recovering well and that your stitches are removed correctly and at the right time.

7.  What is your experience with this procedure?
Some surgeons will specialise in fat removal surgery, breast surgery or face surgery, while others will have a lot of experience in a wide range of procedures. While it is not essential to have a specialist in the procedure you are having done, it is essential to ensure that your surgeon has a wealth of experience, and if he/she does, they won’t have a problem sharing this with you.

8.  What are the specific risks involved with this procedure?
Don’t let your surgeon sugar coat the risks. As with all surgery, there will be risks involved and it is important that you know these so that you are able to weigh them up with the benefits of the procedure.

9.  What results can I expect from this procedure?
Every body is different and as a result it’s important to understand from your surgeon what results are realistic for you. Don’t assume that the results you have in mind are realistic. Instead, talk these through with your surgeon and get a completely clear picture of the reality.

10. What kind of anaesthesia is required and who will administer it?
This is particularly important to know if you have had a bad reaction to a certain type of anaesthesia in the past, and to ensure that a properly trained anaesthetist will be looking after you.

Three episodes in, and Channel 4’s Beauty and The Beast: The Ugly Face of Prejudice is receiving mixed reviews.

The Metro newspaper seemed decidedly bored with the whole premise of the show, summed up as “the one who’s vain at the beginning turns out to have some self-esteem issues”, adding “did anyone see that coming?” and describing it as “the same old story”.

Online lifestyle magazine Manchester Confidential wrote about it from the angle of Miss Manchester, Elicia Davies, who was the ‘beauty’ that appeared in last night’s show, and gave it a more positive review. They wrote: “If the purpose was to make us stop staring at an unusual face and look deeper into a picture perfect one, then it certainly achieved that.”

But it has been the featured consultant plastic surgeons that have shed the most light on the many, very varied reasons why people choose to alter their appearance. Their balanced approach has been the shining light in what might have otherwise been at best a dull series, and at worst a dark and self-indulgent one.

Harley Street consultant plastic surgeon Mr Azhar Aslam was filmed during an initial consultation with Davies, an appointment which all potential patients are required to attend, and his approach was a far cry from pushy salesman. In fact, Mr Aslam was more of a concerned parent, trying to get at the reasons why Davies felt she needed dermal fillers to plump up her cheeks.

The beauty queen admitted that she wanted to look perfect, an ideal which Mr Aslam assured her is subjective and therefore not a good enough reason to undergo cosmetic surgery. Davies looked distraught but when filmed two months later to see if appearing on the show had changed her life, she seemed to be extremely appreciative of his approach.

And in the first episode, cosmetic surgeon Mr Patrick Mallucci advised an overweight girl that fat removal surgery was not the answer, but instead exercise and healthy eating were.

Apart from ethical cosmetic surgeons, we wonder if the next three shows can reveal anything different from the first.

Soldiers in the US Armed Forces are turning to liposuction, and other forms of fat removal surgery, in order to meet strict size and weight regulations, put in place to ensure that standards remain high.

According to a recent report published in the Washington Post, more and more military personnel are combining their strict diets and exercise regimes with cosmetic surgery, in order to pass all areas of PT (Physical Training).

Heather Sommerdyke, a technical sergeant in the US Air Force, has already spent $12,000 on liposuction surgery, in an attempt to drop her waist measurement from 37 inches, to the maximum acceptable measurement of 35.5 inches that has been set for female airmen.

Sommerdyke can fulfil all other areas of the Air Force PT requirements, such as the press-ups, push-ups, and gruelling runs, but giving birth to her second child two years ago has made it almost impossible for her to trim down her waist measurements enough through exercise and diet alone.