by CLAIRE COLEMAN – The DAILY MAIL
Practitioners with no medical training,drugs bought over the internet and disfiguring results. Worse still, it’s all legal. When Bonnie Kaplan wanted to hide a few wrinkles, she thought nothing of visiting a private clinic for a couple of shots of Botox.                                                          “I’m 53, I’ve got wrinkles. I wanted to get rid of them,” she says. “All my friends were doing it.”                                                                                    She had no idea that the doctor treating her would be an osteopath who had been struck off, nor that rather than using Botox, he would inject her with a diluted form of botulinum toxin, the highly poisonous substance from which Botox is derived, that was intended for lab research rather than use on humans.

The consequences were horrific. Thirty-six hours after the injections, Bonnie started to have problems breathing and was so weak she couldn’t walk.  She was rushed to hospital and, as botulism set in, her nerves were damaged. Within hours, her whole body was paralysed.                 Doctors think she may have received up to 2,500 times the amount of toxin believed to be lethal if injected into the bloodstream.

After spending months in hospital, breathing with the help of a ventilator and unable to speak, Bonnie was eventually able to move around in a wheelchair, but doctors warned that the possibility of a full recovery was slim and could take years.                                                                        She wasn’t the only one affected. Her husband, Eric, 52, was injected with the same deadly toxin, and, bizarrely, the doctor, Bach McComb, 47, had also injected himself and his girlfriend, Alma Hall, 34. All three ended up being hospitalised like Bonnie. While this shocking incident took place in Florida, Lifestyle has discovered that the terrifying lack of regulation in the injectables industry in Britain means it could easily happen here.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Every year, thousands of people are seduced by the prospect of a beauty boost and don’t think twice about popping out for a quick shot. The most popular procedures are: Botox, injected into the face to relax muscles and so prevent wrinkles forming; and fillers, substances based on hyaluronic acid or collagen, which occur naturally in the body and help plump up sagging skin, making it appear firmer and less wrinkled.

Little thought seems to be given to what might happen if something goes wrong.

After all, in recent years Botox, Restylane, Perlane, Sculptra, fillers and injectables have become as much a part of our beauty vocabulary as foundation, lipstick and mascara.

If you want an example of quite how accessible, and acceptable, this sort of non-invasive cosmetic enhancement has become, look no further than the latest Grattan catalogue.

It has started selling appointments for Botox injections and lip enhancement alongside lacy lingerie and Le Creuset kitchenware.

more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=470193&in_page_id=1879

       Written by Amy Nutt    
Thursday, 19 July 2007 
Cosmetic surgery has changed a great deal since doctors began using such procedures to repair birth defects and repair facial wounds caused by war or service. The procedures that were once a necessity became popular among rich people striving for perfection and eventually became an accessible option for anyone wanting to reshape part of their face or body.

Moulding the Body

The idea of reshaping or molding the body is not a new practice. Cosmetic surgeries have been done for roughly 4,000 years. It wasn’t until the 18th century, however, that surgeons began using anesthesia during this reconstruction. Furthermore, it wasn’t done in America until 1891 when John Roe reduced the risks associated with it.

Repairing the Body from War

World War II brought on a surge of cosmetic surgeries as men returned from the war with facial wounds. Cosmetic surgery was used to reconstruct and reshape the faces of men who were missing parts or had abnormal shapes due to wartime fighting. Though doctors couldn’t remove the agony from the soldier’s minds, they could fix the soldier’s appearance.

The Changing Purpose of Cosmetic Surgery

The purpose of cosmetic surgery has changed over time. While it once served a valuable service to people who needed facial and body reconstruction, it has become a way for people to change features they simply don’t like.

Some surgeries, such as rhinosplasty, are necessary for proper breathing, but more often than not, cosmetic surgery is done for purely aesthetic reasons.

Cosmetic surgery is an operation performed on many people in the general population to make themselves look and feel better. Our society is obsessed with beauty and perfection, making cosmetic surgery an option for anyone interested in changing the way they look.

Surgery for the Rich

Celebrities used to try and hide it if they did have cosmetic surgery to improve their appearance or reduce aging and it would turn into a huge media frenzy if someone was “outted”. These days, however, celebrities are not as afraid to talk about having cosmetic surgery and they certainly aren’t the only ones having it done.

Though cosmetic surgery was once considered only for rich people, it has grown in popularity and has become more widely accepted in recent years.

Risks and Side Effects of Cosmetic Surgery

The goal of cosmetic surgery is to improve your look or reshape deformities, but there are also risks associated with the procedure. You may experience nerve damage, blood loss, infection, tissue damage or scarring. The other risk is that the end result of the surgery may not be what you desire. Changes from cosmetic surgery are permanent and additional surgeries might be required to correct size, shape or functionality.
 

Extract from: Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. 118(1):207-212, July 2006.
Stevens, W Grant M.D.; Cohen, Robert M.D.; Vath, Steven D. M.D.; Stoker, David A. M.D.; Hirsch, Elliot M. B.A.
Abstract:
Background: This study was designed to evaluate and compare the complication rates of patients having abdominoplasty without breast surgery with the rates of those having abdominoplasty with various types of elective breast surgery, including breast augmentation, breast reduction, mastopexy, and mastopexy combined with simultaneous augmentation.
…………
Conclusion: The results of this retrospective review indicate that combining elective breast surgery with abdominoplasty does not appear to significantly increase the number of major or minor complications.
Full abstract can be read at
http://www.plasreconsurg.com/pt/re/prs/abstract.00006534-200607000-00035.htm;jsessionid=GqDBSB9hyv5rqnddYNLVw2y78BT0H61GBrZ6yd5RTjcmp2zFpnJz!1683421839!181195628!8091!-1
 

Story c/o The Daily Mail

The number of middle-aged men going under the knife in the name of beauty has risen by more than 140 per cent in just five years as they struggle to come to terms with “menopaunch”, reveals a new report.

Men aged over 50 are forking out as much as £3,700 and taking weeks off work to undergo liposuction and other procedures such as eye bag removal (blepharoplasty) in a bid to remove stubborn fat, according to a cosmetic surgery company.

Figures produced by The Harley Medical Group show that liposuction – including work done on the abdomen, flanks, chest and chin areas – accounted for 24 per cent of surgical procedures for 50-something men.

This was followed by blepharoplasty (21%), face lifts (14%), rhinoplasty (11%), tummy tucks (8%), neck lifts (7%), brow lifts (5%), chin implants (3%), otoplasty (2%), chin implants (3%) and otoplasty (2%).

Director of The Harley Medical Group, Liz Dale, said: “The idea of men letting themselves go with increased age is no longer accurate.

“We have seen a dramatic increase in the number of 50-something male patients coming into our clinics. Liposuction is the most popular procedure, accounting for 24 per cent of procedures amongst this group.

“Amount of fat removed can range from 50mls to three litres, or the equivalent of more than six pints.”

Surgeon Patrick Whitfield added: “Males account for a quarter of blepharoplasty procedures at The Harvey Medical Group with 60 per cent of those from the over-50s age group. In many cases, saggy skin around the eye area can add a decade onto a man.

“It’s extremely rewarding seeing a rather conservative 50s-something man, who will have often had his procedure done secretly whilst “on vacation”, bound out of the clinic after his sex-week post-operative check up with a new spring in his step and a glint in his eye.”

However, she stressed that liposuction should only be done for “stubborn fat” and was “not a quick cure for weight gain”.

She added: “Before accepting a patient for treatment, our surgeons will want to be sure that the patient has a healthy lifestyle and is fit for surgery.

“Surgeons will also want to be sure that the patient has taken measures to reduce his weight through fitness and a good, healthy balanced diet.

“Obese patients would most certainly not be operated on.”

23rd July 2007
 

NHS doctors are increasingly under pressure to perform cosmetic surgery for women unhappy with their looks.

New research reveals that surgeons are being cajoled into offering patients thousands of pounds worth of treatment they do not need. It exposes the lengths to which some women go to persuade surgeons to operate on them for nothing – using ploys such as unflattering make-up and clothing.

The study, to be published in the British Journal of Plastic Surgery, finds that surgeons are turning a blind eye to health authority guidelines, justifying the use of treatments only in ” justified cases” because of pressure from patients.

The research team, led by Professor Peter Salmon of the University of Liverpool, found that some surgeons agreed to operate – despite knowing there were no medical grounds – because they could not face the time and misery involved in turning patients down.

The report describes a case in which a 37-year-old woman who demanded breast implants was referred to a psychologist and a psychiatrist, who both concluded she did not need them. Despite this, the surgeon went ahead. Another 27-year-old woman who demanded breast enhancement became so distressed when told a psychologist thought it was inappropriate that the surgeon caved in.

The Department of Health says it is up to health authorities to enforce their own guidelines to prevent overspends.

The top 10 most requested cosmetic surgical procedures on the NHS are
1: Tummy tucks
2: Mole removal
3: Breast enhancement
4: Scar removal
5: Nose job
6: Breast reduction
7: Acne scar removal
8: Correcting breast asymmetry
9: Ear pinned back
10: Removal of bags under eyes

The report states: “Surgeons described feeling pressurised by some patients’ emotional and insistent presentations, and believed some patients contrived their presentation in the attempt to elicit a surgical decision.”

Story courtesy WOAI.com    Jun 23, 2007

More men are turning to botox injections.
For years women have turned to doctors to help them turn back the hands of time and now more than ever before, men are doing it too.
“We’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of men coming in for both surgical and non-surgical procedures. I’d say we’ve seen about a 20 to 30 percent increase in the last two years,” said Dr. Matthew Mingrone, plastic surgeon.
People like Lawrence Deritis are having procedures.
He is 60-years-old.
“I want to look as good as I feel, so that’s important to me,” said Deritis.
He’s had a hair transplant and an eyelid lift to eliminate droopy eyelids.
Now he’s getting botox injections to soften wrinkles around his eyes and forehead.
“Their goals tend to be ‘I want to look vibrant, I want to look young and energetic because I have to compete with 20 and 30-year-old men now,” said Dr. Mingrone
Deritis spent more than seven-thousand dollars on cosmetic procedures and believes they’ve helped him look at least seven years younger.
He also encourages other men to investigate their age busting options.
“I get guys that look at me and go, ‘God I hope I look as good as you do when I get to be your age and I go, you can,’” said Deritis.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports men had one-point-two million cosmetic surgery procedures in 2005.
The most popular procedures were liposuction, nose jobs and eyelid surgeries.

Sunday Times – 17 June 2007-07-02

Breast jobs are more popular than ever, but it’s the middle classes who are the new candidates. Businesswomen, mums, marrieds and over-40s are all getting in on the act, but you wouldn’t know it. Our correspondent reports on the subtle new teardrop shape that gives you back your twentysomething figure

Breast enhancement is now the most common cosmetic-surgery operation in the western world. In Britain, boob jobs have been steadily gaining popularity since the 1960s, but last year the number of operations rose by 30%. The official statistics from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) say that 6,156 breast augmentations were carried out in 2006, but, since many practitioners are not members of BAAPS, experts agree that trebling that figure would give a more accurate picture.
Talk to any surgeon, and they’ll tell you that the reason for the sudden increase is that intelligent, middle-class, thoroughly un-Barbie-ish women want to improve their cleavage – subtly. The women looking for juicier jugs are not dolly birds. They are businesswomen, mums, marrieds, divorcées and well over 30. They don’t want Playboy-bunny, look-at-me tits – they just don’t want pity-me ones. These are women whose beauty icons are Cate Blanchett and Nigella Lawson. They don’t even want new boobs, really; they just want the old ones back. And, these days, they can get them. Changes in the operation have helped: the old-style missiles occurred because the silicone sac (saline was always the other option, but, frankly, not as good) was placed on top of the pectoral muscle. For the latest “teardrop�, Liz Hurley-style shape, you can elect to have the sac placed under the muscle. You can also choose a slightly pendulous silicone sac, to avoid the lap-dancer look.
Rest of article at: http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/beauty/article1913119.ece

Human Face Made Up of Distinct Fat Compartments; Busts Myths About Facial Aging and Anatomy
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., June 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ –
Plastic surgeons are tossing out the old-school belief that gravity is the primary culprit for facial aging. A study in June’s Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery(R), the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), reveals the human face is made up of distinct fat compartments that individually change with age and the degree to which our faces age is dependent, in part, on how these compartments change over time.
“Contrary to popular belief, the human face does not age uniformly,” said Joel Pessa, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and study lead author. “We thought facial fat was one confluent mass that eventually got weighed down by gravity, creating sagging skin. However, we were shocked to find not only is the face made up of individual fat compartments but these compartments gain and lose fat at different rates.”
According to Dr. Pessa, the face is a three-dimensional puzzle with fat partitioned into discrete units around the forehead, eye, cheek and mouth. A youthful face is characterized by a smooth transition between these compartments, but as we get older abrupt contour changes occur between these regions due to volume loss, volume gains, and repositioning of the compartments. These changes lead to tell-tale signs of facial aging such as sagging or hollowed skin and wrinkles.
With this breakthrough, plastic surgeons will be able to more accurately pinpoint trouble areas and use injectable fillers to add volume to individual sections of the face, creating a more effective way to turn back the clock.
According to the study, this discovery may also benefit cancer and trauma patients who require reconstructive plastic surgery. The authors uncovered that the individual fat compartments have boundaries between them that act like fences. These fences allow the face to maintain its blood supply should it become injured. This anatomical discovery may allow for better results for reconstructive plastic surgery patients. In addition, plastic surgeons can begin to use this new way of thinking to better understand facial deformities, such as cleft lips and vessel tumors.
“Much of facial anatomy remains a mystery,” said Dr. Pessa. “This discovery will undoubtedly play a role in how we view aging and how we approach facial reconstructive plastic surgery.”

http://sev.prnewswire.com/health-care-hospitals/20070614/DCTH06314062007-1.html
CATEGORY:  FACELIFT

Date Released: 06/18/2007    

MyCosmeticSurgeryBlog.com, an authoritative, informative and open forum for those looking for frank, straightforward answers on the risks and benefits of cosmetic plastic surgery is now available to everyone

NewImage.com, the ultimate online destination for personal image enhancement solutions, launches MyCosmeticSurgeryBlog.com in a joint effort with cosmetic surgery and patient education advocate, Marianne Guarena. Reliable information, emotional support, commitment, and education are the “invisible� arms that prepare consumers for a successful “aesthetic journey.� Undergoing cosmetic surgery is not a decision that people take lightly. Various reasons go into the consideration of any cosmetic or elective surgery, and the process is one that isn’t necessarily consumer-friendly. MyCosmeticSurgeryBlog.com is here to provide consumer-friendly, informative and emotional support within a forum that will open the lines of communication with the public through real-life experience, honest answers, and advice.
“Having plastic surgery is exciting, scary, and fulfilling all at the same time. It not only can change how other people see you … but how you see yourself—inside and out,� says Marianne Guarena. Cosmetic surgery information is available through many sources, but finding someone with the personal experience and honesty to be frank about the experience, including its risks and benefits, is very difficult to find. By sharing her plastic surgery before-and-after experiences, the medical knowledge she gained, her passion about plastic surgery, and the latest cosmetic surgery procedures and news, Marianne is looking forward to providing those interested with friendly and emotional support and honest advice throughout the entire “aesthetic journey.�
The goal of MyCosmeticSurgeryBlog.com is for everyone to walk away as informed as they can be, and to get an honest idea of what may be in store for them should they choose to undergo a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure. It’s like getting advice from a knowledgeable friend……………………………………………….. Read more at:
http://www.fastpitchnetworking.com/pressrelease.cfm?PRID=11806

[14-01-2007] By Ian Willoughby  -  Radio Prague
 Around a month ago I was sitting in a café on Manesova Street, near the centre of Prague, when in walked a small blonde woman of about 40 and sat down at the table beside me. One doesn’t like to stare of course, but she appeared to have two black eyes covered with slender strips of plaster. Minutes later another woman, a brunette, walked in wearing big, dark sunglasses and with a bandage on her nose. They both spoke with broad Geordie accents and I couldn’t help but wonder about them. Were they friends united in misery who had escaped violent partners in England for a quiet weekend in Prague?
 But then the penny dropped. A colleague had conducted interviews with UK clients – is patients the right word for those who undergo non-necessary surgery? – who stay in hotels and luxury flats on the street before and after their procedures. Overheard snippets of conversation touching on operating times confirmed they were not battered brides. The blonde’s freshly unhooded eyes and her pal’s new nose may even have been an early Christmas present from their partners.
Just a few days ago the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) strongly protested against a lottery launched in the UK in which the prize was free cosmetic surgery performed in Prague. The competition was held by one of a number of British firms which facilitate cosmetic surgery in the Czech Republic.
It seems BAAPS’s protest had nothing to do with a fear of losing clients to eastern European rivals. They said marketing tricks like lotteries had no place in medicine, and they would be just as strongly opposed if the prize operation were to be performed in Britain itself.
But why are the competition’s organisers and other agencies bringing their clients to Prague? For two main reasons it seems. Nips and tucks in the Czech capital cost British people around a third of what they would cost them at home. And apparently Czech plastic surgeons have acquired a reputation in the UK for professionalism. (By the way, there is quite a history of cosmetic surgery in this country: Professor Frantisek Burian, who established a chair of plastic surgery at Prague’s Charles University in 1938, is regarded as one of the fathers of modern plastic surgery.)
Cheap flights from regional centres all around the UK are also a factor: groups of beery lads on stag weekends aren’t the only beneficiaries of the budget airline boom.