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Dr. Nichter Receives the RealSelf 100 Award

Posted on April 15, 2013

RealSelf 100 AwardDr. Larry Nichter receives honor for his dedication to education on RealSelf, the world’s largest consumer source for cosmetic surgery information.

Newport Beach – Dr. Larry Nichter has been named one of 100 doctors to be included in the RealSelf 100, out of more than 5,000 Board-Certified plastic surgeons, dermatologists and licensed cosmetic dentists. The award from RealSelf, the world’s largest consumer source for cosmetic surgery information is granted to Dr. Nichter for his commitment to ensuring millions of consumers make informed decisions about cosmetic procedures.

Dr. Nichter is a plastic surgeon at the Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery in Orange County, California. He is one of few surgeons to be named in all three peer review publications: Top Doctors, Super Doctors, and Best Doctors. He is also Chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery at Hoag Hospital, Newport Beach, and is the president and founder of the Plasticos Foundation.

Through participation on RealSelf, Dr. Nichter is helping prospective patients make confident decisions about cosmetic procedures they are researching. He has consistently earned top reviews from patients on RealSelf.com.

In addition, Dr. Nichter offers his professional expertise to the RealSelf community, having answered more than 1,600 questions for free since joining RealSelf last year.

Dr. Nichter and Plasticos Foundation featured in Boston University Article

Posted on March 26, 2013

Dr. Larry Nichter and the Plasticos Foundation have been featured in an article on the Boston University website.

The article highlighted Plasticos Foundation’s work in Laos, and in particular the story of a 14-year-old girl who was able to walk again thanks to the team’s efforts. Importantly, the article described how disfigurements and birth defects often lead to social exclusion. Thus the Plasticos team’s work improves not only the patient’s physical well-being but gives them a new life by providing them with social acceptance.

The featured trip was on January 2009, and provided 95 patients with much-needed reconstructive surgery. However, this is just one of many Plasticos missions. Previous and subsequent missions have included Cuba, India, Armenia, and Cambodia.

Also emphasized in the article was the Plasticos Foundation’s “teach a man to fish” philosophy. The team not only performs surgeries but also trains local doctors and nurses to continue this work even after the Plasticos team has left. Dr. Nichter is quoted in the article:

When I went back to Vietnam, for instance, I asked someone I trained three years previously how many cleft lips he had done, and he said, ‘Oh, about a thousand.’ He performed more in three years than I’ll probably do in my lifetime. That is humbling and gratifying.”

The full text of the article is available on Boston University’s website.

More information on the Plasticos Foundation is available on its website.

New FDA Approved Silicone Natrelle 410 Breast Implants

Posted on February 21, 2013

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new “gummy bear” silicone breast implant. The implants, whose official title is Natrelle 410 Highly Cohesive Anatomically Shaped Silicone-Gel Filled Breast Implants, are made by Allergan.

Image: FDA

The implants underwent seven years of research involving 941 women. The FDA’s conclusion from all this data is that the new silicone breast implants are safe and effective. The implants are now available for increasing breast size in women at least 22 years old, and for rebuilding breast tissue (reconstruction) in women of any age.

The approval comes with the condition that Allergan must continue post-approval research for five more years to ensure the safety and efficacy of the Natrelle 410 silicone breast implants. This does not mean that the safety of these implants is particularly in question, but rather reflects the high standards that medical devices of all kinds must meet to be approved in the United States.

The introduction of the Natrelle 410 silicone breast implant to the market is the most significant new approval since Sientra’s highly cohesive silicone gel implants last year. In the pipeline and hopefully soon to be FDA approved and released will be the innovative double-lumen saline Ideal Implant® with the feel of silicone but the safety of a saline implant. This alternative to traditional silicone breast implants is and will be available at the Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery.

Despite three decades of safety testing and monitoring of silicone breast implants, there is still a public perception that silicone breast implants are more toxic or dangerous than saline implants. The truth is that there has no known toxicity from silicone gel breast implants. In fact, silicone is one of the most common materials used in medical devices and implants. Read this article on the safety of silicone gel breast implants by Dr. Nichter for more information.

Dr. Larry Nichter is proud to offer the new Natrelle 410 silicone gel breast implant at the Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery. As board certified plastic surgeons with the highest qualifications, Dr. Nichter offers his patients the most advanced breast implants with confidence in their safety and performance.

Additional source: US FDA

Larry Nichter, MD receives Boston University Award

Posted on October 16, 2012

Larry Nichter, MD was honored by receiving the Boston University CGS 60th Anniversary Alumni Achievement Award on September 29, 2012.

Only two such awards were given. Dr. Nichter also was inducted to the Boston University Collegium of Distinguished Alumni for the College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts. This is the highest university alumni accolade and was presented to Dr. Nichter by the American Ambassador to China, also a BU graduate.

From the Boston University website:

Dr. Lawrence Nichter (CGS ’71, CAS ’73, MED ’78) is from a BU family.  Besides his mother receiving her Doctorate of Education, his sister, Susan, received degrees from the College of Fine Arts. Larry attended CGS, CLA and BUSM. Currently he is a Clinical Professor of Plastic Surgery at USC and UCI, Chairman, Department of Plastic Surgery at one of the largest hospital departments in the world, and President and Founder of Plasticos Foundation. The latter is a Non-profit institution that trains surgeons while repairing children’s deformities worldwide. He has been on 60 oversees missions thus far and a documentary about one of his trips won an Academy Award. Every institution that Lawrence Nichter has received a degree from has distinguished him with special honors including University of Virginia presenting an annual research award in his name, UCLA giving him an outstanding resident award, and BU College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts presenting him with an outstanding alumni award in 2009.

Women’s Rights for Breast Reconstruction Following Mastectomy

Posted on September 5, 2012
The Federal Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 is still the law today.
Under the federal Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, a yearly notification
of your benefits pertaining to breast reconstruction must be sent to you by your insurance company.
The Women’s Health Care Act states that benefits must be provided for:
  • Reconstruction of a surgically removed breast
  • Surgery and reconstrcution of the other breast to produce a symmetrical appearance
  • Prostheses and treatment for physical complications from all stages of a mastectomy, including lymphedema
These benefits are subject to the conditions and terms of your plan, including maximum benefit amounts, deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance provisions. The benefits are subject to your plan’s exclusions and limitations.

Ideal Breast Implant feels more natural, new study finds

Posted on August 29, 2012

Women wanting breast augmentation have until now faced a dilemma: a choice between safer but less natural-feeling saline implants, and more natural-feeling silicone implants which are perceived to come with health risks.

The Ideal Implant®, a new breast implant soon to be made available to the public, promises to change all of this. The Ideal Breast Implant is a saline implant with the natural feel of a silicone implant made possible by its innovative double-lumen design. This design consists of a series of nested shells which control the flow of liquid inside the implants, giving them a more realistic feel than standard saline implants.

The Ideal Implant has completed its two-year trials with stunning results. Of the 472 women who came in for two-year follow-up examinations, patient satisfaction for those who received the Ideal Implant as their first implants was 94.3%. Satisfaction among women who received Ideal Implants as replacements for their previous ones was 92.3%. Surgeon satisfaction with the results was also high (96.5% for primary implants and 93.4% for replacements).

Dr. Larry Nichter, one of the surgeons assessing the new implants for the FDA, comments very favorably on the new breast implants in a press release by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery:

“The two-year clinical data from this study show that the Ideal Implant may provide a good alternative to current saline- or even silicone gel-filled implants. One of our most significant and unexpected findings was the low rate of capsular contracture for the investigational, double-lumen implant compared to current single-lumen saline implants.”

The Ideal Implant’s two-year statistics for capsular contracture were better than those for regular saline implants at one year, and none of the small number of deflations were caused by shell fold flaws.

As a further guarantee of quality and safety, the Ideal Implant will only be available through plastic surgeons who are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, which is the only plastic surgery board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. This means that women who choose the Ideal Implant will automatically be choosing from among the best plastic surgeons in the United States.

To receive updates about the ideal implant or to be placed on Dr. Nichter’s waiting list for the procedure, please contact our office using the form below.

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Exparel: Loger-lasting Local Anesthetic

Posted on July 11, 2012

Dr. Nichter is pleased to announce that the long-lasting local anesthetic Exparel® will soon be available to his patients at the Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery.

Essentially Exparel is a very long-acting local anesthetic that has just been released. It lasts approximately 3 or more days following injection. This is the same length of time that a pain pump lasts and will therefore take the place of a pain pump. This means patients can enjoy the same effect of a pain pump, but without any catheters and no pain pump to carry around.

Exparel will be available for those concerned about minimizing discomfort after surgeries such as tummy tuck and breast augmentation.

Exparel costs the same as a pain pump and produces the same result but with less hassle.

From Exparel’s fact sheet:

To help control your pain after surgery, your surgeon injected EXPAREL into your surgical incision just before the end of the procedure.

  • EXPAREL is a local analgesic that contains the local anesthetic bupivacaine. Local anesthetics provide pain relief by numbing the tissue around the surgical site.
  • EXPAREL is specifically designed to release pain medication over time and can control pain for up to 72 hours.
  • In addition to EXPAREL, your surgeon may provide other pain medications to control your pain.
  • Each patient is different and responds differently to pain medication. Depending on how you respond to EXPAREL, you may require less additional pain medication during your recovery.

[...]

When your pain is under control, your body can better focus on healing. This is not the time to test your pain tolerance, or grin and bear it.Work with your surgeon and nurse to make your recovery as speedy and pain-free as possible.

  • Follow the post-op orders your nurse gave you.
  • Eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of water. Surgery stresses your body; your body responds by needing more energy to heal

Image Source: Exparel Efficacy Page

Stretch Marks, Pre-Wedding Procedures, Melting Fat: ASPS Plastic Surgery Update

Posted on June 12, 2012

Dr. Larry Nichter would like to share this video update from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) with his readers. The ASPS is an exclusive society of board-certified plastic surgeons and a trusted source of information about plastic surgery.

Highlights include:

  • Men are seeking laser procedures to lighten stretch marks after weight loss. ASPS’ data indicate that more men are seeking cosmetic procedures; 1.2 million procedures were done on men last year, up 6% from the previous year.
  • Brides-to-be are also seeking to perfect their look before the big day, with Latisse Eyelash Extension leading the trends, followed by Botox, Microdermabrasion, dermal fillers, and cool sculpting.
  • A new device which melts fat away with ultrasound has gained FDA approval. This non-invasive fat-reduction technique is effective for certain patients, but is not a substitute for real liposuction.

The Most Popular Plastic Surgery Procedures 2011

Posted on April 9, 2012

Dr. Larry Nichter would like to make blog readers aware of new statistical information about plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures in the United States.

The number of cosmetic surgical procedures in America increased by 1% in 2011, the statistical survey by the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery has shown. Over 1.6 million such procedures were done in the United States last year.

In the fifteen years since the survey began (1997), the overall number of cosmetic procedures done in the United States has increased 197%.

Liposuction was shown to be the most popular procedure. Two breast surgeries—augmentation and lift—were among the top five most popular cosmetic surgeries:

  • Liposuction — 325,332 procedures
  • Breast augmentation — 316,848 procedures
  • Abdominoplasty — 149,410 procedures
  • Eyelid surgery — 147,540 procedures
  • Breast Lift — 127,054 procedures

The survey also showed a 2% decrease in the number of nonsurgical procedures, although 7.5 million such procedures were performed (constituting 82% of all cosmetic procedures).

  • Botulinum Toxin Type A — 2,619,739 procedures
  • Hyaluronic acid — 1,206,186 procedures
  • Laser Hair Removal — 919,802 procedures
  • Microdermabrasion — 499,427 procedures
  • IPL Laser Treatment — 439,161 procedures

An analysis on the society’s website attributed this growth to the aging of the Baby Boomer generation as well as their children.

Some other interesting findings from the survey include:

  • 91% of all cosmetic procedures were done on women (8.4 million procedures). This is a 208% increase over the last 15 years.
  • Of the 800,000 men who had cosmetic surgery in 2011, the most popular procedures were liposuction, rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, breast reduction (for gynecomastia), and facelift.
  • About $10 billion was spent on cosmetic procedures in the United States, and of that $6.2 billion was spent on surgical procedures, the rest was spent on nonsurgical procedures such as injectables, skin rejuvenation, and laser hair removal.

Source: Babbitt, Adeena. “Celebrating 15 Years of Trustworthy Plastic Surgery Statistics.” ASAPS.