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Women under 50 benefit most from maintenance facelift

Patients under 50 years old have a consistently higher rate of satisfaction with their facelift results than patients over 50, a new study from California Pacific Medical Center has found. This study was conducted by Dr. Tom Liu and Dr. John Owsley, who compared short- and long-term satisfaction ratings of patients in under-50, 50–60, and over-50 age groups. The doctors also factored in expert analysis of patient photographs for a more objective analysis of surgical results.

The findings are consistent with previous research as well as the experience of most surgeons.

The study concluded: “Younger patients (younger than 50 years) with mild or early signs of facial aging have the highest and most consistent satisfaction and the most natural long-term results.”

The study also concluded that younger patients are ideal candidates for what is called a maintenance lift or maintenance facelift. The reason is that patients under 50, essentially because their skin is younger, will have a better result that will last longer than it will if they choose to have surgery later. Furthermore, their results will look better in the long-term.

If you’re under 50 and would like to find out if a maintenance lift would be the ideal option for you, call our office at (949) 832-7501 to book a consultation.

Dr. Nichter would like to assure patients over 50 that they can still get dramatic and highly satisfying facelift results. The Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery has numerous video testimonials from patients over 50 about their LiteLift™ surgery.

Source: Aesthetic Surgery Institute, California Pacific Medical Center

The importance of choosing a qualified plastic surgeon

American Board of Plastic Surgery

Last month’s news covered a slew of patients turning to illegal cosmetic surgery practices, many of them unaware of the dangers in being treated by someone not licensed to practice medicine.

Dr. Larry Nichter of the Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery would like to make prospective patients aware of the dangers of having surgery with someone who is not a surgeon. Patients can risk not only a bad result, but their health or their lives in the hands of someone who is not a licensed and certified plastic surgeon.

In Las Vegas last month, 55-year-old Jing Qu was arrested for operating an underground cosmetic surgery practice. The makeshift operating room was discovered when a neighbor knocked on the door and got a look inside. The woman Qu was performing a facial surgery on could have gone blind. Qu is in jail and is charged with two counts of practicing medicine without a license.

In a highly publicized case, Oneal Ron Morris was arrested in Miami—also for practicing medicine without a license. A woman came to Morris, who was actually posing as a real doctor, seeking buttock enhancement surgery. Morris filled her buttocks with cement, mineral oil, and flat-tire sealant. The truth about the victim’s surgery came to light when she went to the hospital with severe abdominal pains and sores on her buttocks.

There has also been an increasing trend of illegal buttock silicone injections. Plastic surgeons no longer use injectable silicone in any procedures today because of the health risks it poses. Underground practitioners often use silicone purchased from home improvement stores. Kimberly D. Smedley, of Atlanta, was arrested in Washington in October this year for injecting silicone into the buttocks of exotic dancers in a Baltimore hotel.

Many of these patients-turned-victims opted for an underground practice for financial reasons. But these patients often end up paying even more than they would have for a legitimate surgery; the illegal procedures leave them with serious medical problems that require expensive treatment. The risk they take with their health and their lives is not worth it.

At the Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery, our doctors are the polar opposite of the criminals in these news stories. Dr. Nichter is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the highest standard of certification for plastic surgeons. They stand among the most experienced and talented surgeons in the country.

To become a board-certified plastic surgeon, a doctor has to not only complete medical school and a residency, but also a plastic surgery-specific residency as well as intensive further education. In addition, doctors must keep up to date on the latest medical research and techniques in their field.

At the Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery you can expect the highest standard for surgical procedures and medical care.

Women over 50 more prone to complications

Dr. Nichter at the Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery would like to make his patients aware of the results of new medical research.

A new study from Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions has shown that women over 50 years old are more prone to complications—especially infections—following breast reduction surgery.

The study, which involved 1,192 women of various ages, showed that the infection rate in women over 50 was 2.7 times higher than for women under 40.

The cause of this trend is thought to be the changes in hormone levels that occur naturally with age. Infections were found to be less likely in women undergoing hormone replacement therapy. Women who had undergone surgeries like hysterectomy, which cause drops in hormone levels, had higher infection rates.

Women over 50 also showed a slightly increased rate of wound healing problems.

With this new knowledge, Dr. Nichter at Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery can provide the best post-operative care for our over-50 female patients so that they can avoid complications and infections.

Liposuction may lower your risk of heart disease

Patients who have had liposuction or liposuction with abdominoplasty may be likely to experience a reduction in their triglyceride levels, making them less susceptible to cardiovascular disease.

These findings were the result of a new study of 322 fat-reduction patients (270 women and 52 men). The review of the data found that the triglyceride levels of many of these individuals dropped from dangerous levels to normal ones.

Medscape Medical News interviewed a plastic surgeon involved in the study:

“Patients with normal triglyceride levels experienced no significant change after liposuction. […] However, patients with levels of greater than 150 mg/dL demonstrated a 43% reduction. In fact, 62% of these patients whose levels were at risk before liposuction had normal levels after liposuction.”

Triglyceride levels over 150 mg/dL are considered a risk factor for stroke, type 2 diabetes, and a host of other medical problems.

From the same article:

“We do know that the drop in triglyceride levels we found in these patients actually exceeded what can be accomplished medically, so it may be that there is a therapeutic benefit.”

Doctor Nichter is one of the most experienced, well-trained plastic surgeons in the United States. With 27 years of experience in liposuction, education in the latest techniques, and a multitude of satisfied patients, Dr. Nichter is the trusted choice when it comes to fat-removal procedures.

Source: Does Liposuction Offer More Than A Cosmetic Benefit? Medscape Medical News

California bans use of tanning beds by minors

Ultraviolet tanning bed

Governor Jerry Brown has signed a new bill into law which will prohibit the use of ultraviolet tanning beds by people under the age of 18 in California.

California is the first state to ban minors from using tanning beds. The law is intended to protect minors from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light, especially the associated increased risk of skin cancer.

“Skin cancer is a rising epidemic and the leading cause of cancer death for women between 25 and 29,” said the bill’s sponsor, state Senator Ted Lieu.

The new law goes into effect January 1, 2012.

Information and quote from State bans use of tanning beds by minors –Reuters