The Cosmetic Surgery Blog

While we're led to believe that people are lining up for cosmetic surgery across the world, the fact is that the percentage is still small. Celebrity fascination comes with the obligatory "did they or didn't they" question, answered by a panel of media savvy cosmetic surgeons who give their expert opinion. Maybe because it's so in our face (pun intended) that it seems like everyone and, quite literally, their mother is going under the knife. However, one of the implied numbers in those who track cosmetic surgical procedures by groups like the ASPS, is those of people who are going back in for a second or third surgery. Some procedures may require an additional surgery, such as liposuction or abdominoplasty. Some are supposed to be a one-time thing. Like rhinoplasty.

With the growing number of cosmetic surgeons and their patients come unintended consequences of a market with serious potential. Because people want these procedures, but may not have the money to go to someone reputable, they will seek out whomever can do it on the cheap. Life-long injury and death are oftentimes part of this saga. What is required in this case is an additional visit to the very cosmetic surgeon they should have gone to in the first place who then has to correct mistakes. Because of this, one of the procedures we may hear more of is "revision rhinoplasty." This is performed on patients who have had previous rhinoplasty jobs that were either botched or because the patient injured his or her self during the healing period. Many times the patient is simply unhappy with the results. Aesthetic appeal is one thing, but what about nasal function? Sometimes breathing can become difficult after receiving a rhinoplasty. Sometimes scar tissue builds up after a rhinoplasty and this needs to be fixed.

Rhinoplasty can be a difficult procedure to begin with, but a revision rhinoplasty is even harder on both cosmetic surgeon and patient. This is because a graft may be needed to correct the problem, and the graft needs to come from another part of the body, such as rib or ear cartilage, and even tissue from the scalp.

Restructuring the cartilage of the nose can be done if there is a "bump" in the nose. However, if there is a lack, or depression of tissue, then this cartilage must be obtained from somewhere else on the body. If there are problems with the tip of the nose where it looks collapsed or "pinched," then it is almost better to have something called "reverse rhinoplasty." In this case the cartilage is brought back to its original position, and contoured for aesthetics and functionality.

Technology

Even if people want to correct their rhinoplasty, they may not want to get further surgery. Minor imperfections can be fixed with injectable fillers like Radiesse or Restylane. Of course, these imperfections will need to be retouched every year or so as the filler's usefulness diminishes. One of the newer techniques used by some cosmetic surgeons is the use of saline injections. Again, this is used for those who wish to correct minor imperfections.

Because a revision rhinoplasty is done to correct or fix problems, the expectations of how the nose might look are diminished a bit. Moving cartilage and tissue around can only be done so much before you begin to look like Michael Jackson. (Side note: Don't expect a cosmetic surgeon to automatically give you another rhinoplasty if you've had more than one already. Psychological issues are looked at closely by reputable cosmetic surgeons.)

Unfortunately, a small percentage of rhinoplasty recipients will need further surgery no matter who their cosmetic surgeon is. Healing takes time, and there are those a little too eager to show off their new nose before its ready. Bumping the nose while it is healing is not uncommon. But there are those where the healing just isn't going well. Having their noses looked after again is almost a foregone conclusion.

If you have gone overseas or stayed stateside and visited a cosmetic surgeon who made things worse by damaging your nose, you might want to consider revision rhinoplasty. Do your homework and be honest about why you feel you need another rhinoplasty. If you would like more information about this procedure, please contact an experienced cosmetic surgeon in your area.

It's been said before, and it will be said again: Good looks go far. This idea appeared many years ago when cosmetic surgery wasn't so widespread due to its cost and that not many people were getting it. However, it's been a subconscious belief forever, and has been studied by anthropologists, sociologists, scientists from a bevy of fields, as well as politicians. The well-coiffed and beautiful get further in life.

Now, according to a U.S. News & World Report article, more people may be thinking about the nip and the tuck to get ahead in their careers. The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) states in their research that last year, two-thirds of their members reported men and women who thought they might get ahead in their careers with cosmetic surgery. Has the workforce become that competitive? Apparently. It is reported that men in finance are more likely to want cosmetic surgery to look younger. A marine headed to law school took out $25,000 so he can look good that first day of his first year. (Because law is all about perception, anyway, we guess.) Employees are supposedly more likely to work harder if they find their boss good-looking, and supervisors are more "credible and persuasive" if they are attractive.

Gordon Patzer, who wrote the book Looks: Why They Matter More Than You Ever Imagined states that improving your appearance, is "a good investment for the workplace." However, he states that having a higher education might make you more attractive than others in some people's eyes, and that we can't simply forget eating well, dressing well, and working out. Certainly these are important things to remember. Yet, cosmetic surgery also makes the list of things to consider. Patzer claims he doesn't really care for the results of his research, but doesn't believe our perceptions of beauty will change any time soon. And, like education and clothes, cosmetic surgery will become a common "tool" to advance your career.

While some may shake their heads and claim that it's a shame people think they need cosmetic surgery, like rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, hair transplants, or even breast augmentation to get ahead, how many of them spent twice as much time worrying about what they looked like at their job interview, as well as sizing up their potential co-workers? Dress is one thing, but as hairless apes that are a little more advanced than other creatures, we tend to try to separate ourselves from a biologic imperative: the good looking are the ones we are attracted to, and the ones we wished we looked like. Still, does that mean we deserve a raise?

If you are interested in advancing your career through cosmetic surgery, please contact an experienced cosmetic surgeon in your area.

A recent CNN article says that an Iranian official believes the importation of Western toys has serious destructive consequences, especially for Iranian culture and society. While Batman, Spiderman, and Harry Potter toys are bad, the worst is Barbie. There has been a ten year campaign against Barbie by the Iranian government, but they're apparently "alarmed" at the rate of Western dolls showing up in shops across the country.

According to Iranian Prosecutor General Ghorban Ali Dori Najafabadi, who issued the latest warning, Iran is the world's third largest importer of toys and states that smuggling imports of Western toys is a threat to the "identity" of the new generation. The main issue, of course, is that Iran a nation whose Islamic fundamentalist government seems to despise everything American, is dealing with Barbie dolls who wear bathing suits and miniskirts. This is the country where women have to wear headscarves in public, where modesty between the sexes is not only encouraged, but enforced, and like to call us "The Great Satan." The illegal importation of Barbie isn't going to help our image much.

There are two semi-interesting reasons about this story, which link to its appearance here:

First, in this country, Barbie has become not only the toy du jour of little sisters everywhere, but an American mainstay. It's right up there with mom, the 4^th of July, and apple pie. And, thanks to the advent of cosmetic surgery, there are women walking around who look a lot like Barbie might if she were a real person (here is an example). And, what may be worse for parents, traditional values, et cet, is that there are really young girls who want to be Barbie when they grow up (that is, look exactly like her).

Now, imagine a country where thousands of young Persian girls who will have a forced conservative upbringing look at Barbie's blue eyes, blonde hair, as well as her figure, and decide they don't want to look Iranian anymore. It's easy for us in the Western world to say there's no problem with this - if that's how they want to look, it's their business (and, by the way, Barbie is a toy). However, the Iranian government - and, we must stress here, not all the people of the country - officially hate us (unofficially is another question). They can't have the next generation growing up wanting to look blond and blue-eyed, and thinking Westerners must be all right since some of our women remind them of Barbie. The Iranian answer to this "Trojan horse"? Dara and Sara. Alas, this 2002 ploy failed as the Barbie dolls continued to sell.

Here's the second reason: Iran has been labeled the nose job capital of the world. No kidding. It beats out Beverly Hills, California for this honor. And it's both men and women having the rhinoplasty. There are whole families of rich Iranians who get nose jobs, and it isn't something to be ashamed of over there while it continues to raise eyebrows over here. Yet it isn't only nose jobs Iranians are getting. It is face lifts and eye lid procedures, too. However, it isn't only the rich who visit their local cosmetic surgeon. Those clerics who decide what people can wear, watch, act like, and more are occasionally also customers.

While it has been reported that Iranians are flocking to the huge number (around 3000 in Tehran alone) of cosmetic surgeons in order to look more like Westerners, it has also been reported that so many women get rhinoplasty because their nose is the only part of their body that can be seen peeking out of their robes. Then there are the Iranians who say, "Everyone would love to have a more beautiful face." Sounds like something an American would say, don't you think?

While the physical differences between those of Persian descent and European descent are obvious, the fact that both groups are flocking to cosmetic surgeons to enhance or change the way they look for many of the same reasons may show that we're more similar than our governments and our media would like for us to believe.

If you are interested in how rhinoplasty can enhance your own features, please contact an experienced cosmetic surgeon in your area.

Forget the stories about Paris Hilton swearing she'll never get breast augmentation and Kate Beckingsale swearing she's never had it. Those stories are tame compared to what's the new Flavor of the Week.

In a children's book, aimed at four to seven year olds, a mother tries to reassure her daughter about why she's getting a tummy tuck, breast augmentation (implied by the pictures showing the mother's breasts change from the beginning to the end), and nose job. These are all part of the "mommy makeover."

Written by a Florida board-certified cosmetic surgeon named Michael Salzhuaer, My Beautiful Mommy is advertised as a way to explain to young kids why their mom 1) is coming home bruised and bandaged, 2) will look different, and 3) why the mommy makeover was necessary in the first place. Dr. Salzhuaer states that it was written in response to witnessing kids coming into the office with their mothers when they were looking into having cosmetic surgery. The book has the typical text written for young kids, as well as pictures of what has been described as a mother shaped like a Barbie doll, and a doctor ("Dr. Michael") who looks a little like Superman. By the end of the book, the daughter is pleased with the fact that her mom looks "even more" beautiful.

Helpful or Hurtful?

Some mothers have found the book to be helpful. One mother, Gabriela Acosta, saw the manuscript when she went to talk to Salzhauer. She didn't know how to explain to her son what was going to happen to her. Acosta states that it helped her son move from scared to excited.

President of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Richard D'Amico, gives the book mixed reviews. On the one hand, the believes that the book lets prospective patients know that there is a way to tell their kids what's going on - if they choose to tell their kids anything. On the other hand, he believes the breasts of the mother look "overdone." Most mothers, he claims, are only looking for restoration. He apparently had no comment on Super Doctor Michael's picture.

Those who find the book problematic include both the popular blog sites www.feministing.com and www.huffingtonpost.com. Along with these sites, and their readers, others are wondering, why, on God's green earth, is there a book being marketed to children about cosmetic surgery? While some find the book a little funny, others seem to be appalled. The central argument is wondering why children as young as four-years-old should know about these procedures. The counterargument being, isn't it better to explain to children why their mothers are resting for a few days, seem a little groggy, and might look different than ignore it? Well, sure, we'll buy that.

Yet, perhaps cosmetic surgery's media fascination has jumped the shark. We're already inundated with who-is-getting-what-done all the time. We're told teens are getting cosmetic surgery at a (seemingly) astronomical rate. There are stories about 13-year-olds who want breast augmentation for their birthdays, mothers who tell their kids they may have to consider these things to get ahead in the future, and now a book explaining this to kids who have just begun their education.

Appalling? Perhaps. Genius? Eh. Sign of the times? Definitely.

But, once upon a time, a book called Where Do I Come From? appeared so that parents could read to their kids a nice, non-scientific, un-pornographic description of sex. There might have been biology and facts of life there, and it's certainly more natural than cosmetic surgery. But in the end, isn't it a mother's prerogative to wonder about cosmetic surgery? After all, it's the kid's fault their mom needs a mommy makeover in the first place.

If you are interested in mommy makeovers or other cosmetic surgery procedures, please contact an experienced cosmetic surgeon in your area.

You may have heard the recent stories about Pricilla Presley and others who went to a cosmetic surgeon they thought would give them legitimate procedures, only to have him pump them full of what can only be described as Argentine motor oil. Some of it was actually high-grade silicone, but the rest was a product used for lubricating car parts in Argentina. That doctor, Daniel Serrano, who has since been dubbed "Dr. Jiffy Lube," was imprisoned when this was uncovered. While the media went ballistic over it a couple weeks ago, this actually occurred "years ago," according to Presley's agent.

Trouble in the Philippines

While the Presley story is bad, especially since she's not the only one Serrano got to, what was going on in Iloilo City, Philippines is almost worse. The Philippines has been reported to be one of the world's fastest growing places to get cheap cosmetic surgery. In fact, it's been said that cosmetic surgery is one of the Philippines "growing industries." As a result, illegal cosmetic surgery practice is booming there, too.

In Iloilo City, one of the cities where this multi-billion dollar industry is going on, a charlatan of the Nth degree has been practicing cosmetic surgery without even having a medical degree for years. What's a bit more theatrical than this is that he wears a surgical mask at all times, so no one can identify him. He goes by the names Eugene De Rossa, Dr. De Rosa, or Dr. Eugene Dela Rossi. What's interesting, and a little disturbing, is that many of his patients knew he wasn't a legitimate doctor. To add to his legend, he is rumored to have practiced in other cities around the Philippines. He seems to be a sort of Keyser Soze character.

Botched Nose Jobs

Dr. De Rossa/Rosa/Dela Rossi is reported to have botched nose jobs and practiced inside hotel rooms. The hotels comped him for years, allegedly because he was treating the "high society" of Iloilo City. This all ended when the hotels grew tired of cleaning out trash cans full of bloodied gauze and cotton balls.

One patient from Ilongga went to the "doctor" to have the bags beneath her eyes done, and was convinced by a friend to get a nose job as well. For the first three days, she says was fine. However, the tenth day saw her nose begin to swell and become infected. A Japanese cosmetic surgeon who she turned to said it looked like she had been injected with a glue gun instead of silicone.

After-Effects

The Iloilo Medical Society is warning the public about the "doctor" and is reminding people that only those with cosmetic surgical training should be performing these procedures.

The rise of cheap surgery in many countries has brought in many people looking for procedures that may be out of their price range in the States or Europe. However, is this cheap price tag worth the risks? Some of these doctors may be cut from the same cloth "Dr. Rossi" is, and do not have their patient's welfare in mind when they are performing in dingy basements, hotel rooms, or other back alley butchers. Think about this tale before you decide to go overseas for your cosmetic surgery.

If you are interested in any cosmetic surgical procedure, please contact an experienced cosmetic surgeon in your area.

Luiz Carlos Ribeiro pleaded guilty in the death of 24-year-old Fabiola DePaula in Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge, Massachusetts on Tuesday, and was sentenced to three years in prison. DePaula went to Ribeiro for a nose job on July 27^th, and returned for liposuction three days later. An autopsy showed DePaula died of complications, namely pulmonary fat emboli (fat in the lungs).

Ribeiro is accused of conducting underground cosmetic surgery out of the home of Ana Celia Pena Sielemann. He allegedly performed Botox injections, rhinoplasty, and liposuction for years in Framingham where there is a large Brazilian immigrant community. Cosmetic surgery is popular among the women here. However, Ribeiro did not have a license to practice medicine in this country. He also allegedly performed DePaula's procedure on a massage table in unsanitary conditions. There was no qualified professional there to monitor DePaula's vital signs.

Ribeiro's ex-wife, Ana Maria Miranda Ribeiro, admitted she acted as a nurse during Depaula's liposuction and pleaded guilty to manslaughter in September. She was deported after serving a one year sentence. Sielemann, the homeowner, was charged as an accessory. She allegedly recruited the women Ribeiro performed cosmetic surgery on. She was deported before she could be brought to trial.

Ribeiro has already served 20 months in prison since his arrest. He may be eligible for release in January 2009, and will likely be deported when he is released.

A Cautionary Tale

Fabiola DePaula went to a dingy Massachusetts basement to get a procedure she thought would improve her looks and her life. This decision killed her.

It would be nice to know that Ribeiro is the only basement cosmetic surgeon in the country, and that his imprisonment has solved this problem. However, where there's one, there are several more who practice without a license, or who believe they can perform difficult procedures without proper training. Liposuction is a little more sophisticated than simply sticking a vacuum into someone and sucking out their fat.

There are always risks with surgery. However, with an experienced cosmetic surgeon who knows what they're doing and cares about your welfare, the risks are low. If you are interested in finding out more about liposuction, please contact a licensed cosmetic surgeon. They will knowledgably answer any questions you have about this, or any other procedure.