No Correlation Between Implants and Breast Cancer

Posted on October 21, 2008
Filed Under Breast Implants, In the News | Leave a Comment

An Orlando, Florida plastic surgeon wrote on the status of modern breast cancer treatments and the efforts of the medical community to minimize adverse effects through reconstruction and informed prevention.

Dr. Richard Bosshardt writes that social recognition of the breast is an ancient phenomenon and many throughout history have viewed them as symbolic of “femininity and desirability.”  Given this observation, it is easy to understand how the possibility of breast removal or disfigurement can be almost as frightening as the cancer itself.

Most women know how to focus on prevention and are aware of the statistics, but many aren’t informed about the more optimistic developments on the horizon.  Information shared by Dr. Bosshardt in the Orlando Sentinel suggests that family ‘genetic markers’ have become excellent risk indicators, narrowing the search for a definite cause.  Also, he notes that breast implants, bras and high-fat diets have not been shown to have any correlation with breast cancer risk.

Doctors have also begun practicing “breast conservation” rather than outright removal. Reconstruction has become more sophisticated than ever, with patients often looking better as an end result.  The Orlando Sentinel article can be viewed here.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/health/orl-lmed1208oct12,0,250718.story

Stem Cells May Change the Face of Breast Augmentation

Posted on October 21, 2008
Filed Under Breast Implants | Leave a Comment

Responding to international demand, a San Diego company by the name of Cytori Therapeutics Inc., has developed a device for combining human body fat with stem cells and other regenerative cells.

Dr. Sydney Coleman, a New York plastic surgeon, was recently published in the medical journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for his innovative breast augmentation technique, which employs a controversial fat grafting/transplant method. Fat is taken from other areas of the body (just as it is commonly done during liposuction) and added to the breast. The technique hasn’t entirely caught on due to certain risks, such as death of, and calcification of the grafted fat and/or mammogram interference.

The theory behind introducing stem cells to the procedure predicts that the regenerative properties of the cells will help prevent the body’s rejection of transplanted tissue. A stem cell-fortified fat product should promote the formation of new blood vessels, bonding the reintroduced tissue to its surroundings. The results would be nothing short of a natural implant.

Surgeons in Europe and Japan have experimented with techniques and reported success. However, FDA approval of any stem cell product would be required for use in the United States and more research on the long term effects of fat grafting is necessary. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic surgery is recruiting patients for a study. More information on the study is available at ClinicalTrials.gov

Life-Saving Implants: One Woman’s Story of a “Misplaced Heart”

Posted on October 21, 2008
Filed Under | Leave a Comment

April Pinkard is not the typical candidate to receive breast implants.  In fact, she probably has very little interest in such a procedure, but surgeons at the Mayo Clinic gave her implants for a very good reason.  Ms. Pinkard’s harrowing story was told to a small Florida newspaper last August.

Because she was was born with a congenital lung disease, one of her lungs had to be removed at the age of four.  She’s lived most of her life with an empty cavity in her chest where that lung had once been.

One day, a medical examination by Dr. Mohammed Choudhury revealed something disturbing.  Mrs. Pinkard said, “he listened [for] my heartbeat one day and it just wasn’t there.”  Upon closer examination, Dr. Choudhury revealed that her heart had been shifting, or “floating”; an unforeseen consequence of her childhood lung removal.  The movement of the heart posed an imminent threat to her life.  It also was making her very sick.  Something had to be done, and right quick.

Textbook solutions to this problem don’t exist.  Mrs. Pinkard is the first to suffer from such a complication.  Her heart was literally mobile and the procedure to correct it would have to possess a certain improvisational character. She describes the risky procedure, saying, “they filled my chest cavity with water and floated it into the correct position.”  To secure the heart in place, surgeons positioned breast implants inside her chest.  Lightheartedly, Pinkard describes the feeling; “you can hear it move.  If I push on my chest you can feel the squishes.”

While Mrs. Pinkard still faces some health related challenges, like a possible lung transplant, she’s a strong willed woman with an incredible attitude.  She strongly asserts, “I don’t allow myself to dwell on pity.  That’s not an acceptable emotion”

Anti Aging: An Ethical Dilemma?

Posted on October 21, 2008
Filed Under In the News | Leave a Comment


In New York last summer, at the historic Chautauqua Institution, Bio-ethicist Art Caplan presented a lecture on long life, cosmetic enhancement and how stem cell technology could actually combine both those fields.

Caplan argues for the moral permissibility of enhancement by refuting the arguments of a group he calls “new puritans,” who object to medical advancements on several different grounds. Persons who hold this puritanical view often disapprove of cosmetic treatments.  One person in his audience had spoken of a family member getting a facelift, and a younger woman responded with harsh criticism saying, “that’s terrible.  It’s unbelievable that you would do that, you should simply accept the changes as they come.”

By systematically dismissing each of these objections, Caplan presents his own argument in favor of true anti-aging, based on a theory that we could double the life-span of a human by applying the regenerative properties of stem cells to every part of the body.

In a nutshell, Caplan’s argument for embryonic stem cell research and enhancement is this:  We’ve already doubled our lifespan since ancient times.  There is no “natural order of things” when it comes to how long we should exist or how good we should look during that time.  Stem cell technology need not come from new sources, but embryos that we already use for other purposes. 

What we use to repair disease, we can also use to enhance.  There can be whole body rejuvenation, including the mind, with the help of this technology.  Skin, organs, hair and everything in between can be enhanced with regenerative cells.  Similar things have successfully been done to small organisms.  If we fund it now and conquer these frivolous (and perhaps not so frivolous) arguments, real anti aging can become a reality.

The hour-long lecture can be found in its entirety here on Minnesota Public Radio.

Stem Cells May Hold the Key to Better Breast Implants

Posted on October 3, 2008
Filed Under Breast Implants | Leave a Comment

In Japan, a surgeon named Dr. Kotaro Yoshimura has supposedly been performing breast augmentations using fat that has been fortified with stem cells, taken from the patient’s own body. 

Also, a San Diego based company called Cytori Therapeutics has invented a device that produces that biological product of stem cill rich fat - something that would need FDA approval for use in the states.

The reason most fat transplants haven’t been established as a reliable option is the tendency for the transplanted tissue to die post-surgery.  The fat will then calcify and harden. 

What researchers hope is that with the introduction of stem cells, a new blood supply will form and blood vessels will bond with the reintroduced tissue, creating a completely natural implant.

The controversy surrounding stem cell use has largely been focused on the manipulation of human embryos, so the possibility of this procedure being rejected on similar grounds is unlikely.

Plastic Surgery Seattle Featured in New Beauty Magazine

Posted on September 19, 2008
Filed Under Plastic Surgeon | Leave a Comment

Dr. Jourdan Gottlieb is featured in the Fall/Winter 2008 edition of NewBeauty magazine, which is due on newsstands the first week of October.

seattle plastic surgeonRenowned for his expertise and skill as a plastic surgeon, Dr. Jourdan Gottlieb is considered to be one of the best and brightest surgeons in the Puget Sound area. With years of experience and a dedicated staff who believes in his mission of safety, comfort and personal service, Dr. Gottlieb has created a successful and growing practice in Plastic Surgery Seattle.

In practice since 1985, Dr. Gottlieb is fervent in his belief that plastic surgery can improve one’s self-esteem and confidence. “It’s inspiring when patients tell me how my staff and I helped renew in them a greater sense of self,” says Dr. Gottlieb. “The gratitude expressed by someone when they love their results makes my job rewarding.” Dr. Gottlieb appreciates the trust his patients instill in him and feels it is his responsibility to realize their visions by partnering and working with them to ensure expectations are met. “When someone selects your practice and then refers you to friends and family, you can feel confident that you’ve helped them achieve their goals.”

With breast augmentation as one of his most-requested procedures, Dr. Gottlieb employs a host of rejuvenating techniques to help his patients achieve proportioned, fuller breasts that exude youth with enhanced firmness. One such technique, known as transumbilical breast augmentation, enables Dr. Gottlieb to enhance breast size through a hidden incision in the belly button,with no visible scars on the breast or in the armpits. “Many patients are now opting for endoscopic breast implantation, as it produces natural-looking results, takes about an hour to perform and yields relatively quick recoveries. I have been performing this procedure for about three years and am continually impressed with the benefits this technique offers.” As with all procedures performed, Dr. Gottlieb customizes his breast augmentations to meet the individual needs of his patients. “By modifying my techniques, I am better able to serve my diverse clientele and offer them results that are in accordance with their likes, dislikes and aesthetic ideals,” he says.

Smoking and surgery a bad combo

Posted on August 18, 2008
Filed Under Plastic Surgeon | Leave a Comment

We all know smoking is bad for the heart and lungs. But did you know it can also cause healing problems after plastic surgery? Procedures that require skin to be shifted — such as tummy tucks or breast lifts — are especially prone to problems when performed on people who smoke. Nowadays, many plastic surgeons refuse to perform them on smokers.

“Nicotine causes the tiny blood vessels in the skin to clamp down or constrict, which reduces blood supply to the skin,” said Dr. Darshan Shah, a plastic surgeon in Bakersfield, California. Without adequate blood supply, the incisions can heal poorly, are prone to infection, bruise more and may form raised, red scars.

If you are interested in having Dr. Gottlieb perform your surgery, he will discuss your cigarette smoking and other medical history information during the consultation. For information on how to quit, visit smokefree.gov.

Study says breast reduction surgery lifts self-esteem

Posted on August 11, 2008
Filed Under Plastic Surgeon | Leave a Comment

breast reductionIf your large breasts are weighing you down (physically and emotionally), you may want to consider breast reduction surgery. According to a study that recently appeared in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, large-breasted women who have breast reduction surgery later report less back pain and greater self-esteem. According to statistics, more than 150,000 women underwent the procedure last year.

The president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Dr. Alan Gold, commented on the study favorably. “This study further demonstrates that the connection between the aesthetic results of plastic surgery and the emotional, social and physical quality of life of our patients cannot be underestimated,” said Dr. Gold.

Women in or near Seattle who would like to reduce the size of their breasts can contact Dr. Gottlieb for a breast reduction consultation.

Black market Botox gets California doc in trouble

Posted on August 4, 2008
Filed Under Injectable Fillers | Leave a Comment

There are some things you can compromise on, but your plastic surgeon isn’t one of them. A dermatologist in California was recently reprimanded for injecting non-FDA approved Botulinum toxin into ten patients. The doctor and nearly a hundred colleagues tried to save money by buying the black market Botox without realizing it wasn’t approved for use in patients.

These findings highlight how important it is to find a reputable, board-certified plastic surgeon. If you live in the Seatte area and are interested in Botox or other cosmetic procedures, Dr. Gottlieb is a well-respected surgeon with extensive experience.

Botox the rising star for Allergan

Posted on July 31, 2008
Filed Under Injectable Fillers | Leave a Comment

In the past, people who wanted to rid their faces of unsightly wrinkles had to commit to cosmetic surgery. But with the advent of Botox by Allergan, they have the option of banishing signs of aging with just a few injections. And people are flocking to this less costly and less invasive option in droves. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, surgeons performed 99,196 facelifts in the United States in 1997 while Botox injections lagged behind at 65,157. But last year, facelift surgeries had increased slightly to 138,153 while Botox injections skyrocketed to nearly 2.8 million.

Like many plastic surgeons, Dr. Jourdan Gottlieb does a lot of Botox injections for those in the Seattle area who want to reduce their facial wrinkles. 

Recently


Categories


Archives