Correlation between Implant Volume and BMI Found in Breast Augmentation Study
December 20, 2010 - Rhys Branman, MD
A statistically significant positive correlation of BMI and implant volume for breast augmentation patients in two U.S. cities was found in a study that examined physical characteristics and implant details of breast augmentation patients in three cities. In other words, it found that the higher the patient’s BMI, the larger the implant volume the patient received. A third city that took part in the study, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, also had this trend, but it was not statistically significant. “Implications from this correlation found in our study include possibly improving implant volume predictions preoperatively, leading to improved efficiency, outcomes and... 
As the forehead naturally descends with aging, its position can lead to some undesired effects to the face, such as frown lines, creases across the forehead, and a low or sagging brow. Brow lift surgery can help minimize these characteristics and give you a more youthful appearance. Two common techniques surgeons use to perform brow lifts are the open brow lift and the endoscopic brow lift. The open brow lift has one continuous incision from ear to ear, going up around your hairline, like headphones. The incision lines are made behind the hairline so that they won’t be visible. For... 
If you're considering non-invasive procedures to combat superficial skin problems like fine lines and age spots, one option is Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), also known as photorejuvenation or photofacial. IPL is a treatment that applies gentle broad spectrum light to the skin in order to correct problems such as: Port wine stains Broken capillaries Rosacea Fine wrinkles Age spots Uneven pigmentation A recent study published in Dermatology Surgery journal compared IPL treatments to non-ablative Q-switched laser treatments for skin rejuvenation in Asian patients and found that the IPL treatment was as effective as the non-ablative laser for improving several skin... 
A new article in the New York Times documents the expanding work hours of dermatologists, cosmetic surgeons and other professionals who offer aesthetic treatments. Their columnist writes, “In most major cities, if you want pad Thai or a sweater dry-cleaned when most people are sleeping, there’s someone who will take care of it (for a price). These days, the same is true of beauty treatments.” Many physicians, as the article explains, are offering expanded hours on certain days to accommodate working patients. Dr. Neil Sadick, a popular New York dermatologist, says his busy patients have been requesting early morning and... 
Could a non-surgical breast augmentation procedure be a future possibility? A recent article published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal examines a hyaluronic acid-based gel called Macrolane as a potential option by assessing the safety and efficacy of the procedure and the gel for breast enhancement. Macrolane — by Q-Med, the makers of Restylane® — is a gel that adds volume to tissues and can be used for restoring and enhancing body contours or for filling concave deformities and scars. It provides results without open surgery and the scarring at the injection site is minor and is likely to become... 
Breast surgery could play a key role in the future of regenerative medicine according to an article in Wired magazine on Cytori Therapeutics, a biotech company that is trying to use stem cells from fat to help the body rebuild itself. CEO Chris Calhoun says the firm has figured out a way to augment breasts using stem cell–enriched fat tissue. Cytori’s process for breast augmentation and breast reconstruction involves using liposuction to harvest fat cells, and then injecting the fat into the company’s Celution System, where a centrifuge separates the fat cells from the stem and regenerative cells and prepares... 
A new study that examined patient satisfaction after facelift surgery found that 96.7 percent reported a more youthful appearance. Only 2 patients said they were unhappy with their scars. According to the study’s author, Dr. Eric Swanson, patient satisfaction and the effects of surgery on quality of life are two of the most important factors in determining if a surgery is a success, but they had not been previously prospectively studied in patients undergoing facelifts alone or in combination with other facial rejuvenation procedures. Swanson conducted interviews with 93 patients one month after surgery; the patients had a deep plane... 
Women view beauty products as a necessity, not a luxury, according to About.com’s 2010 Beauty Study. Over two-thirds of respondents said they will still purchase beauty products even while watching their budgets, and 80 percent said they plan to spend more or the same this year on cosmetic products. The survey, which had 1,952 participants and was conducted online in August, investigated how consumers shop for beauty products, what influences their purchase decisions, and what they're looking for in beauty products. It revealed that respondents use beauty products for a variety of reasons: 69 percent use them to make sure... 
A new study reported successful breast augmentations using a patients' own fat through a process called fat grafting. During fat grafting, fat cells are harvested via liposuction from one part of the body and injected into another. While fat grafting for breast augmentation has been a relatively obscure procedure, new studies, such as this one, present some evidence that it could be effective and have long-term results for breast enhancement. The study by Daniel Del Vecchio, MD, and Louis Bucky, MD, was conducted over a two-year period with 25 patients who had breast enhancement with fat grafting. The study's authors stressed the importance of... 