The Centre, P.C. - Plastic Surgery Blog
The Centre, P.C. offers the latest plastic surgery procedures to patients in Elkhart and South Bend, Indiana, Michiana and the Southern Michigan area, and Chicago.
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Botox Faces Serious Health Risk Accusations - Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Botox, made by Allergan, which, for the past several years has been used to treat a variety of medical and aesthetic problems including wrinkles and headaches, has been associated with sixteen deaths, four them being children, and numerous serious injuries that occurred after the drug spread to people's vital organs. The drug is a neurotoxin that is injected in patients to relax muscles. According to a petition filed with the FDA, groups are asking that it come with a far stronger warning label and asking that patients be given a letter explaining the various dangers involved with the use of Botox.The Allergan company issued a statement last week stating that adverse reactions are rare. They claim that it has not even been proven that Botox caused the reactions that have been reported. The maker of a similar drug, Myobloc, is a company named solstice Neurosciences and has not yet responded to the allegations.
The injection sites of these drugs come dangerously close to the esophagus, causing partial paralysis that can lead people to have difficulty swallowing. People can also suffer from aspiration pneumonia, which is caused by breathing in food or liquids. Of the 16 people who died, only one is known to have been undergoing cosmetic treatment for wrinkles.
For more information about Botox, please contact The Centre, P.C. in Elkhart, Indiana today to schedule an initial consultation.
Genitalia Cosmetic Surgery Gaining Popularity - Monday, January 28, 2008
Cosmetic labiaplasty (labia reduction surgery and beautification) involves surgically reducing and/or reshaping the female external genital structures. There are multiple reasons more and more women are requesting this procedure. They want to alleviate discomfort caused by large and/or thick labia, which often interfere with biking, working out, and wearing tight fitting clothes. Or many women want to enhance or improve appearance of 'butterfly' or asymmetrical labia. Feeling good about how you look often builds self-confidence and self-esteem. This is one of the main reasons many cosmetic surgery procedures continue to gain popularity.During your labiaplasty consultation, your surgeon will explain how long the labia reduction surgery will take, the amount of time and care necessary for a full labiaplasty recovery, and exactly when after surgery it would be safe to resume sexual intercourse.
Vaginoplasty (rejuvenation of the vagina) involves tightening and rebuilding of the vaginal muscles and the perineum. Childbirth, (especially multiple), aging, and genetic factors often cause the vaginal muscles to loosen, tear, and weaken. The diameter of the vagina gets bigger and there is a loss of feeling (and pleasure). Vaginoplasty returns the vagina to 'pre-pregnancy' state and recreates sexual excitement and pleasure for the woman. Some surgones use a laser for vaginoplasty and/or labiaplasty surgery. You may hear varaitions of terms such as: labiaplasty or laser labiaplasty; vaginal rejuvenation and vaginoplasty; laser vaginoplasty or vaginal tightening. The difference is that some cosmetic surgeons are trained to use the laser for cosmetic vaginal surgery and reconstructive vaginal surgery and some use a scalpel.
To learn more about cosmetic surgery of the genitalia, please contact The Centre, P.C. in Elkhart, Indiana today to schedule your initial consultation.
Ear Surgery Can Improve Shape and Position of Ears - Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Otoplasty (surgery of the ears) can improve the shape and positioning of your ears. It also can reduce the size of your ears if they are large in proportion to your other features. If your ears protrude more than normal, surgery can reposition them closer to your head.Ear surgery often is recommended for children as they near total ear development at age five or six. Correction of the ears prior to the child entering school helps eliminate potential psychological trauma from the teasing of classmates. Adults may also have their ears reshaped. As long as you are in good health, there is no upper age limit for this surgery.
The supporting tissue of the ears, called cartilage, is reshaped in order to position your ears closer to your head. This usually is accomplished through incisions placed behind the ears. Subsequent scars will be concealed in the natural skin crease.
After surgery, you may be instructed to wear gauze dressing or bandage for a few days or up to several weeks to ensure that your ears heal in their new, corrected position. You will need to avoid strenuous exercise and contact sports for several weeks. You can resume most non-strenuous activities within a week.
To "hear" the latest about otoplasty, please call The Centre, P.C. in Elkhart, Indiana today to schedule your initial appointment.
Do You Hate Your Turkey Neck? - Monday, January 21, 2008
Despite typically excellent results, understanding the limitations of face/neck lifting and the need to utilize other procedures is crucial for success. First, patients learn that a facelift means lifting of the cheek, jowls and neck. Incisions are placed in the hairline and around the ear. In all cases, these incisions are placed in a natural skin crease for camouflage and without the need for shaving of hair. The surgery can take 2-4 hours, usually performed under intravenous sedation and without any discomfort. Following surgery, a dressing is applied to protect the face and is removed the day after. Many surgeons use a daily magnetic resonance imaging, massage and ultrasound to hasten postoperative healing. Most patients are feeling much better in 10-14 days.The "turkey neck" can have an aging impact on your entire appearance. The method to achieve this result is called platysmaplasty, or the stitching of the underlying muscles in the front of the neck and back borders, tightening the muscle like a corset. Once the underlying structure is in place, the skin on top is draped over, with the process continued up to the cheek area, if needed. The underlying work, which removes fat before the skin is draped, is vital to a good neck lift. If the underlying area is not sufficiently treated, laxity will remain and the neck bands will return sooner, as the skin stretches in the first 12-18 months post-op. Undertreating is more commonly seen than overtreating. In the latter case, skin circulation could be compromised and the skin could scar. Non-conservative, deliberate overtreatment is difficult to justify, even though a slightly longer lasting result may be achieved.
To learn more cosmetic surgery procedures to improve the appearance of the face and neck, please contact The Centre P.C. in Elkhart, Indiana today to schedule your initial appointment.
Treatment Options for Unsightly Varicose Veins - Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Varicose veins are caused the ballooning out of leg veins resulting from too much pressure caused by faulty valves. The valves are within your veins, and the muscles in your leg act as a pump. When the muscles contract, the blood is forced back to the heart. The one-way valves prevent the blood from returning when the muscle relaxes. Sometimes the valves malfunction.A variety of conditions, such as pregnancy, prolonged standing, obesity or hormone influences may cause the vein wall to weaken. As the vein dilates, the valves cannot close. The pressure can build up and over time cause varicose veins. They can produce discomfort, aching, fatigue, itching, and cosmetic and emotional distress. Although not usually a serious or life-threatening condition, varicose veins can develop into serious complications such as phlebitis, bleeding and ulceration. Even in cases where complications don't develop, about two thirds of patients with varicose veins experience leg pain, often toward the end of the day. It is important for the patient to understand that varicose veins are permanently damaged and are not currently serving a function, and as a result will not be missed when they are removed.
Through the techniques of modern phlebology, varicose veins can often be treated non-surgically with sclerotherapy and/or with minimally invasive office surgery called ambulatory phlebectomy. Lasers and other new light sources can be used as treatment for small leg veins or spider veins.
Please contact The Centre, P.C. in Elkhart, Indiana for more information or to schedule your initial appointment.
Another Former Patient Of Jan Adams Tells Surgery Horror Story - Monday, January 14, 2008
A former patient of Dr. Jan Adams, the plastic surgeon who performed surgery on Kanye West's mother, Donda, the day before her death, has come forward with more claims of malpractice against the man who has been accused of contributing to Dr. West's death. The woman, Michele Trobaugh, says she regrets the day she ever heard of Dr. Adams. When she was 28 years old, Dr. Adams performed a breast augmentation, tummy tuck and liposuction on her all at one time.The next day, she woke up feeling like there was an elephant sitting on her chest and stomach. She went to the bathroom and noticed the girdle she was wearing was soaked with blood and other fluids. In subsequent days, she soaked towels and blankets clear through on a daily basis. She suffered three infections and had a second surgery a few weeks after the first to remove the fluid from her hips.
Ms. Trobaugh makes the following suggestions to anyone contemplating having any cosmetic surgery performed:
Make sure the surgeon is board-certified. For plastic surgery, you want a doctor who's certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. It's simple: The American Board of Medical Specialties' web site will tell you if a doctor is board-certified in plastic surgery.
Board-certified plastic surgeons have to do continuing medical education and take a written test every 10 years. Keep in mind that any doctor can perform any surgery. For instance, a psychiatrist can perform breast surgery, but he/she is obviously not qualified to do so. Board-certified is imperative.
Check the surgeon's record. Trobaugh says she never would have gone to Adams if she'd known he had two malpractice judgments against him. She could have found that out easily by going to the Medical Board of California's Web site.
Ask if the surgeon has hospital privileges. Even if you're having a plastic surgery procedure at an outpatient clinic, it's worth asking where the doctor has hospital privileges, because hospitals do background checks, says Dr. Rod Rohrich, past president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. "If they don't have hospital privileges, that's a huge red flag," he says.
Come armed with questions for the doctor. You can ask how many times he has performed the surgery you want to have, how he does the procedure, what recovery is like, etc. Ask, ask, and then ask some more!
Be wary of multiple procedures. When you bundle procedures like Dr. Adams did with Trobaugh, the risk goes way up.
The Centre, P.C. is a unique plastic surgery practice located in northern Indiana. Our heartland values of compassion and concern for your particular needs are complemented by the professional expertise of our surgeons and staff.
At The Centre, P.C., we offer two tracks to patients in Elkhart and South Bend and throughout Indiana and southern Michiana. On the one side are our cosmetic surgery and skin care services and products. And on the other is a coordinated set of services – surgical as well as therapeutic – for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the hand, wrist and forearm due to illness or injury.
- 800.909.2992
Elkhart Office
RiverPointe Medical Building
500 Arcade Ave., Suite 300
Elkhart, IN 46514
FAX: 574-293-1511
Chesterton
810 Michael Drive, Suite K
Chesterton, IN 46304
Fax: 219.926.3534
