Can A Nose Job Make You Look Younger? Study Investigates

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Robert

Rhinoplasty is a popular operation to reshape and redefine the nose, creating a more balanced facial profile. It’s not considered an anti-aging procedure, like a facelift or neck lift would be.

However, a new study finds that patients often look younger after rhinoplasty. Researchers at the University of Toronto found that patients looked 1.5 years younger after a nose job.

How the Study Worked

During the study, 50 people guessed the ages of 53 rhinoplasty patients in before-and-after photos. The patients ranged in age from 15 to 61, and about three-quarters were women.

Patients who had a hump reduced or removed saw the greatest anti-aging effect. Among these patients, the reduction in perceived age was 1.6 years younger after surgery, compared to 1.1 years for patients who did not have a hump prior to surgery. Those with a droopy tip also saw more of the age reduction benefit.

Whether a patient was older or younger at the time of surgery was less of a factor, the researchers reported.

“Older patients tended to enjoy a greater degree of rejuvenation,” the authors write. But the differences between age reduction in older vs. younger patients was not statistically significant.

Why Undergo Rhinoplasty?

Although rhinoplasty could provide anti-aging benefits, this is not a common reason to choose it. Nose surgery is usually performed to improve the proportions of the nose or to improve nasal breathing.

A variety of nasal characteristics can be changed. Surgery can reduce the size of the nose, remove humps, improve the nasal angle and more. Looking younger may be an additional bonus.

“I wouldn’t say that in terms of the findings of this study, it adds a major reason to go forward with the procedure,” said Dr. Ali Sepehr to Reuters Health, “It’s just a nice added benefit when somebody’s already going to get the procedure for another purpose.”

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How War Paved the Way for Modern Plastic Surgery

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Robert

In London’s Hunterian Musem, a collection of medical archives is being gathered from World War I. “They are powerful testimony to the advances made by modern surgeons in the past 100 years,” writes Helen Briggs for the BBC, who recently published a compelling article about the Gillies Archive and the ways in which war has driven innovation in plastic surgery.

“The war led surgeons to attempt ground-breaking procedures, which paved the way for modern plastic surgery,” said Dr. Andrew Bamji, former curator of the Gillies archive.

“The war led surgeons to attempt ground-breaking procedures, which paved the way for modern plastic surgery.”

- Dr Andrew Bamji

Named after plastic surgery pioneer Sir Harold Gillies, the archives include medical documentation, paintings, plastic casts, instruments and more.

The artifacts tell a story about war injuries and the surgical techniques that were developed to treat them.

You can read more about Dr. Gillies’ work on Wikipedia:

“The Queen’s Hospital opened in June 1917 and with its convalescent units provided over 1,000 beds. There Gillies and his colleagues developed many techniques of plastic surgery; more than 11,000 operations were performed on over 5,000 men (mostly soldiers with facial injuries, usually from gunshot wounds).”

Photo: Sir Harold Gillies by Simon Harriyott, on Flickr

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Sundance Documentary Explores Models’ Views on Beauty, Plastic Surgery

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Robert

The new film About Face by portrait photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders takes a peek behind the modeling industry and the quest to continue looking young.

Through candid interviews, the film documents the experiences of models from the 70s and 80s.

“The divergent attitudes among the women about everything from the business of modeling, to aging and plastic surgery, are fascinating and priceless. ”

- The Sundance Film Guide

An excerpt from the film trailer asks Carmen Dell’Orifice: “What is it about plastic surgery and facelifts – what is your sense of that whole world?”

She says “Well, if you had the ceiling falling down in your living room,would you not go an have a repair?”

About Face has several screenings at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, January 19 – 29 in Park City, Utah.

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France Calls for Widespread Removal of PIP Breast Implants

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Robert

Two years ago, reports of defective silicone breast implants manufactured by PIP (Poly Implant Prothèse) prompted authorities to halt production of the devices.

The breast implants are said to have a very high failure rate and a non-medical type of silicone gel. France is now encouraging women with these implants to have them removed.

PIP silicone gel-filled implants have never been approved for use in the United States. The only way an American patient would have these implants is if she had undergone breast surgery in another country.

ASPS Monitoring the Situation

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), working with the French Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, is monitoring the recent developments on PIP silicone gel breast implants.

The ASPS issued a statement to its members practicing outside the United States:

“We believe that while the current focus of attention is in France, approximately 80 percent of PIP implants were exported to other countries including the United Kingdom, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Venezuela. There are also reports that implants under the brand name “M,” distributed by a Dutch company in Germany – and possibly elsewhere in Europe – may also be PIP implants that were rebranded as “M” implants.”

According to Reuters, Italy is working with cosmetic surgery clinics to compile a list of women who received the implants. Meanwhile, officials in Brazil and Britain are urging women to check in with their surgeons. The French government is recommending and offering to pay for explantation surgery – if the original surgery was for breast reconstruction.

Allergan Inc, American Breast Implant Maker Assures Quality of Their Implants

In response to the French situation, Allergan issued a lengthy press release to reassure surgeons and patients about the quality of their breast implants. Allergan’s products are marketed under the names Natrelle, McGhan and CUI. None of these implants are included in the French investigation.

“The health authorities are specifically concerned about breast implants made by the company called Poly Implant Prosthese (PIP),” states the Allergan Press Release. The release also describes the extensive checks that are in place to ensure quality of their implants. “Allergan maintains rigorous clinical development processes, extensive manufacturing and quality assurance testing, as well as an industry-leading post-marketing surveillance program, to ensure the highest quality and safety of its breast implants that patients and surgeons can rely on.”

AP Video: France Calls for Breast Implant Removal

This one-minute video from the Associated Press briefly explains the situation in France.

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What is Transaxillary Breast Augmentation?

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Robert

Transaxillary breast augmentation is a technique that uses an incision in the axilla, the  space under the shoulder through which vessels and nerves enter and leave the upper arm. It’s commonly known as the armpit.

If you’re considering breast enhancement, you might find this technique appealing because the incision is placed away from the breast. That’s why some have labeled it “scarless breast augmentation.” If the scar is visible, it isn’t associated with your surgery.

Implant Choices in Transaxillary Augmentation

The surgical incision is small. Space is also limited when passing the implant from the armpit to the breast. Therefore, only a saline breast implant can be used.

Before it is filled with saline, the shell of the implant is passed through the axilla to the breast pocket. Through a port in the implant shell, your surgeon fills the implant to a specified volume, while it’s inside the breast pocket.

Challenges of the Transaxillary Method

One known challenge of the transaxillary technique is difficulty seeing the breast pocket and muscle tissue. Lacking direct access to the breast (such as with the inframammary technique), it becomes more challenging to control implant placement.

Plastic surgeons have addressed this challenge by using endoscopy, a minimally invasive surgery technique. Using an endoscope, equipped with a tiny camera, your surgeon can perform the surgery with a clear view of the breast pocket and pectoral muscle.

The majority of breast augmentation procedures still use the inframammary technique, which involves an incision in the breast crease. However, transaxillary breast augmentation is an accepted technique with rigorous studies evaluating its safety and effectiveness.

Ask Dr. Rand if this technique is suitable for you and read more about the breast augmentation techniques used here in Bellevue, WA.

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