Quick Fact: Plastic Surgery Later In Life
August 26th, 2011 admin
Dr. John Diaz Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon Blog
Why Is It Called Plastic Surgery?
August 10th, 2011 admin
Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers Premieres this Fall
August 2nd, 2011 adminDr. Drew is coming to the CW this fall with a brand new show that is all about changing lives. Check out the video for a preview.
For more details go to http://www.lctv.com/thelifechangers/
Fatty Foods Difficult to Resist
July 26th, 2011 adminby Dr. Diaz
A recent research study out of California and Italy reported interesting reactions in the brains of rats given fatty foods. The rats in the study were given liquid diets that were rich in fat, sugar or protein. The rats which received liquids rich in fat began producing chemicals in their digestive system which are very similar to the chemicals produced by marijuana use. These chemicals apparently made them crave the fatty diet even more. Rats which received high sugar or high protein liquids did not exhibit the same reaction.
This study, published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides evidence that a desire for fatty foods may be driven by a powerful effect on the brain. It is part of a growing body of research which suggests that overeating may be more complex than we think. It is also provides additional insight into possible therapies and drugs which may help weight loss.
Studies like these demonstrate just how important it is to establish healthy eating habits. Although the drive to eat fatty foods may be powerful, it can be controlled. It is likely that a lifelong pattern of eating a low fat diet will decrease the overall production of these chemicals. This, in turn, will help keep the drive to reach for that high fat slice of pizza or hamburger down.
Healthy Lifestyle Decreases Risk of Sudden Heart Attack in Women
July 18th, 2011 adminby Dr. John Diaz
Everyone knows that a healthy lifestyle is good. No one will say that smoking is good for you, or that eating fatty foods is a good idea. There is not a person in the world who will say exercising is a bad idea or who wants to be overweight. Yet, every day there are millions of people who are doing these very things. Recent research confirms just how damaging these things are.
A study published in the July 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at the long term effects of a healthy lifestyle in women. What makes this study special is that a total of 81,722 women were followed for 26 years! Lifestyle habits like smoking, what they ate, how much they exercised and how much they weighed were examined. Women who did not smoke, ate a healthy diet, did some activity for at least 30 minutes a day and who had a body mass index less than 25 were considered to have a healthy lifestyle. For comparison, a body mass index greater than 25 is considered overweight.
What the investigators found was that women who did not have these healthy lifestyle habits were much more likely to die from a sudden heart attack. Women who did not smoke, ate healthy, exercised and remained a normal weight lived longer and were not as likely to die a sudden death.
No one wants to be told to stop smoking, or to eat healthy, or to exercise. I am sure that’s the last thing a smoker wants to hear. However, it is important that people are aware of studies like these. The evidence keeps supporting the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Hopefully, through knowledge, more people will become motivated to change their unhealthy habits and begin a road to greater health.
Breast Enhancement Using Fat
July 12th, 2011 adminby Dr. Diaz
There is a very interesting article in the June issue of the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal by Dr. Daniel Del Vecchio and Dr. Louis Bucky. The article is called “Breast Augmentation Using Pre-expansion and Autologous Fat Transplantation: A Clinical Radiographic Study.”
Basically, the article is about a procedure combining two techniques to augment the breasts. The first technique uses the BRAVA device. This is a device that is applied to the breasts and provides vacuum suction. This is supposed to expand the skin in preparation for the second step. The second step is to inject fat into the breasts. The goal is to create a breast augmentation without having to use an implant.
Obviously, there is a lot of interest in techniques that can augment breasts without an implant. Fat injections into the breast have been used recently as a technique to augment the breasts. However, it is not FDA approved and is still considered experimental. In fact, few surgeons are performing this procedure. One of the main concerns is the possible increased risk of breast cancer using injections of fat. In addition, surgeons have reported that this procedure is capable of producing only modest increases in breast size.
In an attempt to improve the results of fat injection to the breasts, the authors tried expanding the breasts using vacuum suction first. Their goal was to achieve greater size increases than vacuum suction or fat injections could accomplish alone.
The results showed 50 to 60 percent increases in breast size using this technique. This resulted in an average increase of about 250 cc, which is a relatively small augmentation. The patients were followed for only 6 months, so it is unknown what their results will look like after a longer amount of time. The major drawback of this procedure is the step involving the BRAVA device. In order for this device to be effective, it must be worn 10 hours a day for 10 weeks! This will be extremely uncomfortable and inconvenient for the vast majority of patients.
This study represents a novel approach to breast augmentation. The idea of augmenting the breasts without an implant is an attractive one. The authors attempt to augment the breasts by first expanding the breasts with vacuum suction and then injecting the breasts with fat. Although they did show a significant increase in size, the augmentations were very small and the procedure required a tremendous amount of time and effort on the part of the patients. Before this new technique can be widely accepted as an alternative to breast augmentation, more studies have to be conducted.
Top Truths You Should Always Tell Your Plastic Surgeon
July 7th, 2011 admin
- If you are a smoker. Smoking delays healing and increases complication. ALWAYS tell your surgeon if you’re a smoker.
- If you are considering having breast surgery, and have a family member with breast cancer, let the surgeon know. Most of the time, it does not delay or change your surgery. However, it is an important issue to discuss. I like to provide advice and guidance if there is a history of breast cancer in the family.
- Your surgical history. The surgeon should know about all of your cosmetic and non-cosmetic surgical history before your procedure. This is very important.
- How often you drink. Alcohol can thin the blood and prolong the healing process. Be honest about how often and how many drinks you have a week.
- What supplements you are taking. Patients always know what medications they are taking but they may forget to mention supplements and vitamins. It’s very important for me to know what you’re taking so I can advise you on avoiding certain things before your surgery.
- Let the surgeon know if there is anything confusing about the consultation. The surgeon may say something that is different than what you may have read on the internet, saw on TV or heard from another surgeon. If you let your surgeon know this, he or she will be able to better explain what it is they are trying to say. This will clarify things for you and make the overall experience much better.
- Let the surgeon know exactly what you want your results to look like. The more information and detail you give us, the better we will be able to help you. Feel free to bring in pictures if you think this will help. Your surgeon will then be able to tell you whether the result you want is possible, and if not, what exactly can be done.
- If you want to book surgery, but find the price too expensive (or more expensive than another surgeon), let the office know. Plastic surgeons’ offices deal with this issue all the time. Most places will work with you to find a solution.
- Tell your plastic surgeon about all of the procedures you are interested in. I know some patients who have 5 procedures done by 5 different surgeons because they are not aware that one surgeon could have done all 5. Sometimes, there are some complicated procedures that only a few surgeons specialize in. However, for common things like Botox, Liposuction and Breast Augmentation for example, most surgeons will be very good at all of it. Let your surgeon know you are interested and give them a chance to show you their results. You may discover your surgeon is very good at the other procedures as well. This will save you from running all over town!
Disappearing Surgical Scars
June 23rd, 2011 adminby Meghan
Dr. Diaz has performed hundreds of breast augmentations over the years and one of the biggest concerns patients have is about scarring. There are three locations plastic surgeons typically place the incision for breast augmentation: through the nipple, in the breast fold and in the underarm. Usually the incision is only a little more than an inch long but despite it’s small size, the appearance of a scar after surgery tends to be one of the biggest worries patients have.
In our Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery Office we recommend a scar therapy treatment post surgery. Typically around two to three weeks after surgery the patient will begin using Hybrisil. This silicone based cream contains a corticosteriod which has been clinically proven to soften, shrink and reduce the redness of scars more quickly than leaving the scar to heal on its own. It goes on smooth and is colorless and it dries instantly. Our tummy tuck, breast augmentation and breast lift patients have been using this scar therapy and are very pleased with the results.
Post-Divorce Plastic Surgery
May 23rd, 2011 adminby Dr. Diaz
The other day ABC News featured a piece about post-divorce plastic surgery. It talked about how some women seek out plastic surgery after their divorce and their reasons for doing so. The women talked about wanting to get back their pre-baby bodies and feeling refreshed as they re-entered the dating pool.
It is not uncommon for patients to seek plastic surgery after a major life changing event. The end of a relationship, loss of a job, move to a new city or landmark birthday may cause a person to reflect on their life and their goals. Improving one’s appearance may be one of those goals and plastic surgery may be an option.
At our Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery Office, we make an effort to develop a trusting relationship with each and every one of our patients. We understand that plastic surgery can be a huge decision for some, and try to provide as much emotional support as possible when needed. No matter what the reason is for seeking surgery, we make sure we are there for our patients every step of the way.
Implant Indecision
April 28th, 2011 adminImplant Indecision
by Meghan
I’ve helped hundreds of patients on their journey to having breast augmentation and I can say with total certainty that choosing an implant size is the biggest source of stress for the patient. At our Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery Office there are several things we do to take the anxiety out of choosing an implant size.
1. Dr. Diaz spends an entire hour with each patient during their breast augmentation consulation. He will talk at length about what you want to achieve, he will take measurements and he will have you try on a variety of implant sizes. The time and care he puts into this conversation significantly cuts down on the patient’s anxiety about size.
2. Bring photos. Before your consultation you should compile a collection of photos that depict what you would like your breasts to look like after surgery. These photos will ensure that you and Dr. Diaz are on the same page about implant size, shape and projection.
3. Wear a tight fitting top. During the consultation Dr. Diaz will bring out several sizes of implants for you to try on using a special bra. Wearing a tight top will give you the best idea of what the implants will look like after surgery.
4. Bring a friend. Having a friend there with you to weigh in on what looks best helps shed light on things you might not have seen.
5. Bring a camera. It always helps to take a couple photos wearing the different implants. When you book your surgery you don’t have to decide on the implant size right away- we order your implants a few days before surgery. Having a little time to look back at the pictures helps patients decide what they like best.
Dr. John Diaz has performed hundreds of breast augmentations. He will offer his professional opinion on what will give you the look you would like to achieve.
