Plastic surgery news - luscious lips surgery now done here

Earlier this month, we blogged about a new implant material, PermaLip, that has the consistency of a "gummy bear". It is flexible silicone elastomer that can be trimmed to size and implanted in the upper or lower lip in a procedure that takes about a half-hour. Normal activity may be resumed the next day.

Up until now, however, it was something in the future for local residents.

Now, the PermaLip procedure is available with Dr. Robert J. Brueck MD right here in Fort Myers and Cape Coral, Florida. He recently performed a PermaLip implant with a local patient who is ecstatic with the results.

Here are some before and after photographs.










Please note how much more full, plump and youthful-looking the new lips are.




One of the benefits of this procedure is its persistence. Once the implant has been made it does not need to be redone the way painful filler injections do.

At the same time, if you are dissatisfied, removal is easy and quick in short reversal procedure in my office.

If you are interested in this procedure for your lips, or any other cosmetic surgery, call me, Dr. Brueck, at 239-939-5233.

Or visit my web site at Beauty-by-Brueck.com to read about my credentials and lots of background information on all the surgical and non-surgical procedures I specialize in.

Thank you.

Is this the cure for (skin) cancer? Ask Dr. Brueck

REPORT ON NEW SKIN THERAPY RX FROM DR. ROBERT BRUECK, MD, FORT MYERS, FL COSMETIC SURGEON.

Researchers continue to unlock the magic key to find “the cure.” Humans are plagued with many cancers. One that is very resistant to treatment in later stages is melanoma, one of three varieties of skin cancer.

An early small clinical trial in the treatment of advanced melanoma is using an attack on the melanoma cells using their own genetic characteristics. 9 of 16 patients with advanced melanoma responded to a drug known as PLX4032. These tumors that responded had a mutation or abnormality in a gene for the protein BRAF which plays a crucial role in melanomas growth and spread.

The broader picture here is that scientists now can examine the genetic make-up of certain cancers and develop therapies to combat the cancer based on the cancers genetic design.

BRAF is essential to the growth of certain cancers. So developing drugs to inhibit or shut off this gene will lead to less tumor growth.

How long will the effects of these new genetic drugs last?

Many questions remain but new hope lies on the horizon.

Cosmetic Surgery - To Tell or Not to Tell

Frequently patients will ask me, “Dr. Brueck, when can I go out in public and be presentable?”

I guess only you can answer that.

It depends on whether you want anyone to know if your lack of apparent aging is due to the crafty art and skill of your plastic surgeon or the fact that you are blessed with “good genes.”

But when apparent lack of aging is due to non-surgical procedures most Americans are willing to offer a confession. A recent survey from the Aesthetic Surgery Education Research Foundation (ASERF) found that nearly 9 out of 10 or 87% of respondents openly discussed their use of Botox and dermal fillers. These non-surgical treatments are now mainstream.

Just who are these women who openly confess their use of Botox and fillers?

They usually are married, working mothers, age 41-55, with a household income under $100,000. These women are health conscious and philanthropic in their views and many volunteer for charitable organizations. The reason for doing this is “to look more relaxed, less stressed-out”.

So there you have it. A new interactive conversation, open, honest, and why not?

Plastic Surgery and Weight Control - The YoYo Effect

Thoughts from Fort Myers plastic surgeon, Dr. Robert Brueck - We occasionally encounter patients who are considering liposuction or other body contouring as a "substitute" for actual weight loss.

We discourage it strongly. It is not the right solution for people struggling with obesity. It does lead us, however, to give thought to successful weight loss regimens. And those that are not successful.

We are all familiar with the “yo-yo”. As a young boy growing up in the streets of Chicago I spent many hours playing with a yo-yo. It would go up and it would go down, it would go up and it would go down. It seems weight gain and loss is a yo-yo phenomenon for many people. You gain 20 pounds, you lose 20 pounds and you regain it. The cycle goes on and on. Along with this come anxiety, depression, and frustration. All are often futile attempts to get the “perfect” body shape.

The National Institutes of Health has defined weight maintenance as maintaining a 10% loss of weight for a time period exceeding 1 year, which I found quite interesting.

A national registry called the “National Weight Control Registry” ,commonly referred to as the NWCR, was created in 1994 to track the weight of people who lost over 30 pounds for a period greater than 1 year. What they found is interesting and may prove beneficial to you as you try to get off the yo-yo treadmill.

The following observations were made.

Number one – greater than 90% exercised regularly for about an hour a day. Exercise is critical to maintaining weight loss.

Number two – eat breakfast daily. Over 78% of registry participants ate breakfast regularly. Skipping breakfast produces a long fasting state which leads to increased calorie consumption as the day wears on. Now that doesn’t mean we go out and eat a dozen eggs and 3 pounds of sausage every morning.

Number three – self monitor your weight. They found that 75% of registry participants weighed themselves at least once a week.

Number four – avoid sedentary activities i.e. don’t sit down and watch television for 4 – 6 hours a day. Walk up the stairs instead of taking an elevator unless your office is on the top floor of a 110 story office building. But then again, that might not be so bad after all. You just need to get up an hour earlier to begin the journey. LOL

I hope these points prove beneficial to you as you go on to maintain a healthier more productive lifestyle.

If after serious, sustained weight loss you find body fat just won't go away, you may be a candidate for body sculpting. For more information, visit Dr. Brueck's web site at http://www.Beauty-by-Brueck.com. or call us at 239-939-5233.

Say Goodbye to Thread Lift Plastic Surgery

A short time ago there was a new cosmetic surgery procedure on the block. It was called a “thread lift”.

It received national media attention and was the cat’s meow for a long while.

I did the training and did several patients but quickly abandoned the procedure because the results were fleeting. It was expensive, not very difficult to do, but the expected results were lacking so I stopped offering it to my patients. Since then, I have seen several patients who have had thread lifts by other physicians who came in with exposed knots, dimpling of the skin, and the like.

It did receive FDA approval but that since has been rescinded.

There was a recent study done to compare results with three categories of patients.

The first category was patients who had thread lift only. The second category was patients who had thread lifts plus other procedures such as a blepharoplasty, chin implant and the like. The third category was conventional cosmetic surgery patients. They had a conventional facelift, blepharoplasty and the like.

The satisfaction with the thread lift patients was fleeting and the patients felt very dissatisfied with the longevity of their procedures.

The patients in group three had the greatest satisfaction level of all the groups. It was something that I saw a long time ago and lead me to abandon the procedure.

I guess it points to experience as a great teacher. My 30 years of experience has taught me a lot and the font of skill and knowledge continues to this day.

For more information about me, my experience and my practice, visit my web site at http://www.Beauty-by-Brueck.com

The Real Truth About Cosmetic Surgery - Part II

Dr. Brueck discusses facial rejuvenation with Mid-Cape meeting participants.

If you missed the first of Dr. Brueck's two sessions on "The Truth About Cosmetic Surgery", or even if you were there, here's your second chance to get "The Truth" and to ask Dr. Brueck questions.

Date : Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Time: 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Place: Mid-Cape Racquet & Health Club
1300 Ceitus Terrace,
Cape Coral, 33991

Subject: Body Contouring, Tummy Tucks, Breast Enhancement.















Mid-Cape participants display their enthusiastic smiles

Admission is free but reservations are requested and may be arranged by calling Bob Lynch at Mid-Cape R&H, 239-573-3210.

There will be a drawing for free baskets of skin care products.

Dr. Robert J. Brueck is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with practice offices in Fort Myers and Cape coral and almost 30 years of experience in the specialty of cosmetic surgery. For more information about Dr. Brueck, his practice and his experience, visit http://www.Beauty-by-Brueck.com

New techniques in cosmetic surgery for luscious lips

NEW RICHER FULLER LIPS

There are many challenges in cosmetic surgery today.

One has to do with creating fuller, more youthful looking lips (lip augmentation.)

The procedure of choice has been injecting dermal fillers. Fine, as far as they go. But injections can be painful and only temporary. They often require multiple injections over time to maintain that fullness.

We now have a new “gummy bear lip”. A new “PermaLip” implant is now available. It's made from silastic polymer with the consistency of a soft gummy bear. It has tapered ends simulating the normal lip line.

The implant is soft and has a natural feeling.

Implanting can be done in a simple outpatient procedure with light sedation which translates into no pain. Because there is no tissue ingrowth to the implant it is very easy to remove or reposition if necessary.

The before and after photos I think speak for themselves.

Photos are provided by PermaLip (c) and do not represent Dr. Brueck's work.

Recently a paper was written by Drs. Harris and Raphael of Plano, Texas, discussing their experience with 412 patients utilizing the PermaLip implant. Complications were minimal; 17 out of 412 patients required some repositioning of the implant and no patients lost their implant due to infection.

Satisfaction was almost universal, even after several months. Only two of the 412 patients expressed dissatisfaction and two requested removal due to family pressure.

It now has received FDA approval. No longer do you have to endure repeated injections to have full youthful lips. To schedule a complimentary consultation to see if you are a candidate for PermaLip please call our office at (239) 939-5233.

A chuckler testimonial for Dr. Brueck's plastic surgery

We get lots of compliments from our patients.

Many testimonials about our plastic surgery work come to us in email.

Usually, they come from the patient.

Very rarely do we get one from the spouse or companion of the patient.

This one made us chuckle.

I guess whether or not you take this as complimentary depends on what you think of Picasso's work. LOL

I choose to take it as positive.

What do you think?