Announcing New Weight Loss Program

Regular readers of this blog by Dr. Brueck MD, Fort Myers plastic surgeon, know that he posts here regularly about news and updates in health, medicine and plastic surgery. He also can be referred to at his website, Beauty-by-Brueck.com

There are all several things we all have in common and one of these is that the majority of us have at one time or another been on a diet. A select few have tried many, looking for the “Holy Grail”. It is sort of like saying “I want to be in shape, have a six pack abdomen and not have to “break a sweat”. With dieting we say “I want to lose 10,15 or more pounds but do I really have to give up my quarter pounder and ice cream?

I guess there has to be a happy medium. I recently started a diet that I have found to be easy. The diet is the PhenTabz Rx diet. I like it because it is simple and effective. I have been on it for 3 weeks and have lost about 10 pounds so far. My routine is fairly simple and some would say insane. Why insane? Because I get up at 3:00 a.m. to go to the gym. Old habits are hard to break so when I see a patient at 7:00 a.m. and they ask me if I am awake, there’s no mistaking it. I’m ready!

About 30 minutes before breakfast (no – not fried eggs, bacon, sausage, toast and hash browns and maybe a couple of pancakes for fun) I take a PhenTabz Rx with about 6-8 oz. of water. Later I drink a protein shake and occasionally some fruit. Before lunch, about 30 minutes, I take another PhenTabz Rx with 6-8 oz. of H20. I usually eat a light lunch. For my evening meal I’ll have salad, fish, chicken vegetables maybe some rice and a glass or two of wine. So far so good. I have to say I have no appetite. These tablets have completely cut off my hunger pains and the best part is I am not jittery or fatigued.

The other thing I like about PhenTabz Rx is you can be on it indefinitely and it is so easy. There is no calorie counting, measuring food portions, etc. However, you can’t drink a six pack of beer, eat 2 pizza’s and chase it down with 3 pints of ice cream and expect to lose weight. Eat sensibly – light to moderate exercise and you should do fine.

There is no substitute for motivation and commitment but you need a nudge – a little push. This may be just what the doctor ordered. I have lost about 10 pounds in 3 weeks so far. Hope it keeps going.

Of course, as with anything a doctor tells you, it is important to remember that one person's results are not necessarily what everyone will achieve or experience.

Botox - Move Over - Here comes competition

Welcome to the latest edition of Dr. Brueck's blog on plastic surgery. As a board certified Fort Myers cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Brueck reports here regularly.

The FDA recently approved a new “miracle” wrinkle remover and its name is Xeomin.

Don’t ask me how to pronounce it. But more competition is better than less. The price competition will be great both for Doctor and more importantly the patient.

Botox got FDA approval in 2002 and has grown to a $1.3 billion industry. Dysport was approved in 2009 and in that short period of time it has garnered maybe 20+% of the market.

The new Xeomin will be made by Merz -Restylene form - and be available in the spring. A big question remains: how long will Xeomin last relative to Botox and Dysport?

The success of Xeomin will depend on price and longevity. It has the potential to be a huge winner.

Stay tuned. More to come. Sign up for RSS feed of Dr. Brueck's blog to stay up with plastic surgery news.

Mammograms? How Often? Dr. Brueck comments

Dr. Robert J. Brueck MD frequently comments on items in the news about breast health and surgery. As a Fort Myers cosmetic surgeon with 30+ years in practice, Dr. Brueck strives to keep patients and the public aware of developments in the field.

It seems like every time you roll-over and get out of bed there are new guidelines as to how often to get mammograms and when you should start.

The ACOG recommends women 40 or older be given annual mammograms. This same frequency is recommended by the American Cancer Society and the American College of Radiology.

The overall consensus is mammograms save lives.

A computer model developed by the authors of the Annals of Internal Medicine study showed that all women should have a baseline mammogram to determine breast density.

The more dense the breast, the greater the likelihood of breast cancer.

The fact that there are so many varied opinions means there is no concrete evidence/standards that are universally acceptable. I think self exam is critical.

Also, if someone is over 40, has dense breasts and multiple risk factors re: positive family history or a positive genetic marker, then annual mammograms (or at least one every 2 years) would be in order.

Always check with your primary physician who is knowledgeable about your particular case.

Breast Capsule Formation - Dr. Brueck comments.

Another message in Dr. Brueck MD's continuing series of blogs about health and plastic surgery. As a Fort Myers plastic surgeon with board certification, Dr. Brueck strives to keep his patients and others informed about developments in cosmetic surgery. For more information about Dr. Brueck, visit his web site at Beauty-by-Brueck,com.

Having done hundreds of breast augmentations over the past 32+ years, I have to say the most puzzling, most aggravating unintended result is the development of severe encapsulation or breast hardening.

Some things are well known in that if a breast develops a hematoma or collection of blood post-op, the rate of hardness increases. I think it is fair to say that thin tissues or lack of breast tissue leads to greater risk of hardness. I also feel severe encapsulation is more prevalent in smokers. I think severe encapsulation is multifactorial.

A new area of research is shedding light on “biofilm”.

There is now evidence that when the implant is placed in a pocket that bacteria cling to the surface of the implant forming a biofilm or biological coating. Strategies are being developed to prevent this.

One study involves an antibiotic impregnated mesh that is implanted with the implant. In a pig model, all 14 animals that had implants without the mesh, developed capsular contracture AND none of the animals that had the antibiotic mesh developed capsular contracture.

Looks promising. Sign up to receive this blog via RSS feed to stay in touch with developments.

Liquid FaceLift? - Stay tuned

Welcome to Dr. Robert J. Brueck's blog about matters concerning health, skin and cosmetic surgery. As a board certified Fort Myers plastic surgeon, Dr. Brueck periodically adds news and messages here.

We’ve heard the term, "liquid facelift", many times before, but it may soon take on a new meaning.

One of the complaints many people have about fillers is, “my fillers didn’t last long”.

Hope may be on the horizon. Biomedical engineers at John Hopkins may soon have an answer. They combined hyaluronic acid HA with polyethylene glycol PEG (this used to be tissue glue). They took this combination and exposed it to light energy. This light solidified their combination and sort of produced an implant. At 3 months these “implants” were stable.

So in the future we may combine a hyaluronic acid filler and PEG – inject it – expose it to light and now we have a more permanent, longer-lasting implant.

Thanks for your attention. You can read more about me at Beauty-by-Brueck.com.

Dr. Brueck recognized as Top Doctor 2011

American Registry reports that Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. a peer-based rating organization in the medical field, has recognized Dr. Robert J. Brueck MD, Fort Myers Plastic Surgeon as a Top Doctor in Plastic Surgery for 2011.

Dr. Brueck commented, "It is always an honor to be recognized for accomplishments in the field, especially when it comes from peer-review. The end, however, the singular focus of my practice is to provide excellence in surgical procedure and care for my patients. They always come first."

This continues Dr. Brueck's recognitions by Castle Connolly in 2003 through 2008.