MASSIVE WEIGHT LOSS

Another report from Dr. Robert Brueck MD, Fort Myers plastic surgeon:

I think we all can agree obesity is truly a rising problem in America.

It affects all age groups – young and old, but rarely do massively obese people live to “old age”.

Two of the more popular procedures include the highly marketed “lap band” and gastric bypass. Which is better?

Well the answer may now be known. A recent article in Archives of Surgery shows gastric bypass had faster and more sustained levels of weight loss compared to the lab band. The study involved more than 400 people in Switzerland.

(I knew that Swiss chocolate was bad!)

SUPERBUGS? Will they meet their match?

As a Fort Myers MD, I am frequently asked about "superbugs".

We all know what they are - they’re in the news a lot. They seem to be unstoppable. We might see them as flesh-eating bacteria, leading the way in an epidemic of antibiotic, hospital-acquired infections. Now, a new weapon in the fight against these invaders may be available. Researchers in Israel have found a way to restore a bacteria’s sensitivity to antibiotics. This process is LYSOGENIZATION.

In this technique, scientists use bacteriophager (virus that attack bacteria) to invade resistant bacteria which then can restore their antibiotic sensitivity. So far these new “phases” have not been tested on superbugs, but soon will be.

THE “NEW” PAP SMEAR

We are all familiar with the pap smear – millions of American women get them every year.

As a Fort Myers plastic surgeon who deals with women who may be, or have been, afflicted by breast cancer, I'm pleased to report that there may be a new “pap” smear to detect breast cancer.

A new partnership between the University of North Dakota and a company called Neomatrix LLC may soon license a new technology to detect early forms of breast cancer from nipple aspirate fluid (NAF).

The HALO test may detect breast cancer cells in the NAF. Researchers at the university identified a set of bio markers in the NAF that led to a diagnosis of breast cancer.

If you would like more information go to www.neomatrix.com. The test is a simple non invasive 5 minute test. This HALO Breast Pap test is FDA approved for the collection of nipple aspirate fluid (NAF).

GLAUCOMA & GEOGRAPHY

As a plastic surgeon involved with aspects of physical beauty, I am drawn to information about vision. It is, after all, the principle way we experience physical beauty.

So, what could the vision problem, glaucoma, possibly have in common with geography? Well, they both begin with G.

But, seriously, there appears to be more to this than meets the eye. It seems people who live most of their lives BELOW 41 Degrees north Latitude (i.e. passes through Chicago) have a SIGNIFICANTLY lower risk of developing exfoliation glaucoma. Exfoliation glaucoma causes protein deposits in the eye which can lead to vision loss.

And here, we thought people were moving to Florida for the weather. We learn new and interesting things everyday.

COSMETIC SURGERY BOOM IN INDIA

Boy, there are many reasons why this is happening.

Cosmetic surgery in India is growing between 20-30% annually. Medical tourism I suspect will rise, with the advent of Obamacare and cost being two factors.

England recently added a VAT tax (value added tax) to cosmetic procedures done in the U.K. This has been auspiciously dubbed “the boob tax”. This tax will add 20% to the cost of a cosmetic procedure in England. The net result – more “vacations” to India or perhaps Singapore or Thailand.

I guess, if all goes well, it’s OK. But a follow-up visit to say Mumbai from Ft. Myers might be a bit pricey. Again, buyer beware.

Looking at it from a different perspective, with the finest surgeons and facilities in the world here, we may see a surge of British patients. As a Fort Myers plastic surgeon, I stand ready to serve. %>))

SMOKING- GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH?

Dr. Robert Brueck MD, Fort Myers plastic surgeon, does not smoke and does not advocate smoking. But, he does report interesting findings in the world of health and medicine, such as this message.

"It seems we live in a contradicting world. We hear this food or supplement is bad for us. Then, a year or more later, we hear it’s good for us. Coffee is bad for us. Now, it’s good for us. No wonder there is a long trail of confusion.

A recent pilot study in the journal “Neurology” found that nicotine patches could improve memory, mental processing and attention. Seventy-four patients took part in the study. The nicotine patches worn by a set number of patients found enhanced cognitive function. A little side bonus was a loss of weight in some patients and lower blood pressure. See, Nicotine also has an anorectic effect as well (loss of appetite).

I certainly am not advocating one should take up smoking but these are dilemmas we face. This explains why so many smokers gain weight after they stop."

FOLLOW-UP TO PIP GEL IMPLANT

Dr. Robert Brueck MD, Fort Myers plastic surgeon, reports on the status of French breast implants.

I wrote earlier about the French government paying to have silicone implants removed. The implants were PIP implants manufactured by Poly Implant Prothese’.

The Society of Plastic Surgeons has been monitoring the events as they unfold. To date PIP implants have not and were not approved for use in the U.S.

Again – women who engaged in “medical tourism” and went abroad to get their augmentation – well, you may want to inquire which type of implants you have.

BEST TIME OF DAY FOR SURGERY?

As a plastic surgeon in Fort Myers, FL, I am often asked this question.

I am a morning person – to the gym at 3:00 am – ready to go to the Operating Room by 7:00 – 7:30 am. Often times, patients will comment “I hope you are ready to go! Somehow my telling them my routine, they have a quiet reassurance. They want me to be fresh.

But does the time of day a procedure is performed really matter – morning vs. afternoon?

Researchers at Cleveland Clinic studied 32,001 elective procedures over a 5 year span. The results revealed there is NO difference whether you have your surgery in the A.M. or P.M.

So rest assured. If you like to sleep-in and want your surgery “later” in the day, I say go for it.

WHO LEADS IN ANTI-AGING PROCEDURES?

Common sense would tell us the “older” generation or baby boomers would be leading the way.

But surprise, surprise!

A study by the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) (I am a member) found that “Generation-X” people, aged 31-45, actually led the way with 43% of the $10+ billion spent on cosmetic procedures in 2010. The baby boomers (I’m also a member here as well) accounted for 28% of the total spent.

There were a total of 13.1 million cosmetic procedures done and of this total 11.6 million were non-surgical. That keeps plastic surgeons such as me happily busy.

PERSONALITY AND WEIGHT LOSS

Dr. Robert Brueck MD, Fort Myers Cosmetic Surgeon reports
on weight management and personality.

It seems we are always looking for connections between two entities or cause and effect. If you eat too much of A your more likely to get or suffer from B.

Now there is research that links our personality to our body weight.

There is a growing body of research that suggests that the part of our brain controlling our emotions and stress also controls our appetite or hunger center.

People who were “impulsive” were more apt to be overweight. People who were not overly agreeable tended to put on more weight over the years.

This connection between emotions and weight begins early in our lives.

Kids who had low emotional relationships with their mothers tended to be more obese by the age of 15.

So when we say this is “food for thought” that is not far from the truth.

FISH AND ALZHEIMERS

Dr. Robert Brueck MD, practicing plastic surgery in Fort Myers, Florida, blogs here about matters of health, medicine & plastic surgery.

We have all read about the importance of fish oils in our diet. I take fish oil’s everyday, but I have to say taking in fish oil and face-lifting don’t go hand in hand.

I tell all my patients to avoid fish oil a couple of weeks before surgery.

Now, another good reason to eat fish: a recent study of people in their 70’s found that if they had fish once a week for over 10 years their brains were bigger. The area’s linked to memory and learning seemed to be the most affected. Some people think the Omega 3 fatty acids cut down on inflammation and up blood flow to the brain.

But the fish must be baked or boiled - NO fish fry’s.

COSMETIC SURGERY AND THE RECESSION

Apparently cosmetic surgery did not suffer as much as the economy.

There was a downturn in 2008 at the height of the recession. From 2009-2010 people spent 3.8% less on food, 2% less on housing, but spent 1.3 more on breast augmentation, 5.1% more on liposuction, 8.1% more on eyelid surgery and get this 24.4% more on buttock lifts.

What is really of interest, nearly 1/3 of cosmetic surgery patients’ had incomes of less than $30,000 per year and about 70% made less than $60,000 per year.

I think it's evidence that plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery have become mainstream. You don't have to be in the 1% to not want to look like the 99%.

NEW PLASTIC SURGERY APP.

A company in France, Kaeira EURL, has released their latest version of Plastic Surgery Simulator. Version 1.1 is now available for i Phone, i Pad, and i Pad touch.

The app allows people to stretch or shrink body parts to see what they “might” look like.

I only hope prospective patients don’t use this as a motivation to have plastic surgery. To me it’s more of a toy than anything else.

As a Fort Myers Plastic Surgeon, I can guarantee I will not be using Plastic Surgery Simulator.

BREAST FEEDING AND IMPLANTS

As a Fort Myers, FL plastic surgeon, I receive regular questions. Many women with breast implants wonder, if they breast feed, will the implants cause their breasts to change.

Dr. Norma Crey – a plastic surgeon in San Juan, Puerto Rico followed 160 women with implants and who breast fed their babies. The presence of implants did not alter their breast shape negatively.

There is no question pregnancy and nursing will effect the shape of a women’s breasts for the most part in a negative way (more sagging - less volume) but the presence of implants did not seem to influence the negative effect.

BOOTLEG SILICONE

Everyone read recently about the silicone implants from PIP in France that were taken off the market. Apparently, unscrupulous practitioners are injecting silicone from home improvement centers into various parts of the body. One of the more popular areas is the buttocks.

There was a report of an exotic dancer getting silicone injections into her buttocks by a non-MD. The dancer was hospitalized and x-rays of her lungs showed silicone. Apparently the individual doing the injection got some of the material in her veins which then carried the silicone to her lungs. Scattered reports from around the country are prompting investigations from the FDA and other health care officials.

Always, always, always check out if the "dr." performing your "procedure" is a board certified plastic surgeon. Fort Myers FL Dr. Robert J. Brueck MD FACS meets the requirement.