Fat, fat, go away. Don't come back another day.

The official journal, “Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery,” had a great article in August 2012 relating to the question, "Where dies the fat go after liposuction?"

For those old enough to remember, there was a commercial years ago for Pepsodent toothpaste.   (By the way, I recently went online to buy some.) The commercial went like this. “You’ll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent.”

This article tells about 301 patients who underwent liposuction, as a stand alone procedure on in conjunction with a tummy tuck.  

The results were carefully calibrated and revealed NO regrowth of fat in the treated areas NOR did the fat get redeposit elsewhere! 

Great news and this study reports a smaller study of 25 subjects that claimed the fat removed during liposuction went elsewhere.  

My experience as a plastic surgeon who performs liposuction in Fort Myers is that once the fat is gone, it is gone. So don’t despair!

The high price of tanning booths.

Recent research links one-in-twenty cases of melanoma to indoor tanning beds.  

Studies show people who frequent indoor tanning beds have a 20% increased risk of skin cancer and this sky-rockets to 87% if they start before 35 years of age.  Young people need to know what’s at stake. 

As a practicing plastic surgeon in Florida, I know melanoma is a potential killer. 

There is a movement afoot to "ban the tan". Currently four states, New York, California, Rhode Island and Vermont, have laws banning tanning for minors.

Please heed my warning and pass it on to friends and families.

How do you like your fat?

I guess when we go to a steak house, we’re always asked, “How do you want that done?”  

Now, with fat, I can go "dry" or "wet".  More and more of my Fort Myers plastic surgery patients receive fat when I’m doing facial cosmetic surgery.  It is a great tool to make a face more youthful because, as we age (I have been in practice 33 years and have yet to come across ANYONE who is NOT aging.) we not only get saggy skin, we lose VOLUME, i.e. fat in our face.  

We harvest fat from the abdomen for the majority.  When we harvest fat we usually infuse tumescent fluid into the donor area and then harvest.  In a recent study, NO difference was found in the arability of the fat if it was infused wet or dry.

Breast size is increasing

Breast augmentation remains extremely popular.  In 2011, more than 316,000 women underwent breast enlargement.

 I recently read a brief synopsis of a new book authored by Florence Williams, entitled “Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History.”

The reason behind the book was because Mrs. Williams was involved in a breast milk research study while nursing her daughter.  This led to extensive research and led to her book.  She found out her milk contained toxic materials.  She knew there was much to be learned.

In my practice as a plastic surgeon in Fort Myers, FL, when I do a breast aug, I would rather err on the side of a little too big because patients adjust up easier than they adjust down.  For years, people have been obsessed with breasts and their size.  What was revealing to me was what type of materials were used in breast implants in the early 1900’s.  Such materials as glass balls, ivory wood chips, peanut oil, paraffin and ox cartilage to name a few.

Today, life is much simpler - silicone or saline - and my choice is silicone. A patient must be at least 22 years old to get silicone, unless it is for reconstruction, i.e. a congenital defect.  

Since silicone is back on the market, the popularity of breast augmentation has risen dramatically.

Not all carbs are bad

As a doctor and surgeon, I read a lot about about carbohydrates.  

For some, all carbohydrates are bad. But, in reality, there are good carbohydrates too.  

I guess you can rate carbohydrates by their calorie density.  The lower the density, the healthier the carbohydrate.  Lets say you have a bowl of Dorito’s and a bowl of cherries.  The cherries would be a better choice since they have a lower calorie density. 

Our diets are normally 50-65% carbohydrates.  What we sometimes forget is that fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates.  These contain things like minerals and vitamins that we all need.  

So carbs are important, as long as they are the right carbs.

Dr. Brueck MD, like all doctors, concerns himself with more than just his board certified plastic and cosmetic surgery specialty. The general health and well-being of all his Southwest Florida patients is equally important to him.

Mom's Home Remedies

A plastic surgeon is not immune to a Mother's wisdom. I remember my Mom was always looking for ways to heal naturally.  

One book she read, as did I, was entitled “See Without Glasses”.  I wore glasses as a young kid and sure didn’t like being called “4-eyes”, but I got over it. 

She also read about the healing wonders of good old apple cider vinegar.  They say soaking a bruise with a cotton ball dipped in vinegar will decrease the bruising and speed up healing.  

Another "miracle cure" is good old Listerine.  If you have toe nail fungus, soaking your feel in Listerine can overcome this.  

They say at the first sign of a urinary tract infection ie: pain and burning upon urinating, take a couple of Alka Seltzer to nip it in the bud.  

Sore hands?  Take some oatmeal (2 cups) with one cup of water – microwave it and put it on your hands to sooth the pain.

As fascinating as these ideas may be, they do not represent medical advice. As with anything, it is always wise to check with your doctor when any health issue arises.

What is a pumping party?

I know the suspense is killing you – what is a pumping party?  

Instead of injecting Botox, illegal silicon is injected.

Forty-two-year-old Padge Victoria Windslowe is under arrest for the death of twenty-year-old Claudia Adertimi. 

Claudia came over from England to have Ms. Windslowe inject her buttocks with silicone.  She had the injection done and suffered from pulmonary emboli.  

I again can not emphasize enough how important is it to go to a board certified plastic surgeon.  Buyer beware.

FACT:  There were 151,000 body sculpting procedures done in the U.S. in 2011.

Watch out what you watch at night

Watching TV and gluing your eyes to a computer screen are as American as apple pie and Ford.  

Even as board certified plastic surgeon, I never realized that watching lit screens at night from TV and computers, etc. can contribute to the development of insomnia, diabetes, obesity and even cancer.  

Now a new “thing” has been added to the list – mood change.  

In a study done with rodents, they found rodents exposed to dim light for 8 hours experienced signs of depression.  It is also interesting to note rates of depression in America have increased significantly as artificial light at night has increased.

Fort Myers Plastic Surgeon notes new uses for fat.

I guess in our era of obesity we all tend to be turned off by fat.  Most of us have too much of the yellow greasy substance.  

As a board certified Fort Myers & Southwest Florida plastic surgeon, I am learning more about fat everyday.

Now, having a little extra fat (I think little is a good term) maybe good for our health.  

Scientists at the University of Oklahoma were able to take stem cells derived from abdominal fat; culture them and roll sheets of stem cells purposes into blood vessels to be used for purpose of cardiac revascularization.  This process takes about 3-4 weeks

Cultural attitudes about Cosmetic Surgery

I think it is fair to say that more and more people today are willing to discuss, with others, the fact that they have had cosmetic surgery.  

There is no longer the stigma associated with it.  

But these feeling are NOT shared by all cultures.  Cultures in Hong Kong and Japan view cosmetic surgery in a negative way.  Some of the people surveyed in Hong Kong and Japan said they were not willing to form relationships with people who had cosmetic surgery, especially more intimate ones.  

I guess culture is important in how we view things.  Glad I’m a cosmetic surgeon in Fort Myers, Florida and not in Hong Kong or Japan!

News about fat from a Fort Myers Plastic Surgeon

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK?

How does a Fort Myers plastic surgeon keep up?

It seems every day there is a new filler, a new laser, a new neurotoxin – it never ends.  

The latest to begin the journey is a procedure called “Ice-Shock Hipolysis”.  This is being researched/studied in Naples, Italy.  The machine combines cryolipolysis (freezing fat) with shock waves. 

According to studies in Italy, this non-invasive procedure is, “safe, effective and well tolerated”.  

How effective remains to be seen.

Perhaps the medical literature that "tipped" the story will provide a follow-up. I'll be watching.

Fact:  Breast lifts, or mastopexy procedures, performed in 2011 totaled 127,054!

Of bones and couches

Get up and get moving.

New research has revealed that being a couch potato may be as bad for you as smoking.  Harvard University researchers found that more than five million people die each year from physical inactivity.  That is a remarkable number. 

We know, however, that exercise reduces the risk of all sorts of diseases – diabetes, cancer, heart disease to name a few.  As a Fort Myers doctor I recommend 30 minutes of moderate activity such as walking, biking at lease 4-5 times per week.  So get those walkin shoes on!

Why not wine?

How many times have you read that milk has calcium and is good for your bones.  Tue enough. But now, a study of post  menopausal women (50-68) showed a glass or two of wine a night may be just what the doctor ordered for bone health. 

When these women stopped drinking wine, their bones began to resorb or lose old cells.  Resorption increases leads to weaker bones.  Once the women went back to their evening wine, their resorption rates returned to normal. 

The conclusion? Alcohol in moderation can slow down bone loss. 

Research in the past has shown other benefits to moderate drinking such as lower risks of arthritis, cardiac disease and/or stroke.

Hey, you could have that glass of wine after you return from your afternoon walk.

Breast Implants enhance intimacy

As a Board Certified plastic surgery in Fort Myers, Breast Augmentation has always been one of my own personal favorite operations to perform.  

I believe the overall satisfaction rate is in excess of 85-90%.  

The website RealSelf.com recently did a survey to get some feedback.  61% of respondents said they had more frequent sexual encounters while only 7% had sex less frequently.  

Overall sexual satisfaction increased for over 70% of the respondents.  Almost 80% of respondents said their breast aug was well worth it.