Fear Grows Over French Made PIP Breast Implant

Ruptured PIP Silicone Breast Implant

All PIP (Poly Implant Prothese Company) brand breast implants, which are French made have been recalled. The PIP Silicone Breast Implant contain industrial-grade silicone that causes abnormally high rupture rates, according to critics. They have been sold in many countries in Europe, South and Central America and beyond, though not in the United. No Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon has used PIP brand breast implant. Now, the French government has opened a criminal investigation into the company. PIP was shut down and its products banned in 2010. By this point, an estimated 400,000 women worldwide had received the PIP implants. Both French and German health authorities are now under fire for not taking action sooner. A German company provided the industrial silicone, and it has just come to light that another German company paid by PIP was in charge of inspecting the implants. Fears over the implants spread globally last month after a French woman with ruptured implants died of cancer. French health authorities advised 30,000 French women to have their PIP breast implants removal.  PIP’s cheap breast implant price made them popular, especially in Britain, where an estimated 50,000 women got them. The British government is taking a more cautious approach than the French. It has not yet recommended the mass removal of the implants. But many clinics, including those that provide breast reconstruction for cancer patients, say they bought the PIP implants in good faith and will go out of business if made to bear the full costs of removal.The Czech government on January 5^th, 2012  recommended women wearing PIP implants have them removed. And on January 6^th, some 200 Venezuelan women say they will join a French lawsuit against the company. Plastic surgeons began informing health authorities about the high rupture rate as early as 2007. And in 2008 and 2009, they kept contacting them. It was clear there was a serious problem with these implants. French television showed footage on Thursday of investigators and a judge searching the factory of the Poly Implant Prothese company, or PIP, in southernFrance.

Winner of the Best Diet Plan: DASH

DASH diet took the first place spot in U.S. News’  2^nd ever ranking of the best weight loss plan for the second year in a row. The undefeated DASH, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, actually wasn’t developed to supplement Rancho Cucamonga weight loss surgery patients or Ventura bariatric surgery patients; instead, it aims to lower blood pressure. But it earned high marks from a panel of experts for its safety, nutritional merit and usefulness for chronic disease sufferers.

DASH diet was developed to help prevent and treat hypertension, but it was meant to work in conjunction with other healthful behaviors, such as getting at least 30 minutes of exercise each day and drinking alcohol in moderation. There’s no secret trick to the DASH eating plan — just an emphasis on low-salt, high-fiber fare, like eight to 10 daily servings of fruits and vegetables for a standard 2,000 calorie-per-day diet. It limits high-calorie sweets and meats that are high in saturated fat. Instead, in addition to fresh produce, the diet calls for fat-free or low-fat dairy, whole grains, fish, poultry, beans, seeds, and nuts. DASH diet prescribes a lower sodium intake — either the recommended 2,300 mg in the standard version or 1,500 mg for people who are more susceptible to, or already diagnosed with, hypertension, according to The Mayo Clinic.

DASH diet won best-overall and also ranked first in “best diets for healthy eating” and “best diabetes diets.” Its lowest score was a ninth rank for “best weight-loss diet.” Studies show that the diet can lead to weight loss, though research has focused on overweight and obese individuals who already suffer from high blood pressure (between 130 and 159 mm Hg). One study found that overweight and obese hypertension patients who followed the DASH diet in conjunction with exercise and weight loss classes lost more weight over four months (an average 9.5 pounds) than counterparts who simply followed DASH eating plans (8 pounds) — and both did better than a control group of participants who continued their typical diet and received basic weight loss advice (an average of 3 pounds).

Ultimately for those who cannot loss weight on this or any other diet plan, a weight loss surgery such as Los Angeles Lap Band, Los Angeles Gastric Sleeve (also knows as sleeve gastrectomy) maybe a good alternative plan.

Beverly Hills Physicians Bariatric Program Commands FDA Action Against Misleading Lap Band Advertising

Beverly Hills Physicians Bariatric Surgery Gropu supports the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decision to investigate and take action against misleading advertising for the Lap Band Surgery, an FDA-approved medical implant used for weight loss. The FDA issued warning letters to several southern California entities that have allegedly misled the public regarding the possible risks of the LAP BAND procedure.

The LAP BAND is an adjustable gastric restrictive device that has been proven to be an effective tool in aiding weight loss. However, the LAP BAND should be viewed as one of many components that comprise a broader, complete weight loss prgram like the one offered by Beverly Hills Physicians. A safe and successful treatment plan for morbid obesity requires meticulous patient selection (since not all surgical procedures are suitable for all patients), as well as life-long follow-up of the patients health and success.

Los Angeles Weight Loss Surgeons have an obligation to consult with patients and inform them about possible side-effects and contraindications associated with LAP BAND surgery. Moreover, it is the duty of the program to inform patients not just about the risks and benefits of the LAP BAND, but also about all possible treatments. These include non-surgical and behavioral treatments, as well as surgical treatments such as laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy  and laparoscopic gastric bypass , in addition to the LAP BAND. This is in keeping with the fundamental guiding philosophy of surgeons at Beverly Hills Physicians & Associates. Without a thorough education about all the various options, a patient cannot possibly make an informed decision on the safest and healthiest course of action.  

The FDA’s commendable decision to take action underscores the need for patients to seek LAP BAND surgery and other treatment options only with well trained and qualified surgeons who are Fellowship trained in the field of Bariatric Surgery and accredited by the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). The simple truth is this: LAP BAND surgery can be a safe procedure, but only when performed by qualified and responsible medical professionals.

About Beverly Hills Physicians Bariatric Program:

With 10 locations and a huge network of physicians, BHP  is one of the safest and most consistently successful multidisciplinary bariatric surgical programs for the treatment of obesity and associated diseases. All surgeons at BHP  are Fellowship Trained Surgeons who are certified in the field of Bariatric Surgery.  The doctors at this medical center place a priority on pre-operative medical and cardiological assessment and clearance, in addition to pre- and post-operative behavioral modification. BHP has a sterling record of consistent safety and consistent success. Their doctors have performed thousands of these procedures without a single mortality, and maintain a complication rate of less than 1%, substantially lower than the national average of 3-4%.

Weight Loss and Lap Band Surgery Reduces Mortality in Obese Patients

Photo of a Lap Band

Patients undergoing Lap Band or Weight Loss Surgery had a significantly reduced rate of subsequent myocardial infarctions and strokes and significantly increased survival, compared with similar, morbidly obese patients who had other types of surgery, in a retrospective cohort study of more than 9,000 U.S. patients. In his study of bariatric surgery patients in South Carolina during 1996-2008, the combined rate of MIs, strokes, and deaths was 52% below the rate in patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery, and 28% below the rate of those who had orthopedic surgery – both statistically significant differences. The results also showed significant drops in each component of the combined end point (MIs, strokes, and deaths).

The new study used hospital in-patient records collected during 1996-2008 through the South Carolina Office of Research and Statistics, and death data collected by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. The analysis included morbidly obese patients aged 40-79 years who underwent nonemergency surgery (4,747 patients who had any form of bariatric surgery, 3,066 patients who underwent joint replacement or spinal surgery, and 1,327 patients who had a cholecystectomy, hernia repair, or lysis of gastrointestinal adhesions). Those with a history of prior MI or stroke were excluded.

Patients were followed for an average of 14 months after lap band surgery, 25 after orthopedic surgery, and 26 months after gastrointestinal surgery.

In a multivariate analysis that controlled for age, sex, race, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, coronary artery disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and a history of transient ischemic attack, patients undergoing bariatric surgery had a significant 41% reduced rate of first MI compared with the orthopedic surgery patients, and a significant 51% lower rate compared with the gastrointestinal surgery patients. Mortality in the weight loss surgery Los Angeles patients dropped by a significant 19% and 55% relative to the orthopedic and gastrointestinal patients, respectively, and the stroke rate was also significantly lower following bariatric surgery compared with the rates in each control group. The magnitude of these event-rate reductions was consistent with prior reports of risk reduction. Notably, bariatric surgery “reduced cardiovascular events, as opposed to obesity-drug treatments that may actually increase the risk for cardiovascular events,” he noted. “Bariatric surgery has been rigorously tested and [proved] over the past 20 years, and it has a dramatic effect on all aspects of patient health. [Most] medical treatments for obesity don’t have 20 years of data, and some medications actually cause heart problems. We don’t know how bariatric surgery reduced myocardial infarctions and strokes, but it’s probably several factors: weight loss and resolution of diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea. The spectrum of returning patients to a more normal, baseline state probably leads to less morbidity and mortality,” said one the best weight loss surgeon

Reduce Belly Fat and Add Curves to the Buttock

Timeless beauty and Hollywood glamour has long been associated with curves, made famous by the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor. Now board certified Beverly Hills plastic surgeons, has pioneered a procedure that will give every woman of every size the ultimate curves: The S-Curve Buttock Lift. By using fat transfer techniques, a Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon can now offer patients a more feminine and curvaceous shape with this form of buttock Augmentation.

“The way humans recognize beauty is in curves,” notes Dr. Ghavami. “In nature, it’s about recognizing proportion, and the relationship of convexity to concavity. In other words, a woman with a perfectly balanced curvy shape looks sexy!”

While a significant aspect of the S-Curve Buttock Lift is creating a round, shapely buttock, Dr. Ghavami notes that the ultimate goal of the procedure is to improve the shape and silhouette of the whole body. Unlike other surgeons, who solely focus on the buttocks of a patient, Dr. Ghavami liposculpts the entire body, neck to knees, to achieve the ultimate hourglass figure on any body type.

The process begins with incredibly detailed pre-operative analysis and markings. Once in surgery, liposuction is performed on areas such as the lower back, flank and upper hip fat (also known as the “muffin top”). The fat is then placed in multiple layers, and carefully sculpted and massaged.

Dr. Ghavami then fashions a diamond-shape valley directly above the intergluteal crease. This enhances the curvature of the lower spine and top of the buttocks. When the fat has been harvested, it is then injected into the hips and buttocks, to create the perfect “S” curve. As the body turns 360 degrees, the curves (and “S” shapes) become clear in all areas, particularly the small of the back, and the hips.

According to Dr. Ghavami, approximately 70% of the fat will survive, nearly an unheard of number with fat transfer procedures. Most notably, however, is the fact that the procedure also improves appearance of the skin and cellulite, as well. After the fat has been transferred, the production of collagen is stimulated, and the superficial fat compartments become stretched and tighten, resulting in more healthy-looking skin with glow.

While Dr. Ghavami notes that he can create the perfect hourglass shape on just about anyone, he places great emphasis on a strict post-operative diet and exercise regimen on all his patients, that not only optimizes fat survival, but shape as well. “The S-Curve Buttock Lift procedure yields completely natural looking and feeling curves, unlike buttock implants,” concludes Dr. Ghavami. “This makes my patients feel confident, feminine, and sexy.”

Urinary Incontinence Treatment

Vaginal Rejuvenation- Before and After Photo

If you’ve ever leaked urine when you laughed, coughed or sneezed, you may have thought it was a simple accident, but for many women, bladder leaks are a surprisingly common occurrence.

Maybe you find that pressure from coughing, picking up something heavy, pulling, pushing or exercising causes recurring urine leaks. Many women cope by wearing sanitary napkins or dark clothing, planning trips around restroom facilities, even sticking closer to home—anything to shield them from embarrassment.

Stress Urinanry Incontinence (SUI) is a common, treatable condition in which sudden movements put stress on the bladder, causing urine to leak out involuntarily. Stress urinary incontinence is one of the most common types of urinary incontinence among women.Because bladder leakage can be embarrassing, many women don’t talk about SUI or realize how common it is.

While mild symptoms of incontinence may be treated using the methods described above, women with more serious symptoms may respond best to a surgical procedure.

Today’s minimally invasive options mean you may be able to treat incontinence with a simple outpatient procedure. In one type of treatment, your surgeon inserts a tape-like strip of mesh through very small incisions in the abdomen or vagina to support the urethra. The mesh acts as a supportive sling, allowing the urethra to stay closed when appropriate. Patients with incontinence caused by pelvic organ prolapse may opt for a pelvic floor repair procedure. During the procedure, the surgeon repositions the prolapsed or “dropped” organs and secures them to the surrounding tissues and ligaments, sometimes reinforced with a strip of soft mesh. Be sure to talk to a surgeons at Beverly Hills Physicians about the treatment options and vaginal rejuvenation surgery  that may be best for you.

Flash Recovery Breast Augmentation and Liposuction

 

Breast Augmentation

Plastic surgery helps patients receive lifestyle-enhancing procedures that will not only change the way they look, but also the way they feel. It is important for patients to evaluate a plastic surgeon based on qualifications and past procedure results. Searching through a plastic surgery before and after photo gallery will help patients decide which Plastic Surgeons to consult. In addition, it is also essential for patients to verify that the procedure will be done and completed in a State-of-the-art plastic surgery facility with a certified staff that are caring and helpful. (see Plastic Surgery in Los Angeles)

Our Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery facility is now offering patients Flash Recovery Breast Augmentation procedure. With this procedure, patients are able to receive and quickly recover from breast enhancement surgery that accentuate a femininely-shaped figure. Recovery time can be reduced up to less than 24 hours, depending on breast size. Size and type of implants, either saline or silicone implants, are determined during the patient consultation with their plastic surgeon. The type is discussed during consultation to ensure the type of implant flows and works well with the body. Size may also be suggested by a plastic surgeon to match patients’ weight and size. For minimal scarring, the procedure is performed by making a small incision under the breast, or by scar less breast implant surgery through the armpit, or around the areolar. The incision will be made based on patient preference and physical anatomy. The results are enlarged breasts, restored breast volume, and an improvement in breast asymmetry.

With our Board Certified Plastic Surgeons throughout Southern California, patients receive outstanding body contouring results such as Tummy Tuck or Liposuction. Statistics show that Liposuction has been a top surgical cosmetic procedure among men and women as a body contouring procedure. Liposuction is a procedure for patients who wish to remove excess fat and skin on the body and the procedure allows this removal on virtually any location on the body. The surgeon can perform a fat transfer buttock enhancement procedure using the fat removed from your liposuction.  During consultation, a patient will be asked to express their concern for areas of the body they feel uncomfortable with and may benefit from a liposuction procedure. Once the patient’s candidacy has been evaluated, the patient will be given specific instructions on how to prepare for the procedure. Patients have found this procedure to be extremely effective with results that exceed their expectations as results are permanent unless the patient presumes weight gain. Body contouring procedures provide results that enhance a patients figure as they result in a figure that is slimmer and more defined.

What is the deal with all the Lap Band billboards?

Obesity is an alarming medical problem and is affecting over 1.5 billion people worldwide. A large portion of the morbidly obese patients are in United States. There are several procedures that fall under general bariatric surgery in Los Angeles area and here are a few :

The Sleeve Gastrectomy  induces weight loss by reducing the size of the stomach. Our Oxnard Gastric Sleeve patients undergo a procedure where 75% to 80% of the stomach is removed surgically laparoscopically. The remaining part of the stomach is roughly the size and shape of a banana and holds a little more than 3 oz. Since this operation does not involve any ‘cutting’ or ‘rerouting’ of the intestines, it is a simpler operation than the Gastric Bypass. Unlike the Adjustable Gastric Band (also knows as Lap Band Thousand Oaks to some of our patients), the Sleeve Gastrectomy does not involve a foreign device. For certain patients, particularly those who are super morbidly obese, the Sleeve Gastrectomy may require a second surgery such as of our Ventura gastric bypass patients who had an BMI of 65; she had to undergo two stage surgery in order to loss massive amount of weight.

Another option for restricting the amount of food that can be taken in is the Adjustable Gastric Band. Using this procedure, surgeons at the Beverly Hills Physicians Bariatric Surgery Oxnard  place an inflatable band around the upper portion of the stomach. This band creates a new, smaller pouch that is about one ounce in size. The small pouch makes you feel full with just a small amount of food.

The rate of loss is controlled by the size of the opening of the band. Doctors can adjust the size of the opening by inflating the band’s bladder with saline. Since we can adjust gastric band in the Thousand Oaks Lap Band patients, your rate of weight loss can be controlled so that it is healthy and doesn’t become disruptive to leading a normal life as you lose weight.

One of the advantages of the Adjustable Gastric Band as it is also known, is that there’s no cutting or stapling required. The band is added laparoscopically by surgeons at the institute, so it is minimally invasive. Instead of one large incision, the band is applied through several small incisions. This greatly reduces the recovery time and allows you to start losing your excess weight more quickly.

The weight loss and weight management experts at the Beverly Hills Physician’s Simi Valley Bariatric Surgery Center are actively involved in addressing the alarming rate of obesity in the world and members of our team participate in global sessions addressing the many health and lifestyle issues caused by obesity, which affects an estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide.

Gummy Bear Breast Implants

Silicone Breast Implant Photo

Gummy Bear Implant Photo

The great news is, since the FDA re-approved silicone gel breast implants in 2006, women now have plenty of choices. If saline implants just aren’t for you—if you don’t care for the saline filling, don’t want to risk the ripples or don’t have enough breast tissue to cover the implants—you should now be able to find a silicone implant or gummy bear implant that will give you the curves of your dreams.

New breast implants are nicknamed gummy bear beast implants because they have the feel and consistency of a gummy bear when you cut into one. The advantages of this type of breast implant would be it doesn’t leak like traditional silicone and saline implants if ruptured. These cohesive gel breast implants seem to hold their shape for a much longer time than the other implants do. Gummy bear implants are composed of “exactly the same ingredients as standard silicone gel. They just put more ‘cross-linker’ into it, so the molecules bond to each other more and it creates a more form-stable shape. The gel is so thick that it won’t run or slosh around inside the implant. The durability of cohesive gel breast implants looks promising. The folds and rippling associated with saline and silicone implants is less likely to occur with this stable-form implant. The folds become weak spots on the implant shell, making them more susceptible to rupture. And, even if these cohesive gel implants do rupture, the silicone will not leak out. More research is needed to see if silicone being in contact with the body will cause harm to the patient in any way. All breast implants including saline have a silicone shell.

If you’re just starting your research on silicone gel filled breast implants, take a closer look at gummy bear implants – the very newest generation of silicone implants available from Dr. William Bruno, Dr. Ashkan Ghavami, and Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery. You’ve discovered that “gummy bear” is more than a cute nickname; it’s a clue about the nature of the filling. It’s at once soft and firm, pliant and cohesive, strong and beautiful. And just like those cute little red, green and yellow bears, you can push, pull and even cut the material and it won’t lose its shape.

If you are one of the many women looking for Los Angeles breast augmentation, you’ll soon discover that many patients choose to come to Beverly Hills Physicians for their procedures due to the expertise of surgeons and staff.

Women learn that surgeons at Beverly Hills Physicians have invested an incredible amount of time and energy into breast enhancement surgery and we are one of the busiest and best experts due to incredible number of procedures we have performed. Prospective patients find out that the surgeons’ experience with saline, silicone and gummy bear implants has earned them the trust of manufacturers such as Allergen.

Superior Results, Life Time of Satisfaction

With the superior results of Plastic Surgery Valencia residents have been able to experience life-changing procedures that no other alternative treatment can provide. Plastic surgery Santa Clarita  procedures treat different areas of the face, breasts, and body for a number of reasons. Each patient may receive a procedure for different reasons but all have one reason in common—the desire to reach physical goals in order to gain confidence in themselves.  With the right Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Valencia patients can receive treatments that are effective, safe, and successful in gaining desired results. During the initial consultation, the area to be treated is examined based upon the type of procedure to be received, patient candidacy is also decided at this time to see what types of results a patient can receive realistically.

 An Abdominoplasty, or Tummy Tuck is one of the more common body contouring procedures that patients receive. With a Tummy Tuck Valencia patients contour and slim the mid-body with a procedure that uses liposuction for the removal of excess fat and a muscle-tightening technique that is implemented to the underlying muscles. Patients receive the procedure for a number of reasons. It is recommended for patients who have lost a significant amount of weight but have stubborn fat in their abdominal area, or post-pregnancy women who have not been able to lose weight in their midsection due to pregnancy. Tummy Tuck procedures provide results that no other treatment can provide by giving the patient a slimmed, contoured, and flattened midsection.

 Breast enhancement Lacaster procedures are amongst the most popular procedures with a breast augmentation procedures being the most commonly performed plastic surgery procedure. With a Breast Augmentation Santa Clarita Valley   patients enhance and increase the size and shape of the breasts with the implementation of breast implants. There is silicone and saline implants, the type used during the procedure may be decided by a  Antelope Valley plastic surgeon based upon what type will work best with the body and will provide a more natural look and feel. Many women undergo breast augmentation procedures to gain more confidence and a feel more sensual. Breast Augmentation procedures also give the body an overall figure that is more femininely shaped.