Cosmetic Surgery at age 83: 'Enhancing' the Golden Years

We all want to look our best right? So why should that be any different for senior citizens? Just ask Marie Kolstad, the 83 year old Orange County woman who recently had a breast augmentation procedure.

The great-grandmother has garnered national attention after going public with the details about her desire to look and feel younger, and her surgery has sparked a debate about cosmetic surgery and whether there may be increased potential health risks as we age.

Dr. Walden's article in Culture Map provides a well rounded look at the topic and clears up the controversy:

http://austin.culturemap.com/newsdetail/09-04-11-10-45-how-old-is-too-old-for-cosmetic-surgery-granny-got-breast-implants/

So if you happen to be getting older, worry not about squeezing in your last nip or tuck before your 65th Birthday. As long as you are in good health, you could still have years and years of visits to your plastic surgeon to look forward to.

Dr. Walden Talks To CBS News

Dr. Walden recently spoke to CBS News about the 26 year old British woman who ruptured a breast implant playing paintball. While paintball is be a very fun and exciting sport, it must be known that you can get seriously hurt while playing it (regardless of whether or not you have breast implants). The article says that the paintball was traveling at 190 miles per hour! Clearly I think people who play this sport should wear protective gear to cover any part of them they would not want hurt or damaged...real or not!



See what Dr. Walden had to say about it:



http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20099366-10391704.html



Have fun but be careful out there!

Types of Breast Enhancement Surgeries and How They Affect Your Lifestyle

Breast augmentation is one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures performed today. Dr. Andres Taleisnik, an Orange County breast augmentation specialist, offers this procedure to women in order to help them achieve the shape, volume and size of their breasts that best matches their goals and physique.

Breast Implants

Breast implants are used to increase the size and fullness of a woman’s breasts. Breast implants can be filled with silicone gel or a saline solution, and come in a variety of shapes and textures designed to achieve a certain aesthetic effect. Implants are typically inserted into a pocket created beneath the breast or behind the pectoralis muscle. Depending on certain circumstances, the implant may be inserted through the areola, the armpit, the belly button, or at the breast crease.

Greater self-confidence is one of the main benefits of breast implants. Women also happily report that they are able to expand their wardrobes to include styles of clothing that they couldn’t wear before.

Breast Lift

Breast lift surgery (mastopexy) is used to treat breast sagging – the natural loss of elasticity, firmness and shape caused by pregnancy, nursing, excessive weight loss and aging. A breast lift typically consists of the removal of excess skin, tightening the skin and, in some cases, it is combined with breast augmentation in order to restore shape and volume.

Breast lifts result in “perkier” breasts and a more youthful overall look. Because of this, breast lifts are a popular component of the “Mommy Makeover,” a series of cosmetic procedures that is designed to reverse the effects of childbirth and nursing.

Breast Reduction

Excessively large breasts can cause neck, back and shoulder pain which can lead to chronic health complications. Breast reduction surgery helps correct this issue by removing fatty tissue, glandular tissue and excess skin so that your breasts better match your frame size and become smaller.

Breast reduction helps alleviate strain on your neck and back and makes it easier to shop for clothing and exercise. Because of the long-term health benefits of breast reduction, these procedures are sometimes covered by insurance.

Dr. Taleisnik performs these breast surgeries and others at his Orange County plastic surgery practice. For more information, visit his website or call to schedule a free consultation.

Saline or Silicone Gel? The Results May Surprise You...

A recent survey published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal shows what the current preferences are for breast augmentation surgery. According to a survey of 1746 board-certified plastic surgeons and members of the ASAPS:

- Sixty percent of surgeons are still using saline implants, and the vast majority of them are using them 75-100% of the time.

- The majority of surgeons (64%) preferred an incision near the breast crease, while 25% preferred an incision around the bottom half of the areola.
- The average implant size reported by 81% of surgeons was 300 to 400 cc (which is approximately a small to a full "C" cup bra).
- Smooth implants, rather than implants with a textured surface, were most often preferred by 92% of respondents because it was the surgeon's preference, less wrinkling, or overall better results for the patient.
- Ninety-six percent of surgeons used round, rather than anatomically-shaped, implants.
- The most common position for implant placement was under the muscle (62% of surgeons).

With the exception of the majority use of saline implants, these statistics reflect what I see in my practice. I estimate that I use saline implants only 25% of the time, since most patients seem to prefer gel. I utilize three incisions (underneath the breast, around the areola, and the armpit), with the most common being underneath the breast. My average size implant is probably 350-375cc, and I usually use smooth round implants placed under the muscle. I find that these choices usually minimize any complications and revisions.

To view a breast augmentation I performed on Fox News, click here.

Statistics source

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Breast Implants Help a Rare Heart Condition

What would you do -- total panic notwithstanding -- if doctors were to find your heart beating under your kidney?

In a case so rare it has no medical name -- but is being described only as “a floating heart,” -- a Florida woman’s heart was found to be shifting around in her body. Doctors found it stuck in her rib cage under her kidney.

According to news reports, the 35-year-old woman’s right lung had been removed long ago, leaving space for her heart in which to wander around.

Having never seen the condition before, physicians were at a loss to come up with a treatment. One doctor said the patient was the only person in the world with the disorder.

The treatment? Breast implants!


Robert Rey, M.D. of Dr. 90210 fame shows a breast
implant
(Photo, courtesy of Dr. Rey.)

It required a four and one-half hour operation, but breast implants -- used in the standard breast augmentation procedure -- filled the space where the lung used to be and holds the heart in the correct position.

“Clever idea, actually,” says Robert Kotler, M.D., a board certified Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon. “The chest surgeons used the breast implants as a large-space ‘filler’.”

Editor’s note: Dr. Kotler is one half of the Tuck ‘n’ Stitch bloggers.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Each year over 175,000 women (and 2000 men!) are diagnosed with breast cancer. Approximately 1 in 9 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Aside from skin cancer, it is the most common cancer in women. So how does this affect you if you have breast implants?

It's estimated that over 5 million women have breast implants today. If you have breast implants, how do you screen yourself for breast cancer, and how is this different from someone without implants?

The major rule is that you should follow the American Cancer Society guidelines for the early detection of breast cancer. Here they are:

Women ages 20-39: Monthly breast self-exam, clinical exam by your physician every three years.

Women ages 40 and up: Monthly breast self-exam, clinical exam by your physician every year, mammogram yearly.

Women at high risk (close family history of breast cancer, etc.) should discuss with their physician whether a yearly MRI may be indicated.

- When the FDA lifted the ban on silicone gel breast implants in November 2006, they recommended that anyone who undergoes silicone gel breast augmentation undergo an MRI three years after surgery, and every other year thereafter.

If you have breast implants, here are some other things to consider:

1. Breast implants can limit the amount of breast tissue that can be seen on a mammogram. If you have implants, then make sure your mammogram center takes extra pictures (called the Ecklund technique) to allow the radiologist to see as much of your breast tissue as possible.

2. Some physicians believe breast implants can actually facilitate (or improve) the ability to detect a breast mass on examination.

3. Studies show that breast implants do not increase your risk of breast cancer, delay your diagnosis of breast cancer, or worsen your prognosis once breast cancer is diagnosed.

4. If you are unsure how to perform a breast self-exam on implanted breasts, be sure to ask your plastic surgeon.

For more information on breast cancer and screening, visit http://www.cancer.org/.

Thanks for reading!

Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.: