Archive for November, 2011

Plastic surgery for 2: Couples grow young together

Friday, November 11th, 2011

 

 

 


By Melissa Dahl
Health writer TODAY.com

Updated 11/7/2011 2:51:43 PM ET 2011-11-07T19:51:43

 

Click Here to watch a video of the interview from this story.

Most marriages start with a promise to grow old together — but couples like Ira and Roberta Almeas have instead decided to grow young together.

The Almeases are part of a burgeoning trend: couples who have cosmetic surgery done — together. It’s something that Dr. Mitchell Chasin, medical director for Reflections Center for Skin and Body in Livingston and Bridgewater, N.J., told TODAY he’s seeing more often.

“Years ago, we would see a wife come in and she would say, ‘I can’t let my husband know what I’m doing,’” says Chasin, who consulted with the Almeases on their cosmetic procedures. “And then the husband would come in and he would say, ‘You know what, this is a secret, please don’t tell my wife.’”

Now, as Ira Almeas told his wife, the attitude is often, “If you’re gonna look good, I want to look good!” The pair had minimally invasive work done to slow the signs of aging: Botox, fillers and laser treatments.

The uptick in couples pursuing cosmetic procedures — and more invasive plastic surgery — together is likely at least partially due to the increase in cosmetic procedures in men, explains NBC’s chief medical editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman. Last year, American men accounted for 1.1 million of the country’s cosmetic procedures, a small-but-significant 2 percent increase over 2009, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

“It’s been destigmatized with men,” said Snyderman, adding that this can help men compete in the workforce — if you’re in your 50s and looking for work, you may benefit from looking a decade younger. As Snyderman phrases it, we used to make fun of men for coloring their hair; now, procedures like Botox and fillers have become more acceptable.

Three months later, Ira and Robert Almeas are delighted with the results of their joint cosmetic procedures. “I think it’s a great experience to grow younger together,” Ira Almeas says. “We feel a little bit more refreshed, a little bit more energy, and it’s just another part of our life together that we’re sharing.”

To find out how Dr. Kapp can help you and your spouse grow young together, call (561) 833-4022.

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Nipple Sparing Mastectomy gives Breast Cancer Patients A Third Safe Surgery Option for Breast Reconstruction

Friday, November 4th, 2011


A new study published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery found that some women who need a lumpectomy or mastectomy have a third, perfectly safe option for treatment. The NSM or Nipple Sparing Mastectomy.

There are essentially two main paths for surgery when breast cancer is detected. The first less aggressive is just to remove the lump and the tissue around it (lumpectomy). The second is to remove the entire breast. Obviously the first option is less damaging and leaves a women’s breast looking relatively normal, but it carries an 8-12 % risk of a recurrence, whereas the second removes the entire breast which can be traumatic in and of itself, before considering the issues of the cancer.
The third option now becoming more common is the nipple saving mastectomy, which leaves the skin, nipple and peripheral breast tissue intact. It also allows for immediate reconstructive surgery, meaning a quicker overall recovery time and less psychological trauma for the women having breast surgery.

Dr. Scott Spear, chairman of the department of plastic surgery at Georgetown University Hospital and co-author of the study said “Nipple sparing mastectomy as compared to other forms of mastectomy is becoming more common, and the surgery is usually successful in terms of achieving good breast reconstruction with a low risk of complications … There’s a low risk of finding breast cancer or disease beneath the nipple in those patients who are offered nipple sparing mastectomy.”

To read the full article, click HERE.

Call Dr. Kapp today at (561) 833-4022 for more information on this surgical option for breast reconstruction. 

 

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