January 23rd, 2012
Moving up: Dr. Daniel Kapp, chairman of the department of surgery at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center
A doctor’s compassion for a loved one can make a deep impression on a teenager. That’s what happened when Dr. Daniel Kapp was in high school and routinely took his grandmother to her plastic surgeon for skin cancer treatments. Ten years after treating his grandmother, that doctor still saw her three times a year.
“He was so compassionate,” Kapp said. “He saw my grandmother until the day she died.”
Since then, Kapp has become a compassionate doctor, having chosen his specialty, at least in part, because of the doctor who treated his grandmother 20 plus years ago. In January, Kapp, a board-certified plastic surgeon, was named chairman of the department of surgery at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center. His duties include monitoring the quality of patient care and professional performance, and overseeing the effective conduct of the patient care, evaluation, monitoring and proctoring functions of the department.
Previously, Kapp was a clinical instructor in general and plastic surgery at Ohio State University College of Medicine, and an Anastasi fellow in plastic surgery and junior faculty member at Boston University Medical Center. He holds medical licenses in Florida and Ohio.
“Being a plastic surgeon,” he says, “is very satisfying. You’re improving quality of life.”
Kapp moved back to Florida in 2004 to set up his practice and performs procedures in his office and at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, Jupiter Medical Center, St. Mary’s Medical Center and Good Samaritan Medical Center.
He serves as a board member of the Center for Creative Education, a West Palm Beach-based community organization that brings arts and cultural curricula to students in Palm Beach County.
Dr. Daniel Kapp’s favorite quote:
‘Discovery is seeing what everybody else has seen, and thinking what nobody else has thought.’
- Albert Szent-Gyorgy, Nobel Prize winner who discovered vitamin C
Biography
Age: 42
Education: Bachelor’s in chemistry from University of Virginia; medical degree from University of South Florida Medical School; residency at Ohio State University for general and plastic surgery; and Anastasi fellow in plastic surgery at Boston University.
Personal: Married for 10 years. His wife, Nicole Basile, also is a doctor, a kidney specialist. They have two children, ages 5 and 4, and they live in Jupiter.
Hobby: Fishing.
Career highlight: ‘Reconstructing the skull of an 11-year-old who was ejected from a swamp buggy.’
Click HERE for online article.
Tags: board certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Daniel Kapp
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January 6th, 2012
Dear Dan,
I know I keep saying thank you over and over but I feel as if I can’t adequately express my gratitude. You and Nicole have come to my rescue twice now and I hope that you know how sincerely appreciative that I am.
You are a great friend and very much appreciated, admired and respected.
Thank you again,
Sarah
Tags: Dr. Kapp, testimonial, thank you
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December 22nd, 2011
‘Maintenance Facelifts’ in Younger Patients Provide Longest-Lasting Improvements, Authors Suggest
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., Dec 21, 2011 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) — Younger patients with “early or minimal signs of facial aging” achieve better results and higher satisfaction rates at least a decade after facelift surgery, according to a study in the January issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery(R), the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
Because of their superior long-term results, patients younger than 50 years old undergoing “maintenance facelifts” should be considered preferable candidates for facial rejuvenation surgery, suggests the new report by Drs. Tom S. Liu and ASPS Member Surgeon John Q. Owsley of California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco.
Patients Under 50 Have Best Long-term Results
In a previous study, researchers found that patients who underwent facelift surgery at older ages had lower satisfaction scores and more variable results, compared to younger patients. For the new study, Drs. Liu and Owsley compared the short-term and long-term patient satisfaction ratings with expert analysis of follow-up photographs. They analyzed differences in long-term outcomes for patients in three age groups: patients younger than 50, 50 to 60 years, and over 60 years old at the time of facelift surgery.
Consistent with the previous study, younger patients had higher and more consistent satisfaction scores at both short- and long-term follow-up. Those subjective ratings were supported by expert analysis of follow-up photos, which showed that patients who underwent facelift surgery before age 50 had “remarkable maintenance of their youthful appearance.”
In contrast, at the time of surgery, patients in the over-60 group already had “significant facial aging changes.” At long-term follow-up, they still looked more youthful than other people of the same age–however, they had signs of “regression” in the five facial areas graded by plastic surgeons. Patients in the 50-to-60 age group had intermediate results.
The patient satisfaction ratings were generally consistent with the expert ratings of before-and-after photographs. On long-term follow-up using a 5-point scale (5 being most satisfied), patients in the under-50 age group continued to rate all facial areas with 4′s and 5′s, compared to 2′s to 5′s for the 50-to-60 group and 2′s and 3′s for the over-60 group.
Younger Patients May Be ‘Preferred’ for Facelift Surgery
Although the study was small, it seems to support the impression of experienced plastic surgeons that “younger patients who have facelifts (<50 years old) have longest lasting results with less noticeable postoperative changes,” according to Drs. Liu and Owsley. Although the visible signs of aging seem mild in patients under 50, they represent the “tip of the iceberg” of the effects of aging underneath the skin. “Although equal in the number of years elapsed, the facial aging of a patient from age 40 to 50 is much less dramatic than the same patient from age 50 to 60,” the researchers add.
Younger patients interested in facial rejuvenation may be steered away from a facelift, or undergo limited or nonsurgical procedures to “buy time.” “However, these…are also the same patients who would benefit most from surgical facial rejuvenation or so-called ‘maintenance facelift,’ the researchers write. Not only will the results last longer, but the initial change is generally less dramatic and noticeable than in older patients.
As a result, Drs. Liu and Owsley believe that patients under 50 should not only be considered for a facelift, but perhaps considered the group most likely to achieve excellent, long-lasting results. As such, they conclude, “a ‘maintenance’ facelift should be offered to and even preferred in younger patients as a surgical option for facial rejuvenation.”
Tags: Facelift, facelift under 50, facial rejuvenation, Jupiter, maintenance facelift, Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Plastic Surgery, West Palm Beach
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December 15th, 2011
A new study suggests apprehension about how breast-feeding will affect the appearance of their breasts may be the reason why some women with breast implants fail at nursing their babies.
According to HealthDay, researchers followed 160 mothers with breast implants to gauge their success with the feeding method. They found that 86 percent of those who failed at breast-feeding thought that it would make their breasts look worse. On the other hand, among those who successfully nursed their babies, only 13 percent believed that it would affect the appearance of their breasts.
“It makes sense that breast augmentation patients would be concerned about the effect breast-feeding could have on the appearance of their breasts,” said the study’s lead author. “After all, these women have invested both time and money into them. However, available evidence tells us that although breasts sag more with each pregnancy, breast-feeding doesn’t seem to worsen these effects in women with or without breast implants.”
Doctors involved with this study say that the results prove that more education is necessary for women with breast implants who plan on having children and breast-feeding. They insist that breast-feeding alone will not negatively affect the appearance of breast implants.
Breast augmentation surgery is one of the most common plastic surgeries. In fact, according to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), it has been the most popular cosmetic surgical procedure for the past three years, with more than 318,000 surgeries performed in 2010 alone.
Breast lift surgery is a procedure commonly used to repair the appearance of sagging breasts caused by pregnancy, weight loss and aging. While this procedure lifts and firms the breasts, it will not alter their overall size.
This article was posted to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery on November 15, 2011.
For more information on breast augmentation or breast lift procedures in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens or Jupiter, please call Dr. Daniel Kapp at (561) 833-4022.
Tags: Breast Augmentation, Breast Feeding, breast implants, Breast Lift, Plastic Surgery
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December 9th, 2011
Budget deficit worries can fade away when we’re absorbed in figuring out whether or not a political figure has had a facelift. Nancy Pelosi appeared on CNBC, October 28th, 2011 to talk about a 1.25 trillion budget cut. But the response she got was a whole lot of conjecture about what she had done to her face. The Washington Times interviewed a plastic surgeon who said, “A woman her age shouldn’t look that good. It appears that she has had a good amount of surgery.”
The Washington Times article has an altogether different slant, stating that in the rush to look young, politicians forget that they need to express emotion convincingly. Paul Ekman, psychology professor at the University of California Medical School, says that Botox may get rid of some wrinkles and my make you look a little younger, but you will not get votes if your face doesn’t move.
Political figures are between a rock and a hard place. Drew Weston, a university professor who studies emotion in politics says, “We want our politicians to be fresh-faced but expect them to come by their good looks naturally.” Further, a politician who undergoes plastic surgery is considered vain and frivolous. No wonder political figures get cosmetic surgery but don’t own up to it.
This article was posted to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery on November 15, 2011.
For more information on injectible fillers, facelifts and other facial procedures, please call Dr. Daniel Kapp at (561) 833-4022. Most non-invasive plastic surgery procedures are performed right in Dr. Kapp’s West Palm Beach office.
Tags: BOTOX®, Facelift, Fillers, injectibles, Plastic Surgery, West Palm Beach
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December 2nd, 2011
By Baruch S. Davidson
The issue of cosmetic surgery is discussed by several contemporary posekim (halachic authorities), who address several concerns such surgery poses.
Though I will be giving you a brief overview of the pertinent issues discussed, the information provided is for academic purposes only. Before making an actual decision in this regard, you must personally speak to your rabbi, who will render a decision based on your individual circumstances.
Our bodies are not our personal property which we may treat as we please. Our bodies are on loan to us from G‑d for the duration of our lives, to enable us to fulfill our mission in this world—a mission which requires having a physical body. (A soul alone cannot don tefillin or light Shabbat candles.) As our bodies are merely on loan, we are not entitled to mutilate them in any way. Thus, “wounding oneself” by undergoing surgery is problematic.
Now, we are commanded by the Torah to heal ourselves, maintain our health and value our lives. Therefore, surgery which is deemed necessary in the course of the treatment of an illness or injury is allowed—and actually required. But the question remains: is the prohibition of tampering with our bodies waived for a purely cosmetic concern?
An additional consideration raised by the posekim in regard to purely cosmetic surgery is the fact that every surgery, especially one which requires general anesthesia, presents a certain element of risk and a chance of complications. As mentioned above, we are enjoined to guard our health and to avoid unnecessary risks to our wellbeing.
In 1964, a question was posed to several leading posekim regarding a woman who felt that benefiting from plastic surgery would enhance her prospects of finding a suitable husband.
Rabbi Jacob Breisch (author of responsa Chelkat Yaakov) maintained that the prohibition of wounding oneself does not apply in a situation where the pain is intended to alleviate another, more excruciating pain. He brought proofs from various places in the Talmud that the psychological pain associated with having abnormal features overrides the pain associated with the surgery. He therefore permitted this surgery when done to alleviate psychological distress. A similar explanation was offered by Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, the most recognized posek of the past generation (1895–1986), who explained that the Torah only prohibits self-affliction when done with malice, or in a degrading manner.
Rabbi Breisch also addressed the risks associated with surgery, and ruled that with the advancement of experience and expertise in this area of medicine, the risks involved have been greatly minimized, and therefore undergoing such a surgery cannot be reasonably considered a risk to life.
However, Rabbi Eliezer Waldenberg (1916–2006, author of responsa Tzitz Eliezer) disagreed with these opinions, and ruled unequivocally that cosmetic surgery is forbidden. In his opinion, the Torah’s statement, “He shall provide for his cure,”¹ from which we learn that one may and must seek medical help, does not apply to ailments that are purely cosmetic.
He also adds a philosophical reasoning. One must believe that G‑d, the greatest artisan of all, formed him or her in the most fitting way, and one must not change this form. Changing one’s figure for beauty concerns alone is tantamount to insulting G‑d’s handiwork!
Many authorities have reached some sort of compromise—ruling that cosmetic surgery is permitted in order to remove an abnormality, if there is a grave psychological need, or to facilitate a happy marriage or decent livelihood; but prohibited if it is being done for beauty or convenience alone.
Another issue raised is the Torah prohibition precluding a man from indulging in feminine activity.² Some view cosmetic enhancement as such, and therefore consider this another reason to prohibit a man from undergoing such surgery. This, however, would also only apply to surgery done solely for aesthetic purposes.³
As this is a very subjective issue, in which people can easily delude themselves about the degree of pain and abnormality associated with their looks, it is of utmost importance to personally discuss this with your rabbi for an objective assessment as to the degree of need and convenience, which varies with each case.
Best wishes,
Rabbi Baruch S. Davidson
IF YOU ARE JEWISH AND CONSIDERING COSMETIC SURGERY, PLEASE CALL DR. DANIEL KAPP AT (561) 833-4022 FOR A CONSULTATION IN HIS WEST PALM BEACH OFFICE.
FOOTNOTES
1. Exodus 21:19.
2. See Deuteronomy 22:5.
3. This according to Rabbi S. Z. Auerbach (1910–1995).
For the full article, click HERE.
Tags: Add new tag, Cosmetic Surgery, Jewish Law, judaism, Plastic Surgery
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November 11th, 2011
By Melissa Dahl
Health writer TODAY.com
Updated 11/7/2011 2:51:43 PM ET
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.
Tags: BOTOX®, Cosmetic Surgery, Fillers, Plastic Surgery, plastic surgery for men
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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.
Tags: Breast Cancer, breast reconstruction, mastectomy, nipple sparing mastectomy
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October 28th, 2011
Plastic surgery has historically been viewed as an exclusive and costly service only the rich and famous could afford to pursue. Not anymore. With even the most dramatic and promising cosmetic surgery procedures becoming safer, more common and far less complicated than ever as well as a growing inventory of options now available for financing, plastic surgery of all forms is becoming more popular for the middle class. There is a distinct demographic-shift taking place today. The belief that plastic surgery is primarily for wealthy white women is waning and Dr. Kapp is increasingly seeing patients from a wide variety of age groups, ethnicities, family and economic situations.
Dr. Kapp offers patients customized financing packages to cover individual procedures, such as the “Palm Beach Mommy Makeover” a popular choice for large numbers of women in their 30′s and 40’s. The “Mommy Makeover” includes a tummy tuck, breast lift and frequently a breast augmentation with a small breast implant. The procedure helps the moms get their body back to the way it was before they began having babies.
Financing surgery is a popular option for those who do not have cash set aside. Others are stocking money away for a variety of procedures, much as they would for any luxury item or family vacation. A lot of people save up for the surgery, and others choose to finance. They are shifting their views on the expenses involved and see surgery as an important investment and first step toward an enhancement plan for the rest of their lives.
Part of the change comes because today’s plastic surgery is performed using improved technology. This results in less expensive and safer procedures with less down time. Now people with responsibilities both at work and at home can take time out for procedures, removing plastic surgery from the exclusive domain of the leisure class.
Dr. Kapp also performs most cosmetic surgery procedures in outpatient surgery centers in Palm Beach County, which greatly improves the ease and convenience of procedures when compared to those performed in the hospital setting.
Call Dr. Kapp today at (561) 833-4022 to learn more about how plastic surgery can help you achieve the look you want, yet still fit within your budget and lifestyle.
Tags: Breast Augmentation, Breast Lift, Dr. Daniel Kapp, Palm Beach, Plastic Surgery, Tummy Tuck
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October 21st, 2011
By choosing a plastic surgeon who is certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery, Inc., you can be assured that the doctor has graduated from an accredited medical school and has completed at least five years of additional training as a resident surgeon in a program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Medical Education or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. This includes a minimum of five years of residency training in all areas of surgery, including at least two years devoted entirely to plastic surgery. Certification is a voluntary process a surgeon seeks after this training. To become certified, the doctor then must pass comprehensive written and oral exams.
Dr. Daniel Kapp is a board-certified plastic surgeon who takes pride in his education, training and quality of patient care. You’ll be in expert hands with Dr. Kapp and can trust he is the right choice for you plastic or reconstructive surgery needs.
Read the article below to fully understand the perils of choosing a non-board certified plastic surgeon.
Beware ‘white-coat deception’ with unqualified plastic surgeons
By Nicole Brochu, Staff Writer
October 16, 2011
Like many women seeking a little surgical assist to improve their appearance, the California stay-at-home mom thought nothing of going back under the knife to replace her leaky breast implants.
Sadly, though, Dinora Rodriguez made what experts say is a risky and increasingly common mistake: At her friend’s recommendation, she chose a doctor without checking his credentials to ensure he was board-certified and adequately trained in plastic surgery. He wasn’t.
Tags: board certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Kapp
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