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Should Surgery Be Considered For A Persistently Hoarse Voice?

I was informed about this interesting concept on ABC news

With many aging baby boomers tapping into cosmetic surgery in order to look younger, some are taking it a step further to “sound” younger as well with a “voice lift”.

For some, it’s not right to look 10-20 years younger after a facelift but still sound like 70 years old.

A hoarse voice with aging is not unusual, but a surgical “voice-lift” is not necessarily the first step that should be taken.

First things first… Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Fauquier ENT Blog*

Should You Consider Surgery To Improve A Scar?

I have a wide scar on my leg that I got years ago. I have tried creams and stuff. When is surgery a good idea to improve a scar? Can a cream or a laser make it thinner?

Scar improvement has several phases and the condition of your body and how the wound occurred have parts to play. Early on after wounding there is the question of whether or not to have surgery to repair the wound. If the edges are clean and close together, then surgery is not always beneficial. If they are apart or the wound is dirty a proper medical evaluation and/or surgery can make things better down the line. When in doubt, get that evaluation.

Once the wound has started healing, Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Truth in Cosmetic Surgery*

Plastic Surgeon Weighs In On Anti-Aging Medicine

Reader Question:

Do you do anti-aging medicine? I do not see it on your web site. If not, what is your opinion of it?

I am not a fan or follower of the anti-aging medicine fad in so much that it promotes what I believe to be a false concept. An older person cannot be made into a younger version of herself by boosting certain hormones. There is really no good evidence that it works. Patients don’t live any longer. It might also be found to be harmful in the long run.

Plastic surgeons will differ in their opinions as to what works with low risk to improve things. To me Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Truth in Cosmetic Surgery*

Short Scar Techniques For Arm Lifts Are More Risky Than They Are Worth

*This blog post was originally published at Truth in Cosmetic Surgery*

Tummy Tucks Aren’t Just For Lazy People

Recently at the gym (I workout three to five days a week mostly swimming laps in a pool,) I got into a conversation with a mom about tummy tuck surgery. This happens occasionally when you wear your CosmeticSurgeryTruth.com t shirt to the gym. :)

“I would never get a Tummy Tuck. I would just workout more.”

People do not see outside of their own experience very often. This pretty young mom would not benefit much by a Tummy Tuck as she had no “hanging apron” or much lose skin. Many gastric bypass patients or other women not as fortunate after pregnancy to have their bellies “snap back” have changes. And some of them workout several days a week too. Tummy Tuck surgery is not Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Truth in Cosmetic Surgery*

Latest Interviews

IDEA Labs: Medical Students Take The Lead In Healthcare Innovation

It’s no secret that doctors are disappointed with the way that the U.S. healthcare system is evolving. Most feel helpless about improving their work conditions or solving technical problems in patient care. Fortunately one young medical student was undeterred by the mountain of disappointment carried by his senior clinician mentors…

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How To Be A Successful Patient: Young Doctors Offer Some Advice

I am proud to be a part of the American Resident Project an initiative that promotes the writing of medical students residents and new physicians as they explore ideas for transforming American health care delivery. I recently had the opportunity to interview three of the writing fellows about how to…

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Latest Book Reviews

Book Review: Is Empathy Learned By Faking It Till It’s Real?

I m often asked to do book reviews on my blog and I rarely agree to them. This is because it takes me a long time to read a book and then if I don t enjoy it I figure the author would rather me remain silent than publish my…

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The Spirit Of The Place: Samuel Shem’s New Book May Depress You

When I was in medical school I read Samuel Shem s House Of God as a right of passage. At the time I found it to be a cynical yet eerily accurate portrayal of the underbelly of academic medicine. I gained comfort from its gallows humor and it made me…

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Eat To Save Your Life: Another Half-True Diet Book

I am hesitant to review diet books because they are so often a tangled mess of fact and fiction. Teasing out their truth from falsehood is about as exhausting as delousing a long-haired elementary school student. However after being approached by the authors’ PR agency with the promise of a…

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