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Article Discusses The Importance Of DVT Prevention

There were two articles regarding deep venous thrombosis prevention in the November 2011 issue of the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal.  Both are worth reading.  I have supplied the full references below with links.

From the second article:

Between 1 and 7 percent of surgeons have personally experienced a venous thromboembolism–related patient death after high-risk plastic surgery.  Plastic surgeons’ self-reported practice patterns indicate a disparity between clinical understanding and clinical practice. The majority of surgeons can identify patients at high risk for postoperative venous thromboembolism. However, examination of their self-reported practice patterns indicates that a substantial proportion of surgeons (>50 percent) provide inadequate levels of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis for high-risk patients.  In addition, surgeons recognize modifiable venous thromboembolism risk factors (such as oral contraceptive use) but may fail to modify those factors before surgery.

“Never event” is a poor descriptor for venous thromboembolism, as it implies that Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Suture for a Living*

3-D Bone Scaffolding System May Aid Surgeons In Facial Reconstruction

It would be fantastic to use 3D printers to produce bone replacements:

Now, Washington State University engineers are unveiling a unique implementation of the tech that could aid in the regrowth of damaged or diseased bones. Utilizing a ceramic compound, the group’s optimized ProMetal 3D printer builds dissolvable scaffolds coated with a plastic binding agent that serve as a blueprint for tissue growth. The team’s already logged four long years fine tuning the process, having already achieved positive results testing on rats and rabbits, but it appears there’s still a ways to go — about 10 -12 years, according to the project’s co-author Susmita Bose — before orthopedic and dental surgeons can begin offering “printed” bone replacements.

*This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll*

Can Sunscreens Cause Skin Cancer?

“According to that study, nearly half of the 500 most popular sunscreens may actually increase the speed at which malignant cells develop and spread skin cancer such as melanoma.

Why? Because they contain Vitamin A, an ingredient that was added to sunscreen formulations because it’s an antioxidant that slows skin aging.

This isn’t necessarily new information….as some studies suggest “that vitamin A might have some phototoxicity.”

Source: health.msn.com/health-topics/skin-and-hair/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100260739

Take it easy folks. One study on the effects of Vitamin A on skin cancers in animals does not invalidate sunscreen use. We don’t really need Vitamin A in sunscreens though. We need good blockers of UVA and UVB at an SPF of at least 30.

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

Another Fake Plastic Surgeon Victim Surfaces

We posted previously on Oneal Ron Morris, a transsexual charlatan who has been injecting clients with his own home brew of filler agents resulting in disastrous consequences. A victim of his facial services has surfaced:

lumps and bumps

The lumpy cheeks, misshapen chin and ballooning upper lip are still visible on Rajee Narinesingh’s face; more than two years after she says she received a backroom cosmetic procedure from a man police say performed numerous, botched, unlicensed procedures. “I had to end up going to surgery, to get me even to this point,” Narinesingh told CBS4′s Gary Nelson Monday, pointing to the disfigurement she still is trying to have reversed. Narinesingh is among multiple alleged victims of Oneal Ron Morris, a transsexual who is alleged to have performed cosmetic procedures in homes and apartments.

Source: miami.cbslocal.com/2011/11/28/new-victim-reveals-fake-docs-alleged-work/

Rajee Narinesingh apparently met Oneal Ron Morris via referral in the transsexual community. She Read more »

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

Can Plastic Surgery Repair A Stretched Belly Button Following Childbirth?

Pregnancy, Piercing and Hernia Repair Changed This Belly Button Question:

When I was pregnant, my daughter pushed against my belly button the last couple of months and stretched it out. Then I ended up having two hernias which also stretched it out. Unfortunately I pierced my belly button when I was 15 and the skin above my belly button is now extremely loose. Can you fix this?

I am 26 and had my baby in Sept of 2010. I gained 30 pounds (healthy) and immediately had the two hernias. I think they were a result of the pregnancy or labor. I had them repaired in Jan of 2011. I am planning on having one more child. If it’s not a boy, then we’ll be having another one. Lastly, no I am not a fitness model. I’d like to be!

Belly button plastic surgery is usually referred to as umbilicoplasty. It is a routine part of tummy tuck operations as it becomes necessary when moving the position of the umbilical opening. As you have discovered,

Read more »

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

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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

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