August 16th, 2007
State Rep. Phyllis Kahn is trying to extend that state’s 6.5 % sales tax to cosmetic surgery. This includes chemical skin peels, cosmetic injections, laser hair removal and spider-vein treatments as Khan considers that anybody who can afford a plastic surgery can also afford to pay the tax.
New Jersey is the only state that taxes plastic surgery, collecting an estimated $ 11 million in 2007. Khan considers that his proposal would raise about $ 7 million a year.
President-elect of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Dr. Richard D’Amico says that most of the money would come from hard working women as 90% of patients are female with an annual income about $60,000. Dr. D’Amico also pointed out that taxing cosmetic surgery procedures hurts women who save up their money and work hard and try to do something for themselves once in a while.
Source: The Associated Press, http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/lifestyle/orl-grief2207feb22,0,2702125.story
Tags: Plastic Surgery
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July 27th, 2007
Scientists have discovered that certain brain areas responsible for facial movements may reorganize after Botox injection combined with facial exercises.
Bell´s palsy is a disorder that causes facial muscles to weaken or become paralyzed due to trauma to the cranial nerve and sometimes associated with pregnancy or a virus infection. Until recently, its cause was unknown in most cases, but it has now been related to Lyme disease and Herpes simplex. This condition is not permanent but can strike anyone at anytime. Older people are more likely to suffer from Bell´s palsy although children can have this conditions as well but they tend to recover well from it. It was described by a Scottish surgeon Charles Bell, 200 years ago.
Researchers found that the injection of Botox significantly reduced facial drooping and improved control functions. These changes were associated with changes in brain activity in the affected motor cortex and in brain organization to adapt the portion of the brain controlling facial movements.
Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/72508.php
Tags: Botox®
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July 25th, 2007
Patients can find healthcare providers through the Internet at a fraction of the cost. This new trend called “Medical Tourism” has a dramatic impact on the economy of developing countries. The election to travel abroad for healthcare raises questions about the limitations of the
USA healthcare system. As Michael Moore pointed out in his latest movie SICKO, “Some of the procedures these patients are seeking are not available in the
United States”.
The most popular countries for Medical Tourism are Thailand, India and
Costa Rica. Dr.Bookman, Saint Joseph’s University Economist, pointed out that “the level of care patients receive is just as good, and sometimes better, than care offered in the
United States. Many of these individuals use this as an opportunity to vacation as well. Hospitals often offer courses and programs for families to take advantage of during their stay”.
Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/76833.php
Tags: Add new tag, Medical Tourism, Overseas Healthcare
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July 15th, 2007
Medical tourism over the past decade has been caused by the rise in health -care costs and uninsured or underinsured Americans (almost 15 percent of the population are currently uninsured, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics from 2005). Among top destinations are Southeast Asia, Mexico, Costa Rica and
Thailand.
Medical tourism facilities, together with special health travel agents and some insurance plans are participating as well. A program of Health Net of California gives access to health care for their insured Latin participants for services in
Mexico. BlueCross/Blue Shield also offers medical treatment at
Bumrungrad International Hospital,
Bangkok, Thailand which gives medical attention to more than 400,000 patients every year.
The price savings on medical care can be outstanding. It is mentioned that a heart bypass in U.S.A. costs $ 130,000, but just $ 10,000 in India and $ 11.000 in Thailand or
Singapore. Hysterectomy costs about $20,000 in U.S.A. but $ 3,000 in
India.
The medical tourism companies help travelers find the hospital that provides the surgery they need.
Source: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/06/AR2007070600682.html
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June 27th, 2007
Human face does not age uniformly as these compartments gain and loose fat at different rates. A youthful face is characterized by a smooth transition between these compartments, but as we get older there occurs an abrupt contour change between these regions. It is caused by volume loss, volume gain and repositioning of compartments. These changes result in signs of facial aging such as sagging and wrinkles.
Plastic surgeons will now be able to pinpoint trouble areas and use injectable fillers to add volume to individual areas of the face.
According to a study, this discovery may benefit cancer and trauma patients who need reconstructive plastic surgery. Plastic surgeons can use this new way of thinking to understand facial deformities, such as cleft lips and vessel tumors.
Dr.Joel Pessa, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and study lead author said: “Much of facial anatomy remains a mystery. This discovery will undoubtedly pay a roll in how we view aging and how we approach facial reconstructive plastic surgery”.
Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=74248
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June 26th, 2007
India earned US $600M followed by Thailand with US $300M and Malaysia with
US $140M from its medical tourism industry in 2004.
The Philippines is pushing for medical and surgical services that foreign clients can get for lesser costs than in their countires, in cardiac, ophthtalmology and cosmetic dermatology areas.
Medical specialits are well-trained and most have a post-graduate training abroad.
As costs for healthcare are rising in US, United Kingdom, Canada and Europe, the medical tourism in Asia has emerged. Other factors that make medical tourism favourable to Asia apart from the hight cost of medical treatments in developed nations are the long waiting period of medical appointment in Europe, the improved medical technology in developing countries and the fact that is easy and affordable to travel international.
Source: www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p070523.htm&no=42
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June 26th, 2007
The most popular procedures were Botox injections and liposuction. ASAPS also mentioned that cosmetic procedures increased 446 percent since collection of statistics began.
Women had 92 percent of cosmetic procedures while men had 8 percent.
James Stuzin, MD, Aesthetic Society President said: ” The FDA approval of silicone implants in late 2006 seems to have made an impact, as silicone implants are up 18 percent from 2005. For the first time breast augmentation is the top surgical procedure for women, although lipoplasty continues to be the top overall surgical procedure as it has been since the Aesthetic Society Started collecting nationwide procedural statistics in 1997.
Top Cosmetic Procedures for Women
- Breast augmentation
- Lipoplasty
- Eyelid surgery
- Abdominoplasty
- Breast reduction
Top Cosmetic Procedures for Men
- Liposuction
- Rhinoplasty
- Eyelid surgery
- Male breast reduction
- Facelift
Top Surgical and Non-Surgical procedures among men and women in 2006
- Liposuction
- Breast augmentation
- Eyelid surgery
- Abdominoplasty
- Breast reduction
www.surgery.org
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June 26th, 2007
People have realized the importance of self-improvement regarding competition. It can be regarding social or professional motives. Self-improvement means a general improvement in the personality and cosmetic surgery is popular path for personal enhancement.
Cosmetic surgery helps improve appearance when talking about a real structure change. There are many techniques used for cosmetic surgical procedures and each of them depends upon the area of the body that needs enhancement.
Cosmetic surgery is the magic wand that gives you the possibility of looking the way you want. The most popular surgery techniques are breast lift, abdominoplasty or tummy tuck, breast reduction and breast augmentation as reported by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Cosmetic surgery is a solution to improve your physical appearance , that is why more and more people are choosing the idea of having cosmetic surgery done.
Cosmetic surgery is a gift of science. It helps improving the physical appearance and thus helps enhancing self-image.
Source: ezinearticles.com/?General-Cosmetic-Surgery&id=309412
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June 26th, 2007
The author of the study Michael B. Chancellor, M.D. and professor of urology and gynecology at the University of Pittsburgh School Medicine remarked that enlarged prostate is a challenging disease to live with because it causes difficult and frequent urination. Common treatments have some risks of serious collateral effects, such as impotence.
Up to one year post-injection, 73% of the study participants got a 30 percent improvement in urinary tract symptoms and qualify of life.
Botox reduces the size of the prostate gland through a cellular process called apoptosis, in which the prostate cells die in a programmed manner. This reduction of the prostate improves urine flow and decrease of urine left in the bladder.
Enlarged prostate is one of the most common diseases in men over the age of 60. Forty to fifty percent will develop symptoms as more frequent urination, urinary tract infections, the inability to completely empty the bladder and eventual damage to the bladder and kidneys.
Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=71968&nfid=crss
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June 26th, 2007
The fat deposits dissolve after the administration of tiny shots but many doctors have warned that some of the concoctions used are not approved by the American’s Food and Drug Administration. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery warned that lipodisssolve shots were scientifically unproven.
As the popularity of the injections has grown, so have the complaints. A survey made in 2006 showed that 12% of patients showed disappointment with the result of the injections. This treatment has side effects and complications such as temporarily hyperpigmentation, intense pain and allergic reactions.
The custom mixing of ingredients that are approved for different uses is part of the concern over lipodissolve injections.
The FDA has not approved any “fat busting” drugs.
The cost of this treatment goes from US$900 upwards which is a lot of money for a drug that has not been proven to work.
Source: www.cosmeticsurgerybible.com/2007/news/lipodissolve-warnings/
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