Over the Muscle or Under the Muscle, Which is Better?

This is a common question among breast augmentation surgery patients; whether their implants should be placed above or below the pectoral muscle. Breast implants that are placed over the pectoral muscle are known as overs, or Subglandular breast implant placement. Breast implants that are placed under the pectoral muscle are known as “you guessed it” unders, or Submuscular breast implant placement.

It is best to schedule a consultation with your breast augmentation surgeon first, before deciding which is best for you, however The Patients Advantage has many resources with information on each choice, just to have an idea. It is good to research before hand, and bring questions to your consultation, that way the doctor can answer them then.

With subglandular breast implant placement, the implants are placed directly on top of the pectoral muscle and just behind the breast tissue. Some women prefer these types of implants because they are easier to place by the surgeon, support larger implants, require less recovery time and post-op discomfort, can create more cleavage, and avoid breast lift surgery for sagging. On the other hand, some women prefer not to get subglandular breast implants because they tend to have a more augmented look, are more susceptible to rippling and capsule contraction, and can sometimes complicate mammogram readings. Usually it comes down to the womanвs preference of look and feel for this type of placement.

With submuscular breast implant placement, the implants are placed beneath the pectoral muscle, and sometimes only partially beneath the pectoral muscle using specific incisions and placement on the surgeonвs part. This type of placement is ideal for those who want to avoid the risks of having the implants ripple, rupture, or bottom out, as well as have more successful mammogram readings. On the other hand, submuscular implants are a more technical procedure, requiring more healing time, more post-op discomfort, as well as the risk of distorting when the muscle is flexed, and less easily creating cleavage, especially if the implants are placed farther apart. For more information on the many types of breast implants and for a qualified and experienced breast augmentation surgeon in your area, visit www.thepatientsadvantage.com.

How to stop teeth-grinding … with a little help from Botox

Even the name sounds painful – bruxism, the unconscious grinding and clenching of the teeth that mostly takes place while we are asleep. It affects about one in four adults, with symptoms that can include an aching jaw, headaches, gum problems and the danger of tooth enamel being eroded.

The pressure on the teeth during grinding can be 20 times greater than the force used in normal chewing and biting. As a result, the incisors can end up shorter with sharp edges and tiny chip marks, and the canines can be covered in notches. Teeth can also work loose and fillings be gouged out.

Treatment for bruxism has been basic, with sufferers usually having to wear a mouth guard. But Botox injections, more commonly associated with cosmetic procedures, are now being used as a way of keeping it under control.

Botulinum toxin type A (from which Botox takes its brand name) is a purified form of Clostridium botulinum – a bacteria that causes food poisoning. It inhibits the release of certain chemicals at the junction between a nerve and a muscle when injected, so the message for the muscle to work is blocked and it relaxes. The effects last for about four months.

Botox is approved for treating the painful symptoms caused by muscle spasticity in 20 different neurological conditions, including stroke and cerebral palsy. A number of studies have shown it could also be an effective treatment for bruxism. There are three sets of muscles involved in moving the jaw. They can become overactive, causing the jaw to clench unconsciously. By injecting enough Botox into these muscles, they become relaxed.

For more information, log onto The Patients Advantage.

Are you planning on having Liposuction Done?

Liposuction often gets a bad wrap, some people think that the only people who are getting liposuction are people with vanity issues, but there has to be some valid reasons that liposuction is, by far, the most popular form of plastic surgery.

The sheer quantity of liposuction patients in recent years is astounding; in fact the numbers are in excess of a quarter of a million people a year who undergo the procedure. The reasons that the number of liposuction procedures have become so great in recent years is that there are a number of benefits to having it done, aside from the usual stigma of vanity.

Breast Reduction is one of the most often overlooked reasons for having liposuction, and this reason can have tremendous health benefits for the patient. Women who have unusually large breasts can regularly suffer from upper and lower back pain, neck pain and sometimes severe headaches. Liposuction can effectively reduce the size of the breast in a minimally invasive procedure and virtually eliminate all of these problems, thereby improving the overall well being of the patient

People from all walks of life struggle with their appearance and body image issues every day. This isn’t a scenario that’s limited to pseudo-celebrities who are too lazy to go on a diet or to put time in at a gym. There are people who work hard every single day to try and achieve their desired results without ever being able to get to where they want.

Liposuction should never be considered just another way to lose weight, but for those who have exhausted all other methods of getting the results that they can be happy with – those who have been on diets prescribed by nutritionists and have spent the time sweating and exercising in the gym, but still can’t get the desired shape to their bodies, liposuction is a very viable option to obtain those results.

There is a misconception among the general public that the morbidly obese can just waltz into a clinic and have every ounce of fat sucked out of them, that they can suddenly be fit and trim without having to put in any work or effort at all. This really couldn’t be further from the truth, the process of liposuction can only really remove small amount of fat from a person at a time, usually less than ten pounds in a session; so Liposuction can’t really be considered as an end all weight loss option for someone who is severely overweight, but it is a very good choice for someone who’s worked their way down to the last few stubborn pounds that just won’t come off with regular exercise and a sensible diet plan.

The procedure of liposuction will begin with either a local or general anesthesia before the surgeon makes several tiny incisions in the area of the body from which the fat will be removed. The incisions are so small (often smaller than a quarter of an inch) that some surgeons don’t feel the need to stitch them, which helps keep the bruising down after the procedure is complete.

A very thin vacuum is inserted into the tiny incisions and rapidly pulled back and forth (in an in and out motion) to break up the fat cells and allow for their removal. A reasonable amount of blood and fluid is removed with the fat, so patients are normally hooked up to a simple IV for the duration of the procedure.

During the initial stages of recovery the patient will experience some pain and swelling, and will most likely be wearing a compression garment to aid in drainage, but usually within a week or so recovery is to a point where the patient can move freely and normally.

If you are planning on having liposuction done for health or appearance reasons, don’t let yourself be swayed by naysayers. Do the appropriate research and consult a specialist in your area for an interview to find out if liposuction is the best option to remedy your health issues.

Tummy Tuck Surgery Dramatically Reduces The Appearance Of A Protruding Abdomen

Abdominoplasty, known more commonly as a “tummy tuck,” is a major surgical procedure to remove excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdomen and to tighten the muscles of the abdomen wall. The procedure can dramatically reduce the appearance of a protruding abdomen. But bear in mind, it does produce a permanent scar, which, depending on the extent of the original problem and the surgery required to correct it, can extend from hip to hip.If you’re considering abdominoplasty, this will give you a basic understanding of the procedure – when it can help, how it’s performed, and what results you can expect. It can’t answer all of your questions, since a lot depends on the individual patient and the surgeon. Please ask your surgeon about anything you don’t understand. The best candidates for abdominoplasty are men or women who are in relatively good shape but are bothered by a large fat deposit or loose abdominal skin that won’t respond to diet or exercise. The surgery is particularly helpful to women who, through multiple pregnancies, have stretched their abdominal muscles and skin beyond the point where they can return to normal. Loss of skin elasticity in older patients, which frequently occurs with slight obesity, can also be improved.

Patients who intend to lose a lot of weight should postpone the surgery. Also, women who plan future pregnancies should wait, as vertical muscles in the abdomen that are tightened during surgery can separate again during pregnancy. If you have scarring from previous abdominal surgery, your doctor may recommend against abdominoplasty or may caution you that scars could be unusually prominent. Abdominoplasty can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence, but it won’t necessarily change your looks to match your ideal or cause other people to treat you differently. Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with your surgeon.

Thousands of abdominoplasty procedures are performed successfully each year. When done by a qualified plastic surgeon who is trained in body contouring, the results are generally quite positive. Nevertheless, there are always risks associated with surgery and specific complications associated with this procedure. Poor healing, which results in conspicuous scars, may necessitate a second operation. Smokers should be advised to stop, as smoking may increase the risk of complications and delay healing. You can reduce your risk of complications by closely following your surgeon’s instructions before and after the surgery, especially with regard to when and how you should resume physical activity.

The Patients Advantage is responsible for matching over 9,000 patients with surgeons per year proving that it IS possible to find great plastic surgeons online. We have quickly become a leader in the internet search industry because of its advanced features and matching systems, and most of all, because it’s 100% FREE – there are no charges, ever.

Breast Augmentation Can Be Scarless

So, you want to enhance your looks by breast implants or a lift. However, the mere thought of undergoing the knife is what is holding you back. You can now heave a sigh of relief as The Patients Advantage member surgeons are offering scar less breast implants! Now it’s just a matter of an hour to transform yourself into body beautiful.

Trans umbilical breast augmentation or more commonly known as TUBA is done using advanced surgical tools and techniques. This procedure will take hardly 30 to 45 minutes and the recovery period is also shorter as compared to the traditional implants procedure.

This procedure enables to insert the breast implants through your navel or the belly button so that you can avoid the scars on the breast. The scars are made on the navel, but these are usually undetectable because of the natural skin folds that are present in that part of your body. Deflated saline implants are then rolled and pushed through the incision. The position of the implants is then adjusted as per your requirement.

The implants are then filled with saline solution to give you that perfect shape and volume. Once this is done, the implants are positioned properly. Finally, the endoscope tube and the saline tube are removed and the incision is closed. The scar that is hidden in the folds of the navel is generally around one to one and a half inch long, thereby making it not very visible.

* The Benefits

According to Martha Reese, a 35 year-old augmentation patient, the main advantage of this type of breast implant is the low visibility of the scar. The second advantage is that since it involves no cutting of the nipples or the areola, the chances of damaging important nerves and glands for breastfeeding and sensory perception is null. Also, you do not have to worry about the implants pressurizing on fresh surgical incisions if any thereby making it a comfortable recovery process. The last benefit is that it takes less than an hour to complete the procedure.

The Patients Advantage member surgeons will be matched with over 10,000 patients this year. The popularity of plastic surgery is soaring and more and more doctors are trying to meet the demand for this specialty that has become an important part of mainstream medicine. Any licensed physician can call himself or herself a cosmetic surgeon, so the importance of finding a properly trained and certified provider is paramount. After filling out our plastic surgeon search form we can match you by procedure of interest, and you can read plastic surgeons profiles.

Our success rate and technology is unmatched. Your details are anonymously distributed to board-certified plastic surgeons that meet your specific requirements. You decide how many options you wish to discuss; only the most qualified plastic surgeons will be allowed to reply.

Look, if you got this far you obviously want to search for plastic surgeons. Signup and give it a shot.

Rhinoplasty and Breast Enhancement Proven Self Esteem Boosters

Women’s magazines and the media continue to encourage women to focus on their outward appearance to feel better about themselves and give their self-esteem a boost.

Critics of advertisers and marketers promoting the ‘beauty philosophy’ point out that many women simply suffer as a result; an obsession with looking good may even fuel low self-esteem and make women more competitive and unhappy overall. However, researchers pose a different theory; several studies indicate that women’s self-esteem is actually given a boost when they resort to cosmetic procedures.

I should know because I was once faced with this decision. Read more about my personal story.

 PsychCentral published an article in 2007 that links cosmetic surgery with positive feelings about a woman’s sexuality and higher self-esteem. Cynthia Figueroa-Haas, a clinical assistant professor at University of Florida College of Nursing led a study that appears in the Plastic Surgical Nursing publication. Her findings point out that there are several benefits associated with plastic and cosmetic procedures, and many women simply enjoy better emotional health and more confidence from procedures such as breast augmentation, nose reshaping surgery and liposuction. Breast enlargement is especially attractive for women who want to enjoy a boost of confidence and attract the opposite sex.

Rhinoplasty and breast augmentation are among the most coveted procedures by women between the ages of 18 and 35, and can significantly change a woman’s facial profile and body proportions. Almost all surgeons interview patients to determine if they are emotionally healthy before their procedure, and have realistic expectations of surgery. They may also show the prospective patient before and after photos of previous work and give them an overview of what to expect with the procedure.