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New Breast Implant Monitoring Technology a Possibility
Thursday, February 23rd, 2012
Ultrasound System Might Save Time and Money
Monitoring your breast implants can be costly and inconvenient, but that may all change with the advent of new monitoring procedures that could make the process far more efficient.
The Aesthetic Surgery Journal, partially funded by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), has released a study that explores the potential use of new portable, high-resolution ultrasound imaging technology to monitor the status of silicone breast implants.
The report’s lead author, Bradley Bengston, MD, found that, “portable, surgeon-performed, high-resolution ultrasound is feasible for screening silicone gel breast implants, matching the capabilities of MRI in detecting shell failure.”
Keeping a close eye on the integrity of silicone gel breast implants is an important breast augmentation maintenance, because unlike saline-filled breast implants, silicone gel implant failure is not as noticeable, and the implant may even maintain its shape after springing a leak.
Currently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the primary method of assessing the integrity of silicone implants. However, MRIs are costly, impractical, and can take time to book an appointment for a scan. This new ultrasound technology would offer comparable results to the MRI, but would be less expensive to use, and could be done in a doctor’s office.
According to Felmon Eaves, Clinical Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and co-author of this study, the technology could be used for more than just implant screening.
“This office-based technology may also have broader applications, such as hand and facial fracture identification and treatment, vein surgery and ablation, visualization prior to shaped implant rotation, identification and management of seroma, and general breast evaluation,” said Eaves.
The study is still ongoing, and will focus on calibrating the sensitivity of the technology, as well as ways to improve breast implant designs.
Tags: breast, breast implants, MRI, new technology, silicone implants, ultrasound
Posted in Breast Augmentation, Breast Implants | Comments Off
Figures Looking Good for Plastic Surgery – 13.8 Million Procedures in 2011
Thursday, February 23rd, 2012
13.8 Million Procedures in 2011
The economy is on a slow-but-steady rise, and consumer confidence starting to return. As a result, cosmetic procedures have enjoyed their second year of growth in a row.
According to a report issued by the American Plastic Surgery Society, surgeons across the country performed 13.8 million procedures in 2011. This is a 5 percent increase from 2010, which itself was a year of growth.
“Consumer confidence was up, auto sales rose 10 percent, so it is not surprising that we would also see increased demand for plastic surgery procedures,” said ASPS President Malcolm Z. Roth.
The report by the ASPS breaks down the numbers further, providing insight into prevalent trends in the industry.
“We are seeing notable increases in surgical procedures, such as facelifts, that reflect the demands of an aging boomer population,” said Dr. Roth. Chin augmentation, a popular procedure among men, nearly doubled, and lip augmentations went up by nearly 50 percent. However, the real action is in minimally-invasive procedures, such as laser hair removals (up 15 percent) and microdermabrasion (up 9 percent), with the number of procedures in the millions.
While consumer confidence goes a long way, Dr. Roth credits a lot of hard work from the industry in part for the promising trend.
“While insurance coverage for breast reconstruction is mandated by law, continued strides to provide coverage for other reconstructive procedures has contributed, in part, to the sizable gain that we are seeing with these procedures.”
For more information, read this year’s study, as well as the 2010 and 2009 studies.
Tags: plastic surgery statistic 2011
Posted in In The News, Plastic Surgery | Comments Off
New Jersey Will Phase Out Tax on Cosmetic Procedures
Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
Good news if you live in New Jersey and are looking to get a little work done - the hotly-debated tax on cosmetic procedures signed into law in 2004 is going to be repealed.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill to phase out the six percent tax on cosmetic procedures in three stages.
The tax will be reduced to four percent this year, down to two percent next July, and finally eliminated altogether by July 2014.
Initially conceived as a way to generate additional revenue for the state, the legislation has come under fire by the New Jersey Society of Plastic Surgeons (NJSPS) and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) for being counterintuitive and costing more money than it brings in.
The tax adds a little over $10 million a year in revenue, but that number falls far short of the numbers legislators expected to rake in.
Furthermore, the tax loses money by encouraging what Allergan CEO David Pyott calls “surgical flight.” Potential patients chose to travel to neighbouring states for surgery to avoid taxes, and some practitioners followed suit and relocated their practices out of state. Independent reports found that between 2005 and 2008, for every dollar made from taxes, three were lost.
The bill was almost rescinded in 2006, but then-Governor Jon Corzine vetoed the legislation.
The president of the NJSPS, Dr. Chris Godek, is pleased that the tax is finally being abolished. “We’re happy to finally have erased a tax that was unfair on several different levels – including bias against women – and which caused major unforeseen problems, such as the flight of residents across state borders for procedures,” says Dr. Godek.
According to Plastic Surgery Portal, a procedure like breast augmentation costs an average of US$4000. At the current rate of six percent, an extra US$240 is added to that cost in NJ. Under this new legislation, that number will drop to US$160, and then US$80, before it is finally waved entirely. The bill also applies to dermatological and ophthalmological procedures, in a time of financial difficulty for many Americans.
Tags: new jersey cosmetic surgery tax
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Dr. DiBernardo Discusses CoolSculpting on Fox News
Friday, February 3rd, 2012
New Jersey Plastic Surgery’s own Dr. Barry DiBernardo was on Fox News NY talking about how CoolSculpting works for spot fat reduction in just an hour with minimal discomfort.
Posted in CoolSculpting, In The News | Comments Off
