Beauty by Brueck

MASSIVE WEIGHT LOSS

2012-01-25T13:32:00.000-08:00

Another report from Dr. Robert Brueck MD, Fort Myers plastic surgeon:

I think we all can agree obesity is truly a rising problem in America.

It affects all age groups – young and old, but rarely do massively obese people live to “old age”.

Two of the more popular procedures include the highly marketed “lap band” and gastric bypass. Which is better?

Well the answer may now be known. A recent article in Archives of Surgery shows gastric bypass had faster and more sustained levels of weight loss compared to the lab band. The study involved more than 400 people in Switzerland.

(I knew that Swiss chocolate was bad!)

SUPERBUGS? Will they meet their match?

2012-01-24T08:02:00.000-08:00

As a Fort Myers MD, I am frequently asked about "superbugs".

We all know what they are - they’re in the news a lot. They seem to be unstoppable. We might see them as flesh-eating bacteria, leading the way in an epidemic of antibiotic, hospital-acquired infections. Now, a new weapon in the fight against these invaders may be available. Researchers in Israel have found a way to restore a bacteria’s sensitivity to antibiotics. This process is LYSOGENIZATION.

In this technique, scientists use bacteriophager (virus that attack bacteria) to invade resistant bacteria which then can restore their antibiotic sensitivity. So far these new “phases” have not been tested on superbugs, but soon will be.

THE “NEW” PAP SMEAR

2012-01-23T13:43:00.000-08:00

We are all familiar with the pap smear – millions of American women get them every year.

As a Fort Myers plastic surgeon who deals with women who may be, or have been, afflicted by breast cancer, I'm pleased to report that there may be a new “pap” smear to detect breast cancer.

A new partnership between the University of North Dakota and a company called Neomatrix LLC may soon license a new technology to detect early forms of breast cancer from nipple aspirate fluid (NAF).

The HALO test may detect breast cancer cells in the NAF. Researchers at the university identified a set of bio markers in the NAF that led to a diagnosis of breast cancer.

If you would like more information go to www.neomatrix.com. The test is a simple non invasive 5 minute test. This HALO Breast Pap test is FDA approved for the collection of nipple aspirate fluid (NAF).

GLAUCOMA & GEOGRAPHY

2012-01-22T08:33:00.000-08:00

As a plastic surgeon involved with aspects of physical beauty, I am drawn to information about vision. It is, after all, the principle way we experience physical beauty.

So, what could the vision problem, glaucoma, possibly have in common with geography? Well, they both begin with G.

But, seriously, there appears to be more to this than meets the eye. It seems people who live most of their lives BELOW 41 Degrees north Latitude (i.e. passes through Chicago) have a SIGNIFICANTLY lower risk of developing exfoliation glaucoma. Exfoliation glaucoma causes protein deposits in the eye which can lead to vision loss.

And here, we thought people were moving to Florida for the weather. We learn new and interesting things everyday.

COSMETIC SURGERY BOOM IN INDIA

2012-01-20T16:42:00.000-08:00

Boy, there are many reasons why this is happening.

Cosmetic surgery in India is growing between 20-30% annually. Medical tourism I suspect will rise, with the advent of Obamacare and cost being two factors.

England recently added a VAT tax (value added tax) to cosmetic procedures done in the U.K. This has been auspiciously dubbed “the boob tax”. This tax will add 20% to the cost of a cosmetic procedure in England. The net result – more “vacations” to India or perhaps Singapore or Thailand.

I guess, if all goes well, it’s OK. But a follow-up visit to say Mumbai from Ft. Myers might be a bit pricey. Again, buyer beware.

Looking at it from a different perspective, with the finest surgeons and facilities in the world here, we may see a surge of British patients. As a Fort Myers plastic surgeon, I stand ready to serve. %>))

SMOKING- GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH?

2012-01-20T11:19:00.000-08:00

Dr. Robert Brueck MD, Fort Myers plastic surgeon, does not smoke and does not advocate smoking. But, he does report interesting findings in the world of health and medicine, such as this message.

"It seems we live in a contradicting world. We hear this food or supplement is bad for us. Then, a year or more later, we hear it’s good for us. Coffee is bad for us. Now, it’s good for us. No wonder there is a long trail of confusion.

A recent pilot study in the journal “Neurology” found that nicotine patches could improve memory, mental processing and attention. Seventy-four patients took part in the study. The nicotine patches worn by a set number of patients found enhanced cognitive function. A little side bonus was a loss of weight in some patients and lower blood pressure. See, Nicotine also has an anorectic effect as well (loss of appetite).

I certainly am not advocating one should take up smoking but these are dilemmas we face. This explains why so many smokers gain weight after they stop."

FOLLOW-UP TO PIP GEL IMPLANT

2012-01-20T00:53:00.000-08:00

Dr. Robert Brueck MD, Fort Myers plastic surgeon, reports on the status of French breast implants.

I wrote earlier about the French government paying to have silicone implants removed. The implants were PIP implants manufactured by Poly Implant Prothese’.

The Society of Plastic Surgeons has been monitoring the events as they unfold. To date PIP implants have not and were not approved for use in the U.S.

Again – women who engaged in “medical tourism” and went abroad to get their augmentation – well, you may want to inquire which type of implants you have.

BEST TIME OF DAY FOR SURGERY?

2012-01-19T08:33:00.000-08:00

As a plastic surgeon in Fort Myers, FL, I am often asked this question.

I am a morning person – to the gym at 3:00 am – ready to go to the Operating Room by 7:00 – 7:30 am. Often times, patients will comment “I hope you are ready to go! Somehow my telling them my routine, they have a quiet reassurance. They want me to be fresh.

But does the time of day a procedure is performed really matter – morning vs. afternoon?

Researchers at Cleveland Clinic studied 32,001 elective procedures over a 5 year span. The results revealed there is NO difference whether you have your surgery in the A.M. or P.M.

So rest assured. If you like to sleep-in and want your surgery “later” in the day, I say go for it.

WHO LEADS IN ANTI-AGING PROCEDURES?

2012-01-17T09:59:00.000-08:00

Common sense would tell us the “older” generation or baby boomers would be leading the way.

But surprise, surprise!

A study by the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) (I am a member) found that “Generation-X” people, aged 31-45, actually led the way with 43% of the $10+ billion spent on cosmetic procedures in 2010. The baby boomers (I’m also a member here as well) accounted for 28% of the total spent.

There were a total of 13.1 million cosmetic procedures done and of this total 11.6 million were non-surgical. That keeps plastic surgeons such as me happily busy.

PERSONALITY AND WEIGHT LOSS

2012-01-17T09:03:00.000-08:00

Dr. Robert Brueck MD, Fort Myers Cosmetic Surgeon reports
on weight management and personality.

It seems we are always looking for connections between two entities or cause and effect. If you eat too much of A your more likely to get or suffer from B.

Now there is research that links our personality to our body weight.

There is a growing body of research that suggests that the part of our brain controlling our emotions and stress also controls our appetite or hunger center.

People who were “impulsive” were more apt to be overweight. People who were not overly agreeable tended to put on more weight over the years.

This connection between emotions and weight begins early in our lives.

Kids who had low emotional relationships with their mothers tended to be more obese by the age of 15.

So when we say this is “food for thought” that is not far from the truth.

FISH AND ALZHEIMERS

2012-01-09T08:38:00.000-08:00

Dr. Robert Brueck MD, practicing plastic surgery in Fort Myers, Florida, blogs here about matters of health, medicine & plastic surgery.

We have all read about the importance of fish oils in our diet. I take fish oil’s everyday, but I have to say taking in fish oil and face-lifting don’t go hand in hand.

I tell all my patients to avoid fish oil a couple of weeks before surgery.

Now, another good reason to eat fish: a recent study of people in their 70’s found that if they had fish once a week for over 10 years their brains were bigger. The area’s linked to memory and learning seemed to be the most affected. Some people think the Omega 3 fatty acids cut down on inflammation and up blood flow to the brain.

But the fish must be baked or boiled - NO fish fry’s.

COSMETIC SURGERY AND THE RECESSION

2012-01-05T08:19:00.000-08:00

Apparently cosmetic surgery did not suffer as much as the economy.

There was a downturn in 2008 at the height of the recession. From 2009-2010 people spent 3.8% less on food, 2% less on housing, but spent 1.3 more on breast augmentation, 5.1% more on liposuction, 8.1% more on eyelid surgery and get this 24.4% more on buttock lifts.

What is really of interest, nearly 1/3 of cosmetic surgery patients’ had incomes of less than $30,000 per year and about 70% made less than $60,000 per year.

I think it's evidence that plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery have become mainstream. You don't have to be in the 1% to not want to look like the 99%.

NEW PLASTIC SURGERY APP.

2012-01-04T16:00:00.000-08:00

A company in France, Kaeira EURL, has released their latest version of Plastic Surgery Simulator. Version 1.1 is now available for i Phone, i Pad, and i Pad touch.

The app allows people to stretch or shrink body parts to see what they “might” look like.

I only hope prospective patients don’t use this as a motivation to have plastic surgery. To me it’s more of a toy than anything else.

As a Fort Myers Plastic Surgeon, I can guarantee I will not be using Plastic Surgery Simulator.

BREAST FEEDING AND IMPLANTS

2012-01-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

As a Fort Myers, FL plastic surgeon, I receive regular questions. Many women with breast implants wonder, if they breast feed, will the implants cause their breasts to change.

Dr. Norma Crey – a plastic surgeon in San Juan, Puerto Rico followed 160 women with implants and who breast fed their babies. The presence of implants did not alter their breast shape negatively.

There is no question pregnancy and nursing will effect the shape of a women’s breasts for the most part in a negative way (more sagging - less volume) but the presence of implants did not seem to influence the negative effect.

BOOTLEG SILICONE

2012-01-03T13:38:00.000-08:00

Everyone read recently about the silicone implants from PIP in France that were taken off the market. Apparently, unscrupulous practitioners are injecting silicone from home improvement centers into various parts of the body. One of the more popular areas is the buttocks.

There was a report of an exotic dancer getting silicone injections into her buttocks by a non-MD. The dancer was hospitalized and x-rays of her lungs showed silicone. Apparently the individual doing the injection got some of the material in her veins which then carried the silicone to her lungs. Scattered reports from around the country are prompting investigations from the FDA and other health care officials.

Always, always, always check out if the "dr." performing your "procedure" is a board certified plastic surgeon. Fort Myers FL Dr. Robert J. Brueck MD FACS meets the requirement.

Keeping Kids on their toes

2011-12-30T16:49:00.000-08:00

TOE WALKING

A report in Acta Pediatrician revealed that kids who walk on their toes for the fun of it were much more likely to be Left handed. Toe walking occurs in 7-24% of kids but most stop by the age of 2.

As we stand on the cusp of 2012, it is my wish that your New Year be bright, sparkly and filled with joy.

Dr. Robert J. Brueck MD FACs, Fort Myers FL Plastic Surgeon

COSMETIC SURGERY-WHO DOMINATES?

2011-12-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

The answer to this is pretty easy. WE DO! How can we not, with the likes of Beverly Hills and Miami Beach?

It may also be true that plastic surgery's popularity is related to the standard of living. Countries with large populations of poor are not going to see much elective cosmetic surgery. Or so it seems to me as a Fort Myers Florida Plastic Surgeon.

What is interesting is that there are new names on the list of top 10 countries for cosmetic surgery? The list was compiled by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. The list, in decreasing order, is U.S., Brazil, China, Japan, India, Mexico, Italy, South Korea, France and, at # 10, is Colombia.

Liposplasty again remains the number 1 surgical procedure, followed by Breast Aug, then Blepharoplasty or eyelid lift. The total number of board certified plastic surgeons is 33,000 world wide.

IMPLANTS ARE SAFE

2011-12-27T23:26:00.000-08:00

A lot of concerned was expressed recently when the French government announced it would pay to have all Gel implants in French women removed.

Concerned patients should know that only implants manufactured by PIP (Poly Implant Prosthesis) were to be removed. Apparently, from what research I have done, the gel used in PIP implants was INDUSTRIAL grade NOT MEDICAL grade.

As a Fort Myers plastic surgeon, I only use MENTOR implants, which are medical grade silicone.

I guess it’s like buying steak-you can have choice or top-of-the-line prime. I’m sure there are many European women with PIP implants. PIP used industrial grade silicone because it simply was CHEAPER.

Years and years ago, I took care of several patients who had “industrial” grade silicone actually injected into their breasts. No implants. Just industrial grade material placed into syringes and then injected into their breasts. The results were terrible. These women developed severe inflammations and multiple nodules. Mammograms became more difficult to perform. Many of these women required simple mastectomies and reconstruction.

The company, PIP, went bankrupt in 2010 and shut its doors. Their president/founder is M. Jean-Claude Mas. He is 72 and in poor health. As always this will be played out in the courtroom…many years later. Till then, rest assured, unless you received a PIP implant, most likely in Europe, all is well.

THE CRAZY WORLD OF DIETS

2011-12-23T08:51:00.000-08:00

As a Fort Myers Florida Cosmetic Surgeon, I am keenly aware of Thomas Edison, a local winter resident when he was living*, and one of the greatest inventors of all time. http://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org/files/header_200/839_20080120a.jpg.It would be of interest to study his archives to see what “diet or diets” he may have invented. Dieting is universal – in fact, most of us, I included, have been on more than one diet.

One thing has always dumbfounded me – if evolution is so, why haven’t our bodies' metabolism “evolved” to burn up more calories? Our bodies have been bombarded with caloric overload – pizza, ice cream, beer, snack foods, fried foods – the list goes on and on. Oh well, just a thought.

There are truly some unique diets out there – some are way out there. One is the HCG or human growth hormone diet. To be effective you need to inject HCG and limit your calories to 500 or so per day. This is NOT an FDA approved use of HCG. HCG is approved for treating dwarfism where young people fail to grow properly due a deficiency of growth hormones.

Now if you are into housekeeping, try the new – maybe it’s not so new – “MASTER CLEANSE”. This one really got my taste buds salivating. This is a 4-14 day cleansing process. What is in the cleanser? You take 6 or more servings of a drink containing lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and water. This has been around since the 1950’s and you can lose 4-20 pounds depending on how long you “cleanse”. Somehow ipecac sounds better. This diet is popular among Hollywood elite.

Lets not forget the “baby food” diet. Remember to use a bib if you want it to be really effective. This diet consists of eating 14 jars of baby food per day. Supposedly this a controlled portion diet. Somehow as a kid baby food was ok, but not too appealing as an adult.

There you have it – just in time for the holidays, when diets tend to be disregarded, and New Year's when they are resolved to be reinstated.

Merry Christmas to one and all, and the richest of God’s blessings in the New Year.

* The Edison Ford Winter Estates are well worth a visit when you are in or near Fort Myers, FL

SO WHAT DO THE FRENCH LIKE?

2011-12-18T12:20:00.000-08:00

The French are different from you and me. Here's my report as a Fort Myers Plastic Surgeon:

I recently read an article by a French plastic surgeon by the name of Bernard Mole. I thought I’d share some of his insights as to what he sees as the difference between French patients and American patients.

Procedures performed are very similar i.e. Facelifts, Blephs, Augs, Liposuction
French patients want more subtle changes

A typical Aug in France may be 300cc

The French philosophy is that “less is more.”

Also in France, prospective cosmetic surgery patients must complete a psychology profiling BEFORE undergoing a cosmetic procedure. Patients must wait a minimum of 15 days before a cosmetic procedure (i.e no last minute shopping)

Botulism injections can only be done by a physician belonging to one of 5 Specialty societies.

To get fillers- again only a physician AND 15 day waiting time period.

Socialism breeds more and more governmental control of one’s life.

I guess we should all take a deep sigh and have another glass of wine. Sante'

INTERESTING FACT

2011-12-17T06:34:00.000-08:00

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons there were 13,100,000 cosmetic surgery procedures performed in the United States last year (2010). It will be interesting to see what this year brings as we close it out.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all

Dr. Robert Brueck MD, Fort Myers Cosmetic Surgeon

HAND SANITIZER :GOOD OR BAD?

2011-12-16T06:21:00.000-08:00

It seems, no matter where we go – a squirt here, a squirt there – we bath our hands in “hand sanitizer”. Several years ago they were non-existent, and now they’re everywhere – gyms, restaurants, stores. You name it, they have it.

There are some risks, however

1. They cut down on the exposure of our immune system. Our immune system pours out antibodies (like antibiotics) in response to contact to germs; no germs – no exercise.

2. They are NO replacement for the time-honored use of good ole' soap and water.

3. They have high concentrations of alcohol which removes skin oils from our skin.

4. They can give you a false sense of security.

I can tell you, after three decades as a practicing Fort Myers Plastic Surgeon, your best protection is a vigorous hand washing with soap and water.

OBESITY AND CANCER RISKS.

2011-12-15T13:12:00.000-08:00

Dr. Robert Brueck MD, Fort Myers Plastic Surgeon, is concerned with all matters of health, which he blogs about here.

It seems, whenever we pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV, we hear about childhood obesity, and I do believe it is a problem.

Now, we have another reason to be alarmed.

Researchers in Israel followed 1.1 million Israeli boys age 16-19. The study period was 1967-2005. About 12.5% were overweight or 138,741. During 40 years of follow-up these obese teens had a 50% increased risk of developing colo-rectal cancers.

One caveat, family histories were not available.

WHY DO DRUGS COST SO MUCH?

2011-12-15T05:57:00.000-08:00

How many times have I heard – “that’s outrageous!” - when talking about the price of a particular medicine?

My brother, Bill. takes a pill every day that costs upwards of $25.00. That’s pricey. But in the end, it all comes down to the cost to develop the drug, the cost to manufacture and the size of the potential market.

Drug research is $100 billion a year endeavor.

I was reading an article in the Wall Street Journal that prompted this little article. Two years ago, some researchers in Boston showed how they could kill cancer cells by targeting a protein in the cells called STK33 – don’t ask me what it stands for.

Amgen, the well known biotech pharmaceutical company, jumped all over it. They put together a team of scientists/researchers totaling 24 to see if they could duplicate this. If they could, this could prove to be a pathway to create new drugs to fight cancer. After 6 intensive (and expensive) months – all their efforts had failed.

One of the cornerstones of original research is reproduceability. In other words, if one lab does research, say, in Chicago, can that research AND results be duplicated in a lab in Miami or Paris? That is crucial.

Bayer, the big pharmaceutical company, has halted nearly two-thirds of phase 2 trials in drug research. Phase 2 involves reproducing results from other labs.

The bottom line is that those FAILED attempts cost money – cost real dollars. Bayer is not alone in failed attempts. In that list are companies like Amgen, Pfizer, Eli Lilly and many others. Drug research is not cheap. This helps explain in part the rising cost of prescription drugs.

Obviously, as a Fort Myers Plastic Surgeon, I wish with you that drugs could be developed at lower cost. But researchers must be paid, facilities must be built and maintained and gambles are taken that the research will produce a life-saving or life-enhancing drug. When it doesn't, that cost drops to the bottom line of the drug companies.

When it does, the bottom line for all of us is a priceless advance in our health, quality of life and longevity.

DOMINICAN CHRISTMAS PARTY

2011-12-14T05:15:00.000-08:00

Among the interests of Dr. Robert Brueck MD, a Fort Myers Plastic Surgeon, are a medical mission and schools in the Dominican Republic. This blog post is about his visit in the DR this Christmas season.

It has been a while since Linda and I were in the Dominican Republic. This year we were fortunate to fly down and celebrate Christmas with the kids at the various schools. First, there was one and now there are three.

We got down there Sunday night with the usual 2 hour delay going out of Miami to Santiago. Monday I played Santa at the Genesis school and Lutherana. This was so much fun. I was probably the most teary eyed Santa ever. Being German and trying to be a Spanish Santa took some doing. The inside of my Santa suit was lined with nylon which means I was dripping wet with the outside temperature in excess of 80 degrees. Being able to give presents to these kids was so special and heartwarming because for many of these kids, this may be the only present they receive. I will post some photos shortly and some will be on my Facebook page. Linda had so much fun taking photos and various videos. She had to buy more memory for her phone to do it. As I was walking up and down the atrium belting out Ho! Ho! Ho! And sprinkling it with a few Feliz Navidad’s I was concerned my white wig and whiskers would come off but I never lost them once – came close a few times as I hugged the kids.

The school in Palma Ariba has over 120 children and the number is growing. I learned that of 138 or so countries worldwide, the Dominican Republic ranks about 134^th. So there is a great need for improving education. The schools curriculum is being based on the Concordia Lutheran curriculum. It’s a good one. After the holidays, Pastor Krey said they plan to begin cultivating some of their extra acreage to grow fruits and vegetables to feed the kids and any excess will be sold to raise extra funds for the school. They are also putting the finishing touches on an internet café to provide additional funding for the kids. They need to raise $40,000.00 to $50,000.00 to build a playground and basketball court with a roof over it so when it rains the kids will still be able to enjoy the playground.

Wednesday night was the Christmas pageant – in Spanish. Even though my Spanish is limited to Taco Bell – you felt the warmth, joy and serenity of the Christmas season as we celebrate our Savior’s birth. It was truly a magical moment. It will make our Christmas extra special this year.

If any of you are interested in sponsoring a child please contact me or Harry Ryan who is the director of our mission board. I would be happy to send you a brochure on Project Genesis. Our website is www.smlcprojectgenesis.org. The cost to sponsor a child is $420.00 per year and ALL the money goes to the school.

Have a blessed Christmas and the richest of God’s blessings to all in the New Year.