Flat Tummy Realities

Every new year, more and more women set out with goals in mind to reduce the size of their tummies through diet and exercise only to lose heart when not being able to obtain the results they desire. Stomach fat combined with intestinal fat is one of the most difficult to lose. Unfortunately, prolonged sit-ups and crunches may not be effective at removing the unwanted “pooch” and instead may even contribute to it’s size by adding additional muscle to the mid-section. Many factors can contribute to an extended tummy including, fat, intestinal bloating, muscle weakened and a stretched abdominal front.

There are literally dozens and dozens of programs on the market today, everything from exercise machines to over-the-counter wonder drugs, that give the promise of losing the gut. The effectiveness of such are questionable from program to program and person to person. However, there is only one sure way that someone can make an immediate change on their mid-rift – through surgical help.

The abdominoplasty or tummy-tuck is most widely considered a excellent choice for removing an unwanted gut. This is typically true for women who are done having children.

The following images show the results of a patient who underwent an abdominoplasty with excellent results.

Board Certification Matters

In a world of so much information it is often difficult to sort out what’s legitimate and what’s not. The same can be said about board certification for physicians. Most physicians will often claim being board certified in some speciality. Unfortunately, titles and training do not often coincide with each other. This can be very confusing for the patient who is attempting to make an educated choice prior to seeking medical services.

The creation of boards were a means by which people could be assured that a physician has met a specific criteria of training and that their treatment will be consistent with the boards requirements. However, while some boards attempt to maintain a high level of professional conduct, others may lack with compliance standards.

It’s important for patients to do their due-dilligence in assessing a physician’s qualifications prior to receiving any treatment. However, the following criteria can be used when determining the value of a specific boards certification including:

• How long has the board be around?
• What are the qualifications of belonging?
• Who governs the board?
• Is the board inclusive of other medical board and specialties or do they act on their own?
• Does the board require continual re-certification?
• What type of disciplines and enforcements do they provide?

The complexities of understanding a physician’s certifications and credentials are often confusing to the average patient. However, by adding an additional layer of board certifications it can really becomes confusing, especially when you have two competing boards, that offer similar certifications, but do not recognize the legitimacy of each other.

So how is a person to know?
A good place to start is with the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Their primary goal is to manage other medical specialties boards through credentialling and standards of care. This certification and competency process is consistent across all the medical boards that ABMS governs.

Mommy Makeover's Becoming Popular for Women after Pregnancy

According to a recent news report, more and more women are choosing to go under the plastic surgeon’s knife, following pregnancy. This trend is called a Mommy Makeover which usually includes a tummy tuck, breast lift or breast augmentation, and sometimes liposuction, performed at the same time.

Many patients prefer this over having individual separate procedures, which can increase due to anesthesia costs and operatory fees.

However, for the woman, the results can be life changing. Getting their pre-birth body back is a life changing event and has proven to be more satisfying to the patient than having a single procedure alone.

The only consideration a woman should make prior to having a mommy makeover, after child-birth, is to be sure that they are finished having children as a repeat pregnancy can ruin their results. Typically, a mommy makeover will not prevent a woman from getting pregnant again or even breast feeding their baby.

Learn more about the popularity of Mommy Makeovers in this news story video from ABC News.

Restoring a bosom to a youthful appearance.

For many women, their breast cleavage is just as important to their self-esteme as their overall appearance. Unfortunately, the skin on the chest is typically much thinner and is subject to premature again, sagging and discoloration due to sun damage, more commonly than other parts of the body.

Until recently, there were not many treatments available for upper chest skin and cleavage rejuvenation. However, more and more cosmetic physicians have discovered by using Botox Cosmetic and other non-invasive procedures, they have been able to successfully treat this part of the woman’s body, taking years off their appearance.

Botox can be used to tighten sagging cleavage, though it is only recommended for a once ot twice confidence booster for some special occasion and shouldn’t be considered for a permanent solution.

Other teatments to rejuvenate a woman’s cleavage include:

• Laser Rejuvenation
• Radio Wave Wrinkle Reduction
• Microdermabrasion
• Chemical Peels

Combing treatments have been shown to greatly improve the appearance of a woman’s bosom.

Learn more about cleavage rejuvenation from the following video from ABC news.

Victor Valley Women's Council of Realtors - Learning about Breast Cancer Awareness

Dr. Edward H. Park had the opportunity to speak to the Victor Valley Women’s Council of Realtors about “Evolution and Balance for Breast Cancer Awareness.”Dr. Park is a board certified plastic surgeon who specializes in post breast cancer reconstruction.

Dr. Park was the honored speaker at the Victor Valley Women's Council of Realtors at their Oct. Meeting.

October has been nationally recognized as breast cancer awareness month, highlighting attention the need for continued breast cancer research for the cure.

Approximately 1 in every 8 women in the United States is expected to develop breast cancer over the course of their lifetime. These figures are staggering and suggest a larger need for further studies and research for the cure.

Support is always welcomed and encouraged. For further information on how you can become involved, here are a list of available resources:

• BreastCancer.Org
• Susan B. Komen – For The Cure

Physician's without Plastic Surgery Training

According to a report by the American Society of Plastic Surgery, more and more untrained physicians are performing plastic surgery procedures. Unfortunately, there has also been an uprise in post surgical complications with poor results due to this.

Many medical facilities offer plastic surgery procedures from medical doctors unskilled and unqualified to do so. In many states, any licensed physician can describe themselves as a plastic surgeon and can make the claim that they are board certified, even if their certification is in Internal Medicine or Gynecology etc.

It is important to do your due diligence prior to agreeing to have any plastic surgery procedure done by a physician.

A doctor’s education, training, years of experience, and peer recognition are crucial elements in determining their ability to provide you with the care you need. Experience can vary from physician to physician, especially where technology outpaces practices.

These are things to look for when choosing a plastic surgeon:

• Are they recognized from their peers
• Are they board-certified in plastic surgery
• Do they have hospital privileges
• Are they a member of a recognized medical society
• Are they recognized throughout their community
• Are they trained in their specialty field of practice

Be concerned of anyone claiming to be a plastic surgeon who:

• Does not have any hospital affiliations
• Has received disciplinary actions issued against them in the past
• Fails to explain the procedure clearly, and is overly eager to start the surgery
• Has a staff that is rude and appears unprofessional
• Is not certified with one of the medical boards that governs plastic surgery, including: American Board of Plastic Surgery, American Society of Plastic Surgery and American Society of Aesthetics Plastic Surgery

Buy 2 get 3rd FREE, Restylane and Radiesse

Buy 2 syringes of Resylane, get the 3rd syringe for FREE!

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Offers good until September 30, 2011

Rejuvenate with a Night of Beauty

Honored speaker, Dr. Edward H. Park, board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery is pleased to be offering a FREE seminar on the newest and latest in cosmetic surgery.

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Please be our guest and bring a friend to learn the latest advances in Cosmetic Surgery

FREE door prices including:

• Dysport and Restylane
• $500 OFF any Surgical Procedure

RSVP before September 22nd by calling the office at (909) 981-8985

Secondary Breast Revision Statistics

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there are currently well over three million women in the US alone that have had some form of breast augmentation done on themselves. Annually, there are approximately 300,000 new breast augmentations performed as well. This makes breast augmentations the number one cosmetic surgery procedure performed.

Studies from both US based companies who manufacture breast implants, Allergan and Mentor, show consistently that some form of revision surgery will be required within three to six years after the initial augmentation, with estimations of thirteen to twenty eight percent. Some of the reasons for this include:

• Capsular Contracture
• Sagging Breasts (Ptosis)
• Desire to change breast size
• Asymmetry Issues
• Breast Implant Malposition

Unfortunately, re-operation rates are even higher for revisionary cases, so it’s vital to find a board certified plastic surgeon who specializes in breast augmentation revisions.

If you are currently suffering from capsular contracture, ptosis, asymmetry issues and breast implant malposition or wish to change your breast size, contact Face and Body Cosmetic Surgery to setup your FREE one-on-one consultation with Edward H. Park, MD.