Top Medical News of the World

Dementia in the Family? Get a Tummy Tuck!

Now, nobody ever said the way to prevent a case of Alzheimer’s later on in life is to rush out and get a tummy tuck . But it might improve the odds of keeping all, well okay, most of your marbles as an old timer.

Here’s how scientists found that belly fat can put bats in your belfry:

Kaiser Permanente in Northern California studied 6,583 of its patients and measured their stomachs between 1964 and 1973 when the study group was 40 to 45 years old.

Three decades later, the researchers went back and measured the same subjects’:

• Waist sizes
• Dementia rates

(SXC Photo)

Results? People with large bellies were 2.6 times more likely to develop dementia than people with a normal waist size. And the news got worse as study group stomachs grew larger. Obese study subjects with really large bellies -- on the order of a Santa Claus belly -- were 3.6 times more like to go bonkers as an old person.

Conclusion? Other than dieting and regular, hard exercise (whew! I get exhausted just thinking about it!). The only other way to cut down on belly fat seems to be via a tummy tuck (“abdominoplasty”).

Actually, most guys would consider the procedure if it were known as a “gut tuck” or maybe a “gut check.” There’s just something too delicate about the word “tummy.” Can you imagine anybody referring to the “beer gut” as a “beer tummy?” I should say not! It takes many years of dedicated, hard work to create a beer gut!

Obesity and Bad Breath

The bad news for overweight people never seems to end.

If being driven crazy by a little flab isn’t bad enough, Israeli researchers have found that obesity can cause bad breath, too. It’s sorta the same old story: take a group of people, study them and compare who’s got what. In this case, a study of 88 people found that the most overweight also suffered complaints about stinky breath! Nobody seems to know why yet. Maybe a tummy tuck fixes the bad breath thing, too! Read more.

Sleepy? Get a Nose Job!

Daytime sleepiness is a huge problem. Just check out living rooms at 9 in the evening and count the number of snoozers in front of a blaring T.V. Lack of z’s has also been blamed on a number of disasters from Three Mile Island to the Exxon Valdez oil spill to a massive failing of freshman English every year at most colleges and universities. (Well, okay, the colleges and universities, I attended, anyhow!)


(SXC photo)

Researchers in Taiwan studied 51 patients with symptoms of daytime sleepiness. The researchers accessed the patients a month before and three months after surgery. They found a significant drop in the rates of daytime sleepiness and blocked nasal airways.

Attention wives! Here’s the really good news: Most of the subjects also quit snoring!

One of the first things a plastic surgeon will do if you go in for a nose job will be to check on how well you breathe through your nose. Read more about sleepiness and having a nasal surgery.

Top Ten “No-No” Herbs in Plastic Surgery

So you’re going in for a nip ‘n’ tuck to rejuvenate some sagging, drooping whatevers. Good for you! It will help you look and feel better.

But before you go under the knife, here’s a pearl of wisdom. (Not from me, of course; the information comes from some very smart doctors!)

Did you know that taking herbs can cause trouble during your surgery?

Sure, herbs are 100% natural but, hey, so are snake bites! And, to borrow a line from George Carlin, any time you’re talking about snake venom, all you need to know is: it’s bad for ya!

Insider hint: never confuse the word “safe” with “natural.”

Insider hint number 2: no known herb can create a breast augmentation, a face lift or remove fat from your body. But you’ll see tons of ads that promise just that. (Read more about overblown ads in cosmetic plastic surgery).

Turns out herbs are powerful medicines that vary in strength depending on if you consume the leaf or the root and the time of year the herb was picked.


Herb medley
SXC Photo

We mention all this because Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the leading professional journal for plastic surgeons, recently found that 55 percent of plastic surgery patients use herbs while only 24 percent of the general public take them. Read more.

You want to quit any herb at least several weeks before your surgery, according to top plastic surgeons Robert Kotler, M.D. in Beverly Hills and New Mexico plastic surgeon Patrick Hudson, M.D.

Surgeons bellyache because patients often forget to mention the herbs they take, thinking it makes no difference to their medical histories. And then things can get complicated or go south in the operating room (O.R.) when other meds interact with the herbs.

Here’s the list of verboten herbs before your plastic surgery procedure

1. Ginseng

Used to enhance energy levels, ginseng in the O.R. can cause high blood pressure or a racing heart if combined with some of the medicines used by the anesthesiologist. Ginseng can also slow blood clotting.


Sweet herbs
(Bura photo)

2. Ephedra (aka ma huang)

Consumed in many diet aids, ephedra increases blood pressure and, during surgery, may increase it too much when combined with common medicines.

3. St. John’s Wort

Used to treat depression and anxiety, St John’s Wort can prolong the effects of some narcotics and anesthetics. It also interacts with Demerol, a prescription pain reliever.

4. Ginko Biloba

Taken to increase circulation, ginko can cause excess bleeding in the operating room.

5. Feverfew

Often used to treat migraines, feverfew can also increase bleeding during surgery.

6. Garlic

Usually taken to lower blood fat levels, garlic can also cause too much bleeding during an operation.


Garlic chives
(jkingsbeer photo)

7. Licorice

Many people with stomach woes take licorice. But during surgery, it can cause liver problems and water retention.

8. Glucosamine

Consumed to ease joint distress, glucosamine contains chemical elements that mimic human insulin and may cause high blood sugar while you are under the knife.

9. Chondroitin

Often taken as a folk remedy for bone arthritis, chondroitin can cause excess bleeding if combined with doctor-prescribed blood thinning medications.

10. Valerian

Valerian acts as a mild sedative when you take it at home. But in the operating room, it can increase the effect of anesthesia and cause a deeper sleep.

Other herbs often mentioned in the same breath as “surgical complications” include echinacea, glucosamine, goldenseal, melatonin, kava and milk thistle.

Just remember: herbs. It’s bad for ya!

What’s Your Favorite Herb?

NEXT: Top Ten Fat-Sucking Tunes

Does Computer Gaming = Top Plastic Surgery Skills?

It’s true! According to a new study, if you are a whiz at video games, you may make a better surgeon…at least the type of surgeon who performs “keyhole” surgery.

Keyhole surgery? What is that? Some kind of surgery by locksmiths?


“Keyhole” surgery
keyhole.uk.co. photo

Nope, it’s a type of surgery done through an opening in the skin as tiny as a keyhole. It’s a delicate type of work because you have to watch what you’re doing inside the body on a television monitor. (Read about the top 8 “keyhole surgeries” used in plastic surgery.)

But if you are into shooting games, join the Army Rangers instead and forget about surgery. These computer skills obviously lead to a helping profession.

Here’s how they found out about it: Scientists at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City studied 33 surgeons who actually had to audition for the test by playing three different video games for up to 25 minutes. (We’re not making this up; read the actual scientific report.)


Today, video games!
Tomorrow, operating rooms!
(Songbird photo via SXC)

Next, the testers watched each surgeon for one and one-half days while the doc was doing real surgery. Can you imagine sewing something together while watching and guiding a needle and its thread on a T.V. screen? Got a better idea now why plastic surgeons have to stay in school for so many years? (Read more about the training of plastic surgeon.)

Results? Nine young surgeons who played video games at least three hours a week made 37 percent few mistakes and worked 27 percent faster than 15 others surgeons who never played video games at all.


lapsurg.com.au photo

The same nine surgeons also scored 42 percent higher overall on the surgical tests.

The study, printed in the February, 2008, Archives of Surgery concluded: “Video games may be a practical teaching tool to help train surgeons.”

So….next time you hear a parent or teachers yell at a kid for spending too much time video gaming, tell the critic to cool it ‘cause that kid just might someday become a top surgeon!


Tell us what you have learned from playing video games!

Guys: Forget My Hair! Do my Spider Veins Instead!

A chance for more evolved males after all?

When the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS) was rounding up annual statistics, they made an amazing discovery: The standard treatment for spider and varicose veins now ranks as the number 2 leading cosmetic dermatological surgery.

And get this: Since 2002, guys who want their spider veins removed via sclerotherapy have increased 226 percent. Women wanting the same procedure have only increased by 3.5 percent. Read more.

Why? Because more men are letting their noggins remain bald and shiny while they tackle (I just had to get an action verb in there somewhere!) their spider and varicose veins. Read more.


Spider veins -- dude version
(AAD photo)

But some skeptics note that the cost of hair transplants has increased to $1296, while sclerotherapy decreased by $103.

You don’t suppose guys are springing for the cheaper procedure, do you? If so, maybe the next entry about bald heads means more and more guys are becoming less insecure about their hair. Hey, far stranger things have happened.

For Totally Bald Heads

Among the many new products designed to spiff up personal appeal, we could not help but notice a new product, Bald Guyz, for men who have -- often by choice -- not a single strand of hair on their heads.

What does Bald Guyz do, you ask? Easy! It cleans the bare skull. Or, at least the bare skin attached to a skull shorn of its curly locks. Makes your head as smooth as a baby’s bottom, as it were.


Bald Guyz photo

And just in the nick of time!

Actually, many hair-challenged guys choose to shave their heads daily because a totally bald head is seen by some as more masculine than a state of partial baldness (think Mr. Clean and actor Yul Brenner.)

All the while, millions of others yearn with all their hearts for some hair to grace their bare pates.


Wikipedia photo

But what could a guy do? H-m-m-m-m-m-….thinking…thinking…..nope, it’s too tough; I’m stumped.

Oh wait, maybe there is something! Perhaps somebody who wants some hair on his head could…..wait for it……get a hair transplant! Lots of dermatologists and plastic and cosmetic surgeons perform the procedure. (Read more about hair transplant procedures.)

If that doesn’t work, there are always the clubs Bald R Us or Bald-Headed Men of America. Birds of a feather and all.

Demi Moore’s Medical Leeches

According to Cripes Suzette! and her unusually far out but entertaining website, Death by 1000 Papercuts, actress Demi Moore says the secret to her youthfulness is leech therapy.

No, Demi doesn’t roll around a swamp hoping the wormy little vampires will latch on. Instead, she uses medical leeches to “cleanse and detoxify” her body. Really! (It wasn’t an April Fool’s stunt.) Read more.

In response -- and probably to deflect additional comments about any questions at all regarding Hillary Clinton’s plastic surgery -- the former leading lady said she doesn’t need any medical leeches because she’s already got two ugly, blood suckers permanently attached to her!

But, hey, we don’t talk politics here! We do evidence-based medicine and plastic surgery. And to enlighten Suzette and the amazed folks at Death by 1000 Papercuts, we bring you this bonefide picture of medical leeches. With an actual medical professional who know how to use them.


Doctor’s Little Helpers
Medical Leeches (scienceinAfrica.com photo)

These creatures actually carry a low yuck factor because they live in sterile conditions and are fed a balanced U.S. FDA approved diet. (Well, balanced for leeches, anyhow.)

In fact, we once carried a story about medical leeches helping plastic surgeons save and reattach a Louisiana woman’s eyelid that had been torn off in a dog attack. Read more.

Oh, and since we do evidence-based medicine, here’s another handy tip. The body already does an excellent job of cleansing and detoxifying itself. Otherwise, you would become very, very sick -- if not on death’s doorstep -- because you would have what is commonly known as a raging infection. Read more.

What’s Your Experience with Leeches? (Note: Do not include family members!)

Next: Computer gamers make good surgeons; Guys are doing their spider veins andProducts for totally bald heads.

Are You Healthy Enough for Plastic Surgery

There you are, at the office of your favorite plastic surgeon. Now, he’s telling you must go get some type of medical clearance for that asthma or high blood pressure you’ve got.

"Hey, what gives? I’m here for a nose job!"

Tuck ‘n’ Stitch tell why you must show you’re healthy enough for cosmetic plastic surgery and why a physical exam before plastic surgery is a good idea.

Top 10 Requests to Plastic Surgeons for Male Celeb Features

Brad Pitt and George Clooney seem to be the most admired celebrities by guys worldwide who are looking for a nip ‘n’ tuck. So, these days, many patients ask plastic surgeons to surgically create a look that mirrors a more famous feature.

According to a global survey done in 84 nations by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), male plastic surgery patients notice -- and ask for -- celebrity stomachs, noses, and eyes, say the respondents who are some 20,000 plastic surgeons. Next items on the guys’ most admired and desired list are famous chests, chins and buttocks.

Overall, Brad Pitt was mentioned more often for the most envied facial and body features. George Clooney was a close runner up with many patients mentioning features of the “Govenator,” former action star Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Here are the top ten requests:

1. Buff stomachs, for instance, were often noted on Brad Pitt and Matthew McConaughey. Action stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, David Beckham, and Belgian Jean-Claude Van Damme, the “Muscles from Brussels,” followed closely.


Van Damme
(Wikipedia photo)

(Read more about high-definition liposculpture, a new liposuction procedure for gym rats that allows highly-toned muscles show through the skin.)

2. Nose. Top duo Brad Pitt and George Clooney owned this category.

Side note: Many patients in the survey cautioned their surgeons to do nothing that would leave their noses looking anything like the tiny, delicate nose on Michael Jackson. (Read more about botched nose surgeries.)

3. Eyes. Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Ben Affleck tied.

4. Chest. Schwarzenegger won, hands down. Brazilian Paulo Zulu was a close runner up.
(Read about a guy who won an I-Want-a-Chest-like Arnold’s contest.)


Schwarzenegger, pre-governor version.
(TMZ photo)

5. Chin. The most requests were for chins like Clooney or Pitt. Runners up were Kirk Douglas, Ricky Martin, Antonio Banderas, and 1940s-era swashbuckler, Errol Flynn.


Errol Flynn, 1940.
(Wikipedia photo)

(Chins augmented with coral? It happens in plastic surgery! Read more.)

6. Buttocks. Brad Pitt again! Others mentioned included Mel Gibson, Ricky Martin, and Paulo Zulu.

(While many more women than men are opting for buttocks augmentation, Chicago Plastic Surgeon Roger Pielet, M.D. says he does so many male buttocks enhancements that he has special days and waiting areas for guys only. Read more about butt augmentation.)

7. Cheeks. Pitt and Clooney tied. Tom Cruise and Paulo Zulu were runners up.

8. Lips. Clooney and Pit once more! But many admired the kissers of Antonio Banderas and Korean movie star Dong-Kun Jang.


Korean movie star Dong-Kun Jang.
(Starm Photo.)

9. Hair. Tom Cruise, followed by David Beckham.

(Hair-challenged men and women will want to know about the hair transplant procedures offered by plastic surgeons.)

10. Legs. David Beckham, followed by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Hey, what male celebrity features do you admire?

The ISAPS now estimates that men comprise between 10 and 20 percent of the average plastic surgery practices worldwide. Closer to home, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) estimates that nine percent of plastic surgery patients were men during 2007, the most recent year for which statistics are available.

NEXT: Demi Moore’s Leeches.

Priscilla Presley’s Silicone Woes in New Column, Tuck ‘N’ Stitch

(Dr. Kotler and Dr. Linder aka Tuck 'n' Stitch)

A couple of Beverly Hills’ finest plastic surgeons, Robert Kotler, M.D. and Stuart Linder, M.D., -- known as Tuck ‘n’ Stitch to bloggers -- discuss Priscilla Presley and her mishaps with facial liquid injections.

Turns out there are some legitimate medical uses for injecting the stuff. The doctors tell you all about it in their latest post at YourNewBodyBlog.com.

World’s Top 10 Celebrity Plastic Surgery Requests

Classic Actresses -- Marilyn Monroe, Liz Taylor, Grace Kelly and Sophia Loren -- Still Make the Most Wanted List, say Global Plastic Surgeons.

Love Loren’s Lips? Like Lopez’s Legs? Bundchen’s Breasts, Maybe?

The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ISAPS) questioned 20,000 plastic surgeons in 84 nations, asking which celebrity feature cosmetic plastic surgery patients most often request.

Here are the ten most requested women celebrity body parts:
1. Breasts: Top requests for breast augmentation look-alikes were Pamela Anderson, Brazilian Beauty Gisele Bundchen, Britney Spears and another Brazilian entertainer, XuXa. (Just say “shoo-shah” and Latin Americans will know you are a true citizen of the world.)


Brazilian entertainer Xuxa.
(CelebsGallery.org photo)

Yet a significant portion of patients added they did not want to look like Pamela Anderson, Dolly Parton, or Victoria Beckham after their procedures.


Gisele Bundchen
(Wikipedia photo)

2. Lips: Angelina Jolie was voted tops for beautiful lips among lip augmentation patients followed by Julia Roberts.

3. Buttocks: Jennifer Lopez, hands down, followed by Halle Berry and Sandra Bullock. (Only their surgeons know for sure who has buttocks augmentation or implants, if any!)

4. Nose: Nicole Kidman’s schnoz leads the pack of most admired noses worldwide by rhinoplasty wannabe patients, followed by Julia Roberts, Grace Kelly, and Princess Mary of Denmark.

5. Abdomen: Gisele Bundchen was tops, followed Demi Moore and Britney Spears (earlier in her career).


Princess Mary of Denmark
(Wikipedia photo)

6. Eyes: Angelina Jolie took this category, too. Some asked for peepers like classic actresses Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Catherine Deneuve, and Greta Garbo. (Of course, all plastic surgeons can do is open and refresh sagging eyelids via upper and lower blepharoplasty.)

7. Cheeks: Sophia Loren had the most votes among those wanting malar implant surgery, followed by Michelle Pfeiffer, Nicole Kidman, Angelia Jolie, and Marilyn Monroe.

8. Legs: There was a three-way tie between Tina Turner, Sharon Stone, and Cameron Diaz. Jenifer Lopez was the runner-up.

9. Hair: Gisele Bundchen has the most admired locks followed closely by Jennifer Aniston and Julia Roberts.

10. Chin: There was no clear-cut leader among chin augmentation patients but the voting patients equally admired the chins of Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, and Charlize Theron.

The survey also revealed that lip augmentation and breast enlargement were the leading cosmetic plastic surgeries worldwide.

Here are some articles that explain more about the enhancement of lips and breasts:

* Hip on Hot Lips

*Breast Enlargement by T.U.B.A.: Do Women Like It?

* Breast Augmentation Increases in Volume



What Celebrity Features Do You Most Admire?

Hint: If you see a plastic surgeon, don’t insist on looking too much like any celebrity. Plastic surgeons are trained to screen out nut cases who want endless rejuvenation surgery or are too anxious to be a dead ringer for a famous person. Those patients often have a real medical condition known as body dysmorphic disorder or BDD.


NEXT: Top 10 Plastic Surgery Requests for Male Celeb Features