Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Abroad?

While there are risks involved with medical tourism, plastic surgery is often seen as a luxury to those who have the financials means of paying for it. For some, going to other countries where it may appear cheaper is increasingly becoming a worldwide trend; recently, an Australian teen was said to be heading to Malaysia in order to undergo body rejuvenating procedures. In Beverly Hills, Stuart A. Linder, M.D., F.A.C.S. often sees patients from afar. Along with individuals from across the country, those from out of the country have also inquired about plastic surgery procedures at Dr. Linder’s office.

A specialist in breast and body enhancing procedures, the practice of Dr. Linder is often visited by patients from such countries as Canada, Australia, Spain, and Norway. His qualifications and experience have led to several successful outcomes. Some of his most commonly requested procedures include breast augmentation, breast lift surgery, liposuction, and tummy tuck surgery. In fact, many women who have experienced multiple pregnancies often undergo a combination of these surgeries in order to attain optimal results. When meeting with Dr. Linder, you can discuss your problem areas and learn of your body contouring options.

If you are interested in undergoing a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure with internationally known Dr. Linder, you may visit his website to schedule an appointment. You may also view before and after photos of those who have previously undergone body enhancing procedures in Beverly Hills.

Summer Season Means High Demand for Plastic Surgery Procedures

Southern California weather is heating up and summer is quickly approaching, which means that women are becoming more aware of their body shape and size. Oftentimes, these individuals adopt a regular exercise routine and healthy diet in order to shed excess pounds and achieve a more slender contour. However, there comes a time when the regular means of weight loss no longer produces the results one desires and alternatives must be considered, such as cosmetic plastic surgery.

Within close distance to Orange County, Alexander Carli, M.D., F.A.C.S. specializes in several breast and body procedures, including breast augmentation, liposuction, and tummy tuck surgery. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), these surgeries make up a portion of the top five cosmetic surgical procedures in 2009, with women making up 90 percent of the total number of patients. As the summer heat drive women towards the beach, many are rushing to a plastic surgeon. However, these are elective, invasive procedures that should not be taken lightly. For this reason, Dr. Carli encourages patients to carefully research the procedure and doctor who will be performing the surgery.

In Orange County, Liposuction surgery is designed to remove stubborn pockets of fat from various locations on the body, including the neck, arms, abdomen, hips, lower back, and thighs. A long tube called a cannula is inserted near the target area through small incisions, and is used to break up the fat cells to allow for removal. Based on the patient’s anatomy and desired results, the most appropriate liposuction will be chosen. In addition, women who have loose, sagging skin in the stomach and stretched abdominal muscles may wish to combine tummy tuck surgery with their liposuction procedure. A tummy tuck removes excess skin and tightens the abdominal muscles in order to produce a flatter midsection. Although summer is quickly arriving, patients must understand that these procedures require approximately three to four weeks of recovery before engaging in regular activities.

Additionally, women who have small breasts or loss of volume due to breastfeeding often inquire about breast enhancement surgery. With the use of saline or silicone gel breast implants, Dr. Carli can provide patients with larger, shapelier breasts. Those who have sagging may wish to combine breast lift surgery in order to elevate the breasts to a more youthful position on the chest wall. These procedures also require a lengthy recovery time of approximately four weeks, at which point more vigorous activities may be resumed.

Proper technique and care throughout the procedure is of utter importance, which is why careful research should be done prior to scheduling surgery. To learn more regarding these breast and body enhancing procedures, prospective patients near Orange County may contact Dr. Carli.

Top 10 Cosmetic Surgery Lawsuits

Taking Botox to court is something akin to suing Santa Claus. Almost everybody likes Botox as much as Santa, so how would you get a jury to vote against either one? Only time will tell….about Botox, that is.

Three months before Christmas, Santa is certainly on safe ground.

So nobody is suing Santa. Yet, anyhow. But in January, all bets are off!

Given the number of lawyers looking for something to do, the Momma-put-a-lump-of-coal-in-my-Xmas-stocking class action lawsuit is just around the corner.


(Pamela Moore photo)

Patrick Hudson, M.D., a plastic surgeon in New Mexico, located some insider statistics that show which plastic surgery procedures are most likely to lead to the court house.

Here are the top ten litigated procedures, along with the percentages of actions the procedure draws. More.

1. Nose surgery……………………..22 %
2. Breast reduction………………….17 %
3. Eyelid surgery……………………16%
4. Breast enlargement……………….13%
5. Face lift…………………………… 9%
6. Various………………………… 7%
7. Breast reconstruction…………..… 6%
8. Tummy tuck……………………… 5%
9. Liposuction……………………….. 3%
10. Facial resurfacing………………. …2%

Nose surgery heads the list because it’s the most difficult plastic surgery procedure to learn and perform. More.

Breast reduction involves removing a lot of tissue; however, eyelid surgery is a surprise because it is supposed to be one of the easier procedures to perform. Breast enlargement made its way onto the list because it’s very popular, with 329,000 patients undergoing the procedure in 2007, the most recent year for which statistics exist. A tummy tuck involves a long incision across the abdomen so insurance companies should be thankful the percentage is relatively low. Ditto breast reconstruction.

Hint: If, for some reason, you aren’t satisfied with the outcome of your plastic surgery, two eminent Beverly Hills cosmetic plastic surgeons, Drs. Robert Kotler and Stuart Linder, tell the top five constructive things to do if your procedure does not go well.

Read their blog, Top 5 Remedies for Unsatisfying Plastic Surgery.

Plastic Surgery for Pooches

Yearly, some appearance-challenged canine is named top dog in the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California. (Read more.)

Gus, a Chinese Crested, won for 2008 even though he has had a rough row to hoe in life. He has lost one leg to disease, one eye in a cat fight, a handful of teeth due to chewing on countless bones, and a furry coat due to heredity; after all, he is a hairless Chinese crested dog. Gus was simply born to be as ugly as a mud fence.

Nonetheless, his owners think Gus, pictured below, is precious.


Gus relaxing at home
(iStock photo)

2007’s winner was even more revolting. Also a Chinese Crested, Elwood, pictured below, won that year, perhaps because he is even more crested and has even less hair than Gus. You have to admit that when it comes to looks, Elwood is also just a real dog.


Elwood, 2007’s Top Ugly Dog
(Canada News Photo)

A Plastic Surgeon for Dogs

Anyhow, there’s somebody we would like Gus and Elwood to meet -- Brazilian doctor Vet Elgado Brito, a big proponent of pet plastic surgery.

To the Brazilian way of thinking, if you make people beautiful, hey, why not make their “animal companions” beautiful, too? Works for me! (As long as the creature is house broken; there’s no way that beauty alone makes up for, well, you’ve got the picture by now.)

Botox and Breast Augmentations

Dr. Brito has used Botox to straighten inverted doggy eyelashes so that Fido’s eyeball is not irritated. Among other cosmetic surgery, the South America doc has even performed canine breast augmentation by tightening mammillae of female dogs before beauty contests so that the dogs could take part in the type of contests in which good looks -- and not vile features -- are judged. (Read more about Dr. Brito.)


The owners of this Sharpei wanted Botox
to remove the dog’s wrinkles
but could not afford 1,500 vials of Botox.
(iStock.xchng photo)

But if you look closely enough, others are making unsightly animals more attractive, too.

Rhinoplasty and Eyelid lifts

The Animal Medical Center of Southern California requires a medical reason for cosmetic treatments on animals; nonetheless, the work often results in an eyelift, facelift, rhinoplasty or abdominoplasty, a procedure we Homo Sapiens fondly call a “tummy tuck.” However, liposuction is out, partly because dogs don’t mind being fat.

If your “animal companion” is a Pug, Bulldog or a Boston terrier, breeds in which breathing problems are common, the mutt may be eligible for rhinoplasty. Sharpeis and Chows often have a congenital defect that make their eyelids roll inwards, causing the eye winkers to rub the eye, perhaps resulting in scratches. The solution? A canine style eyelid lift.

Lip Augmentation

And there is the heart-warming case of Feznick, a 75-pound gray kangaroo who lives at a farm for Hollywood animal actors. Feznick was bitten on the face by his neighbor, a wolf and fellow actor when he, Feznick, poked his snout into the next cage. That left the ‘Roo with a snarling lip and totally unsuitable for his close-ups. So, back in 2006, a vet named Dr. Wolff (really!) repaired Feznick’s lip with a little cosmetic surgery described much like the human procedure, “except with a lot more hair.” (Read more.)


This Kangaroo isn’t Feznick (we could not afford
his picture!) but another Kangaroo who is available
for movies and commercials. (His day job is being an
attraction at a petting zoo.)

Plastic Surgery Poll

Which is NOT the Real Plastic Surgery Procedure?

Of the procedures listed below, five are real and one is bogus. Leave your answers in the comment box below. Test Your Plastic Surgery Knowledge!

(1) “Bird Poop” Facial

A high-end New York City spa has come up with a way to rejuvenate delicate facial skin -- and without painful surgery. You’ve probably heard that sales pitch before, but master aesthetician Shizuka Bernstein is offering the Geisha Facial.

The concoction is made from several Japanese ingredients, held together with heavy doses of Nightingale droppings. (In Japan, it’s an ancient, time-honored ingredient known as “Uguisu no Fun.”) The treatment is being referred to as the “Bird Poop” Facial by the few who have actually had it smeared, er, that is, I mean applied and the thousands who stand by -- at a distance -- and watch in amazement.

(2) Breast Implants for the Lips

For years, surgeons have implanted empty breast implants in the chests of bosom-challenged women and then filled them with saline after the devices were securely nested inside the patient’s chest. Then, the implants were filled to a size that fits the patient’s frame, bone structure and wishes.

So why not do the same thing to make lips larger and more luscious?

Surgeons can now implant a tiny little saline bag in the lips and, then working through equally tiny filler tubes, fill the implants with just enough saline to make those smackers truly kissable.

(3) Water Jet Liposuction

You would have to travel to Thailand, but a new way to remove fat from those stubborn pockets of flab is blasting it away with powerful jets of water. One of the chief benefits is that no heat is produced inside the body, according to the owners of the SP Clinic in Bangkok, Thailand. Just think of the device as an internal Water Pik for liposuction.

(4) ScarArt Hides Surgical Scars

Have a tummy tuck scar that runs across your lower stomach or perhaps a scar left from a C-Section, but still want to look sharp in a bikini? A new temporary tattoo, designed by a woman for other women, allows you to slap on a waterproof, smear-proof, and extremely colorful tat to hide that pesky scar. It lasts three days.

(5) Robotic Breast Augmentation

It doesn’t have anything to do with a clanking, whirring automaton doing surgery on its own. But, it’s possible for a surgeon sitting at a console to perform breast enhancement by giving instructions to extremely slim robotic hands.

The chief benefit is that the robot has the steadiest “hands” known and works through extremely tiny openings in the patient’s skin.

(6) The “Earlobe Job”

While almost every other part of the human body can have its drooping, sagging or shriveling parts rejuvenated, medical science has somehow missed the earlobes.

The problem? After decades of supporting dangling, swaying earrings that usually weigh a little less than a VW, aging earlobes become stretched and can sway and flop around like the ears on a blood hound. What woman wants earlobes sitting on her shoulders? Totally ruins the effect of a spaghetti strap dress!

Solution? Lobe Pumping. Just a syringe full of a facial filler like Restylane does the job for the short haul.

Of course, Restylane wears off in about nine months. For really severe cases, patients should see their plastic surgeon about surgical earlobe reduction.

Which is NOT the Real Plastic Surgery Procedure?

…Check back soon to see if you know which plastic surgery procedure is false!

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.

Human Fat for Biofuel?

Many websites and newspapers reported a scheme wherein a Norwegian businessman living in Miami concocted a scheme to collect 3000 gallons of U.S. liposuction fat and turn it into 2600 gallons of bio-diesel.

Imagine the possibilities! Vehicles of a whole nation powered by cheeseburgers, gooey chocolate deserts and gallons of ice cream. All while sharply reducing foreign oil imports and flabby waist lines at home!


Will this take your car 40 miles?

And cremation? Forget about it! Just write in your will you want to become auto or truck fuel and spend, if not eternity, at least oh, maybe 40 to 50 miles burning with a little diesel fuel or some liquid corn! Maybe our bios from now on will list how many miles per gallon we’re worth. I can imagine future obituaries: “Man Mountain Dean was a big, big man. At six-foot-five and 300 pounds, he could send a Toyota 4 Wheel Drive Truck on a 2000-mile journey. And that was after death!”

Anybody ever see the 1970-ish Charles Heston movie Soylent Green? You could call this liposuction plan Soylent Gas.

Read More about the scheme to collect human fat for fuel.

Only trouble is, there are about a gazillion rules and regulations relating to what can be done with medical waste. Sending it to recycling centers with used French fry oil are noticeably absent.

Besides, the hospital says they never heard of the guy, hardly do any liposuction work and serve a low-income area where people tend not to get fat because they don’t eat all that often.

Falling for the bogus story was the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, U.P.I. and the Pittsburg Post-Gazette, among many other web sites.

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it will probably be in your morning newspaper!

What’s your favorite bogus story? (We list ours below.)

[] New Plastic Surgery Freeway in Beverly Hills.


Convenient off ramps at Tummy Tuck Place,
Liposuction Drive and other popular motoring
destinations in and around Beverly Hills.


[] Plastic Surgery Shapes Patients Ears like Elves’ for Better Hearing.


Pointed ears, collect the sound of music better.

[] “Miracle” Plastic Surgery Tape beats Real Surgery


Your humble blogger undergoing the rigors of
plastic surgery by tape.

Human Fat-Powered Speedboat?

The vast majority of plastic surgeons don’t have a use for the fat they suck or melt from your body during liposuction.

Of course, a few noble souls are searching. Some even freeze patients’ fat in case some future discovery is made. A few surgeons move fat from one unwanted location of your body to another while research labs constantly look for medical uses.

Suddenly, a really practical thing comes along. Now, human fat can be used to power your speedboat! Why didn’t somebody think of this before? Will bass fishing ever be the same?


The Earthrace -- World’s
First Blubber Boat

In New Zealand, Pete Bethune, a former oil industry worker, created the Earthrace, a US$3 million dollar ship that will try to break the world’s speed record for zipping around the globe. The boat is powered by natural biofuels which usually combines recycled restaurant grease with some diesel fuel. Actually, Pete wants to promote biofuels more than snaring the world record.

To attract attention, Bethune and others underwent liposuction, collecting two gallons of fat that can drive the boat about nine miles.

Is that to say human blubber only gets four and one half miles per gallon? Well, it depends on what you’re driving and how fast you are going. At 23 tons, the Earthrace is a really big boat that goes really fat, er, that is, fast at a blazing 23 to 29 mph.

If all goes according to plan, the boat should take 75 days to race 32,000 miles around the world, thereby breaking the record by 10 days.

Unless they have to stop to take on more fat.

Plastic Surgery Movie

Plastic Surgery Movie

It looks boffo (Hollywood-speak for “a two-hanky tearjerker”). Provided you can find it and don’t mind English subtitles over a Korean sound track, the flick 200 Pounds of Beauty is about a Korean 20-year-old blessed with an unbelievable voice. But she’s also an Asian incarnation of Mama Cass, tipping the scales at 200 pounds. This, on a four-foot-nine frame in a nation where the average weight for females is 95 pounds!

Plastic Surgery Hot Spot

The heroine, Kim Ah-Jung, is the secret vocalist for a famous (READ: reed thin) Korean singer who lip syncs to Kim’s marvelous singing. The plot thickens again when Kim meets a famous plastic surgeon, a totally natural development because Korea has become a plastic surgery hot spot in Asia.
Eventually, Kim gets sick of her weight. She stays in seclusion for a year to lose it, emerging as Jenny, a recent émigré from California to becomes an overnight singing sensation AND -- here’s the two hanky part -- capturing the heart of her secret love. Jenny/Kim is the sole act in a huge, national concert. But old enemies reveal her actual past and show pictures of her former corpulent self at the concert.

Breaks Down

Instead of singing, Jenny breaks down, admits to the millions in attendance (though satellite hookups) she is really is a “fake” and “all plastic.” Much to her surprise, the audience chants en masse “That’s okay, Jen, go on with the show!”
While the movie won a handful of awards, it’s a tad misleading about plastic surgery.
Sure, surgeons can remove some excess fat through liposuction, but the procedure is not for weight loss. There is just no easy way around the weight loss thing; it has to be done the hard way, by eating less and working out more. Check this out to get a better appreciation of what liposuction can -- and can not do.

NBC’s Biggest Loser

If movies were real life and Jenny did lose 100 or more pounds, she would have required an altogether different plastic surgery procedure, body shaping or body contouring to get rid of excess skin.
Of course, if moves were like real life, nobody would go. But here’s a little slice of real life, about NBC’s Biggest Loser who had body shaping after breaking the show’s records.
What’s your favorite film or T.V. program about plastic surgery?

Next time: Dental appointments reminders phone home!