Body Contouring Brings Lasting Improvement in Quality of Life after Weight-Loss Surgery

Body contouring after weight-loss (bariatric) surgery produces long-term gains in several aspects of quality of life, reports the November issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

"The study indicates a sustained quality of life improvement in post-bariatric patients after body contouring surgery," concludes the study led by Dr. Eva S.J. van der Beek of University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands. "This suggests the importance of including reconstructive surgery as a component in the multidisciplinary approach in the surgical treatment of morbid obesity," Dr. van der Beek said.

Improved Quality of Life after Body Contouring Surgery
The researchers evaluated quality-of-life assessments in 33 patients who underwent body contouring after bariatric surgery. Body contouring refers to various plastic surgery procedures done to remove excess fat and skin after massive weight loss.

The most common procedures were abdominoplasty ("tummy tuck") and operations on the breasts. Through an average of seven years after body contouring, the patients repeatedly completed a standard questionnaire evaluating obesity's impact on quality of life.

The results showed "mostly moderate to large, sustained improvement" in quality of life in the years after body contouring. Scores improved in six out of seven quality-of-life domains, including physical functioning and appearance, mental well-being, social acceptance, intimacy and social network.

Some domains showed a small decrease between four and seven years' follow-up. In general, quality-of-life scores were lower for patients who regained weight after their body contouring surgery.

Overall, 55 percent of patients were very satisfied with their results. All but one patient said they would undergo body contouring again, and considered it "an inevitable step to improve daily quality of life." About one-fourth of patients had further body contouring surgery-another 30 percent said they would do so if their insurance covered it.

Bariatric surgery produces sustained weight loss in patients with severe obesity. However, more than two-thirds of patients with massive weight loss are left with loose or overhanging skin. This may lead to decreased satisfaction with the results of bariatric surgery, as well as psychological, social and physical problems.

Previous studies have shown that body contouring improves quality of life after bariatric surgery, but the long-term benefits are unclear. "There is an ongoing debate if body contouring surgery is an optional or essential step after massive weight loss in the treatment of morbid obesity," Dr. van der Beek and coauthors write.

The new study shows significant and lasting improvements in quality of life for patients who have body contouring after bariatric surgery. "This suggests the importance of including reconstructive surgery as a component in the multidisciplinary approach in the surgical treatment of morbid obesity," the researchers write. They call for further study of the long-term benefits of body contouring-including possible reasons for the decrease in quality-of-life scores a few years after surgery.

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery® is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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5 Anti-Aging Procedures Worth The Money

According to Shape Magazine the wrinkles on our skin suggest some of us have been folded a little too long. The aging process is sneaky. One day you’re a fresh-faced teenager who forgot to apply sunscreen during a long weekend at the beach and the next, you’re looking back at a reflection that reveals years of sun damage and general wear and tear. You can’t stop the clock, but, thanks to plastic surgery, you can certainly keep it at bay and look as young as you feel. If you’re interested in plastic surgery, here are five procedures that are worth the investment.

Facelift – As the face ages, elasticity and muscle tone are lost, creating sagging skin, jowls, creases from the nose to the mouth, and even the dreaded double chin. A facelift (rhytidectomy) improves these conditions by repositioning and trimming away excess skin. The underlying foundation of connective tissue is tightened as well to produce a naturally lifted look. Incisions are typically made at the temples, ear and lower scalp. Your plastic surgeon may suggest a neck lift procedure in conjunction with the facelift. This is recommended because it improves sagging skin and wrinkles at the chin and neckline.

Eyelid Surgery – They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, but as the years go by, those windows are going to need a little TLC. Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) can be performed on the upper eyelid, lower, or both, depending upon your desired outcome.  Eyelid surgery can improve droopy upper eyelids, sagging lower eyelids, and in general, create a more well-rested and alert appearance.  

Browlift – Also called a forehead lift, this procedure aims to correct a droopy brow line and helps to smooth creases in the skin that often make a person look worried or angry. Incisions are well hidden in the frontal hairline. When complete, the browlift helps to achieve an overall smooth appearance of the face, particularly when combined with blepharoplasty of the eyelids.

Lip Augmentation – Ladies, think plump, healthy, robust lips. The lips of your youth, not the lips of a certain former soap opera star. To achieve a full, natural look, your plastic surgeon may use a safe injectable filler (popular brands like Juvederm or Restylane), or choose to use your own fat, harvested from the thighs or buttocks.

Facial Implants – Sophia Loren may have been blessed with the high cheek bones of a model well in to her retirement years, but the rest of us probably won’t be so lucky. Thankfully, chin, cheek and jaw implants can be used to create a smooth contour and improve a recessed chin or flattened cheek area.

Together, you and your surgeon will determine the type of procedures needed to achieve your desired results. As with any procedure, prices will vary and insurance does not cover the cost - so do your homework, get referrals, and always choose a board-certified plastic surgeon.

Call 954.585.3800 for a FREE CONSULTATION.

Don't have time to visit us at the office? We offer Skype meetings with our Board Certified Plastic Surgeons. 

Source: www.shape.com 

Check out this Review for Dr. Christopher Low!

Dear Dr. Low,

It is so rare to find a doctor that truly cares! I can't thank you enough for all your help through my procedure and recovery! I have never had a doctor who personally called or texted to check on me. Needless to say give up a Sunday to git me in!
What more can I say. You have exceeded my expectation as a surgeon/doctor. I just wish I found you the first go around!

Thank you for Everything!

Happy New Year!

To the Best Doctor Ever! (Trust me I have had Several)

Thanks,
Michelle


Call 954.585.3800 to book a FREE Consultation with Dr. Christopher Low
www.taksehape.info

The Human Face 100,000 Years From Now

Have you ever wondered what the human face might look like 100,000 years from now? Probably not, but scientists have already started to develop images of what our faces might look like. We sure have changed since the Stone Age where our prehistoric ancestors were mirrored cavemen. We have come a long way from then and scientists predict we will come further from where we are today.

Dr. Alan Kwan, who holds a PhD in computational genomics from Washington University in St. Louis believes ‘the fate of the human face will be increasingly determined by human tastes’.  He believes our eyes will grow 'unnervingly large' as the human race colonizes the solar system and people start living in the dimmer environments of colonies further away from the sun. Our eyes aren’t the only thing predicted to change; our skin will also become more pigmented to help alleviate the damage by harmful UV radiation outside of the earth’s protective ozone.

Dr. Kwan also predicts that people will have thicker eyelids and a more pronounced superciliary arch (the smooth, frontal bone of the skull under the brow), to deal with the effects of low gravity. The truth is none of us will ever know what humans will look like then or if the human race will survive that long but it’s funny to envision ourselves looking like this.

Images are by Artist and Researcher Nickolay Lamm.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2337804/Huge-foreheads-flat-faces-saucer-like-eyes-How-human-face-look-100-000-years.html#ixzz2nrNS3Ubf

Free Dysport at Take Shape Plastic Surgery

Take Shape Plastic Surgery in Fort Lauderdale, is proud to announce that we will be offering 3 FREE Area's of Botox to anyone who purchases 2 vials of Sculptra.

This is just another way Take Shape wants to give back to our patients this Holiday Season.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Gifting Plastic Surgery? Yay! or Nay?

Clothing, iPad's, Smart Phones. These are things we expect to see on the wish lists of our friends and family. But, a face lift? Yep, it seems that cosmetic procedures have found their way into Santa's sack.

With this trend, though, comes a warning. While giving someone a pricey surgery can be considered kind and loving, it can also come with problematic implications. Because the choice is such a personal one, gifting a plastic surgery procedure can be interpreted as meddling and insulting. If you're thinking of bestowing a loved one with the gift of physical improvement this year, make sure it will be well-received.

Gift-Giver Beware

It wasn't so long ago that plastic surgery was a hush-hush topic; something that people did but didn't discuss. But with its rapid rise in popularity and the openness with which many celebrities discuss the work they've had, the stigma has been lifted. And with that lift, we've seen the fairly recent phenomenon of giving surgeries as gifts.

Presenting significant others and family members with cosmetic procedures has become increasingly common. And it's not unusual for people to use the holiday season as an excuse to pay for a loved one's surgery. This practice, however, can rub some people the wrong way.

Surprise Surgery

When it comes to buying someone else a surgery, the worst mistake is making it a surprise. For example, giving your girlfriend a gift certificate for a breast augmentation can cause offense if she didn't ask for it. It would be like giving someone a membership for a weight loss program; it sends an obvious message that you're unhappy with their appearance. What was meant to be a present is actually an insult.

There's really no right way to offer someone a surgery unexpectedly. If you give a certificate for a specific procedure, it's very clear that you're critical of that particular part of their body. And if you give an open-ended certificate to a plastic surgeon's office, it comes across as a general affront to their entire appearance. You might as well say, "I'd love you more if your body were different."

The Right Way

Giving the gift of surgery is less problematic when it's on the patient's wish list. If someone expressly asks for a surgery, then the gift can be considered extremely generous and thoughtful. If the asker isn't able to afford the procedure on their own, receiving it as a present can be a dream come true.

Before making a purchase, remember that the choice to have a plastic surgery is a very personal one that should be made without the influence of others' desires for your appearance. In fact, I make it a point to consult patients one-on-one so that I can hear what they want for themselves, rather than what a husband or friend might want for them.

Even in this case, though, there can be pitfalls. When someone other than the patient pays, that person may feel that they have a role in the decision. So, if you decide to leave a  rhinoplasty under the tree, make sure the recipient knows that the particulars are up to them.

The best possible scenario goes as follows: You are absolutely certain that someone wants a specific procedure as a gift. Instead of you choosing a surgeon and pre-paying, tell the recipient that the choice of Take Shape Plastic Surgery, PA is theirs. In a consultation, the surgeon will be able to fully inform the prospective patient about their options, the risks involved and the expected outcomes, as well as an accurate cost. Only after these preliminary steps, should the gift be considered.

There are certainly more conventional and less awkward gifts than that of a plastic surgery procedure. A present should never result in hurt feelings or compromise of one's own desires. But, if you're still thinking about wrapping up a surgery gift certificate, make sure it's for the right reasons.

Source: www.asps.com 

Take Shape Plastic Surgery offers 3D Imaging of Patients

When communicating with your Plastic Surgeon, you want to make sure that they understand the exact vision of yourself you want to see, especially when it comes to your final outcome. While many plastic surgeon's offices do their best to come close, Take Shape Plastic Surgery takes it a step further. We now do this, by 3D imaging each patients body or face. This allows for one of our skilled surgeons to edit with the patient their look on computer, and then bring their vision to life in the operating room.  

Take Shape uses the Axis Three, the gold standard is 3D patient Imaging. The Axis Three redefines the aesthetic consultation experience by providing precise, easy-to-use, 3D patient simulation tools that generate anatomically-accurate images.  While assisting surgeons in the planning process, ultimately, these tools enable patients to visualize in 3D, using their own bodies, how they will look after surgery. 

Axis Three products combine scientifically proven, Tissue Behavior Simulation (TBSTM) engine with patented Color Coded Triangulation (CCTTM), 3D imaging technology to deliver unprecedented patient confidence.  Take Shape Plastic Surgery is dedicated to understanding patient's needs and exceeding expectations.