Make Me Heal, www.makemeheal.com   Plastic Surgery Recovery, Information, Cosmetic Surgery
login | view cart | my account | help | contact
 
 
 Shop    Before/After Pictures    Message Boards & Blogs     Ask-A-Doctor     Find a Specialist     News     Plasticopedia     Shows & Chats    Education 

Up Close & Personal With Dr. Marc Mani And Silicone Breast Implants

Posted on December 27th, 2006 in Plastic Surgeon Interviews by Makemeheal.com Staff

Dr. Marc Mani, Plastic SurgeonPlastic surgeon Dr. Marc Mani thinks that many women will choose silicone implants over saline implants in the coming years. Make Me Heal sat down with Dr. Mani to ask a few questions that most women now considering silicone implants wonder about, namely, do they look and feel more natural than their saline counterparts and how safe they really are. This revealing interview is part of a series that Make Me Heal is conducting with well-known plastic surgeons who specialize in breast augmentation.

Make Me Heal: Have you started using silicone implants since the FDA approved their use?

Dr. Mani: I have been using silicone implants routinely for years, in reconstructive and secondary (revision) breast implant surgeries. I do a large number of revision surgeries (removal and replacement of implants, capsulectomies, and breast lifts with existing implants), and have been allowed to use silicone implants under a research study protocol in those cases.

I have started using silicone implants for primary (1st time) cosmetic augmentations since the FDA approved them for that.

My patients have been very happy with the silicone implants in both primary and secondary surgeries. I perform a lot of facial rejuvenation surgery, and often combine this with breast revision surgery to combine anesthetic and recovery time.

Make Me Heal: Do you think more women will opt for silicone implants than saline implants over the next 5 years? What percentage would you speculate will get silicone versus saline?

Dr. Mani: I think women will opt for silicone implants in the next five years more and more. Women who have been eligible for silicone implants in the last five years have been more likely to choose them over saline.

Make Me Heal: Do you feel silicone implants look aesthetically better and more natural relative to saline implants?

Dr. Mani: I feel that while saline implants can give an excellent result aesthetically, and in certain cases feel very natural also, silicone implants have an edge over saline because they have a compressibility that saline ones don’t have. Therefore they feel a bit more like real breast tissue. Also they are less likely to show “visible rippling” than saline, which grows more likely as the breast tissue thins out.

Make Me Heal: Do silicone implants feel more “real” to the touch compared to saline implants?

Dr. Mani: Yes, (see above), they have a feel that is more like breast tissue because of their compressibility.

Make Me Heal: Are silicone implants lighter, heavier, or have the same weight as their saline counterparts? The weight is very similar and not a factor in choosing one or the other.

Dr. Mani: Is the recovery from having silicone implants any different from having saline implants? Recovery is no different between silicone and saline implants.

Make Me Heal: Do you think silicone implants present any safety issue as far as rupturing and the potential health effects if silicone leaked to other parts of the body?

Dr. Mani: I, along with virtually all other plastic surgeons and researchers who have studied this issue, do not feel that there is a significant safety issue with rupture of silicone implants and leakage of silicone. The reports of health problems which culminated in the removal of silicone implants from the U.S. market in the 1990’s were extensively studied, and the data reviewed objectively over the years since, and the conclusion is that there is no association of silicone implants or silicone leakage with the health problems initially thought to be associated with them.

I tell my patients to review all the information they can about silicone implants, including a large amount of information that we give them, and make the decision on their own. Before FDA approval, I told them I felt the implants were safe but for them to make the decision on their own. Now I can tell them that the FDA feels they are safe too.

Make Me Heal: If you do not believe that there are any safety downsides to using silicone implants, are there any remaining advantages to getting saline implants now that the FDA approved silicone implants?

Dr. Mani: Saline implants can be inserted through the transumbilical approach, which I do perform to avoid scars on the breast. Silicone implants can’t be used for this procedure.

Make Me Heal: What is the ideal profile of a woman who should elect for silicone implants?

Dr. Mani: Today any woman who wants breast augmentation is a good candidate for silicone implants. The ideal candidate has small breasts, perhaps with a bit of excess skin from breastfeeding or “deflation” of breast tissue over time, and realistic goals and expectations for the procedure.

Make Me Heal: What is the profile of a woman who should not elect to have silicone implants?

Dr. Mani: I think someone who wants to avoid scars on the breasts as a very high priority, and therefore wants the transumbilical approach, is a good candidate for saline implants. The results with this procedure in my experience are excellent.

Make Me Heal: Finally, we wanted to ask you a few questions that patients who contemplate breast augmentation frequently ask that are not related to the silicone implants subject:

What is the best incision in your opinion?

Dr. Mani: I prefer the periareolar incision. It generally heals very well, as it lies at the border of pigmented areolar and normal skin. However, I offer all the available incisions (inframammary fold, axillary, and umbilical) and let the patient have a role in the decision.

Make Me Heal: Is it true that there is usually no loss of sense of touch of the nipples?

Dr. Mani: Yes it is true that usually there is no loss of sense of touch. There is a chance of alteration in sensitivity; some patients lose a bit, but it generally returns over time (a few weeks to a few months).

Make Me Heal: Do breasts with implants experience greater sagging over time than natural breasts?

Dr. Mani: I don’t think that, say, a C+ breast without an implant would sag more than a C+ breast with an implant over time. Large breasts droop a bit over time either way, and natural breast tissue droops as much as implants.

Make Me Heal: What bra do you suggest for post-surgery? Below is a link to some post-surgery bras (you can simply provide the url):

Dr. Mani: I use a compression wrap immediately after surgery which I put on myself. Then on postop day 2 I use a lightweight support bra like the Vianna or Yesmina bras. These are usually fine for the first six weeks; however, in some cases, I need to use something with more contouring ability in the inframammary fold, or a strap above the breasts to prevent implants from ‘riding up.’ The Allyssandra bras, or an underwire bra once the patient reaches the point where she can wear one, and the Georgette bra with strap are great for these two things respectively.

I have found that the first six weeks after breast augmentation surgery are a period where a lot of changes can occur with position of the implant and shape of the breast. Therefore I see patients back in the office regularly, and often use specialized bras as well as maneuvers like taping of the inframammary folds to influence these changes and improve the overall result dramatically.

There’s good news for those of you who want to ask Dr. Mani your own questions. You can write questions to Dr. Mani and get straight answers from the Doc in Dr. Mani’s area in the Make Me Heal Plastic Surgery Message Boards.

Dr. Marc Mani is a well-known Beverly Hills plastic surgeon and is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. An artist from a very young age, Dr. Mani chose the field of plastic surgery for the ability it gives him to use his artistic eye in improving the lives of his patients. Aesthetic plastic surgery is the focus of Dr. Mani’s practice, including facelift; browlift; eyelid surgery; breast augmentation, lifting, and reduction; nose reshaping, body contouring surgery including liposuction, tummy-tucks, thigh lifts, and body lifts. Dr. Mani has been featured in the New York Times Television’s ten-episode documentary “Plastic Surgery Beverly Hills,” Dr. Phil’s, as multiple segments on “Extra: Hollywood Makeovers,” (NBC), Showtime Network, “Brand New You” (U.K., Channel 5 Network) and BBC features.

For more information, visit Dr. Marc Mani’s Website.

Share Social Bookmarks: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Technorati
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • StumbleUpon
  • Propeller
  • Reddit
  • Fark
  • Live
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Slashdot
  • NewsVine
  • BlinkList
  • Netvouz
  • Furl

Tags: , ,

Tara Reid Newly Improved Bod With Lipo & Breast Touch Ups

Posted on December 27th, 2006 in Celebrity Plastic Surgery by MakeMeHeal.com Staff


Tara Reid, the plastic surgery victim of a botched liposuction and boob job, showed off version 2.0 of her body over Christmas while soaking up in the sunshine of the celebrity meat market of St. Bart’s. Reid’s new bod is the result of plastic surgery touch ups of her previously botched procedures. Although her newly slender body and rail thin legs raised some eyebrows and got us wondering if she had any thigh and butt lipo work done along with the other surgery re-do’s, Tara looks decidely better than before, happier, and in a cheerful mood with her Santa Clause hat (left photo). On a less cheery note, the photo on the right and the one below shows that while her stomach is a vast improvement over the lumpy and dimply tummy she had after her first liposuction, it’s hard to undo these unsavory results of her botched procedure. As cruelly quoted from Jaunted.com, “it’s hard to fix a frankentummy.”
Earlier this year, Reid admitted to having breast augmentation and liposuction done together at the same time. “It looked like I got completely butchered up. The areolas … they looked like goose-shaped eggs,” Reid said about her boob job. Of her liposuction, Reid said “my stomach became the most ripply, bulgy thing.” Parading around in a bikini, Tara is obviously completely over her fears of showing her body and is happy about the touch-ups. The question on everyone’s mind now is if Tara will be getting wasted over the holiday or behave.

Pic source: TMZ and Popsugar.

Share Social Bookmarks: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Technorati
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • StumbleUpon
  • Propeller
  • Reddit
  • Fark
  • Live
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Slashdot
  • NewsVine
  • BlinkList
  • Netvouz
  • Furl

Tags: , ,

New Lunch-Time Liposuction: Laser Assisted SmartLipo

Posted on December 26th, 2006 in Liposuction by Sarah Lahiany


There is a new liposuction technique that has just been approved by the Food And Drug Administration that promises to melt fat in a less invasive manner, bring about results within as short as a week, and result in less downtime and less side effects than traditional liposuction. Sounds too good? This new laser-assisted liposuction technique for fat removal is called Laser Body Sculpting and is also being referred to as SmartLipo or “Lunch Time Liposuction” due to the quick 45-60 minute surgery time. Ideal for treating small areas of the face, chin, neck, arms, breasts (gynecomastia), and areas of loose and flabby skin, SmartLipo melts away fat using a high powered laser. A very small cannula (tube) that is approximately 1.0-2.0 millimeters in diameter contains a laser fiber that is inserted into the skin. The cannula is moved back and forth, delivering the laser’s energy to the fat cells, causing them to rupture and easily drain away. As the laser tip comes in contact with the fat cells, the tip literally melts the fat. The laser energy also interacts with the dermis and results in collagen shrinkage – meaning it creates a desirable tightening effect on the area. The SmartLipo laser causes the membranes of the adipose cells (the main storage for fat in the body) to break down, transforming them into an oily substance that is absorbed and eliminated in a natural manner. Because the fat is turned to liquid instead of being suctioned in solid form, using the SmartLipo laser means less blood and trauma, faster recovery, and quicker results with less side effects compared to more aggressive traditional liposuction techniques. Due to the cannula’s small size, Smartlipo can be performed under local anesthesia. After the treatment, the patient will need to wear a compression garment for several days to several weeks, depending on the body area being treated.

SmartLipo’s manufacturer Cynosure claims that results can be seen as soon as a week with continued improvement over several months. “There’s an immediate change right away,” said Coronado, California plastic surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Schafer in a separate interview on 10news.com. Patient Alice Schultz says her hips and stomach seem tighter just hours after her surgery.

SmartLipo claims that this laser- assisted liposuction is safer for the patients because less bleeding and anesthetic drugs are used and because it doesn’t cause destruction of tissues as it could happen with a traditional liposuction. One treatment is usually recommended and results can be seen immediately with continued improvement over several months.

On the Make Me Heal Liposuction Message Board doctors and patients alike have discussed this new technique. Dr Todd K. Malan from Phoenix, Arizona, who was selected to be one of the first surgeons to use SmartLipo in the US, is very happy with the results achieved with his patients, and proudly promotes this device:

Like traditional Liposuction maximum results can take 3-6 months. However unlike traditional Lipo or Vaser you do see a remarkable immediate effect. We are able to perform Smartlipo in office with a 1mm incision that doesn’t even need to be sutured and the after procedure pain is no worse than you would experience from a workout at the Gym. Best of all in nearly all cases no bruising or swelling so it os great for areas that aren’t hidden by clothing. I still perfom traditional Lipo and Vaser but Smartlipo is a better option for most patients.”

“It’s something that really is going to change liposuction,” added Schafer. Schafer is the first approved physician in the West Coast to use SmartLipo. “This is the first thing I am really excited about. It’s really going to make a significant change in the results,” said Schafer.

But not all doctors share the same enthusiasm. Plastic surgeon Dr. John LoMonaco of Houston Texas sounded caution, referring to a study by Dr. Prado and colleagues from Chile in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (118:1032, 2006), where SmartLipo has been in use since 2004.

“They used SmartLipo on one side, standard liposuction on the other side of 25 patients and saw less pain in the laser-treated side, but no differences in recovery, no decrease in swelling and bruising, and no difference in the quality of the result.” Dr. LoMonaco adds “The photos looked the same on both sides at 11 and 15 days, and also at 11 months. They did find that the procedure took longer, and importantly found high levels of free fatty acids in the tissue left over from the ruptured fat cells from the laser treated sides which they call a “major problem.” Dr. Lomanco also says that “Dr. Prado was critical of the “sumptuous marketing” by the company in his country and stated that “The use of any prototype machine in humans should follow the principle of research before commerce.”

It may be too early to judge whether SmartLipo is really as great as its claims say, but it is surely a promising innovation that gives hope for having plastic surgery with great results and minimal side effects. As more and more patients try this new technique, Make Me Heal will offer more of such testimonials.

There are only 15 clinics in the United States offering SmartLipo at this time, although the procedure was developed in Italy and has been performed in numerous clinics throughout Europe, South America, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

Share Social Bookmarks: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Technorati
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • StumbleUpon
  • Propeller
  • Reddit
  • Fark
  • Live
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Slashdot
  • NewsVine
  • BlinkList
  • Netvouz
  • Furl

Tags: , ,

Grey’s Anatomy Star Says No To Plastic Surgery

Posted on December 26th, 2006 in Celebrity Plastic Surgery by MakeMeHeal.com Staff


Kate Walsh of Grey’s Anatomy fame tells In Style magazine that she’s “committed to not doing anything invasive like surgery.” Walsh apparently got a taste of lip augmentation in a role she played on CSI. Walsh played a transgendered showgirl on CSI and had to wear a prosthetic pair of lips, which gave her “a real sense of what it would be like to have inflated collagen lips.” She hated it. Walsh thinks the face “has a natural balance of proportions, one place where your features should land.” Walsh says that the unnatural puffy lips throws off that balance. Whenever she looked in the mirror when she had the prosthetics, she “didn’t know where to focus anymore.” Kate is entitled to her opinion. But it’s one thing to play a transgendered showgirl who is supposed to look over the top with blowfish lips, but a good surgeon can give you great subtle results that will not throw off any balance.

Share Social Bookmarks: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Technorati
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • StumbleUpon
  • Propeller
  • Reddit
  • Fark
  • Live
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Slashdot
  • NewsVine
  • BlinkList
  • Netvouz
  • Furl

Tags: , ,

Renee Zellweger’s Breast Augmentation

Posted on December 25th, 2006 in Celebrity Plastic Surgery by MakeMeHeal.com Staff

In Touch Weekly’s current issue meditates on whether Renee Zellweger, Britney Spears, and Nicole Kidman had breast augmentations. While we yawn at the obvious fact that Britney Spears had a boob job, Renee Zellweger was not on our boob radar. Plastic surgeon Dr. Tony Youn (who happens to write his own celebrity surgery gossip blog that we love) weighed in on the stars’ alleged boob jobs and confirms that Renee Zellweger has gotten quite bigger in “an unnatural way”. It’s all clear now when you recall Renee’s A-cup breast days of a few years back and size them up with the present. We definitley agree that she’s been augmented. The photos confirm the obvious.

Stay tuned for the story on Nicole Kidman…

Source: Celebirtycosmeticsurgery.blogspot.com

Share Social Bookmarks: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Technorati
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • StumbleUpon
  • Propeller
  • Reddit
  • Fark
  • Live
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Slashdot
  • NewsVine
  • BlinkList
  • Netvouz
  • Furl

Tags: , ,

Liv Tyler’s Lips: Real or Fake?

Posted on December 24th, 2006 in Celebrity Plastic Surgery by MakeMeHeal.com Staff

Liv Tyler, Lip AugmentationNearly a year ago, Liv Tyler told Britain’s Brazia Magazine that she is dead against plastic surgery, calling people’s faces who had plastic surgery “creepy”. “I don’t want to ever have cosmetic surgery, so I want to do the best I can with what I have. I hate that look where people’s faces have just changed. It’s so creepy”, Liv confessed. That’s all good and fine to say this when you’re in your twenties and gravity and time have not yet ravaged you, but gossip mouses at Cityrags have recently suggested that Liv’s trademark lips may have been assisted by collagen or another lip filler. The photos show a little dimpling in the lip area, but that could just be her expression and puckering of her lips causing that. It’s hard to say if there is much truth to this rumor, but you be the judge.

Share Social Bookmarks: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Technorati
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • StumbleUpon
  • Propeller
  • Reddit
  • Fark
  • Live
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Slashdot
  • NewsVine
  • BlinkList
  • Netvouz
  • Furl

Tags: , ,

Barbra Streisand Needs A Breast Lift

Posted on December 24th, 2006 in Celebrity Plastic Surgery by MakeMeHeal.com Staff


Poor Barbra Streisand must have been in a hurry to get to her event when she forgot her bra at home and decided to shock the world with an unflatering see-through black gown revealing boobs that bow to the ground. With all that cash, 64-year old Streisand can afford a much needed breast lift to complement the facial work that she’s had over the years. Photo by the Daily Mail.

Share Social Bookmarks: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Technorati
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • StumbleUpon
  • Propeller
  • Reddit
  • Fark
  • Live
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Slashdot
  • NewsVine
  • BlinkList
  • Netvouz
  • Furl

Tags: , ,

Just In Case You Thought Angeline Jolie Had Lip Injections

Posted on December 24th, 2006 in Celebrity Plastic Surgery by MakeMeHeal.com Staff

This is a small followup to our last story on Angelina Jolie which showed her through different ages and prove that she’s always had blowfish lips, but that her nose was redone and that she probably also had cheek implants. Here’s a photo of Angelina at 13. Those lips never quit:

Share Social Bookmarks: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Technorati
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • StumbleUpon
  • Propeller
  • Reddit
  • Fark
  • Live
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Slashdot
  • NewsVine
  • BlinkList
  • Netvouz
  • Furl

Tags: ,