Reality Shows and Baby Boomers Contribute Promoting Cosmetic Procedures for Youthful Appearance

Popular “Reality Shows” like “Oprah” and the “Extreme Makeover” are demonstrating sufficient evidences that the surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures are gaining tremendous popularity among masses. The makeovers are clearly visible on these reality shows. Television series like “Nip/Tuck” are also contributing to the acceptance of these surgery processes to enhance the personal looks and youthful appearance.In the United States alone approximately 11.5 million cosmetic surgery procedures were carried out in the year 2006. There has been a tremendous 446% increase in the number of non-surgical procedures since 1997. Aging Baby Boomers have contributed up to great extent for this phenomenal increase. Baby Boomers are being acutely aware of wrinkles and bulges. They are more than happy to spend millions of dollars on maintaining their youthful appearance.

Expenditure behavior of the Americans demonstrates an interesting trend in favor of the cosmetic procedures. During the year, 2006 Americans went out to spend $12.2 billion on ‘Cosmetic Procedures’ in total. They spent $7.6 billion for the ‘surgical Procedures’ like ‘Liposuction’ and ‘Breast Augmentation’. Non-surgical Procedures’ including ‘Fat Transfer Injection’ and ‘Botox’ accounted for expenditure to the tune of $4.5 billion in the same year.

People at large prefer to adopt the non-surgical procedures in order to look physically young. With Non-surgical procedures, it is easier to monitor the procedural outcome. These procedures help it reducing liability concerns and limit the post-trauma effects.

“Fat Transfer Procedures” and “Liposuction” are common cosmetic surgery procedures. Changing the complete outlook and bringing the youthful physical fitness of body parts is possible by transferring one’s own fat from one part of the body to another with the help of an instrument called “Cannula”.

Safety and efficacy are two principal reasons responsible for the continuously increasing popularity of the non-surgical procedures. This public preference is changing current market trends and business practices.

Bionic Women: Plastic Surgery can make it Happen

Plastic Surgeons are perfecting Reconstructive Peripheral Nerve Surgery for facial Symmetry Restoration and Pain Management

 Hollywood’s imaginative conceptualization of a “Bionic Women” is now closer to become a reality. A ‘reconstructive quality-of-life-enhancement-peripheral nerve surgery’, which was almost impossible sometime ago, is now an available option for the plastic surgeons to turn the notion of a “Bionic Person” in to a reality. NBC’s “Bionic Women” was merely a television fantasy until now.

Nerve Transfer Makes a Bionic Person  

Plastic surgeons are working for perfection on a typical ‘nerve-surgery’ that will create an interface of humans with the machines. Amputees will then be having an ability to move prosthetics in more efficient manner.

“We are restoring patients’ movement through reconstructive plastic surgery that allows nerves and muscles to merge with, power, and move prosthetic devices”, said  Dr.W.P.Andrew Lee in his presentation at the American Society of Plastic surgeons (ASPS) Plastic Surgery 2007 Conference at Baltimore. 

Plastic surgeons are finalizing an innovative nerve transfer procedure. Selective nerve fibers derived from the neighboring muscles are redirected to damaged muscle. The damaged muscle thus obtains required power to function efficiently. The nerve branches from originally damaged muscle and the redirected muscle then start growing further and compensate the loss. It takes just a few months for damaged muscle to regain the function from the ‘borrowed’ nerve fibers. 

The nerve-transfer-technique helps the amputees regain control and move their prostheses. Plastic surgeons often face a situation where a little muscle remains left following an upper arm amputation. This makes it difficult to maneuver the artificial limb. Plastic surgeons are now transferring these remaining nerves in the upper arm to chest and back muscles. This technique makes these muscles more powerful.

“Before, we had to wait for the nerve to slowly regenerate and hope the muscle was still healthy and had some functionality once the nerve reconnected to it,” said Dr.Paul Cederna, in his presentation at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Plastic Surgery2007 Conference.  

Restoring Facial Symmetry

‘Peripheral nerve treatment process’ is an important tool that helps restoring symmetry to patients with facial paralysis and effective pain management. Plastic surgeons find this technique very helpful especially for the diabetics and migraine headache sufferers.

There is a possibility that the tissue-walls in the feet may become stiff over a period and as a result surround the nerves tightly in case of certain diabetics. These constricted nerves become a big cause for migraine headaches. Plastic surgeons try to create sufficient space around these nerves. This process relieves the pressure and thus assuages pain and the numbness.

Trauma or the tumor is a big cause of facial paralysis. Patients are unable to use the facial muscles around the mouth. It leads to asymmetry and even the permanent frown. Permanent frown makes negative impacts on people’s perception of an individual. Plastic surgeons apply “Botox” to paralyze the normal functioning muscles during the physical therapy process. Use of ‘Botox’ provides strength to the damaged muscles and restores the symmetry of the face.

“Considering what we’ve accomplished over the last several years, we aredefinitely entering into a new age of reconstructive plastic surgery”, said Dr.Lvica Ducic at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Plastic Surgery2007 Conference at Baltimore.