Patient Comment: Facial Rejuvenation
May 20th, 2013
Dr. Bashioum’s patient shares her experience with having an office consultation, her uncertainty about having surgery and her ultimate decision to have facial rejuvenation surgery to fix her sagging chin. I want to thank Liz for sharing her story.
Liz writes: I recently had liposuction facial rejuvenation done to my neck to reduce/lift the sagging below my chin. While it is easy to write this comment, it took me an entire year before I was felt 100% comfortable with the decision to have surgery. My reservations were not about Dr. Bashioum’s ability to improve my neck or the surgery itself. I had done my research, met with Dr. Bashioum several times and felt informed. My reservations were all about me. I am 40 years old and I had a hard time with the idea of “cosmetic surgery”…aren’t I too young. I felt I may have been overly focused on my neck, meaning that it was more my mind than reality. I also wasn’t sure I deserved the cost of the surgery.
I shared all these concerns with Dr. Bashioum. His advice was to wait and take time to decide if my neck really bothered me and then don’t worry about what others thought. So, after a year of hiding my neck, ducking my chin under high-collared fleeces, and frowning into the mirror, I realized 3 things. First, I wasn’t too young, secondly, my neck really, really bothered me and lastly, I was worth it. I am so glad I took the time to really reflect on having surgery and thankful that Dr. Bashioum encouraged me to take it instead of pushing me to make a decision I wasn’t ready for. I am very happy with the results and rarely find myself thinking about my neck anymore.
Angelina Jolie Brings Attention to BRCA Gene
May 16th, 2013
According to the American Cancer Society, about 232,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women this year. Angelina Jolie’s recent disclosure about having a double mastectomy, followed by reconstruction has brought the BRCA gene mutation for increased risk for breast cancer to the forefront. Dr. Kristi Funk of the Pink Lotus Breast Center in Beverly Hills, writes a blog post on her website describing step-by-step details of Angelina Jolie’s BRCA diagnosis, surgeries and recuperation.
The Pink Lotus Breast Center is a comprehensive and integrative breast center exclusively dedicated to the prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. It is similar to the Virginia Piper Breast Center at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, which also offers this integrated approach to breast cancer.
I applaud Jolie for her courage to come forth and share her story. While it is a most difficult decision for women to encounter, she is not alone in being faced with such a decision. Genetic testing is only one aspect of assessing risk for breast cancer. I find that patients benefit greatly from the medical care model using a collaborative approach to breast cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment. Patients often report that supportive infrastructure is an important element for maintaining a positive attitude during this journey and may often be instrumental for healing and recovery. Self-exam and mammograms remain important tools for early detection. More information is available here from the American Cancer Society.
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