Face Transplant
April 14th, 2009
Wow, a second US face transplant was completed at Brigham and Women’s Hospital last week. This is a true improvement in the way plastic surgeons reconstruct patients suffering massive, deforming facial injuries. In this particular case, most of the mouth was restored. The surgery will go a long way in allowing the recipient to eat and drink again. In addition, the physical appearance will be better than the results of any of the other reconstructive techniques we have available.
Transplant surgery is no stranger to plastic surgeons. Skin, bone and cartilage are use by all plastic surgeons in reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. Of course, this is usually comes from a patent’s own tissue. When the first kidney transplant was done in 1954, the transplant surgeon was Dr. Joseph E. Murray, a plastic surgeon. The donor was the recipient’s identical twin brother. Dr. Murray received a Nobel Prize for this surgery in 1990.
With the advent of greater understanding of transplant drugs and transplant rejection, transplant surgery has come full circle back to plastic surgeons. Before this time it was felt that external transplanted donor tissue would heal poorly, if at all. It was also feared that external injury would not be tolerated in the face, resulting in possible graft rejection. Plastic surgeons are once again on the cutting edge of transplant surgery.
We are a long way form the movie Face/Off. External donor transplants for hands and face are still in their infancy, but making great strides. The risks of anti- rejection drugs can only be justified when significant functional improvement can be shown. It will be decades until these new techniques can be applied to elective cosmetic surgery.
Melissa’s Blog: To be or not to be?
April 3rd, 2009
Me and My Chicken Cutlets
The day I bought my house was the day I became a very lucky girl, because along with my dream home, came a plastic surgeon right across the street. I always told my friends, “One day I’m going to see that Doctor. When, I didn’t know- but definitely after I get done having kids. In the meantime, I’m going to work out this padded bra solution and my ever-so-reliable “chicken cutlets” that I bought, by the way for $65, and I am going to find me some cleavage!”
The cutlets, some refer to them as falsies, are instantaneous cleavage enhancers. They’re squishy, flesh colored inserts that I wore in my bra to give me the shape I needed in a second. They gave me a fuller and very convincing look to perfectly compliment the shirt I was wearing. But it was all just temporary, especially in the bedroom, where I absolutely wanted to feel my most sexy! I’m a woman, just stepping into my 30’s, sexy is everything to me! I’ve worn my enhancers for 5 years, not everyday, but let’s say more times than not. And it wasn’t too long ago that I actually lost them, thanks to the help from my lovely children, who found excitement in playing with them. I was totally bummed when I realized they got left behind at a hotel we were previously staying at. Boy was I sad, I felt like I had lost a great friend.
This episode gave me a reason to pursue a more permanent solution, a breast augmentation. My husband and I played around with the idea for 3 months, and just recently booked my consultation appointment with Dr. Bashioum. I don’t often times play “tit for tat” (pun intended!) like I did with the new television, but actually, it illustrates a perfect analogy. Just as much as you like watching a movie on a high def 52″ television, don’t forget the ultimate surround sound, I too, enjoy looking in the mirror at a young confident mother of 3 in hi definition! So it was decided that we would both get our cake and eat it too! My views on breast augmentation have become more open and much more accepting. I have even scheduled my surgery already for mid May and I am confident that I will be in good care with Dr. Bashioum and his staff.
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