Cosmetic

Liposuction is one of the more popular plastic surgeries given the heft of most Americans. As with any surgery, there are risks you should understand

Understanding the Risks of Liposuction

When you decide on having liposuction, or any plastic surgery, there are many factors that should go into your decision to proceed. What procedure to have done, where to have the surgery performed, which doctor to choose for your surgery and the result you can reasonably expect should come into play. As with any surgery, you should also consider the risks, in this case the risks of liposuction.

You need to remember that liposuction is a surgical procedure, requiring general anesthesia, invasive entrance to and manipulation of your body. The technique of liposuction requires fluid, which often includes an anesthetic called lidocaine, to be pumped under the skin of the area to be liposuctioned. Epinephrine is also added to this fluid to slow bleeding, and then the area is cut into and a hollow instrument called a cannula is stuck into the area in question. This cannula is attached to a strong vacuum that sucks the fatty material out of the area that needs the removal procedure completed.

This process can carry risks. A very high percentage of surgeries have no complications whatsoever, but occasionally there can be problems. Statistics show that deadly complications occur .0002 of the time for all surgeries. For instance, there were five deaths from liposuction procedures in New York City between the years of 1993-1998. The patients were reported to have died from such problems as fluid overload (from the fluid used to numb and prepare the area), low blood pressure from the lidocaine added to the fluid and blood clots. Other deaths over the years have been caused by interactions between the lidocaine anesthetic and other medications the patients were taking. Obviously, it is crucial that you tell your plastic surgeon what medications, if any, you are taking.

Obviously, death is a rare occurrence with liposuction, so lets discuss side effects. Side effects such as bruising, swelling, misshapen areas can happen after having liposuction. There is also the possibility of not getting the outcome you expected and needing further surgery to correct the issues. Temporary numbness in the surgical area and scarring are also common risks of liposuction.

Before you choose to have liposuction, make sure you have considered the potential risks of liposuction carefully. Discuss the risks associated with liposuction with your plastic surgeon and make an informed decision.

Ricardo de Silva is with PlasticSurgeonPractices.com - a directory of plastic surgeons. Visit us to read more plastic surgery articles.

Tags: plastic surgery, cosmetic surgery, liposuction, lipo, risks, death, complications, side effects

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The practise of herb-gardening can be traced as far back as 4000 years ago in Egypt. Herb growing was often associated with temples, which required herbs for daily worship and ritual. Queen Hatshepsut (d. 1482BC imported frankincense (Boswellia sacra) and myrrh ( Commiphora myrrha) from Arabia, and cornflowers ( Centaurea cyanus), poppies (Papaver spp), mandrakes (Mandragora spp), figs (Ficus spp), and lotuses (Nymphaea lotus) appear in many wall paintings. From as early as 305AD herb-gardening was second only to prayer in the monastic regime. Monasteries were largely self-sufficient in produce, placing special emphasis on herbs to heal the sick. Herbs were also used to flavor a vegetarian diet as well as the brewing and distillation of ale, wine and liqueurs such as Benedictine, and the cosmetic Carmelite water which was based on Melissa officinalis. In the 16th century, herb gardens were planted by the universities for the purpose of teaching botany and medicine, subjects that were inextricably linked until separated by advances in science during the 18th century. Physic gardens as they were commonly known were to be found at many universities throughout Europe. Herbs were planted in alphabetical order and as new species were brought back by colonial explorers and botanical knowledge expanded, physic gardens housed a far greater range of plants and became the botanic gardens we know today.

Even though herbs have their roots in centuries gone by they are not a thing of the past. Thanks to the hippies of the 1960’s and 1970’s herbs have made a serious come back in the last decade. Approximately 80 percent of the worlds population rely on traditional plant based medicine, and 25 percent of prescription drugs contain plant extract. The USA’s interest in medicinal herbs has increased by 100 percent since 1995 and similar increases have been seen in other countries across the globe.

A resurgence of interest has meant that consumers are finding herbs in the food industry, dietary supplements, teas, skin and hair-care products and aromatics. Culinary herbs have exploded into every kitchen thanks to the likes of Jamie Oliver and other TV cookery chefs.

The lives of people and herbs are so closely linked that we often forget the power they posses. The Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelus (c.1493-1541) wrote that ” All substances are poisons; there is none which is not poison. The right dose differentiates a poison and a remedy.” Plants like Opium Poppy (Papver somniferum) and Coca (Erythroxylum coca) have been the cause of many wars throughout history. Life saving plants like Quinine (Cinchona Species) have prevented and treated malaria since the era of colonial expansion. Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) provided the basis for acetylsalicylic acid produced in 1899, and was named aspirin after (Spirea ulmaria) which was the old name for (Filipendula ulmaria). Aspirin is the world’s most widely used drug.

People all over the world have picked, uprooted and used herbs since ancient times. Of the 250,000 species of flowering plants in the world, more than 20,000 are recorded as herbs, and in these numbers lies our greatest hope of finding new drugs to combat disease. (ASmit)

Tags: herbalist, herbs, cullinery herbs, essential oils, growing herbs, medicinal herbs, cosmetic herbs

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A laser is a high-energy beam of light that can selectively transfer energy into tissue to treat the skin. Many surgical procedures are performed using lasers. General surgeons use a variety of laser wavelengths and laser delivery systems to cut, coagulate, vaporize or remove tissue. Some common surgical procedures use includes breast surgery, removal of the gallbladder, hernia repair, bowel resection, hemorrhoidectomy, solid organ surgery and treatment of pilonidal cyst. The advantages of using lasers are reduction of blood loss, decrease in postoperative discomfort, reduction of wound infection, decrease in spreading of certain cancers and better wound healing. Nowadays laser surgery is widely used in different areas of specialization such as dermatology, dentistry, head and neck surgery, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, podiatry, urology and in the treatment of certain cancers.

In the field of skin care, lasers have proven to be big blessing. Lasers can be used to reduce wrinkles around the lips or eyes and sometimes the entire face. The laser softens fine wrinkles and removes certain blemishes on the face. Certain types of birthmarks respond remarkably well to laser treatment. The laser effects a reduction in the size of abnormal blood vessels that cause these birthmarks. This in turn promotes a lightening in the color of the birthmark. Skin growths, facial ’spider veins,’ warts, and some tattoos can also be removed by laser surgery. Another procedure that uses lasers is hair transplant. Lasers are used to prepare the area where the hair transplants will be placed.

The most common laser treatments used in dental surgery are carbon dioxides. This is used commonly for surgery of the gingival or gum tissues. Treatment of small cavities is done with the help of lasers that drill into the enamel without much noise or vibration.

Microsurgical lasers are used for precision cutting. They make incisions into the brain and spinal cord. Lasers are used frequently in vaporization and coagulation of tumors, especially those that are deep within the brain and underneath the brain. Lasers have made a huge difference in the field of medical science, especially in the branch of surgery.

Tags: Laser Surgery, Laser Eye Surgery, Cosmetic Laser Surgery, Laser Surgery For Stretch Marks

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