A PATIENT'S EXPERIENCE - TUMMY TUCK
Fri 21 September 2018
So you’ve met with your consultant, read the information about your procedure and have decided to go ahead. But what’s it really like to have plastic surgery? That’s what you’d love to know. To get the low down from someone who’s had it, with no spin, gloss or air brushing. A first hand account from a patient in her own words.
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HIGH STREET INJECTABLES - Why you shouldn't
Wed 12 September 2018
I popped out for some shampoo and handcream the other day and noticed an advert for facial injectables instore. Convenient and cheap - what’s not to like?
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IS IT JUST ME?
Wed 22 August 2018
It’s time to pack and my new swimming costume lies on the bed. Sadly it has a better figure than I do. Thanks to the wonders of Lycra, it will push me out and hold me in and just about make me confident enough to lie on the beach. Is it just me who has a tiny hankering for thick black tights or high waisted jeans? I’ve exfoliated, depilated, buffed, tweezed, painted, coutoured, cut carbs and conditioned. I’ve learnt how to stand in holiday snaps to show my best side, and I’ve vowed to cut the Prosecco until we set off in a last ditch attempt to shed a few more pounds.
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BIKINI BODY
Wed 11 July 2018
If you’re like me, the summer has crept up on you when you weren’t looking. One moment it’s Easter and hailing, next minute it’s summer and you’re supposed to be bikini ready. Guess who forgot to schedule in their appointments. With a six week post op recovery period, it’s now too late to be up and running again for the summer holiday. Emergency measures are called for. Here is my step by step guide for the summer unready:
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UPDATE ON ALCL
Tue 12 June 2018
I was invited to another meeting on 4 June 2018 organised by Mentor, a subdivision of Johnson & Johnson, who are a major provider of breast implants. The meeting was moderated by Mr Paul Harris, Consultant Plastic Surgeon, and the main speaker was Roger Wixstrom, PhD. Effectively this was an overview of what we currently know about ALCL and its possible causes. We still believe that there is a genetic component and also a linkage between a subclinical bacterial infection around the implant and the development of ALCL.
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BOTULINUM TOXIN - A little history
Fri 1 June 2018
Don’t we love a brand? From our handbag, to our sunnies, via our fat free cola to our hope in a jar potions, brands label our world. These must-have logos surely made their owners rich beyond their dreams.
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THE (NOT SO) GOOD OLD DAYS
Fri 18 May 2018
If you find yourself thinking the world has gone to the dogs and things just aren’t what they used to be, think again. In the world of plastic surgery, life is a whole lot better than in days of yore.
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WHEN TO SEE A PLASTIC SURGEON
Fri 6 April 2018
I guess the big question I’d love to know is: when should I see a plastic surgeon? Just me? Here are some pointers to help you decide. If the following apply to you, yes, it’s time to see a plastic surgeon!
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SPICE UP YOUR LIFE
Sat 3 March 2018
Oops! Did you spot the typo? For a moment there I thought it was ‘Spice up your LIFE’ but no, the raffle prize at the recent notorious Presidents Club gala dinner promised to spice up your WIFE. If you haven’t already heard, a course of plastic surgery with the slogan ‘spice up your wife’ was one of the prizes the male diners could bid for. Now, like crime in a multistorey, this is wrong on so many levels. But are we just being prudish and overly PC to object?
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PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES
Tue 30 January 2018
Did you see the recent BBC2 programme Surgeons – On the Edge of Life? If you missed it, do catch it on iplayer. It’s a gripping watch and any squeamishness is gone by the 5 minute mark as you root for both patients and medical staff.
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BODY SHAPE
Tue 16 January 2018
Whilst the neat hourglass is considered the most perfect and balanced body shape, in reality many women are apple or pear shaped: not so much hourglass as wine glass or flower vase. Looking at what female body shapes have been considered most desirable over the centuries is hugely reassuring: whatever your figure, be it voluptuous Rubenesque or skinny heroin chic, at one time in history it was what everyone wanted.
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WHAT EVERY (WO)MAN WANTS
Fri 8 December 2017
Don’t we all want to look beautiful? And young, pert, smooth skinned and glowing with health. If there’s a quick fix to beauty, we’re up for it. Early nights, eating our greens and hitting the gym are hard work – give me a jar of magic to do the trick any day.
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NEPAL
Tue 14 November 2017
Each year I travel to Kathmandu in Nepal to work at a local hospital on the outskirts in one of the suburbs of Kathmandu called Kirtipur. The team of plastic surgeons there number 5 attendings and 4-5 trainees. They are supported by a hand therapy unit and a burns intensive care unit. They do great work there under very difficult financial conditions.
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MAKE A WISH
Fri 3 November 2017
It’s that time of year again when the C word is beginning to be whispered, or rather shouted, in every retail park in the country: Christmas is coming. Doe eyed models pout from every Christmas catalogue – they clearly haven’t got the in laws coming to stay. Perfect families grin across tables laden with festive treats – no one’s in a strop, having a tantrum or shouting: ‘That’s it! I’ve had it. You can buy your own presents!’ Shops brim with black, red and gold sequinned numbers – just right for cold weather then the boiler’s playing up. Don’t we love the festive countdown.
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POLYTECH BREAST IMPLANTS
Wed 11 October 2017
I have just got back from the POLYTECH Health & Aesthetics factory in Germany near Frankfurt, having spent a day looking around their breast implant manufacturing facility. I was interested to go because they are one of the few companies that now manufacture polyurethane coated breast implants. Of course, with the concerns around Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma, I was keen to understand from POLYTECH their view on the current scientific data out there and what their thoughts are in terms of the use of a polyurethane surfaced implant as opposed to a silicone textured implant. They manufacture smooth walled implants, silicone textured implants and polyurethane textured implants. They are well positioned within the market to have a view on the entire range of breast implants available for patients wishing to consider breast augmentation.
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ANTI AGING
Fri 6 October 2017
Society is obsessed with age. It’s the new hot topic as our demographic changes. Life expectancy is growing by 5 hours a day and a third of people born today can expect to live to 100. The average age in Britain is now over 40.
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ACID ATTACKS
Fri 15 September 2017
Plastic Surgeons in the UK are dealing with a new group of patients: victims of violent assault who have had a corrosive substance thrown at their faces. Most common in South Asia, with the highest number of attacks in Bangladesh, instances in the UK rose by 74% in 2016. And the acid we are talking about can also be an alkali: it refers to any corrosive substance used for attack. Attacks are prosecuted as actual or grievous bodily harm and as of 2017 it is unlawful to carry ‘acid’ with intent to cause harm. Many victims are afraid to come forward so the true number of attacks is thought to be grossly under reported.
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BREAST AUGMENTATION
Tue 12 September 2017
Cosmetic surgery: that’s just another lifestyle choice, like a new kitchen, a long haul holiday or the latest SUV, isn’t it? You may have glanced at the adverts in the back of gossip magazines and seen lists of clinics offering breast enhancement alongside aspirational furniture, home improvements and clothing. After all, once you’ve done up your house, why wouldn’t you want to consider a makeover as well? Equally, a breast augmentation may be something that you have thought of since your youth. Simple, no? Well actually no, a big fat NO!
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LABIAPLASTY
Thu 27 July 2017
Why do women request Labiaplasty procedures?
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AVOCADO HAND
Tue 11 July 2017
The NHS comes in for a lot of stick these days. Every newspaper has a red faced rant from an indignant smart alec who could run their local hospital so much better if only they got the chance. There are horror stories galore, embroidered and exaggerated, wheeled out after a few drinks for maximum effect. Fingers wag, heads shake, wide eyed disapproval is shared.
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FACIAL SKIN CARE - July 2017
Tue 27 June 2017
My father learnt woodwork from an old man in Australia so my childhood is perfumed with wood shavings. I spent weekends holding bits of wood while he planed, sanded and wire woolled until the surface was silky smooth. All done by hand with no whining power tools. It was true craftsmanship.
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GENDER
Tue 27 June 2017
The American Association of Plastic Surgeons reported that transgender-related surgeries have risen nearly 20 percent from 2015 to 2016. There is definitely a similar expansion in the UK. The British Association of Gender Identity Specialists was established in 2014 to promote research and to exchange knowledge of gender dysphoria and transgender health. Although they do not publish operation numbers at present they do advise NHS England on commissioning and there has been an expansion in the number of Gender Identity clinics across the UK. Care is managed with input from healthcare professionals across a wide range of disciplines with the aim to provide an entire package of medical, surgical and psychological input.
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SCOTTISH CLINICS OFFERING INJECTABLES
Fri 16 June 2017
Well done to the Scottish for leading the way in regulating private clinics offering dermal fillers and skin relaxing injections. Such clinics must be registered, commit to an agreed level of care and be staffed by doctors, dentists and nurses. Failure to comply will result in prosecution. Come on England and Wales.
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COSMETIC SURGERY PROCEDURES FALL IN UK BY 40%
Fri 16 June 2017
Reports recently published by British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) would seem to suggest a drop in cosmetic procedures by 40%. Having seen a steady growth in surgery over the last 10 years, last year saw a decline below 31,000. Slightly more of a decline in men than women.
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SKIN CANCER - June 2017
Sat 3 June 2017
I am meeting my friend (we’ll call her Chantal) for coffee. She’s funny, feisty and juggles a house full of kids with her work, dog and partner’s business trips. She waves to me as I enter the café and I sit down opposite. I can’t help noticing the bandage at the base of her neck. ‘Are you OK?’ I ask. ‘You’ve noticed!’ she laughs. ‘The strangest thing happened.’
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CONDOLENCES - 22 May 2017
Thu 25 May 2017
It is with great regret that we acknowledge the terrible events in Manchester this week. Our hearts go out to those who have lost loved ones or whose family members have been injured.
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WELCOME
Thu 25 May 2017
It is with great pleasure that we welcome to the DRG team Ms Patience Wellbeing. Patience may be know to some of you as she is no stranger to the world of plastic surgery. She is as glamorous as she is elusive and we are delighted that she has agreed to contribute to our new blog.
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