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Body Contouring Surgery- After Weight Loss- by Dr. Mark Bishara, MD

Surgery After Significant Weight Loss

About forty-five million Americans diet each year and Americans spend approximately one to $2 billion a year on weight loss programs. It is believed that consumers spend about $30 billion per year trying to lose weight or prevent weight gain, and 55% of Americans are actively trying to maintain or lose weight. In the last five years weight loss surgery has experienced a tremendous resurgence. Over fifty thousand patients in the United States will undergo some form of gastric bypass surgery during the year, and the positive effects of this surgery are immeasurable. The health benefits of massive weight loss are numerous and profound.
However, after a patient experiences massive weight loss, the body skin is not able to retract to the smaller size of the body underneath. This results in large pendulous hanging breasts, significant excess underarm skin (sometimes known as bat wings), and significant lower abdominal skin and laxity that causes rashes, impairs the ability to wear normal clothes and sometimes even daily activity. In the face, this excess skin often leads to significant signs of aging when the skin is no longer able to retrace following massive weight loss.
Body Contouring is a safe and effective group of procedures that can help a patient drastically improve their appearance!  Dr. Mark Bishara and The Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa offer body contouring surgery designed specifically for patients who have achieved significant weight loss. Procedures that remove skin or fat, tighten and lift can be used as a complement to help your clothes fit better and allow you to participate more comfortably in your favorite activities.

Body Contouring – Are You a Candidate?

The best candidates for body contouring are people who have undergone massive weight loss and are dissatisfied with the appearance of their body, are in general good health, and have realistic expectations of what the procedure can accomplish.

Body Contouring – Plastic Surgery Procedures & Risks

Body contouring is a group of complimentary cosmetic procedures that can reshape your entire figure into a shape of your own choosing. Often times when a person is dissatisfied with their shape one or more procedures can alleviate their discomfort and provide them with the aesthetically pleasing figure they desire. Body contouring is also a safe and effective way to combat the unsightly sagging skin that often accompanies massive weight loss.
In order to reshape the body, Dr. Bishara will generally focus on a few common areas that many people often find less than attractive as the years go by. For example:

  • Sagging or drooping breasts can often be overcome through a breast reduction and breast lift.
  • If the skin on your arms is not as toned as the muscle underneath, an armlift or “brachioplasty” can correct unsightly droopage.
  • Sometimes over the years the stomach can take on a rounded or flabby shape, and no manner of sit-ups will help, so many people elect for an abdominoplasty or tummy tuck.
  • Despite the best exercise and diet regimens many people suffer a loss of tone in their buttocks. Fortunately a buttock lift can restore the tone and shape lost over the years.
  • As people age, the skin on their upper thighs begins to droop out of proportion with the rest of their skin tone, so a thigh lift can often correct this unsightly mishap of genetics.
  • Finally, in order to achieve an all around sense of proportion, many people elect to remove stubborn fat deposits through liposuction. This procedure restores the characteristic figure and curves many of us lose over the years.

Interested in what body contouring can do for you? Contact Dr. Mark Bishara’s Office in Mansfield and Southlake, today to learn more about the transformative treatments we offer. Call us at (817) 473-2120 to find out more information.
www.MarkBisharaMD.com


 

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Three Reasons Why Fall and Winter are the Best Times for Plastic Surgery

Thinking about going under the knife, but not sure when the best time for plastic surgery may be? The fall and winter months are some of the most popular times for plastic surgery, so you may want to book a consultation now. Here are some reasons why:

1. Recovery is easier
Many people are hesitant to undergo procedures like breast augmentation, breast revision surgery, body contouring, or a tummy tuck, because of the time it takes to recover. Unfortunately, there’s not much of a way around this issue, unless you choose a non-surgical procedure like Botox injections or microdermabrasion. However, if you are going to be taking it easy and mainly indoors for a few days, the cold, winter months might be a better choice. And, once you are able to go outside and move around again, wearing layers of clothes or accessories to hide any post-surgery garments, dressings or scars would be completely normal.
2. A great reason for a “staycation”
Do you know people who take time off to do things around town and spend some much deserved time relaxing in their homes? If you have a stressful job or life and have been thinking about having a procedure, this could be the perfect opportunity to have a “staycation” and recover. Being close to home means your doctor is accessible for follow-ups visits and you have your family and friends around to help. Medical tourism to plastic surgery hot spots, like Los Angeles or Miami, might be tempting, but could create complications if it involves airplane flights and lack of follow-up care.
3. The gift of beauty and care
For many, the holidays are the best part of the winter season. It’s not uncommon to hear of couples giving each other the gift of plastic surgery as a present. Many times mothers and daughters will go in for a skin treatment or Botox together. Even if you don’t get a trip to the plastic surgeon’s office as a gift from someone else, there’s no reason you can’t treat yourself. After all of the chaos that the holiday shopping season brings, it’s great to give yourself a little treat to help minimize stress.

If you are thinking of a procedure or would like to gift a friend or relative, be sure to contact our office at (817) 473-2120 to get more information. The winter holidays will be brighter for everyone when safety is a top priority.  Please also visit our website at www.markbisharamd.com.
 

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Top 5 Plastic Surgery Myths- by Dr. Mark Bishara, MD

Many myths surround the seemingly glamorous world of plastic surgery. But in fact, plastic surgery is a lot like every other medical specialty with highly-trained physicians providing many different services. Here are the Top 5 Plastic Surgery Myths.
#5 Plastic Surgery is All About Beauty and Vanity
Although breast augmentations, Botox and facelifts get all the press, plastic surgery encompasses everything from correcting birth defects such as cleft palates to post-cancer breast reconstruction and work-related hand injuries.
Plastic surgeons care about the functional and overall results after surgery, not just the aesthetics (although we are specifically trained to optimize those, as well). When a patient does choose to have surgery for cosmetic reasons, it is often to correct areas which are not amenable to diet, weight loss or nonsurgical procedures.
#4 Plastic Surgery Patients are the Rich and Famous
If plastic surgeons only operated on the 1%, we wouldn’t have a thriving plastic surgery industry.
Most aesthetic patients are not the rich and famous, but are average people who simply wish to restore confidence, enhance their overall appearance and improve their lives.
#3 Only Women Get Plastic Surgery
Although women have been the traditional customers of plastic surgery, men are turning to plastic surgery in increasing numbers.
Less invasive procedures such as Botox, laser treatments and dermal fillers can give men a rejuvenated and naturally youthful appearance without any downtime and at relatively low costs. These, along with liposuction, are the most popular cosmetic surgery treatments for men, with many men reporting a need for a competitive edge in the workforce as the reason they have pursued cosmetic treatments.
#2 Plastic Surgery Leaves No Scars and Lasts Forever
Plastic surgeons are great at making scars look better, more refined and smaller, but all types of plastic surgery will generally cause some type of scar formation. We can often recommend the best way to minimize scarring, and give advice and treatments on how to make your scar look as great as possible after surgery.
And while many plastic surgery procedures are long lasting and can give you years, if not decades of personal satisfaction, many factors determine how long the results will last. Plastic surgery can turn back the hands of time – but the clock keeps on ticking. Great skin care, less-invasive office procedures, surgical touch-ups, and your overall health are all important to maintain your natural good looks.
#1 Plastic Surgery is the Same as Cosmetic Surgery
All plastic surgeons do not have the same training. Many doctors trained in, and board certified in, other specialties such as gynecology or family medicine have ventured into plastic surgery, causing what is known as “white coat confusion”. Yes, they are board certified – but not in plastic surgery.
Being board certified in plastic surgery means that a physician has undergone years of specific training related to all the nuances of cosmetic and plastic surgery. Patients choosing a surgeon for their cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures should always inquire about a doctor’s specific board certifications.

This information is brought to you courtesy of Dr. Mark Bishara and The Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa with offices in Mansfield and Southlake, TX



 

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Consistent Sleep Patterns Tied to Healthier Weight

A new study published online recently in the American Journal of Health Promotion suggests that keeping to a consistent sleep routine may help people maintain a healthier weight.

Bruce Bailey, a professor in exercise science at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT, and colleagues found that women who woke at the same time and went to sleep at the same every day had lower body fat.
Prof. Bailey suggests going to bed late and sleeping in may do more harm than good:
“We have these internal clocks and throwing them off and not allowing them to get into a pattern does have an impact on our physiology.”

Lady asleep in bed
Researchers found that women whose sleep routines are more consistent have the least amount of body fat.

While previous studies have looked at sleep patterns and weight, this is the first study to look at the link between consistency of bed and wake time and body fat.
For their study, the researchers examined data on more than 300 young women aged between 17 and 26 attending two major Western US universities.
At the start of the study period, the women were assessed for body composition and were then given activity trackers to record their movements during the day and their sleep patterns at night for 7 consecutive days and nights.
The results showed that:

  • A consistent bed time, but particularly a consistent wake time, were linked to lower body fat.
  • Sleeping less than 6.5 or more than 8.5 hours a night was tied to higher body fat.
  • Sleeping between 8 and 8.5 hours a night was tied to the lowest levels of body fat.
  • Quality of sleep also appears to make a difference to body composition.
  • Participants whose wake and sleep time varied by more than 90 minutes had more body fat than those whose variations were limited to 60 minutes.

The researchers said they found wake time was particularly tied to body fat. The participants who consistently woke at the same time every day had the least body fat.
Prof. Bailey suggests consistent sleep patterns are probably closely tied to good sleep hygiene.
Altering sleep hygiene likely changes patterns of physical activity, which in turn alters hormones involved with digestion, with a knock-on effect on body fat.
Prof. Bailey’s recipe for improving sleep quality is to exercise, keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet, and only use your bed for sleeping in. He adds that:

“Sleep is often a casualty of trying to do more and be better and it is often sacrificed, especially by college students, who kind of wear it as a badge of honor.”

In 2010, researchers reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine that insufficient sleep can make dieters lose muscle instead of fat.
They found participants on a low-calorie diet lost the same amount of weight whether they slept an average of 8.5 hours or 5.5 hours each night. However, while they lost the same amount of weight, the composition was different.

This news is brought to you courtesy of Dr. Mark Bishara and The Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa

 

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'Globalization' of Cosmetic Surgery- by Dr. Mark Bishara, MD

Would you consider traveling to Mexico or India for a less-expensive rhinoplasty or breast augmentation procedure? Would you consider traveling to Texas for a Robotic Hair Transplant procedure?  Many Americans are doing just that-and the trend is having an impact on the market for cosmetic plastic surgery.
The paper, by ASPS Member Surgeon Dr. Kevin C. Chung and Lauren E. Franzblau of the University of Michigan, discusses “the rise and transformation of the medical tourism industry, foreign and domestic forces that influence cosmetic surgical tourism, and the pros and cons for all involved parties.” Chung and Franzblau write, “The rapid globalization of the industry also marks a fundamental shift in the world’s perception of elective procedures: patients are becoming consumers and these medical services are being viewed as commodities.”
At the office of Dr. Mark Bishara, with offices in Mansfield and Southlake, TX- we have patients traveling from all over the world for Robotic Hair Transplants.  We perform the surgery in both of our locations, making it even easier for patients to access the closest office for them.

More ‘Medical Tourists’ Are Traveling for Cosmetic Surgery
Traveling for medical care is nothing new-but in the past, people were more likely to travel from poor countries to obtain higher-quality care in wealthier countries. Today, prompted by the ease and relatively low costs of travel, more patients from the United States and other western countries are traveling to the developing world to access less-costly medical and surgical procedures. Because cosmetic plastic surgery procedures aren’t covered by insurance, they make up a major part of the burgeoning medical tourism market.
Figures vary, but there’s a consensus that medical tourism is growing rapidly: India alone may have more than one million medical tourists per year. Other countries with growing medical tourism industries include Mexico, Dubai, South Africa, Thailand and Singapore.
In many countries, governments are working actively to foster their medical tourism industry. Some destinations even market procedures performed in resort-like settings, encouraging patients to combine a vacation with cosmetic surgery. Traveling abroad also lets patients recuperate privately, without anyone at home knowing that they’ve had plastic surgery.
Raising Potential Concerns Over Safety and Quality
The growth of medical tourism may have a significant impact on the cosmetic surgery market in the U.S., but also raises concerns over physical safety and legal protection. Although destination countries promote the quality and safety of their procedures and facilities, there is often little evidence to support these claims.
“Because the practice of medical travel does not appear to be going away in the foreseeable future, plastic surgeons must understand the international market and learn to compete in it,” Chung and Franzblau write. Since U.S. surgeons may find it hard to compete on price, effective strategies may include emphasizing superior quality and safety of care, or developing “niche markets” of procedures that can be profitably performed at home.
The authors emphasize that medical tourism “is not purely good or bad”-neither for patients nor the countries involved. Patients may be drawn by lower costs, but must consider the potential risks of undergoing surgery in a foreign country, as well as traveling after surgery. ASPS provides information for patients considering travel abroad for cosmetic surgery, including risks and follow-up care.
For the U.S. and other developed countries, medical tourism means fewer patients and less revenue-but may also bring increased opportunities for collaboration with rapidly modernizing countries in other parts of the world. Chung and Franzblau conclude, “To retain patients and be competitive in a global market, U.S. plastic surgery must be vigilant of the changes in medical tourism and must adapt accordingly.”
This news is brought to you courtesy of Dr. Mark Bishara and
The Paragon Surgery & Med Spa


 

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