Is There an Alternative to Surgery, to Help Eliminate the Bags Under My Eyes?

Dermal Fillers such as Juvederm are an excellent non-surgical treatment for “tear trough” deformities, commonly known as sunken eyes. Juvederm is made of Hyaluronic Acid, which is a naturally occurring sugar found in the human body. The role of hyaluronic acid in the skin is to deliver nutrients, hydrate the skin by holding in water, and to act as a cushioning agent. Therefore it is excellent when used to smooth wrinkles and folds under the eyes, and around the nose and mouth. Juvederm restores facial volume by replacing the skin’s natural hyaluronic acid depleted during the aging process. The results may last up to 12 months with only one injection.

More info on Juvederm

Related articles

• Botox or Juvederm? Which is the Right Treatment For You? (zadehsurgical.wordpress.com)
• Wrinkle Fillers 101 (everydayhealth.com)

What Are the Treatment Options for Lobular Carcinoma In Situ (LCIS)?

Lobular Carcinoma in Situ (LCIS) is somewhat of a misnomer in that it is not a cancer, but a “pre-malignant” condition in which there are abnormal cells present in the glands (lobules) of the breast. Patients who have been diagnosed with LCIS do not have cancer, but are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer than the general population. For this reason they require closer observation and shorter intervals between screening mammograms. In patients with a strong family history of breast cancer, or those at very high risk, hormonal therapy with Tamoxifen may be used to reduce the risk of invasive breast cancer. Surgery is generally not performed for LCIS alone.

Interestingly, patients with LCIS who develop invasive cancer usually develop invasive ductal cancer of the breast. Also, 40% of patients with LCIS who develop invasive cancer may develop cancer in both breasts. For this reason a prophylactic mastectomy of the normal breast is often performed at the time of mastectomy for the diseased breast in patients with LCIS who have developed invasive cancer.

Related articles

• Breast Tissue Changes that Increase Risk (everydayhealth.com)
• How to Know if You are at Risk for Breast Cancer

Why Do Healing Wounds Itch?

Whenever tissue is subject to trauma, such as incisions made during surgery, the body initiates an inflammatory response as part of the healing process. Several different types of cells are released into the bloodstream and make their way to the wound where they act as mediators and initiate the various stages of wound healing. Among the cells involved in this process are mast cells which release histamine. It is the histamine which causes the wound to itch. So itching of the wound is a good sign. If you find the itching is unbearable, you can take an antihistamine such as benadryl for relief.

Botox or Juvederm? Which is the Right Treatment For You?

I have a lot of patients ask me what the difference between Botox and Juvederm are during consultations for facial rejuvenation procedures. Though the two may seem similar in that they treat wrinkles and help slow the process of aging, they work their magic in different ways. Therefore it is important to understand the difference between the two when it comes to choosing the right treatment for you.

The best way to do this is to look at yourself in the mirror, and concentrate on your wrinkles. If you look at your forehead, or around your eyes, you will see that you have wrinkles which may appear mild or moderate in nature. Now notice as you frown or squint your eyes. These wrinkles become deeper and more pronounced. Just think of how many times per day you are naturally frowning or squinting and not even realizing that you are actively working to worsen these wrinkles!

These are the areas in which Botox works best. Botox is actually a diluted paralytic agent which causes weakening of the muscle it is injected into. Therefore, when injected into the overused muscles which have led to your wrinkles, Botox makes these muscles weaken and relax. Your wrinkles then flatten out. Kind of like ironing the wrinkles out of a shirt. More importantly, with repeated treatments you start to lose the habit of frowning and squinting which led to the overuse of those muscles in the first place. This way you can actually prevent your wrinkles from getting deeper. A typical Botox treatment lasts 3-4 months.

Botox Brow Treatment

 

Botox Crow's Feet Treatment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now look at the rest of your face in the mirror. Perhaps you have lines around the sides of your mouth in the shape of “parentheses” which are accentuated when you smile or laugh (laugh lines). Maybe you have bags under your eyes that are always there and make you look constantly tired. Or maybe you’ve just always wanted to have fuller lips, or to fix that bump in your nose without having to go through surgery.

If any of those situations sound like they apply to you then Juvederm may be the right solution for you. Juvederm belongs to a class of injectables called Dermal Fillers. Fillers treat wrinkles by raising them, or adding volume. Juvederm, specifically, is made of hyaluronic acid which is a naturally occurring substance in your skin that absorbs water and adds volume. Injection of this smooth, volume enhancing gel under the skin in areas of wrinkling and volume depletion instantly restores your skin’s volume and smooths away facial wrinkles and folds. For this reason, Juvederm is best when used around the laugh lines, cheeks, lips, under the eyes, and nose. Because it functions by absorbing your own body’s water, it’s effects increase over time. A single Juvederm treatment can last up to one year.

Juvederm Laugh Lines

Juvederm Lip Enhancement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This should help give you a better idea of the difference between Botox and Juvederm. Remember, ultimately your trained physician or surgeon will be able to determine which treatment is best for you. Often times, both are used in combination to achieve the optimal results.

How to Know if You are at Risk for Breast Cancer

Anything that affects your chances of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Certain risk factors are linked to certain conditions, such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. For example, of the approximately 200,000 women in the United States that are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, not all will have the same risk of developing breast cancer during their lifetimes. Some women will have certain risk factors which will increase the likelihood that they will develop breast cancer over others.

However, just because you have a risk factor—or multiple risk factors—does not mean that you are going to end up with breast cancer. In fact, many women who have one or more risk factors never get breast cancer. On the other hand, many cases of breast cancer occur in women with no apparent risk factors. The biggest advantage in recognizing women at risk for developing breast cancer lies in the ability to identify those individuals who may benefit most from screening and preventative measures. After all, there are some risk factors that can be modified. The following are some of the risk factors that are associated with the development of breast cancer:

Age

Your risk of developing breast cancer increases as you get older. About two-thirds of breast cancers are found in women older than 55 years of age.
Family history of breast cancer.

Breast cancer risk is higher among women whose immediate blood relatives have the disease.

If you have one first-degree relative (mother, sister, or daughter) with breast cancer, then your risk of getting breast cancer is approximately doubled. Having two first-degree relatives increases your risk about 3-times more than normal.

About 5% to 10% of the time, breast cancer is the result of genetic defects which are inherited from a parent. The most common of these are the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. Women with this form of hereditary mutation tend to develop breast cancer at a younger age than average. These cancers also more often involve both breasts and are associated with the development of cancer in other organs, such as the ovaries.

Not all breast cancer is family related though. Of all women who get breast cancer, 85% do not have a family history of the disease.
Previous History of Breast Cancer in the Opposite Breast

A woman who has already had cancer in one breast is 3- to 4- times more likely to develop a new cancer in the other breast. This is one of the strongest risk factors for breast cancer development.
Dense breast tissue

Women with dense breast tissue have more glandular tissue and less fatty tissue, and have a higher risk of breast cancer. Unfortunately, the dense breast tissue also makes it harder for doctors to see abnormalities on mammograms.
Menstrual periods

Women who started menstruating at an early age (the average age is 12) and/or experienced menopause at a later age (average age 55) have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer. This may again be related to the increased levels of estrogen in these patients.
Childbearing

Women who have had no children (Nulliparous) have a mildly higher risk of breast cancer than the general population. In contrast, women who have had many pregnancies show a reduced breast cancer risk. This is probably because pregnancy reduces the total number of menstrual cycles throughout life, which means less unbalanced estrogen exposure.
Oral Contraceptive Use

Studies have found that women using oral contraceptives (birth control pills) have a slightly greater risk of breast cancer than women who have never used them. Once the pills are stopped, the risk decreases, reaching normal levels after about 10 years.
Being Overweight or Obese

Your body’s fat tissue produces estrogen. When women enter menopause, the ovaries slowly stop making estrogen. Most of the estrogen production then shifts from the ovaries to the fat tissue. The more fat you have, the more estrogen you will produce. This will increase your chances of developing breast cancer.

If you notice, there is one main theme that is linked to all the major breast cancer risk factors: Estrogen. Just being a woman itself is a risk factor for developing breast cancer. Both men and women have breast tissue; women just have more because they are exposed to more estrogen and progesterone. In fact, men can also develop breast cancer, and male breast cancer accounts for 1% of all breast cancers diagnosed annually.

So, do you have any breast cancer risk factors? Do you know anyone with breast cancer risk factors? Remember, risk factors or not, all women should speak with their doctors’ about breast cancer screening, and ways to lower your breast cancer risk factors if present.

Related articles

• Breast Cancer Prevention – If You’re at High Risk (everydayhealth.com)
• Breast Cancer Types, Risks, Spread, Signs and Symptoms (healthhype.com)
• In The Pink 🙂 Breast Cancer Awareness (marilyndieckmann.wordpress.com)

Facts About Cataract Surgery

Guest Post by Medical Student Dunya Carter

If you currently have or have had a cataract, you are not alone. Cataracts are very common, affecting about 60 % of the population over the age of 60. Because cataracts gradually result in visual impairment, surgical removal is usually required with about 1.5 million cataract surgeries performed each year in the United States.

What is a Cataract?

A cataract affects the lens of the eye causing it to become clouded. As a cataract develops, vision becomes more impaired due to the light that goes through the lens onto the retina being out of focus from the clouded lens. This causes vision to become distorted and blurry.

What Causes Cataracts?

Most cataracts are due to aging, although on rare occasions they can be present at birth or develop in early childhood due to genetic factors. The exact cause of cataracts is not completely understood, but most are believed to be caused by protein structure changes in the lens, which slowly occurs over the years. Typically, both eyes are affected, although the rate of progression may be different in each eye. Cataracts can also form due to intraocular inflammation, severe trauma or eye surgery. Factors that can cause cataract formation in earlier years include smoking, certain medications, diabetes or excessive exposure to ultraviolet light.

Signs and Symptoms of Cataracts

Because cataracts develop gradually, most individuals will begin to notice changes in vision that cause difficulty with reading and driving. Vision may be blurry or cloudy and colors may become dull. Glare problems may increase and halos can appear around lights. Nearsightedness may occur and frequent eyeglass changes may be needed, which can help until the cataract progresses significantly. Night vision may become poor, double vision may occur or one eye may see multiple images.

How Cataracts Are Diagnosed

Eye-care professionals can detect cataracts using several different diagnostic instruments. They can also diagnose how advanced the cataract has become and how much it has affected vision. Eye examinations will usually include testing for color vision, visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and glare sensitivity. The eye-care professional may perform a dilated eye exam to examine the optic nerve and retina as well as a tonometry test to measure the pressure within the eye. Because cataracts develop slowly, the need to have them surgically removed is usually determined by how impaired vision becomes. Cataract development is different with each individual and some cataracts never progress enough to impair vision or require surgery. Others can develop rapidly causing severe vision difficulties.

Treating Cataracts

When a cataract progresses to the point that it affects vision so that it cannot be corrected with corrective lens, the eye care doctor will recommend cataract surgery. The procedure is usually performed in an outpatient facility. The most common procedure used today is phacoemulsification surgery. This involves making a small incision in the eye’s surface and inserting a tiny ultrasound probe into the eye to dissolve the clouded lens. Fragmented pieces are removed by suction through the probe. An artificial lens is then positioned into the eye where the cataract was removed.

What to Expect After Surgery

Following cataract surgery, the eye-care professional will require a return visit within a few days. During recovery, several different eye drops will be prescribed to help prevent inflammation and infection. Most individuals experience an improvement in vision within a few days after surgery. Once vision becomes stabilized, patients will be fitted with corrective glasses.

Dunya Carter is a health writer from Sydney. She is a medical student interested in cataract surgery. In her free time she writes for several blogs on topics related to health.

BOTOX Treatment for Migraine Headaches

Did you know BOTOX can be used as an effective treatment for the prevention of chronic migraine headaches in adults? When injected at recommended doses in specific locations of the head and neck, BOTOX can produce relief from the onset of debilitating migraine headache symptoms which can last up to three months depending on the individual patient.

So what is the definition of a chronic migraine headache?

If you experience headaches which last 4 hours a day or longer on 15 or more days per month, then you suffer from chronic migraine headaches and are a candidate for BOTOX treatment.

Often, patients who suffer from chronic migraine headaches mistakenly self-diagnose their symptoms as regular tension headaches and treat themselves with drugs that provide quick, but temporary, relief. BOTOX is the first recognized medication that treats the headache symptoms before they even begin.

It is estimated that approximately 80 percent of those who meet the definition of Chronic Migraine have not received an accurate diagnosis and, as a result, may be unaware of their treatment options.

To read more about BOTOX treatment for Chronic Migraine Headaches and see if BOTOX treatment is right for you click here

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• Migraines: More than just a headache (cnn.com)
• Experts say NHS should prescribe Botox for migraines (telegraph.co.uk)
• Well: Could You Run the Nation With a Migraine? (well.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Chronic Migraine Treatments: New Therapies Include BOTOX Muscle Paralysis (chiroactionbites.wordpress.com)

What is a Laparoscopic Hernia Repair, and is it the Right Treatment for You?

So you’ve been diagnosed with a hernia, and your physician has recommended you undergo surgical repair before you start experiencing any potentially serious problems which may arise if your hernia is left untreated. Approximately 600,000 people undergo hernia repairs each year in the United States. Most of these are performed using an “open” approach which provides direct external access to the hernia defect through a single skin incision. Recently, an increasing number of patients have been undergoing Laparoscopic Hernia Repairs. This minimally invasive technique of hernia repair offers several advantages for proper candidates. Perhaps you may be an appropriate candidate for a Laparoscopic Hernia Repair.

In the Laparoscopic Hernia Repair three ½-1cm incisions are made in the abdominal wall. A long, thin camera (laparoscope) is inserted through an access tube in one incision and two surgical instruments are placed through the remaining incisions.The camera gives the surgeon an “internal” view of the abdominal wall and the hernia which is displayed on a video screen in the operating room. The hernia defect is then repaired from the inside of the abdominal wall using a piece of surgical mesh.

Compared to the conventional “open” approach, the laparoscopic repair is associated with a faster recovery, with most patients experiencing minimal pain and a quicker return to work and normal activities. The approach is most beneficial for patients with bilateral hernias (both left and right sides), allowing both sides to be fixed at the same time without any additional incisions, and virtually no additional discomfort. Patients with recurrent hernias are also good candidates for laparoscopic repair, since “open” repairs for recurrent hernias are known to have a much higher risk of complications such as re-recurrence, nerve injury, and injury to blood vessels. The smaller incisions used in Laparoscopic Hernia Repairs also result in an exceptional cosmetic result when compared to the open procedure.

However, not everyone is a candidate for a Laparoscopic Hernia Repair. Patients with a history of previous abdominal surgery, prostate surgery, or obesity may not be suitable for a laparoscopic repair as visualization may not be optimal in these situations. In rare cases, a surgery started laparoscopically cannot be completed and the operation must be converted to the “open” procedure.

So are you a candidate for a Laparoscopic Hernia Repair? Only after a detailed consultation and physical examination can your surgeon determine whether Laparoscopic Hernia Repair is right for you. The risks and benefits of each procedure must be weighed, and all patients should be made aware of the possibility of converting a laparoscopic procedure to an open one. The decision to perform or convert to an open procedure is a judgment decision made by your surgeon either before or during the actual operation. When the surgeon feels that it is safest to convert the laparoscopic procedure to an open one, this is not a complication, but rather sound surgical judgment. The decision to convert to an open procedure is strictly based on patient safety.

Incision Sites for Laparoscopic Hernia Repair

Internal view of hernia defect seen with laparoscopy

Placement of mesh over hernia defect

What Causes Adhesions After Abdominal Surgery?

Adhesions are fibrous bands of scar tissue that form after abdominal, pelvic, or thoracic surgery. They are part of the healing process and develop when the body’s repair mechanisms respond to any tissue disturbance, such as during surgery.

Adhesion formation is a common result of surgery, occurring in up to 93% of people who undergo abdominal or pelvic surgery. Most adhesions are painless and do not cause complications. However, they are the most common cause of small bowel obstructions in adults and are believed to contribute to the development of chronic pelvic pain.

Adhesions typically begin to form within the first few days after surgery, but they may not produce symptoms for months or even years. Some people may go an entire lifetime without experiencing symptoms from their adhesions. As scar tissue begins to form the motion of the small intestines becomes restricted, and the passage of food through the gastrointestinal tract slows. The intestines may become wrapped around these fibrous bands, becoming kinked, and causing a blockage. In severe cases, the constriction caused by the adhesions may cut off the blood supply to the segment of intestine, leading to strangulation and tissue death. In these situations emergent surgical intervention is required.

How Your Diabetes Can Affect Wound Healing

Diabetes is a condition where the body cannot use blood sugar effectively. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, an estimated 18 million Americans are known to have diabetes, and in 5.2 million the condition is undiagnosed.

Patients with diabetes will often find themselves needing surgery for one reason or another. Whether it’s an elective procedure or an emergency surgery, your diabetes affects the way your body protects itself and heals in several
ways. Strict control of blood sugar levels are a crucial part of the post-operative course, especially when it comes to healing of the surgical wound. The following are just some of the ways that uncontrolled diabetes can
delay wound healing:

Poor Circulation: Arteries play a major role in the circulatory system by carrying blood pumped by the heart to the
rest of the body. High blood glucose levels stiffen the arteries and cause narrowing or blockage of the blood vessels leading to decreased blood flow. With decreased blood flow the body’s ability to get oxygen and nutrients to the
site of the wound is also decreased. A wound that is not receiving the necessary amount of blood flow, oxygen, and nutrients that it should will exhibit a delay in the healing process.

Nerve damage: Long standing, uncontrolled diabetes affects the nerves and their functioning. Most commonly, the result is a loss of sensation—a condition referred to as diabetic neuropathy. Sensation is one of the most effective ways our bodies let us
know when something is not right. Through the feeling of pain we may discover the presence of infection, blistering, or opening of a surgical wound. In diabetics with nerve damage, this sensation is lost and as a result these
potential problems may go undetected. This can lead to a neglected wound, delays in treatment and prolonged wound healing.

Impairment of the Immune System: Diabetes reduces the body’s natural ability to fight infections. Increased blood sugar
levels cause dysfunction of immune cells. As a result, minor infections may turn into major problems and smaller wounds may become large defects due to a breakdown in the healing process.

What you can do to improve wound healing

Wound healing in diabetic patients can often be a long and challenging endeavor. The key to promoting healthy wound healing and preventing diabetes related wound complications is to keep your blood sugar levels under control.
Other medical conditions such as high blood pressure or cholesterol should also be controlled if present. Maintaining a healthy diet, a consistent exercise routine and frequent monitoring of the surgical wound are all effective ways of
managing blood glucose levels and providing the necessary nutrients required for wound healing.