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Is cosmetic surgery worth it?

Over 10 million plastic surgeries are performed in the United States alone every year. Of course, not all of these surgeries are a success, but the definition of successful surgery in cosmetic procedures is not as simple as defining success in a medical health procedure.

If a patient is suffering due to health problems caused by blocked arteries, cardiologists have little choice over the treatment method – they KNOW their job is to unblock the arteries themselves to allow blood to through through the cardiovascular system efficiently and both the patients and heart surgeon must take preventative measures to ensure the problem does not reoccur.

Plastic surgeries to reconstruct the body after trauma are not subject to much contraversy – nobody is going to deny a woman who has undergone a mastectomy the right to reconstruct her breasts to allow her to feel feminine again.

But what about the woman who simply looks in the mirror and dislikes what she sees?

Mental health problems such as depression and eating disorders are all connected to a low feeling of self worth. Mental illness affects more than 450 million people and costs governments around the world billions of dollars in treatment.

If only 10% of those 10 million cosmetic surgeries performed yearly improve the patients mental state by improving their self esteem, the effect on the economy will be drastic. With therapy costing $200 USD plus a one hour session, the provisions for mental health treatment on national health services being inadequate, and therapists recommending at least one hour of therapy a week (52 hours of therapy a year) many patients suffer in silence as they are unable to fund the $10,000 costs.

For patients whose mental problems are caused by body image, surgeries to improve their looks not only raises confidence and improves metal health. This issue is largely missed by those who argue against state funded plastic surgery procedures. Let’s say on average one plastic surgery procedure costs $5000USD. If 10% of those surgeries were funded by the state if the patient made a choice to improve their health with breast augmentation as opposed to therapy, governments would not only be doing their duty by providing patients with the health care they choose, but could save over $500 billion USD.

In the meantime, most patients have to fund plastic and cosmetic procedures themselves. Breast augmentation surgery can cost as much as $6000USD. For many people this is out of their financial league, hence the massive rise in cosmetic procedures abroad.

Breast Implants – over 350,000 surgeries yearly

In the United States alone, over 350,000 women have breast augmentation surgery yearly, with an additional 90,000 breast implant procedures for breast reconstruction surgery following mastectomies.

The procedure of breast augmentation is considered one of the safer cosmetic procedures and offers patients a wide choice as to how their figure will look post surgery.

The first step is deciding what size and shape you want your new breasts to be. There are many ways you can choose the breasts you want and with digital computer imagery you can see how your new breasts will look on your body. To prevent you from choosing an implant that is smaller or larger than you wanted, plastic surgeons suggest patients try padding a bra with tissue to the size you think you want. Patients also recommend using  the rice test: Fill a plastic bag with rice to the weight of the implant you are considering. Mould the bag of rice inside your bra and try wearing it for a day or two to see how you feel.

There is no one size fits all technique to breast implants; an implant that will increase one woman’s breasts to a DD cup, can boost another patients breasts to a C or larger. Your plastic surgeon will guide you in choosing the implant size and shape that is going to give the best result.

Once the implant is chosen, your surgeon must decide where in the breast the implant will be placed.

The method of implant placement most frequently used is submuscular breast implant placement as it produces the most natural results. The implant is placed under the natural breast tissue. Once the breast implant is in place the implant can be covered with the pectoral muscle, using extra muscles from the chest wall to conceal it completely. Submuscular placement of implants is not suitable for every patient and surgeons may recommend subglandular placement instead, placing the implant on top of the chest muscle but below the mammary gland.

Implants can be placed through an incision around the areola, an incision underneath in the crease of the breast, through the armpit or, occasionally, through the navel. the placement of the incision site for implant placement depends on the individual patient, whether breast feeding is a consideration and the scarring that is likely. For more information about the incision site that may be suitable for you, please read further.

Todays “teckie” healthcare consumers and how this affects your practice?

With IPhones and IPads and IThis and IThat, today’s healthcare consumers are more technologically advanced than ever and demanding the same from their healthcare providers. Take notice of how hospitals and doctors are ramping up entire divisions dedicated to internet marketing. So how can you plug into this concept and reach new patients???

First let’s start with the basics: Did you become a doctor because you have an inner desire to help people and are rewarded by a patient’s recovery? Or simply, do you have a curiosity for modern medicine? Perhaps both are true, but in the end no matter what posses you to dedicate your life to others, you come to this one conclusion: patients equal profits. The only way you will grow your practice is by attracting new patients. So how are modern physicians achieving this? Internet and social network marketing, of course.

An article written earlier this year by Lisa Zamosky of the Los Angeles Times stated that 68 percent of patients contacted their doctors using an online service or directory. Even referrals or patients, who heard about your practice by word of mouth, still ended up using Google to find out more about you and your treatments. The patients of today want more- more research, more information, more involvement, more interaction- and they are expecting that from their doctors. It is a growing trend to connect doctors to their patients through social sites like Facebook and Twitter but also finding it beneficial to partner themselves with healthcare directories that not only allow a patient to search for a specific doctor, but sites like WhereismyDoctor.com that allow the doctors to answer a patient’s medical question and chat online. This type of connection between the doctor and patient evokes individualized personal attention. In the meantime, the doctors are provided an abundance of support from these sites with online advertising, press releases, social networking and, ideally in the end, more patients. It’s a one stop shopping opportunity for doctors who want to participate in new age marketing but don’t have the time to do it themselves.

Nashua, N.H. internist Kevin Pho, a physician, says, “Doctors who are not active online risk being marginalized.” Pho continues, “If you go back two generations, doctors came to your house. They lived in your community. They probably went to the same church.” With social media, he says, “what we’re really doing is going back and creating a more personal experience with technology.” Pho’s own Twitter and Linked-In profiles refer to him as social media’s leading physician voice.

The increased interaction of doctors and patients online has led to a new phenomenon: e-consults. E-consults are online physician consultations where doctors answer a patient’s question on non-emergency ailments such as symptoms or prescription medicines. One health information researcher found that approximately 42% of U.S. physicians have used the internet to discuss clinical symptoms with patients. In addition, more than 9 million people have attested to communicating on-line with their physician.

Because of this growing trend, major insurance companies have expressed interest. And, lucky for all doctors…it’s in your favor. Insurance companies are increasingly reimbursing doctors for online consultations. Big insurers like Cigna, Aetna, WellPoint, and a number of Blue Shield plans have moved in this direction. But how does one charge for online consultations? Typically, e-visits average around $30 per visit, as opposed to an average $100 for an in-office consultation. The positives are for everyone involved…The patient receives a quick response from the physician without leaving the comforts of their home. The Doctors are still paid for their services and the insurance companies save money.

Physician interaction on sites like WhereismyDoctor.com allows a doctor to educate and connect with patients, which allows the patient to make an informed decision without the doctor and treatment they are searching for. In turn, the doctors feel like they are not overstepping ethical boundaries nor are they persistently self-promoting themselves. Of course talking about patients on a social site or forum is never recommended; but rather the purpose is to reach out to a patient with genuine concern to forge a relationship.

So what do patients think about all this? Patients have stated that a doctor’s online presence on interactive sites like WhereismyDoctor.com sealed their decision to pick that doctor. One WhereismyDoctor.com community member states, “This is the way people are used to communicating these days. It’s great to finally connect with my doctor now the same way.” A doctor who responds to patients’ concerns online through forums and social sites without tagging on a fee is a good indicator of that doctor’s integrity.

So the question remaining is: How do you want to be found, seen, searched, researched, asked, and contacted by the “teckie” patients of today? If you’re not connected are you willing to miss out on a world of patients just waiting to connect with you? Get connected now with patients worldwide with WhereismyDoctor.com.

Dentistry in the U.S. Prevails Amidst Economic Turmoil

One may assume that in times of economic recession, dentists are ones to feel neglected as people count pennies to survive. Americans, however, seem to prioritize their pearly white teeth despite how low the Dow Jones may dip. Dentistry in the United States has not suffered in comparison to other industries.

In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects the dental industry to advance: “Employment is projected to grow faster than the average. Job prospects should be good, reflecting the need to replace the large number of dentists expected to retire.” In fact, the BLS predicts employment for dentists to grow by 16% through 2018. This is much faster than the average of other occupations that similarly require additional schooling.

In 2009, there were 5,010 dentists in the United States registered with the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Their mean hourly and annual wages were $73.83 and $153,570 respectfully. In 2008, the mean annual wage of dentists was $142,870. Remember that overall unemployment rose in 2009 as America experienced the worst economic levels since the Great Depression. Meanwhile, the wages for dentists increased. Dentists in the U.S. prove to do alright amidst national economic turmoil.

Furthermore, “The demand for dental services is expected to continue to increase,” reports the BLS.

One influential factor is that more dentists in the U.S. seem to be retiring or working fewer hours than the number of dentists graduating from dental school. Consequently, the demand for dentists rises while the supply decreases.

Another factor assisting the dental industry in the U.S. may be that during times of recession, people tend to eat less healthy. Eating bad food is bad for your teeth- but great for dentists as more people find themselves needing fillings and dental implants.

Take a look at common population trends: The elderly population is growing while simultaneously living longer. The life expectancy of Americans in 2010 is 78.3 according to the national census (76.7 for men / 80.8 for women). It’s a common fact that one’s teeth become less attractive as one ages. And with the emphasis Americans place on their teeth, dentists will remain busy.

More specifically, look at the baby-boom generation: baby boomers grew up smoking and drinking coca cola. They’re teeth were fine throughout their twenties but by the time they reached their thirties, things were not so pretty. In their forties they, as well as their toddlers, had routine dental checkups now that they could afford it. They’re the ones who shaped the demand for advancements in cosmetic dentistry. These baby boomers are the ones undergoing the more expensive cosmetic dental treatments to correct for the years of smoking that appear on their teeth today. They instilled the values of dental hygiene into their children, who look at Julia Roberts’ breathtaking smile and add pressure to this ever-growing emphasis on sparkling white teeth.

Dentistry in the U.S. has expanded enormously as technological advances have vastly improved oral hygiene and the ability to preserve healthy teeth. In the U.S. dentists offer an array of services ranging from teeth whitening (one of the most popular dental treatment), to braces to full tooth extraction.

Perhaps dentists in the U.S. should be thanking Marlboro Man and the baby boomers for assisting in the success of their industry in today’s dour economy.

Skin Care IS Healthcare

For a long time, skin care didn’t fall under the bracket of healthcare. Little was known about allergies, skin rashes or acne and many people ignored skin problems as minor irritations. As knowledge improves of allergies, causes of skin complaints and with the development of treatment for acne, visits to the dermatologists are becoming a regular part of people’s healthcare routines.

Dermatologists continue to offer cosmetic anti-aging solutions and rejuvenational skin care treatments, and increasingly these traditional methods of dermatology are combined with medical techniques and knowledge to provide skin care that is healthcare.

From teenage years with the onset of acne, hormones play a large role in regulating our skin. For women, pregnancy and menopause often trigger major hormonal  imbalances which affect the skin.  The changes in a womans’ skin are often visible and can affect confidence.  A family doctor can provide treatment to balance the hormones over time. In the meantime, as explained  by dermatology clinic NuU Unlimited based in Chicago, USA medical aesthetic treatments can often remove the symptoms of these imbalances which treatment is ongoing.

Hormonal imbalances in men often trigger slightly different symptoms. As teenagers, men are more prone to acne which dermatology provides a cure for, yet with aging it is often hair growth affected by hormonal changes in men. Hair transplant surgery offers a solution for men experiencing hair loss, but often excess hair can be just as distressing. Dermatology alone can offer men a solution to excess hair. Laser hair removal allows men to not only remove the excess hair but to do so privately; laser hair removal is symptom-less and does not require great time commitments or recovery time.

Dermatological treatments such as chemical peels and dermabrasion can relieve symptoms of eczema and allergic reactions, while intense pulsed light treatment removes signs of hyper-pigmentation or sun damage.  Whether to remove unwanted tattoos, smooth out wrinkled skin or cure painful acne, in today’s world of blemish free skin dermatologists are increasingly in demand. Skin care is healthcare and plays an important part of delaying the aging process.

Is a dermatologist consultation part of your healthcare routine? Tell us about it

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