Off Label
June 12, 2013 - Rhys Branman, MD
Most of you are familiar with BOTOX® as a cosmetic drug to reduce wrinkles. Small injections of BOTOX® reduce muscle activity by blocking nerve impulses that cause excessive muscle contractions. BOTOX® also blocks nerve impulses causing hyperactive glandular activity, which is why BOTOX® can be used for excessive perspiration. The FDA approved the use of BOTOX® for cosmetic use to reduce wrinkles of the forehead in 2002. Before that BOTOX® had been approved for treatment of strabismus (eye muscle problems) and blepharospasm (spasms of the eyelids) back in 1989. Finally, in 2010, BOTOX® was FDA approved for preventing migraine headaches... 
Do any of you watch the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills? You may remember back in 2010 that Charlotte Markey of Rutgers University reported her study, which revealed that reality television shows gave women a more favorable view of cosmetic surgery. That study focused on shows like Extreme Makeover. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills show is about the lives of women rich enough to constantly travel, have cosmetic surgery, and throw huge parties, focusing on appearances and social class achievements. Oddly, none of them actually live in Beverly Hills, but other areas around Los Angeles. From Brandi Glanville's, recent... 
Gynecomastia is enlargement of the male breast. It can be emotionally devastating. Men, particularly adolescents often experience feelings of shame, embarrassment, and humiliation. There are many reasons men may develop gynecomastia; however, in most cases the cause is unknown or related to obesity. For some patients requiring surgery, liposuction works well if there is little or no ptosis (drooping or hanging). However, those who do not respond to liposuction and have an excess of glandular tissues in their breasts surgical excision is required. The goal in the management of gynecomastia is to obtain the correct diagnosis, control the patient’s symptoms... 
June is for men at Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center. In honor of Father's Day, Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center offers male breast reduction specials. Why on earth would men need breast reduction surgery? If you are one of the men suffering from gynecomastia you know why. Gynecomastia is the growth of abnormally large breasts in males. True gynecomastia is caused by excess growth of breast tissue, not excess fat tissue. This condition effects up to 60% of men at some time during their lives. 25% of gynecomastia is unresolved from puberty. About 30% of the adolescent boys who develop... 
by Guest Blogger Circe Santaniello Brotox. Men have joined the anti-wrinkle revolution. Yes, men are beginning to use BOTOX®, even here in Little Rock, on a regular basis. These brave trailblazers have taken it upon themselves to "masculinize" BOTOX®. No longer are the good drugs just for women. A movement of men seeking equality in cosmetic surgery have renamed the popular product to reflect their solidarity. Skeet Upton, a local movement activist, was quoted in an interview, reiterating the sentiments of this men's movement, "Why should we have wrinkles? Why should the women have all the youth serums? What happened... 
Yes, another new trend, kind of. In the search for a "natural" material for breast augmentation, fat grafting is becoming popular. Fat transfers are not new, and actually neither is the practice of using one's own fat for breast augmentation. In fact, this technique has gained popularity in breast reconstruction after mastectomy. The technique was being researched since before 2005, when the ban on silicone was still in effect. The problem is it does not always work. It certainly is not easier on the body, because the recovery time from liposuction to remove the fat from another part of your... 
The pressure to fit a specific standard of beauty in our culture can be detrimental to people. Let's explore this a bit. As an Arkansas cosmetic surgeon, helping people achieve their personalized goals of self improvement is my job. However, is the goal to look like the stereotypical, media enforced, one size fits all standard of beauty? Many ethnic patients are becoming aware of options in cosmetic surgery. Particularly, American ethnics are concerned with maintaining their ethnic identity. The stigma of undergoing cosmetic surgery is lessening in many ethnic communities as more reject the Caucasian standard of beauty. More and... 
The World Health Organization warns that 8% of the medical devices in use arecounterfeit. In fact, the WHO has even created a branch to protect the public from such devices. It is called the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce (IMPACT). Counterfeit medical devises and products pose a threat to patient health. They can cause infection (such as bandages that are not sterile) or injury, produce fallacious test results, and possibly death. One example of this was the 2010 recall of counterfeit surgical mesh. Surgical mesh is a woven fabric used in strengthening tissues in various procedures such as trauma wounds... 
The Journal of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery has published the results of a new study showing a relationship between triglycerides and liposuction in people who have had high levels of triglycerides. What are triglycerides? Well, triglycerides are the main form of fat that the body stores. These triglycerides are in the blood, saved for when you need energy. They are made of three fatty molecules and one molecule of glycerol, hence the name. The important thing is that it is believed that these triglycerides contribute to hardening of the arteries or thickening of the artery walls, which of course can... 