I invite you to join me on this page where I’ll share with you what’s new in my practice, insights about health and beauty, and interesting and exciting innovations. And of course, I'll talk about plastic surgery because, after all, we're all curious about WHAT'S NEW aren't we!
Enjoy,
I am excited to report that Vogue Magazine has asked me to be one of their Vogue 100. This is a group of 100 women around the country selected by Vogue to serve as editors, tastemakers, and ambassadors in the world of fashion and beauty. Stay tuned for the inside scoop – I’ll keep you posted!
Dr. Carolyn Chang, San Francisco Plastic Surgeon
We can’t help but read the gossip magazines, or at least flip through them – our secret guilty pleasure. And even the ones we don’t read, we sneak a peek at when leaving the grocery checkout counter…
So what’s the latest gossip coming from the celebrity plastic surgery world? Victoria Beckham’s breast reduction! Rumor has it that she is so intent to be on the cover of Vogue magazine that she had her breasts downsized to increase her odds of landing the cover. Vogue’s editor, Anna Wintour, said she would consider putting Victoria on the cover, but told her she had to get her breasts looking better. Beckham recently had her surgery in France to downgrade from a 34DD cup to a B cup.
Victoria Beckham prior to her capsulectomy
So what’s the real scoop?
Victoria likely had a procedure called a capsulectomy, or a removal of the scar tissue surrounding the implants, with an implant exchanged to a smaller size. Victoria’s breasts were not only larger before, but they were also encapsulated, or hardened. This hardening occurs when the natural scar tissue that forms around any breast implant in the body thickens and contracts. The result is that the breasts look high, round, and unnatural. We’ve definitely seen plenty of evidence of this phenomenon in the pages of US Weekly.
Capsular contracture can occur in various degrees, from mild to severe. Mild encapsulation may be evident only as a slight firmness in the feeling of the implants, with minimal cosmetic consequence. More severe degrees can result in distortion of the breasts, and even pain in some cases. Long term untreated severe encapsulation is associated with a higher rate of implant rupture, and mammography in these patients is less reliable. For these health reasons, in addition to the undesirable cosmetic consequences, many patients may want to replace their encapsulated implants.
Luckily, most breast implants do not encapsulate to a severe degree, and there are various preventative measures that one can take, such as breast implant massage. Your surgeon should provide you with instruction as to how to best prevent encapsulation.
In the meantime, Victoria looks great. Her breasts are much more natural looking. I think they complement her figure nicely. Ms. Wintour should take note – only time will tell…
Dr. Carolyn Chang, San Francisco Plastic Surgeon
In a city that prides itself in being “au natural”, under the surface San Francisco is transforming itself – literally. Statistics show that San Francisco, not Los Angeles, leads the nation as the city where the most cosmetic surgery is performed!
I was interviewed by the very hip 944 Magazine recently about what’s driving the trend, and how the best kept secret in San Francisco is being held undercover.
FYI, the findings were arrived through per capita statistics provided by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy for Cosmetic Dentistry.
View the article in its entirety at 944 Magazine, and coverage of the story in Men’s Health Magazine.
Dr. Carolyn Chang, San Francisco Plastic Surgeon
I thought that it was interesting that MSNBC was reporting that some surgeons and patients are now citing increased interest in surgery among people wanting to look younger and “fresher” for the ever-competitive job market. This is a trend that I too am seeing in my office.
• The American Society of Plastic Surgeons released a recent survey showing that American women were looking at cosmetic surgery to get a competitive edge in the workplace.
• About 13 percent of the 756 women surveyed, between the ages of 18 and 64, say they would consider having a cosmetic medical procedure to make them more confident and more competitive in the job market.
• About 3 percent said they already had a cosmetic procedure to increase their perceived value in the workplace, and 73 percent said they believed that appearance and youthful looks play a part in getting hired, a promotion, or getting new clients, particularly in these challenging economic times.
You can read the article in its entirety at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30112465/
Copyright 2009 Reuters.
Dr. Carolyn Chang, San Francisco Plastic Surgeon
It disturbs and saddens me each time that I hear of a bad outcome in relation to an elective cosmetic surgery. Luckily, these cases are few and far between, and in many instances seem to be the result of insufficient safety standards or post-operative medical monitoring. I was pleased, then, to read that The Wall Street Journal recently published a report discussing recent crackdowns by states across the country on office-based outpatient surgery. I hope that by increasing awareness of the problem and by enforcing higher safety standards, these unfortunate potentially preventable outcomes will be a thing of the past.
According to the report, 17 percent of outpatient surgeries occur in physician offices, many of which are not accredited. New York and California, among other states, now requires accreditation of all physician offices that perform surgery requiring moderate or deep sedation, and violators will face stiff penalties from the state medical board.
In states without regulation, physicians can perform surgery in their offices as long as they have a medical license, although some do voluntarily undergo accreditation.
According to the report, outpatient surgeries account for 65 percent of all surgeries in the country, and the number of outpatient surgeries has increased 20 percent in the last 20 years. Of these, 45 percent are performed at hospital outpatient departments and 38 percent occur at Ambulatory Surgery Centers, both of which are generally considered to be safe.
Before undergoing any procedure, it is important to adopt the “buyer beware” stance in order to ensure that you will be in the safest environment possible. Elective cosmetic surgery should be a positive and rewarding experience.
Read the full article in the The Wall Street Journal at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203946904574300971306299860.html
Dr. Carolyn Chang, San Francisco Plastic Surgeon
Dr. Carolyn Chang is a premier San Francisco plastic surgeon and immediate past Vice Chair of Plastic Surgery at CPMC. She is renowned for her beautifully natural aesthetic, and has helped thousands of patients achieve transformative results.
Dr. Chang lives in San Francisco, with her husband Patrick and their children, James and Jemma. She is an avid world traveler and loves sampling the best restaurants that the San Francisco Bay Area has to offer.
Dr. Chang is seeing new patient consults in Menlo Park as a courtesy to her Peninsula and South Bay clientele.
Please call 415.923.3070 for more information.
Dr. Chang is pleased to announce the addition of Tatiana Longoria RN, aesthetic nurse, specializing in dermal fillers, neuromodulators, lasers, and microneedling with a natural aesthetic.
Appointments available on select Mon/Tues, please call to schedule 415.923.3070.
2100 Webster St.
Suite 508
San Francisco, CA
94115
T 415.923.3070
F 415 923.3069
