December 1st, 2009 Dr. Kemsley
We periodically get patients who have underarm perspiration that can’t be controlled with anti-antiperspirants. It can be excessive wetness and/or unpleasant odor. Both are a problem. The options we like are:
1: BOTOX INJECTIONS, this works well and works by paralyzing the sweat glands. The Botox is a gentle injection that works within 3 days and lasts up to 6 months, and then needs to be repeated.
2: EXCISION OF THE SWEAT GLANDS, This is a simple procedure that can often be done with local anesthetic. There is a short incision that runs across the hair bearing area from the front to the back.
3: VASER ULTRASOUND, this also is a simple procedure where an ultrasound instrument is used under the skin to damage the sweat glands. This can also be done under local anesthetic and the incision is tiny.
I had this problem and 20 years ago had the excision done. The results have been great. If I was doing it again I would probably do the Vaser Ultrasound.
Dr. Kemsley
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October 20th, 2009 Dr. Kemsley
BARIATRIC refers to severe weight loss in obese patients. This can be from dieting or surgery like gastric bypass or stomach banding. POST-BARIATRIC SURGERY refers to surgery that improves the appearance of patients who successfully lose most or all of their excess weight. Many patients have lost up to half of their weight but still have all the stretched out skin they had when they were heavy. POST-BARIATRIC SURGERY focuses on areas that suffer the worst from weight loss after obesity. These usually involve the abdomen, breasts, thighs, arms, back, and neck. The surgeries usually involve removing excess skin, reducing any residual fat, lifting areas that have sagged (like the breast). Patients need to accept incision lines and the fact the skin may never completely recover. Patients that understand the process are usually very pleased with the results.
Dr. Graham Kemsley
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October 14th, 2009 Dr. Kemsley
The Curse of MOOBS
GYNECOMASTIA is enlargement of the male breast. We see it in 10% of men. Men are often very embarrassed by this and will not take their shirts off at the pool or beach. Gynecomastia can be due to glandular enlargement or fat accumulation. We see 2 different times this develops. One is at puberty and this is mostly glandular enlargement from high hormone levels at this age. The glandular enlargement is similar but not identical to a woman’s breast. The second time we see gynecomastia is as men mature (sometimes called “man boobs” or “moobs”)and this is mostly fat with possibly some gland. It can look worse as the skin loosens with age. If it is mostly glandular we usually need to excise the tissue with a small incision below the nipple. With mostly fat we can treat it by liposuction which has tiny incisions. If there is a lot of skin looseness we may tighten the skin which requires more incisions. Men that have this surgery are usually very grateful and find it changes their life.
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October 13th, 2009 Dr. Kemsley
Orange County Silicone Breast Implant Surgery
Today I was asked by a patient if silicone breast implants are really safe. This, of course, came from restrictions of silicone implants by the FDA starting in 1990 that lasted for 15 years. There was concern at that time that silicone might cause autoimmune diseases (like rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and lupus) or increase breast cancer. At the time I felt fairly comfortable that silicone implants were fine but we had to wait for the FDA to do it’s research. Silicone implants became the most studied medical device in the history of the FDA. The best reports came from large studies comparing women without implants and women who had silicone implants for many years. They found that there was no difference in the two groups. The only area where there was some difference is some studies showed breast cancer was actually less in the patients with the implants!!! The only explanation for this is that women who get implants usually have less breast tissue.
I do use both silicone and saline implants (saline implants are filled with medical salt water) but I do prefer the silicone. They have a more natural feel and the chance of breakage (usually from trauma like a car accident) is less(1% a year for saline vs. 0.3% for silicone. Unfortunately the silicone implants are a little more expensive.
Dr. Kemsley
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September 24th, 2009 Dr. Kemsley
As some of you may know I tried Zerona. I had the 2 week course of 6 painless treatments. I fell asleep some of the time. How did it turn out??? Well I measure 3 inches less around my middle. It looks better and my pants are loose. It’s an improvement, which I like, but not incredible. I don’t have the 6 pack look I would love to have. Do I recommend Zerona? Yes. For the person who wants to see improvement with no down time or recovery – it’s good. For the person who wants maximum change – you may be better with full liposuction or a tummy tuck. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!!
Dr. Graham Kemsley
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September 16th, 2009 Dr. Kemsley
ORANGE COUNTY ZERONA WORKS
I just finished a ZERONA series on a slightly heavy middle aged lady. I was not getting a lot of feedback from this patient during her treatments and had been anxious that she would be disappointed. before we started her 6th treatment she stood up and pulled her pants about 4″ away from her hips and said “look at this, I couldn’t pull these up 3 weeks ago”. She had the biggest smile on her face (I had a bigger smile on mine). She asked how soon she could start a second series!! I wish I had before and after pictures of her in those pants!!! I’ll be taking pictures of patients in tight pants before they start the ZERONA treatments from now on.
Lynn (nurse Ratched – from “one flew over the cuckoo’s nest”)
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September 10th, 2009 Dr. Kemsley
WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT SMOKERS HAVING SURGERY?
We know that smokers have increased heart disease, lung disease, lung cancer, stomach cancer, mouth cancer, and other trivial problems.
But what about just having surgery which is only for a few hours? Is that ok? Well, if you smoke before surgery you still have nicotine and possibly carbon monoxide in your system. It doubles the chance of complications. There is increased risk of infection, blood clots, scarring, healing problems, tissue death, and pneumonia.
In plastic surgery the biggest concern is that the nicotine in your system interferes with circulation to your skin and this can result in possible skin death with severe disfigurement. This is worse in face lifts, tummy tucks, breast reductions and breast lifts. Most plastic surgeons will not do these type of procedures unless the patient is nicotine free for at least 10 days. Nicotine free means no cigarettes, no chewless tobacco, no nicotine patch, and no nicotine gum!!!
Be safe and be honest with your surgeon. Many operations have minimal risk for smokers but others are risky.
The best thing is to be nicotine free for at least 10 days.
Dr. Graham Kemsley
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September 4th, 2009 Dr. Kemsley
This past weekend I was at ZERONA “Super Saturday” meeting in San Diego. This was a meeting for the handfull of Plastic Surgeons who offer ZERONA treatments. It was interesting to see how everyone was as apprehensive as we were about improvements with the ZERONA. What a delight to find everyone was ecstatic after treating their first series of patients.
One Doctor said she took the machine to try it, expecting it not to work, and thinking she would get them to come and take it back. After treating 18 of her family and friends (including her husband who had previous liposuction with okay results but *now *has a six pack) she was very enthusiastic about the future of fat reduction
*without* surgery. I was happy and excited that we have the ZERONA and we are now seeing great results. *Dr. Kemsley* does not have a six pack but his waist is *3″ smaller*!!!
Lynn (nurse HAPPY)
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September 4th, 2009 Dr. Kemsley
We have been going through a *TON*of *LATISSE *in our office*!!!
Latisse, *when applied to the base of your lashes,* *makes them grow *longer and thicker*!!! Usually women see an improvement within a month and the lashes reach their desirable size within 3 months. Latisse was originally used for Glaucoma (pressure inside the eye) where it was used as eye drops. Women started to notice their lashes getting longer and thicker. *They loved it!!! You can too!!!
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August 25th, 2009 Dr. Kemsley
Zerona Experience in OrangeCounty
-Nurse Lynn
When Dr. Kemsley was initially looking into Zerona he was unsure (and so was I) that we could get desirable results. As soon as we got the machine Dr. Kemsley started treatments on himself. I was really nervous about being the one responsible for treating him. If he didn’t get the results I would be responsible for failed results. For the first treatment we did pictures and measurements and then every other day we did the treatments. He just finished the 6th treatment. *He’s looking GREAT!!! *Zerona recommends the final measurements be done one week after the last treatment. * Keep your fingers crossed that he sees a change in his belt size at the end of the treatment series….. I need my job!!!
Lynn (nurse and chief bottle washer)
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