May 10th, 2010 Dr. Kemsley
We have been using Zerona and evaluating it for the past 8 months. Zerona is a type of laser that penetrates into the fat layer causing the fat cells to weaken and lose their fat. We have had some patients who have seen good results but unfortunately many others who have been disappointed. Because we cannot get consistent improvement for our pateints we are reluctantlynot going to continue with Zerona. We wish it was better. We will fall back on liposuction as the only tried and true treatment to permenantly improve problem areas.
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May 10th, 2010 Dr. Kemsley
As some of you may know Beth Fujino is back in our office. We have been without an aesthetician for awhile and are delighted to have Beth taking care of our patient’s skin care needs. We are really excited to feature the CLARISONIC PRO 4 speed cleansing system, which you can only find in medical offices, and the Opal sonic infusion system. Beth can teach you how to use these in your home care regime. Beth is trained in peels, microdermabrasion, waxing, and gives a incredible facial. Call Beth now for your appointment.
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April 6th, 2010 Dr. Kemsley
Orange County Breast Revision Surgery
Saline vs. Silicone Breast Revision Irvine
People often wonder what difference is there between saline and silicone breast implants. We do like silicone implants more than saline. Silicone absolutely feels more natural. In patients who have very little natural breast tissue a saline implant has more chance of getting folds or ripples that can be felt and actually show through the skin. The only benefit to saline is they are less expensive.
I recently had a patient with saline implants that had ripples showing through the skin. The implants were also sitting too low adding to the unnatural look. Our plan is to replace the implants with silicone and reposition them so they have a more natural feel and appearance.
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March 5th, 2010 Dr. Kemsley
My New Cowboy Hat
This winter has been exceptionable for rain and snow. They have had record snowfall across the northeast. This global warming is hard to figure out. Where is Al Gore to explain it to all of us? I had the pleasure of spending some of this winter in northwest Montana where our family has a home near Glacier National Park. We have three young grandchildren who had not spent time in the snow and it was great. They really liked the horse drawn sleigh. The highlight for me was a new felt cowboy hat that was perfect in the cold. Coming back to southern California is always nice. We need all this rain but it doesn’t match a good snowfall.
Cheers, Dr. Kemsley
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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 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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