July 17th, 2011
Medical tourism dates back thousands of years. Greek pilgrims traveled to the Sacronic Gulf to a territory called Epidauria, considered the first medical tourist destination, for medical treatments and mineral waters for healing not unlike our spas today. Medical tourism seems to be gaining resurgence with elective surgeries. The lure of a tropical 
vacation package in a far off land which combines the cosmetic procedure of your choice with sunshine, beaches, rest and relaxation away from family, friends and home at a reasonable cost is a tempting proposition to some San Francisco Bay Area patients. There are many countries that are marketing themselves as medical tourist destinations, including; Thailand, India, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, South Korea and more.
There are some very important things to consider that may not seem apparent at first look. Language and cultural barriers make communicating with doctors and nurses frustrating. Doctors in some countries are regarded as authority figures who often are not questioned. Many countries have infectious diseases that Americans and Europeans would not have built up a natural immunity to such as mosquito transmitted diseases, influenza and tuberculosis. Standards of post operative care can vary dramatically depending on the hospital and the country. Accreditation and other measures of quality vary widely across the globe. Traveling a long distance after surgery can be dangerous for possible blood clots in the legs.
Many countries and doctors have lower fees because they do not have protection for patients such as liability insurance. Or they may be using inferior products for such popular surgeries as breast augmentation or breast augmentation with a lift. French made silicone P.I.P. breast implants have a high rupture rate and were eventually recalled. Consultant plastic surgeon Douglas McGeorge of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) said PIP implants were not used by members of the Association. He said “These are cheap products that tend to be used by commercial companies and could well be used in women who have gone abroad for surgery. They are attracted by cut-price deals but as ever, you get what you pay for”. The recalled implants resurfaced and were rebranded as M-implants putting even more women at risk. This would not be the case in the United States where implants are closely monitored by the FDA for safety.
If you should be awarded a mal practice suit by a court, the doctor or hospital may not have insurance and collecting may be impossible. If a medical complication should arise, your personal medical insurance will probably not cover you while you are out of the country so additional costs could result. If you have a complication once you return home you then either have to return to the foreign country or find a local doctor willing to take on a case with complications which can be very expensive.
Relaxing on the beach to recover is not a good option, it is important to stay out of the sun and the water to avoid scarring and infection. Being close to home where you may have a friend or family member to watch out for you is optimal. And most importantly having your surgeon nearby is the safest situation. After healing is a good time to plan and enjoy a trip to a far off destination.
Posted in Home | No Comments »
June 25th, 2011
Tummy tuck and liposuction are completely different procedures that solve different problems. Liposuction will only remove fat under the skin and above the abdominal muscles, where a tummy tuck removes fat, skin and tightens the abdominal wall. If the patient has good muscle tone, and probably has not had children, the result with liposuction body sculpting alone can be quite dramatic.
The incisions are very small and in time fade to almost invisible. I have had San Francisco Bay Area patients come in thinking that they wanted a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty only to find out that they are excellent candidates for liposuction alone. When possible, liposuction is a great procedure with excellent results, allowing the patient to return to work or regular activities within just a few days. Even though age is not a factor, older patients tend to have less elasticity in their skin which means they will not get an optimal result.
�
For women who have had children, or patients that have had a significant amount of weight loss, liposuction will not give them a smooth, flat stomach. In fact liposuction alone can make the condition worse by removing the foundation on which the skin rests (the underlying fat) and end up with even looser skin. To get the best result, they will need to have excision of fat, skin and tightening of lax abdominal muscles, which the tummy tuck procedure includes. In most cases, the tummy tuck procedure also includes some liposuction. There are some tradeoffs though when opting for a tummy tuck that the patient needs to be aware of. First of all the incision from the tummy tuck generally goes from hip to hip. It is placed low on the abdomen so that it is hidden in the panty line. When tightening the abdominal muscles, the belly button will need to be repositioned. The tummy tuck is one of my favorite cosmetic procedures with one of the highest ratings in patient satisfaction. Many patients find that they have an even flatter abdomen than before childbirth or weight gain. And an additional bonus is removal of a majority if not all stretch marks.
Posted in Home | No Comments »
May 17th, 2011
San Francisco patients feel the brow lift is one of the most exciting procedures done for rejuvenation of the face. There are several different approaches to doing a brow lift, but for those who would be a candidate, the “brow-pexy” is one of the newest, with great advantages in that it is a much less invasive procedure. This procedure does not lift the entire brow but the lateral aspect or “tail” of the brow. 
The Brow-pexy is most often done in conjunction with upper eyelid surgery as the access incision line is the same, which is in the natural crease of the eyelid. “Pexy” means to secure or fix. Through the incision, there is removal of excess muscle and fat and a bit of skin, using hidden stitches; the eyebrow is “fixed” at a higher, more desirable position. This prevents the brow from dropping below the superior bony ridge and creates a sculptured upper eyelid. This procedure has more direct control of the final shape and position of the lateral eyebrow. This has proved to be an excellent procedure for Bay Area men who are concerned about visible scars on their scalp.
Many Marin patients opt for an additional procedure that can easily be done at the same time. This would be the “corrugator muscle excision”. The corrugator muscle is the muscle that allows the eyebrows to squeeze together forming worry or frown lines. By removing a part of this muscle the patient will not be able to create the line between the brows, having a similar effect as Botox injections except the results are permanent.
Posted in Home | No Comments »
April 16th, 2011
The statistical report from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) has just been released and shows an increase of almost 9% for 2010. This encouraging news has been reported in different news media such as CNN Money, and Web MD and reflects a hopeful trend for job seekers in a recovering economy. According to Dr. Felmont Eaves III, the ASAPS president, “Patients who put off surgery because of uncertainty in the economy and the job market are coming back for tried and true procedures. Growth in demand will likely continue as the recession eases and baby boomers and their offspring begin to explore surgical and nonsurgical options.”
Many San Francisco, Bay area patients are opting for some type of facial rejuvenation as they head back into the job market. Image is definitely a factor and competition remains fierce. For those who have time for the recovery period, a full face lift or brow lift may be in order.
But many cannot afford much down time and expense is major consideration. These patients may choose to have an office procedure such as upper eyelid surgery that can be done in about an hour under a local anesthetic and the results do a lot for refreshing the face. Injectables such as Botox which can erase worry lines between the eyes are very popular as well as the various injectables that fill in the frown lines around the mouth that make one appear older and or angry.
Patients are surprised to learn they have many options that can fit into their time frame and budget. A consultation with Dr. Delgado is the best way to find out what options are available for you.
Posted in Home | No Comments »
February 6th, 2011
Several articles have been recently published on the possibility of a link between a rare cancer called anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL)and breast implants. Articles have appeared in Cosmetic Surgery Times, Modern Medicine and Medscape, to name a few.
ALCL is a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a rare cancer of the immune system that can occur anywhere in the body. 1 out of 500,000 women per year are diagnosed with ALCL in the United States. Even more rare is ALCL of the breast, 3 out of 100 million annually for women without breast implants.The FDA says that the risk is so small that they continue to support a “reasonable assurance” that FDA approved implants are safe.
According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc. (ASAPS), the condition is incredibly rare with only 34 cases worldwide in the past 25 years among an estimated 10 million implanted devices. It is believed that the vast majority of plastic surgeons will never see a single case in a lifetime of practice. To put the odds into perspective, according to the National Weather Service, the chances of being struck by lightning in any given year are 1 in 700,000.
In most cases the cancer was discovered when women were seeking treatment for implant related symptoms such as; pain, swelling, lumps or asymmetry, after healing from breast augmentation. For women with implants the cancer is usually inside the scar tissue of the capsule and is not considered breast cancer.
Hopefully this information will put San Francisco and Bay Area women’s mind at ease, however anyone with questions or concerns should have a discussion with their plastic surgeon.
Posted in Home | No Comments »
January 7th, 2011
Dr. Delgado welcomes you to his new blog page on his newly revised and updated website! You will find
answers to many questions and concerns about plastic surgery, that patients present to him on an ongoing basis. As new information becomes available Dr. Delgado will keep you informed. Advances are made continuously in surgery techniques, medications, and equipment. Also for the men, you may want to visit Dr. Delgado’s specialized web site for gynecomastia as well as the blog site.
You are invited to email Dr. Delgado with any questions you may have at info@dr-delgado.com, he will do his best to answer all questions promptly. Of course you are always welcome to come in, meet the staff, see our facility, including our state of the art surgery center, Marin Cosmetic Surgery Center located in Novatoin the Bay Area. You can schedule a consultation with Dr. Delgado at either our San Francisco office or Marin, to discuss your personal situation. If you are interested in a surgical procedure, after meeting with Dr. Delgado, you would then meet with our patient coordinator who will be able to give you more details on the process of scheduling surgery and present you with a detailed quote.
Posted in Home | No Comments »
