New Cosmetic Surgery

The La Donna exhibition took place in the Vienna city hall from the middle to the end of the week. The topic of liposuction was raised during a panel discussion with other specialists on beauty and slimness, not least because apart from myself there were two other doctors present who like to offer liposuction for figure correction. In this discussion I spoke mainly about breast augmentation with stem cells, but naturally also made a contribution to the topic of liposuction.

There are still many misconceptions in this area of cosmetic surgery. Thus most cosmetic surgeons still do not know that the use of microcannulas (1.5–2 mm in diameter) make scar-free liposuction with a minimal after care of a few days  possible.

There are often controversial discussions on whether liposuction should be done before or after losing weight. My experience shows that it should be done beforehand, firstly because it makes further loss of weight easier and secondly because it creates space allowing the tissue to tighten up better during the subsequent weight loss. After a substantial weight loss the fat cells are so “sapped” that it is difficult to perform liposuction on them: they do not burst as easily as full fat cells when pierced by the liposuction cannula.

In many cases of weight loss, of course, liposuction is neither necessary nor effective. Only a consultation with the cosmetic surgeon can clarify things here. If you decide on this measure, however, then please have it done before your diet rather than afterwards.

Heinrich, MD

I have just read that my colleague Dr. Mang from Germany, a cosmetic surgeon well-known in the media who took part in a soap opera about beauty, has published a critical book on cosmetic surgery. General theme: no more superfluous breast augmentation, face lifts or liposuction – stop making zombies out of people! My respect!

Dr. Mang is remarkable for many reasons, not just because he speaks openly about the problems of the branch, but also because he openly admits to being an ENT doctor. It is no secret amongst us doctors that the specialist origins of a cosmetic surgeon say little about his ability, even though some specialists like to portray this differently to the public and the media.

I share Dr. Mang’s reservations – my misgivings about the stressful surgical methods of traditional plastic surgery are known. I am reminded here of the old saying: “Someone who has a hammer sees everything as a nail” – the more tools you have at your disposal the less likely you are to see everything as a nail that need to be hammered in! Surgery is often like the proverbial hammer…

For this reason I am of the opinion that (specialist) doctors for general practice with additional training in cosmetic surgery have a better basic training for the New Cosmetic Surgery than plastic surgeons! This is because they can choose the optimal tools for beauty and rejuvenation from all medical fields. In the area of beauty minimally invasive surgery, stem cells and bio-identical hormones are normally more effective methods than silicone and scalpels!

Stressful reconstructive surgery that of course belongs in the hands of an experienced plastic surgeon should normally not be necessary in cosmetic surgery.

Heinrich, MD

When I was in the USA recently, I read in the media that the wife of a well-known financial investor had been murdered. Her husband, incidentally, was being searched for as the main suspect after an adventurous escape to Canada with a speed boat, and apparently subsequently committed suicide. The murderer had made his victim’s body so unrecognisable that she could only be identified by means of the serial number of her breast implants. So implants good after all? This is admittedly macabre.

This reminds me of the novel “Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep?”, which was filmed as “Bladerunner”, directed by Ridley Scott, with Harrison Ford and Sean Young. Here on-the-run replicants, that is artificial humans who need to be destroyed, have to be distinguished from real humans. This can be done by examining skin cells bearing markers with serial numbers, which allow the clear identification of a cloned (replicant) human. Of course Harrison Ford, the Bladerunner, whose job it is to find and destroy the replicants, falls in love with replicant Sean Young of all people… You ought to see this film if you haven’t already done so.

oes this mean we will soon all have serial numbers implanted so that we can be clearly identified? As long as cosmetic surgery can do without implants by, for example, making breast augmentations from the body’s own fat, we should avoid using implants, even if this may one day make identification more difficult.