I have seen numerous patients over the years who are positive with the HIV virus, otherwise known as the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and probably some that had the virus but it was unto them or they did not disclose it. Thesd patients fall into two categories of procedural requests; those patients seeking typical cosmetic procedures and those patients who have the adverse effects of antiretroviral therapies known as the lipodystrophy syndrome. In either case, there is always the... Read Full Story

Facial lipoatrophy, sometimes referred to as facial wasting, is the loss of fat in the face usually in the cheek and temple areas. It is not necessarily loss of fat in all cases, in some it is simply that it was never there to start. It really represents a failure of adequate development of the buccal fat pad and all its extensions or a loss of this fat pad over time due to aging or certain medications. Facial lipoatrophy presents itself in five degrees of severity from the subtle type I... Read Full Story

Amongst the many adverse effects of smoking on the body is its detrimental impact on wound healing. This phenomenon has been recognized since the late 1970s when a correlation between smoking and an increased risk of wound problems in surgery was established.This is quite important in plastic surgery where large skin flaps area raised, resulting in a decreased blood supply to the raised skin as the circulation is cut off from below and skin survival is dependent on blood flow coming in from... Read Full Story

In the most recent copy of the Plastic Surgery News, the statistics for procedures were reported for 2007. The total number of cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were not really different from 2006 with more than 1.8 million procedures performed for 2007. The top five cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were breast augmentation (348,000, + 6% from 2006), liposuction (302,000, no change from 2006), rhinoplasty (285,000, - 7% from 2006), blepharoplasty (241,000, + 3% from 2006), and tummy... Read Full Story

In looking at the latest plastic surgery statistics listed in the Plastic Surgery News, the single procedure with the greatest area of growth was that of facelifts. The statistics show that nearly 116,200 facelifts were performed on patients age 40 or older in 2007, an increase of 14% over 2006. On the one hand, that statistic seems surprising given all of the non-invasive or minimally invasive procedures which are currehtly touted. On the other hand, I am not surprised as I have seen a... Read Full Story

Start Living Better! OLOGY spas and the plastic surgery practice of Dr. Barry Eplpey of Indianapolis is proud to announce the arrival of Dr. James Cook, Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine to our facilities! Are you ready to change the way you live – for the better? From hormonal management to nutrition, exercise and sleep issues, Anti-Aging Therapy focuses on a long-term medical program to help you be at your best, and live a healthier, more vibrant life. Join Dr. Cook on Thursday, May... Read Full Story

Start Living Better OLOGY Spa and the plastic surgery practice of Dr. Barry Eplpey of Indianapolis is proud to announce the arrival of Dr. James Cook, Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine to our facility. Are you ready to change the way you live – for the better? From hormonal management to nutrition, exercise and sleep issues, Anti-Aging Therapy focuses on a long-term medical program to help you be at your best, and live a healthier, more vibrant life. Join Dr. Cook on Thursday, May 22 to... Read Full Story

Start Living Better – OLOGY is proud to announce the arrival of Dr. James Cook, Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine to our practice! Are you ready to change the way you live – for the better? From hormonal management to nutrition, exercise and sleep issues, Anti-Aging Therapy focuses on a long-term medical program to help you be at your best, and live a healthier, more vibrant life. Join Dr. Cook on Thursday, May 22 to begin your journey and learn more about this fascinating new area... Read Full Story

The upper and lower lips are one of the five main facial features that makes up and helps define the most recognizeable central third of the face. In today’s society, full lips are viewed as healthy and sensual, thin or wrinkled lips cast the opposite image. While the lips are paired, they are not identical due to their embryological origins. The upper lip is uniquely different than the lower as it has a central cupid’s bow or two-peak wave form which differentiates it from the smooth and... Read Full Story

While the wearing of earrings for both women and men has a long history, the more recent phenomenon of stretching the earlobe with plug inserts is more recent. This current ear adornment statement is often referred to as gauging, although the more accurate term would be stretching. From a plastic surgery standpoint, this is really tissue expansion of the earlobe. It is a different twist on our concept of tissue expansion in that it is done as an external method of tissue expansion as opposed... Read Full Story