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It’s been years since I’ve blogged for Plastic Surgery Uncut. I worked for Dr. Walden as a premedical student in New York City, shadowing her and gaining clinical experience. Now, I’m a first-year medical student at the Icahn School of Medicine (formerly Mount Sinai School of Medicine) in New York City, pursuing an MD/MPH degree.

I’ve been wanting to return to this blog for some time now as I always enjoy writing. Therefore, it is only appropriate that I blog about my favorite celebrity and her recent medical endeavor.

Angelina Jolie, arguably one of the world’s most beautiful women, recently underwent a preventive double mastectomy. After learning that she carries the BRCA1 gene, a gene linked to a significant increase in breast and ovarian cancer, she elected to have both breasts removed. In doing so she has reduced her chances of getting breast cancer to “under 5%” (though it varies for each individual).

Angelina Jolie underwent three different procedures. The first was called “nipple delay” which she describes in her NY Times Op-Ed piece, “rules out disease in the breast ducts behind the nipple and draws extra blood flow to the area. This causes some pain and a lot of bruising, but it increases the chance of saving the nipple.” She then underwent a second procedure to remove the breast tissue, and a final procedure to reconstruct her breasts through the use of an implant.

Two genes BRCA1 and BRCA 2 are associated with a risk for developing breast cancer. Many women who know they carry one or both of these genes undergo a preventive mastectomy. Angelina Jolie says, “I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.”

Photo from JustJared.com

Before and After Mommy Makeover: Antes y después: retos y riesgos del ‘Mommy Makeover’
Check out Dr. Jennifer Walden being interviewed on Univision in the second segment of this two part series on the trends of Hispanic plastic surgery being on the rise as well as friends getting plastic surgery together! See the before and afters as well:

In this segment, Yolanda and Ivy are recovering from breast augmentation, tummy tuck and suction assisted lipectomy (liposuction), after having undergone the surgery at Dr. Walden’s AAAASF accredited office operating room. Friends getting plastic surgery together is nothing new; they serve as a constant source of support for each other as confidantes often do. It also isn’t uncommon to see mothers and daughters or husbands and wives getting procedures around the same time. It is important for each patient to have a reliable caregiver besides the other person getting surgery so that they can recover with enough care and personal attention to optimize their outcome and results.

You can learn more about these rising trends on Dr. Walden’s website here.

En Espanol:
Echa un vistazo a la Dra. Jennifer Walden siendo entrevistado por la cadena Univision en el segundo segmento de esta serie de dos partes acerca de las tendencias de la cirugía plástica hispana de estar en el lugar, así como amigos someterse a una cirugía plástica juntos! Ver el antes y afters, así:

En este segmento, Yolanda y la hiedra se está recuperando de aumento de senos, abdominoplastia y lipectomía de succión asistida (liposucción), después de haber experimentado la cirugía en AAAASF habitación acreditado Dr. Walden operativo de la oficina. Amigos hacerse una cirugía plástica juntos no es nada nuevo, sino que servirá como una fuente constante de apoyo mutuo como confidentes a menudo. Tampoco es raro ver a madres e hijas, esposos o esposas recibiendo procedimientos en torno a la misma hora. Es importante que cada paciente tiene un cuidador fiable, además de la persona que someterse a una cirugía para que puedan recuperarse con bastante cuidado y una atención personalizada para optimizar sus resultados y resultados.

Usted puede aprender más acerca de estas tendencias crecientes en el sitio web del Dr. Walden aquí.

Check out Dr. Walden’s interview with Medscape, a healthcare and medicine website by WebMD with current information on the latest in medical procedures and technology:

Plastic Surgeon Says Labial Surgery Can Be Life-Changing for Patients

An Expert Interview with Jennifer L. Walden, MD
by Stephanie Cajigal
As published on Medscape here on Feb 11, 2013
Medscape Editor’s Note:

Labiaplasty, a procedure done to reduce the size of the labia minora in women, is one of the most common female genital aesthetic surgeries, says Jennifer L. Walden, MD, a plastic surgeon with a private practice in Austin, Texas. Dr. Walden, who has performed 25-50 labiaplasties per year since opening her practice 9 years ago, says that although the procedure can be life-changing, it is too often done by physicians unfamiliar with the latest techniques and with little experience operating on female genitalia. In this interview with Medscape, she reveals what she considers to be best practices for this procedure.

Medscape: How exactly is labiaplasty done?
Dr. Walden: It involves an excisional procedure to make the labia smaller and more cosmetically appealing. There are several ways to treat labial hypertrophy that have been described in the literature. The excisional techniques involving a wedge excision, such as a V-wedge or W-plasty, are the preferred techniques nowadays. They put the incision line on either aspect of the labia minora. An older method, which has largely been abandoned, is trimming the outer edge of the labia minora.
The V-wedge and W-plasty lead to less scar burden and to fewer problems, such as itching, burning, and painful sex, which were more common with the older procedures. They also preserve the natural border of the labia because the incision is down along the inner aspect of it, and the incision crosses and goes down the outer aspect of the midline of the labia minora.
Medscape: Is this procedure growing in popularity?
Dr. Walden: I’d say that it’s become more acceptable in the past decade, and that’s because techniques have improved, more doctors are now marketing that they do the procedure, and more doctors who specialize in the procedure have emerged. All of these things combined have led to it becoming less taboo and more accepted because it is not only cosmetically appealing, it’s functionally appealing, too. However, when anything gains in popularity, there are always going to be hangers-on who want to jump on the trend. There are people who are less qualified to do genital surgery who do it anyway, and that’s what gives cosmetic procedures a bad name. But there are a lot of very well-qualified people who are trained to surgically address these issues who produce nice results and change the quality of life for a lot of women.
Medscape: What are the main reasons why women seek this procedure?
Dr. Walden: Usually they are seeking it because they’re having local irritation of the area, problems with personal hygiene when going to the bathroom or during their menstrual cycle, interference with sex, and discomfort during cycling, sitting, or walking or with tight jeans or yoga pants. What we hope is for the labia minora to be housed within the labia majora because the labia majora have a different quality to the skin and are designed to protect the inner labia minora. When the labia minora protrude outside of the labia majora, it’s essentially a part of the female anatomy that’s not protected, and it can be very irritating. Therefore, one of the main benefits is just an improvement of discomfort.
Women can also have a general concern with the appearance of their labia, so they want it to look as nice as possible. And that’s OK. It’s not a bad thing for women to want to look as good as possible.
Medscape: Are these benefits documented in the medical literature?
Dr. Walden: There have been a lot of well-done studies on this procedure, and there also have been a lot of case reports and small series, not just in the plastic surgery literature but in the obstetrics and gynecology literature.[1-3] In many different specialties, this is a well-documented procedure.
My labiaplasty patients are some of my happiest patients because it’s a relatively straightforward and short procedure that’s done on an outpatient basis. Within about an hour, it can be kind of life-changing.

References:

Mass SM, Hage JJ. Functional and aesthetic labia minora reduction. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2000;105:1453-1456. Abstract
Alter GJ. Labia minora reconstruction using clitoral hood flaps, wedge excisions, and YV advancement flaps. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2011;127:2356-2363. Abstract
Murariu D, Jackowe DJ, Parsa AA, Parsa FD. Comparison of wedge versus straight-line reduction labiaplasty. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2010;125:1046-1047. Abstract

Many say that the economy is on its way to recovery since the economic downturn of 2009-2010. The market is showing increases, buy many feel a more indicative marker on the economic recovery is the increase in the number of cosmetic procedures performed each year. Cosmetic procedures are seen as a marker of disposable income and in the past year cosmetic procedures have increased 5%, with 1.5 million plastic surgeries performed in 2011. The most noticeable increase has been seen with minimally invasive procedures such as Botox, dermal fillers and laser treatments. These procedures have become increasingly popular because of the nominal cost and also due to the fact that they require little to no downtime with most people returning to work the same day. Although cosmetic procedures have not quite made it back to where they were at their peak in 2005, many are optimistic that the numbers will continue to increase and reach their previous highs over the next few years. Check out Dr. Jennifer Walden on Austin’s KVUE TV on these trends.

It used to be that you would go to a salon to get your hair and nails done but these days salons offer all kinds of beauty treatments including cosmetic injectables and even more invasive procedures. The prices can be very cheap, but the results can be catastrophic.

On this episode of KVUE’s HealthVue, Dr. Jennifer Walden is interviewed on why it is crucial for consumers to take a second look and ask more questions. Notably, there was a dramatic case out of Miami last year when reports surfaced about illegal cosmetic injections being performed on several women. “Doctors” were accused of injecting these women with substances like mineral oil, super glue, concrete, and Fix-a-Flat. The women reportedly were getting buttock injections in hopes of attaining a healthy “backside”, but they could have lifetime disfigurement as a result.

Last month, in Tyler, Texas, a salon owner was arrested for injecting clients in the breast and buttocks with an unknown substance (likely automotive grade silicone) and closing it with a superglue-type sealant. Why would someone get this done to their body? Perhaps it is the very low cost and the lack of information about what these victims are being injected with.

As Dr. Walden explains, it is important that patients are educated about the three P’s: Product, Practitioner, and Place.

1. Product - Make sure the product you are getting injected with is an FDA approved product for the particular area you are wanting injected. The FDA has approved certain products for injection into different regions of the face for cosmetic purposes, like Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, Radiesse, and Sculptra. There is no synthetic material that has been approved by the FDA for injection in the breast so that is a red flag itself. Ask what neurotoxin or filler is being used, and even research the product labeling online. If a provider refuses or is unable to tell you what material you are being injected with, do not let that person treat you.

2.Practitioner – Know what type of practitioner to go to like a physician trained to do cosmetic procedures or his/her designee such as a physician’s assistant, nurse practitioner, or registered nurse with cosmetic injection training. Go to a doctor in one of the core specialties like plastic surgery, dermatology, or otolaryngology who is also board-certified in that specialty.

3. Place - Don’t get injected in a place that you feel uncomfortable undergoing a procedure in such as a salon, mall, or private home. These are medical procedures and they ideally should be performed in a medical office or medical facility due to its sanitary environment with resources at hand. Often the price may seem too good to pass up, but if you hear of a Groupon ad that’s too good to be true or a salon owner that is offering rock bottom prices on something that is going to be injected in your face or body, let the buyer beware as it be dangerous or even fatal. Even at a Botox “party” or event, a physician must be supervising anyone who is doing these procedures and they must the appropriate credentials, meaning they have to be a registered nurse, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant with special training to administer cosmetic injectables.

In other words, do your research, ask questions, and become informed!

DR. JENNIFER WALDEN WAS HONORED TO BE FEATURED AS A TOP COSMETIC SURGEON IN NYC PRIOR TO HER MOVE TO AUSTIN, TEXAS. PIERCE MATTIE, AN ESTEEMED BEAUTY AND FASHION PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRM, WROTE THE ARTICLE BELOW, ENTITLED, “ROUNDUP OF THE BEST COSMETIC SURGEONS IN NYC” ON NOVEMBER 14, 2011. THANKS, PIERCE MATTIE!

If you’re looking to undergo cosmetic surgery, here are three cosmetic surgeons located in New York City, known for their skill and expertise.

Dr. Phillip Miller: Dr. Philip Miller is a cosmetic surgeon that has remained on the list of Best Doctors in America since 2007. He specializes in facial surgeries, including plastic, cosmetic, and rejuvenation procedures. Due to his extensive training, studying and applied experience of over twenty years, he attracts many patients, including an extensive-secret celebrity list.

Dr. Phillip Miller has also been featured in many magazines like W Magazine, Marie Claire and The Wall Street Journal, in addition to newspaper articles, each displaying his knowledge and success. He was recently featured in Elle Magazine - who reports that Dr. Phillip Miller is NYC’s best facial plastic surgeon. Dr. Phillip Miller has been the recipient of many doctorial awards including Top Doctor of New York.

If you want to engage in more information and stay connected regarding Dr. Phillip Miller, be sure to follow him on Twitter, and YouTube to catch his latest interviews and answers. He also has an app! If you have an iPhone or Android you can download his App to stay up to date on his practices and procedures.

Dr. Kolker: Dr. Adam R. Kolker focuses his practice on facial cosmetic surgery as well as breast and body augmentations. Not only does Dr. Kolker serve in his practice, but also finds the time to exert the position of a surgical volunteer for Operation Smile. Operation Smile is a non-profit organization that Dr. Kolker is a proud representative of. The organization helps children all around the world by performing free surgery to those in need.

In addition to Dr. Kolker’s success, he has produced his own line of skin care products entitled, AKMD. For every AKMD product sold, a portion is generously donated to Operation Smile.

To request an appointment with Dr. Kolker, you can do so online or visit their contact page.
Dr. Jennifer Walden: Dr. Jennifer Walden is frequently seen on Fox News where she shares her expertise on cosmetic surgery. She’s also routinely sourced in magazines such as Vogue, Shape, The New York Sun and more, on surgical related topics. She is very well known for her extensive list on procedure selection from injections, breast implants, tummy tucks, makeovers and more.

Dr. Walden has a growing list of jaw dropping “before and afters” that really display her talent. She succeeds in every aspect of emotionally and physically transforming patient’s lives, so they can achieve and live their dream. Dr. Walden is also the co-author of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery which covers unique topics and provides guidance and expertise on cosmetic surgery and the outcomes. The hardcover inspirational book also comes with a DVD, both are available for purchase through Amazon for $315.

If you are eager to learn more about Dr. Walden you ‘Like’ her Facebook page and follow her on Twitter. She also posts videos on YouTube to share, her recent post reflecting Breast Cancer Awareness, which is a great video to educate yourself with.

Have you had the experience of working with any of these extremely talented doctors? Tweet us @PierceMattiePR