“I encourage all my patients to quit smoking before surgery,” said Dr. Wigoda who pioneered the technique painless breast implants.

For decades the Surgeon General has warned that smoking can cause health complications. Yet the Center for Disease Control reports that 19% of Americans over the age of 18 smoke. Not only is smoking unhealthy in general and can lead to diseases like lung cancer, it can cause serious complications during and after plastic surgery.

First, smokers have a higher risk of developing respiratory complications, like pneumonia, with any surgery that requires general anesthesia. Second, there are many cosmetic procedures – such as facelifts, breast reductions or lifts, and tummy tucks – where large areas of skin and fat are undermined (separated from the tissue below) to tighten the skin. Blood flow to the skin decreases during these procedures. If the skin does not receive the minimum amount of blood flow needed to be healthy and survive the surgery, the skin dies and the person ends up with an unsightly wound.

In people with healthy blood circulation, this isn’t a problem. However, smoking inhibits the circulation of blood because nicotine is a vasoconstrictor. It causes blood vessels to constrict (close). This constriction further reduces blood to flow to the areas that are trying to heal. As a result, the skin or other tissue – including fat, nipples, and areolas – can die.

Dr. Wigoda specializes in breast implant surgery and breast reconstruction surgery and says, “In my practice, I ask all patients who smoke to quit at least one month prior to their surgery if they are having a procedure that involves undermining skin. Although there is less risk with breast augmentation or liposuction procedures, I still encourage all of my patients to quit smoking because of the damage it does to the body.”

Patients who smoke age quicker, their skin is less healthy, and they lose elasticity faster – all of which makes them look older than they are. Most Americans only think lung cancer or emphysema is the primary risks of smoking. The reality is that smoking affects the entire body, including all organs, because it affects all the blood vessels. This is why smokers are more likely to have heart attacks and strokes.

To look your best, feel your best, and increase your chances of having a great outcome from cosmetic surgery, give up the unhealthy habit of smoking.

An excellent review for anyone considering plastic surgery says Florida’s Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Cosmetic surgery is not always pretty. Getting a deal is great if you’re buying shoes or need to fill your pantry with groceries. But there are some things in life where the cheapest price comes with the most consequences. In the realm of plastic surgery, getting the deal of your life could actually cost your life.

USA Today recently published a feature article titled Plastic Surgery: Faster, Cheaper and Scarier about the rise of low cost, high volume cosmetic surgery centers offering popular cosmetic treatments, like liposuction, at a fraction of the price charged by independent surgeons. The article highlights, in graphic detail, the reality that the low prices charged by these discount surgery centers are coming at the cost of medical injury and even death for some patients.

“The article and videos are an excellent review for anyone considering plastic surgery,” said South Florida plastic surgeon, Dr. Paul Wigoda. “Patients should be aware of the risks involved in having cosmetic surgery performed at discount centers with a history of past problems. It’s outrageous that every time these companies are named in articles uncovering patient deaths or medical injuries resulting from their treatment, the only comments made by the center’s attorney is the complication is a rare but well-known potential consequence of the procedure or that their death rate is lower than the national average.”

Every surgical procedure carries risk. Competent surgeons, however, reduce them by properly evaluating patients, using the right tools and procedures, and providing adequate aftercare. Some or all of these things may be rushed or overlooked at discount surgery clinics where (often unnecessary) procedures are sold through high pressure sales tactics and doctors blaze through patients quickly to make more money.

Dr. Wigoda emphasized, “The vast majority of plastic surgeons doing breast augmentations, liposuction, and other cosmetic procedures never have the type of complications noted in the article and will never have a patient death in their entire career. Yet these centers have multiple deaths within a short period of time and claim their death rate is ‘below average’. Often, though, they arrive at their low death rates by exaggerating the number of patients they operated on or by trying to explain away deaths that ‘weren’t their fault’.”

All deaths occurring within 30 days of surgery must be counted in the facility’s mortality rates which puts the mortality rate of many of these cheap plastic surgery clinics well above the national average. Additionally, a high percentage of their patients suffer horrifying medical complications and must have corrective surgery to rectify the botched procedure.

“These centers have a high rate of complications, many of which I have personally seen and taken care of. The care that the patients receive in these centers is often deplorable,” says Dr. Wigoda, “I, and other competent South Florida plastic surgeons, know this because we see these patients after they have had the misfortune of having surgery at these centers. Unfortunately, the countless complications we see are never reported to the state or make it into the newspaper.”

“The problem is this: plastic surgery should not be done as a quick, high volume endeavor. These centers are not making hamburgers like McDonald’s. They are performing irreversible surgery on human beings. Certainly some patients get good results and are happy, but the chance of having a less than ideal outcome is too high. Patients willing to take a chance on their looks and their lives to save a few dollars are playing Russian roulette. Unfortunately, most don’t realize they are playing. They are sold a dream and too often, end up living a nightmare.”

Friends stars having plastic surgery? Resident mayor of Cougar Town Courteney Cox looks just as fabulous as she did during her days as America’s endearingly uptight Friend. The 42-year old actress is no stranger to having work done. In the 2004 Harper’s Bazaar magazine, she proudly proclaimed, “everything in moderation is fine.” Cox continued, “If [Botox] looks natural and it makes you feel better, do it.”

Recently, photos have surfaced of Cox shooting Cougar Town in Hawaii, sparking widespread speculation that she has had breast augmentation surgery. Like most female stars that shy away from admitting to having breast work done, Cox has remained mum on the subject. However, in comparing the two photos of her, it is fairly obvious that there is something different about the Cougar Town hottie.

She clearly looks fuller throughout the breast and especially in the superior aspect. While it is possible that a tight padded bra could push the breasts up to give this appearance, it looks like she is wearing an unpadded bikini top which would mean she could have breast implants.

However, it is fairly common for women to increase in breast size if they gain weight or experience changes in their menstrual cycle. Her top does appear to be pushing her breasts upwards. If this were the case then she could be au natural. To be certain, a full body picture of her from different angles would be needed.

“While Courteney Cox does appear to go from a B cup to a C cup in the before and after photos, it is very hard to tell if the enhancement is due to a breast implant or the way her bathing suit top fits on her,” offers South Florida plastic surgeon Dr. Paul Wigoda. “Overall, she looks great and obviously takes very good care of her skin and body. She is an outstanding example of preventive maintenance, such as Botox, done well.”

Cox’s Friends co-star and former Mrs. Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, also appears to have gone under the knife. However, looking at the past picture of her in the white bikini, it is clear she was much thinner when it was taken. Her increased bust size may be due to weight gain that has made her breasts a little heavier. There really is nothing else to suggest she had injections in her breasts.

Dr. Wigoda notes on the Marcolane injections discussed in the Marie Claire article, “It is not something I would recommend. It seems to be quite painful and I would imagine the results are fairly minimal once the swelling goes down. In addition, it seems to be quite expensive for something that, in the best case, would only last one year.”

If Cox did indeed go under the knife in pursuit of a fuller bustline, she’s far from alone. In 2010, nearly 300,000 breast augmentations were performed on American women. Dr. Wigoda predicts this trend will continue, especially as the economy begins to improve over the next couple of years.

Considering a Cougar Town makeover of your own? Visit Dr. Wigoda’s Painless Breast Implants Website for before and after photos of fabulously enhanced breasts.

Enter Our Beauty Sweepstakes

Now you can take advantage or Dr. Wigoda’s expertise to get the look you’ve been dreaming. Enter our beauty sweepstakes to win $250 gift card to use towards Dr. Wigoda’s non-surgical services or $10 to $250 to spend at Victoria’s Secret. Click here to read how to enter.

Thanks to Fort Lauderdale plastic surgeon Dr. Wigoda, getting a breast implant has now become virtually painless. On his Painless Breast Implants website www.painlessbreastimplants.com Dr. Wigoda has gathered testimonials of many women who took the plunge and couldn’t be happier with their results. Last summer, one patient even blogged about the experience from start to finish.

Most Florida women can resume normal activities within a day or two after surgery and feel virtually no pain. Dr. Wigoda’s technique is very atraumatic with a quick recovery and almost no pain. Over the years, Dr. Wigoda has perfected his technique using ten-plus years of South Florida plastic surgery experience to match the correct incision and implant to each patient. Each year over 350,000 women have breast augmentation surgery in the U.S. and Dr. Wigoda offers potential patiends behind-the-scenes access via his Facebook Page, YouTube Channel and Twitter feed.

According to CDC data, one in five high school students are bullied on school grounds every year. Even future pop superstar Lady Gaga was teased about her appearance as a child: the singer recounted being taunted and thrown in a trash can on The View on Monday.

High school senior Erica Morgo tried to break her own nose after constant teasing. After the incident, her mother, Dana Manzella, decided to allow her then 15-year-old daughter to undergo cosmetic surgery.

Teasing is torture to teens. So when 13-year-old Aubrey Woodward told The Today Show she wants plastic surgery to get her ears pinned back, she said it was because, “it makes me feel really bad” when she gets teased about them.

Erica and Aubrey are among a small but growing number of teenagers who say being teased or bullied prompted them to consider or even undergo cosmetic surgery.

Ear pin-backs are one of the most common plastic surgeries for teens, along with nose jobs such as Erica’s and breast reductions. Recent data from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery indicates that 203,308 teens went under the knife in 2009.

“While not very common, plastic surgery on teenagers can be appropriate in certain circumstances,” says Dr. Wigoda, Chief of Plastic Surgery at Broward General. “Each case has to be evaluated carefully to make certain the surgery is being done for the right reasons. For example, if a teen has very large breasts for which she not only gets teased but which make it difficult for her to exercise or participate in physical activities, or if they are causing pain, a breast reduction may be appropriate. A teen who feels very self conscious about a large nose or prominent ears, can be helped significantly with surgery with regards to their self esteem and their degree of confidence in themselves.”
When considering plastic surgery, whether for a teen or adult, it is important to thoroughly research the doctor, surgery center and risk associated with a procedure. The decision to have an elective cosmetic procedure is a serious one and should not be taken lightly. Dr. Wigoda firmly believes in building a rapport and carefully evaluating each potential patient to ensure they are a good candidate for whatever surgery they are pursuing.

Over $10 billion is spent on surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures each year and over $1.1 billion of that goes toward breast augmentations. Over the last ten years, the number of breast augmentations has steadily increased, until the rough economy caused procedures to dip from 2007 to 2009. In 2010, however, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, this number started to increase again, climbing over 2% to nearly 300,000 breast augmentations.

Considering getting a breast augmentation in 2011? To learn more about Fort Lauderdale plastic surgery procedures, including Dr. Wigoda’s signature painless breast implant procedure visit: http://www.drwigoda.com or http://www.painlessbreastimplants.com.

The top five procedures performed in 2010:

• Breast augmentation

• Nose reshaping

• Eyelid surgery

• Liposuction

• Tummy tuck

As the aging population continues to grow, so does the incidence of face lifts, as well as minimally invasive procedures such as Botox.

With nearly 11.6 million procedures in 2010, the top five minimally invasive procedures were:

• Botulinum toxin type A

• Soft tissue fillers

• Chemical peel

• Laser hair removal

• Microdermabrasion

Get up with the latest plastic surgery news and offers from Dr. Wigoda through our Facebook Fan Page and Twitter @DrWigoda.

Paul Wigoda, M.D. comments on anticipated trends according to The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASPS). They’ve made a number of plastic surgery predictions for 2011, centering on increased elective procedures such as facelifts, Botox, and buttocks augmentations.

1. More facelifts as economy picks up

Dr. Wigoda agrees with this sentiment; noting that elective plastic surgery as a whole tends to happen more during better financial times.

2. Additional fillers, Botox, and Injectables

Dr. Wigoda notes that these procedures are more affordable than traditional plastic surgery, especially as more products enter the market. Also, people tend to be happy with the results and continue procedures.

3. Increase of procedures to tighten the skin post weight loss

These procedures, ranging from arm lifts to tummy tuck’s are also usually elective, not covered by insurance, says Dr. Wigoda. Therefore, as consumers’ disposable income returns, so will these surgeries.

4. Changing out breast implants

Many of Dr. Wigoda’s patients see better results with silicone implants, so he predicts that his saline patients will make the switch to painless breast implants surgery. Also, since baby boomers remain the largest age demographic in the US, they may need their implants replaced or choose to have a breast lift done.

5. More botched plastic surgery cases

“Consumers looking for a bargain on cosmetic procedures will unfortunately lead to an increase in horror stories about ‘discount injectables’ bought offshore, cosmetic medicine, and cosmetic surgical procedures performed by untrained practitioners,” predicts ASAPS. Dr. Wigoda’s advice to avoid such catastrophe? Do your homework, and ask these questions before choosing a surgeon.

6. New ways to zap fat

Consumers will increasingly seek non-invasive techniques for fat removal (freezing, zapping, lasering) as an alternative to liposuction. Dr. Wigoda does not endorse freezing or zapping fat.

7. Getting a celebrity buttocks

Dr. Wigoda acknowledges that right now, thanks to celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Beyonce, and Jennifer Lopez, bigger is better. This can be accomplished several ways, he says, from performing liposuction on the areas around the buttocks such as the thighs, injecting fat into the buttocks, implants, or lifts.

Closing in Miami Beach, But Still Here in Fort Lauderdale! We are sad to say, Me Day Spa will be closing on February 18, 2011 and Dr. Wigoda will be consolidating his plastic surgery and non-surgical aesthetics services to his Fort Lauderdale location.

We would like to thank everyone for the support over the past five years. It has been a true pleasure and experience.

Last Week of Appointments and Beauty Close out Specials!

Dr. Wigoda is offering Botox and fillers on February 16th at the spa.

As long as supplies last, all hair products, makeup, gift items, and skin care products will be sold at 50% off at the spa from now until the closing (Remember, Valentine’s Day is coming up).

Me Day Spa is located at:

1439B Alton Road Miami Beach, FL

33139 305-534-6363

Dr. Wigoda’s Fort Lauderdale location:

1404 E Broward Blvd.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301

(954) 463-7088

Dr. Wigoda will continue to offer med-spa services including Botox, fillers, laser hair removal, microdermabrasion and facials at his Fort Lauderdale locations as well as free consultations for plastic surgery.

Please visit us at www.drwigoda.com and www.painlessbreastimplants.com.

Once again, thanks for your support and lots of health and happiness in 2011.

October is known for scary things, and so is plastic surgery. Dr. Paul Wigoda, Fort Lauderdale award-winning plastic surgeon with critically acclaimed reviews is hosting a Not So Scary Plastic Surgery night that is taking the myth and mystery out of plastic surgery. And the pain too, with painless breast implant surgery.

Friday, October 29

6:00 to 7:00 p m

Dr. Wigoda at Me Day Spa – Miami Beach

1439-B Alton Rd

Miami Beach FL 33139

• Celebrity plastic surgery nightmares – why they happened and how to avoid them
• Beauty and breast – how to achieve perfect breasts with painless implant surgery
• Boo to Botox scares – Why look like a wrinkly witch?
• Double chins and big noses – How to not look like an evil step monster
• No mask, just fillers – How fillers can be a safe alternative to a Halloween mask.

RSVP: To register, email karoline@medayspa.com or call 305.534.6363.

Seating is limited and Dr. Wigoda will allow time for questions and answers at the end. Can’t make the live event? Follow the event on Twitter or Facebook.