SLIM LIPO UPDATE

On November 14th Dr. Lewis Obi presented his Slim Lipo first year experience in 132 patients to an international audience of plastic surgeons in Fort Lauderdale. His presentation was rated as one of the best by participants at the meeting. Soon after this meeting Dr. Obi was asked to submit an abstract to The American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS) for consideration to present his paper in April of 2010. Of particular interest were the results achieved with Slim Lipo treatments of the neck. In many patients surgical neck lifts has been replaced with the non invasive laser lipolysis treatment known as Slim Lipo. This is usually a 30 minute procedure that may be performed with the use of local anesthesia and with a down time of 1 to 2 days.

Click here to view our photo gallery of Slim Lipo patients. Here, you can view amazing before and after photos of these patients.

THE SO CALLED “IDEAL IMPLANT”

Many of our patients have been inquiring about the highly marketed and touted “Ideal Implant”. First of all the “Ideal Implant” is not a FDA approved device as has been advertised in recent paid for Sunday Florida Times Union articles. The “Ideal Implant” is a triple lumen saline device which is a variation of multi-lumen devices attempted during the past three decades. Dr. Obi was indeed one of the earliest pioneers of saline breast implants publishing his first study in 1975 after a 3 year trial of saline breast implants. From 1992 to 2007 Dr. Obi was a participating plastic surgeon with an adjuvant study of silicone gel breast implants conducted by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). During this period of time the two primary American manufacturers of silicone implants (Allergan & Mentor) have developed safe and state of the art gel breast implants. The international standard for safe and more permanent breast implants is not saline but silicone gel. Prefilled saline and multi-lumen breast implants have had a terrible track record in terms of deflation and implant failure. As with the FDA study of silicone gel implants which extended over a period of 15 years, the so called “Ideal Implant” will have to undergo similar scrutiny.

What You Should Know About The Excise Tax on Elective Cosmetic Medical Procedures

I'm writing you today about an issue that affects not only plastic surgeons but everyone who utilizes our services for anything from Botox to Tummy Tucks.

Perhaps you've heard of the current healthcare bill before the US Senate. Page 2045, Section 9017, Excise Tax on Elective Cosmetic Medical Procedures included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act translates to a tax on ALL cosmetic procedures as partial payment for the healthcare overhaul our current administration is attempting to implement.

So what's the problem?

YOU would be paying the tax, the FIRST time this country has levied a tax on patients for medical procedures.

This is a discriminatory tax. According to the Aesthetic Society Annual Statistics, 91% of all cosmetic procedures are requested by women.

This will not have considerable consequences on the wealthiest patients but, as usual, affects the middle class. Working women, soccer moms, and scores of others who carefully save and budget to improve their appearance and self esteem will be penalized for doing so.

Procedures such as breast reduction that have been cited in the literature for improving self esteem and quality of life would be taxed as well.

This provision places physicians like me in the role of tax collector and holds physicians liable should an individual fail or refuse to pay the tax.

Is that the relationship you want with your medical provider?

Please help us stop this silly and penetrative tax. Contact our Florida senators by clicking on the links below -

http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

http://lemieux.senate.gov/public/?p=EmailSenatorLeMieux

Tell them that you are against this tax - together we can fight for your right to no government interference in medical care and stop this discriminatory measure against women!