Botox safety update

There is some new information on the recent news regarding Botox safety. A consumer group called on "Black Box" labeling of Botox due to alleged deaths related to its use. Apparently one death has been connected to Botox use for cosmetic purposes in 2003.

According to a news release issued by Allergan on January 25, Dr. Sef Kurstjens, Allergan's Chief Medical Officer, responded to allegations that in 2003 a death had occurred in a person who had been injected with Botox® for cosmetic use. A medical review of this actual case showed that the patient died from complications associated with staphylococcus pneumonia, not from the Botox® injection that the patient had received seven weeks earlier. This conclusion is consistent with the treating physician's assessment.

I don't see how it would be physiologically possible for Botox to give someone pneumonia. Could this be an overreaction by a group who is against the use of Botox for cosmetic purposes. Maybe the people in this group have a lot of wrinkles...

Source

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Sylvester Stallone - Plastic Surgery?

Has Sylvester Stallone had plastic surgery? Although I haven't seen the new Rambo movie, I did see him being interviewed the other day. His appearance is very interesting. At times I think he looks really bad, and at other times he looks pretty darn good. I noticed on the interview that he had a nice, sharp jawline, which is pretty uncommon for a 61 year old man. This could be a sign of a facelift. Other than that, his eyelids show remarkably little aging in the photos above. This may be a sign of well-done blepharoplasty surgeries. He also appears to take good care of this skin, possibly with chemical peels and medical grade skin care. It's also possible that some of his "nutritional" supplements may affect the way he looks, although I wouldn't be able to comment much on that.
I enjoyed Rocky Balboa but have no plans to see Rambo. Please God don't get it in his head to make Stop, Or My Mom Will Shoot, Again!

Photo credit: prphotos.com

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

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Safety of Botox

A U.S. consumer group called Public Citizen has recently asked the FDA to reconsider the safety of Botox treatments. They pointed to some 16 deaths following Botox treatments, citing complications such as paralysis of the esophagus and aspiration pneumonia.
Botox is currently the most common medical cosmetic treatment today. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, last year over 4.1 million Botox cosmetic treatments were performed. It is currently FDA approved for treatment of glabellar wrinkles, which are the frown lines between the eyebrows. Any other treatments are considered 'off-label.'
I believe Botox is a very safe treatment if performed in the right hands. Over the past few years we have performed probably 500+ Botox treatments in my practice without a single known significant complication. If it is injected cosmetically for the upper face (where it is most effective), I can't see how someone would get a complication like that mentioned above. The worst that can probably happen is drooping of an eyelid (very rare) or a bruise (somewhat common).
I surmise that the esophageal and lung complications may have resulted from Botox being injected for non-cosmetic reasons. It is currently being used for more indications than can be mentioned here, including TMJ, migraines, and various muscle spasm problems. It's possible that poorly performed treatment for a non-cosmetic indication could result in the bad complications cited by the Public Citizen.

For the article on the Public Citizen, click here.
For the reply by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, click here.

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Dr. Jan Adams on Larry King Live

Dr. Jan Adams, the plastic surgeon involved with the Donda West tragedy, spoke out on Larry King Live last night. Here is a link to the video on CNN.com:
Click here.

It is definitely interesting to hear his side of the story. Very appropriately, he did not comment specifically about Donda West, as her medical information is private patient-doctor privilege and should not be revealed on nationwide TV. I have no comment on his DUI convictions, but did find his take on Board-certification interesting. He did complete residency training in plastic surgery with a fellowship in aesthetic plastic surgery (like myself) but for some reason did not get board-certified. Some surgeons don't. This still places him in a much higher place than many other doctors performing plastic surgery such as OB-Gyns and ER docs.

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Nicole Kidman - Botox Free

Nicole Kidman was recently photographed attending the Australian Open with a strangely different look on her face (see 1st photo). Could it be that she had to quit Botox while she is pregnant? I think so. Botox injections can give a person what I call the "Botox brow." (See 2nd photo) It is an overarching of the eyebrows that can give a somewhat sinister look. Botox does tend to wear off after 3-4 months, and the first photo may be what Nicole looks like au naturel.

I wouldn't Botox someone if they were pregnant either.

Photo credit: 1st photo: socialite's life 2nd photo: prphotos.com

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Dolly Parton - 26 Years of Plastic Surgery Changes

TMZ.com celebrated Dolly Parton's 62nd birthday yesterday with a set of before-and-after photos. She hasn't had anything done, don't you think? (well, maybe a facelift, upper and lower blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty, browlift, fat grafting, Botox, breast implants, Restylane, and chemical peels...but who's counting?)

To view streaming video of a short segment of E!'s Celebrity Plastic Surgery: The Good, The Bags, and The Ugly, click here.

Source: TMZ.com


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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Courtney Love's Lips are Normal??

In previous posts I reported on Courtney Love's plans to reverse her previous plastic surgery. The last post had photos of what appeared to be a sutured-up lower lip. This recent photo show what appears to be normal-looking lips. It looks like her surgeon did a nice job. I think she looks pretty good for Courtney Love.
Unfortunately her hair looks like she stole it from Dog the Racist Bounty Hunter or a medieval princess...

Photo credit: dlisted.com

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.: