According to recent online article medical information on a smart phone makes sense. Health management has moved from files and folders, to EMR and into the memories of smart phones. There are some (free) smart phone apps and mobile services that can help you manage your health. These are a few according to a recent online article: iTriage is a one-stop health app. Created by two ER doctors in 2008, tells you what’s wrong with you and where to go for treatment. It uses a huge data base of ER locations and service times. Another application, Text4Baby uses free text messaging to educate and inform moms to be and new moms about how to give new babies the “best possible start in life.” Another application Smokefree TXT is an app that uses free 24/7 text messages to help smokers kick the habit. One of the best apps in the article is Rxmind Me Just download the free app, put in your medications, dosages and other important information and Rxmind Me will alert you when it is time to take your pills. You can also add pills you take infrequently so you can check on drug interactions with your physician or pharmacist. Patient should always remember that cosmetic surgery procedures are medical in nature and should be taken seriously. Dr. Kim stresses to patients during the preoperative visit that prescribed medications and instructions should be followed exactly as written. The majority of patients are given a prescription narcotic, antibiotic, medication to prevent nausea, and in some cases other medications to help reduce swelling. Patients who are having sub- muscular breast augmentation, abdominoplasty or other procedures that made disturb the muscle could be prescribed muscle relaxants as well. Patients may choose to use a smart phone app to remind them when to take the prescribed medications at the proper times. This can be very important as patients under the influence of prescription medication may not recall taking their medications and may duplicate schedule dosages accidentally. Dr. Kim requires patients to have a responsible adult to assist with proper aftercare following surgery.

According to a recent My Fox LA video report coworkers can easily sabotage any well-intended diet program. It becomes a bit difficult to blame an expanding waistline on coworkers but it is easy to see how it can sneak up on you. During the holidays it is very common for coworkers to bring in cookies, cakes, brownies and other tempting sweets. But, it doesn’t really end with the holidays. If the office is big enough, it’s always someone’s birthday, retirement party, or baby shower. So, what do the experts suggest that you do, so that you can save face as well as your waistline? One of the best suggestions is to allow yourself a taste by cutting away a small piece and leaving the rest in the pan or on a plate. This will work better for most than denying themselves all together. Another excellent suggestion is to be sure that what you contribute is healthy and calorie conscious. Then eat what you contributed. Dr. Kim empathizes with patients when considering coworkers as part of the equation of our lives. Most people spend the majority of their day at work; so therefore, much of the influences come from coworkers. When patients are considering plastic surgery they often ask how to handle coworkers and what they may think or say. This question comes up most often when patients are considering breast augmentation or facelift. These procedures tend to be more obvious and it is likely that coworkers will notice the difference. Patients making the decision to have cosmetic surgery for the right reason; namely for their own personal benefit, should take comfort in the fact that it is a personal decision. There is no reason to explain or defend their decision to coworkers. How much information a patient chooses to divulge is solely their decision.

It appears as though spring has sprung. This is the time of year when many of us begin to think about summer vacations and what we would like to add to our spring and summer wardrobe. What many women fail to realize is that the quest to achieve the best body contour prior to summer should begin now. This includes a consistent and regimented workout plan as well as proper diet. However we must be realistic and admit that even when we are great about exercise and diet department there certain things that a woman has little to no control over. One of these is her bust line. It is no mystery that breast augmentation is the number one considered cosmetic plastic surgery in the United States. As spring and summer approach, it becomes more obvious than ever before, that women who have difficulty finding an acceptable wardrobe, are going to dread yet another season. Critics may say that women should embrace the fact that they are aging, or that they have had children. This is why their breasts are not as perky as they once were. However, the countless women who have chosen breast augmentation, (and/or breast lift), having children or aging does not have to be marked by sagging and droopy breast. Most women tell Dr. Kim that they want to look more proportionate in their clothes, and that they would like a fuller and firmer look. Contrary to what many people believe most patients choose a breast augmentation size that is less than 2 cup sizes larger than what they already have. Dr. Kim advises patients to choose a plastic surgeon with a broad base of experience to help ensure that they will get the best results. Dr. Kim and his staff empathize with their patients and help them to understand the benefits and risks of the breast augmentation procedure. Patients who have had breast augmentation surgery look eagerly to the new season and the opportunity to choose from a wardrobe that is at least three times larger than selection that she had previously.

According to a recent celebrity online blog actress Susan Sarandon recently fessed up to having cosmetic plastic surgery, and made it known that she plans to have even more. “I’ve had some lipo under my chin and under my eyes,” Sarandon, 65 admitted. She added that she would possibly have more work done in the future to keep a natural look. She made a point to let her fans know that she would not overdo it. I have these two huge frown lines here (on my forehead),” Sarandon explained. “But if you can’t move your face or you’re unrecognizable, I don’t see how that’s a productive enhancement. You don’t want to look like a female impersonation of yourself. In her guest appearance on The Wendy Williams Show, Sarandon spoke about her older woman, younger man romance with businessman Jonathan Brinklin, 34. That seemed more interesting than the cosmetic plastic surgery to the audience. Dating is such a stupid word,” the actress said. “You can say…We are collaborating in a lot of different areas. The aging of Hollywood actresses is inevitable, but it is refreshing when one admits to doing a little bit of cosmetic surgery and getting great value from it. Dr. Kim is careful to help his patients understand that antiaging is a process. It involves addressing the aging process as soon as women began to see signs that they are not happy with. This is why most patients begin Botox and medical grade skin care in their early 30’s. Many patients will have a modified facelift as early as mid-40’s along with a blepharoplasty and brow lift. At this age, the change is subtle yet dramatic enough to yield as much as a ten year difference in their appearance. Celebrities that have used this approach successfully are the ones that the public usually finds to be ”aging gracefully”.

In this day and age, as technology continues to progress, the line between reality and real has become ever so faint. The latest celebrity to be outed for over-the-top Photoshop is the pitch woman for the AbGlider, The View co- host Elizabeth Hasselbeck. In the popular infomercial viewers see Elizabeth touting the wonderful attributes of the at home exercise machine. As she approaches the camera, there is a shot in plain view, where Elizabeth appears to have no bellybutton at all. All you can see is a smooth stomach. Obviously, it is a case of excessive photo retouching. As a matter fact, minutes later in the same infomercial her bellybutton mysteriously reappeares. This incident was the subject for a recent Orange County Register blog. Elizabeth as the mother of three children, proves to be quite an impressive pitch woman for an exercise machine that claims to give anybody a flat abdomen, even after having multiple children. The fact that her photograph had to be retouched in order to be believable, takes the amusement out of the situation. Women should understand that loose and lax skin usually comes after bearing children and cannot be exercised away. Dr. Kim explains carefully to patients who have had children that an abdominoplasty actually removes the loose and lax skin. The procedure allows him to not only remove the skin but stretch, pull down and tuck the skin into and incision low in the bikini line. This creates a flat tight abdomen. The muscles that were stretched and pregnancy are also tightened. Typically Dr. Kim will perform liposuction to enhance the entire waistline. The results Dr. Kim is able to achieve could never be achieved through exercise alone. Dr. Kim strives to provide patients real life results, resulting in real life satisfaction.

The recent horror story concerning the PIP implants continues to make the plastic surgery news. According to recent industry article The Guardian(a UK newspaper) reports that a woman in the United Kingdom received 3,700 pounds back from Lloyds TSB, a UK credit card company. She had used her credit card as payment for her breast augmentation surgery. Unfortunately, the breast implants that she received were the problematic PIP implants, which the news sources have reported, “…were filled with non-medical grade silicone.” National Health Service removed her breast implants and she contacted a law firm to see if she could get a refund for the initial surgery. She found that the surgical group that had implanted the defective breast implants had gone into “administration,” (an alternative to liquidation). Since she had paid with her credit card, Lloyds TSB issued a full refund within three months after she had completed the required form. The British Association of Plastic Surgery (BAAPS) has taken a firm position that PIP implants should be explanted, preferably prior to rupture taking place, and believes it’s unethical that many clinics that implanted these devices will not replace them without cost to the patient. PIP breast implants that were said to be filled with non-medical grade silicone were not sold in the United States. Patients who had surgery outside of the United States should check their implants to be sure they are not PIP implants, especially if they paid a very low price for the surgery. Dr. Kim explains to patients that having breast augmentation outside of the United States means that the guidelines being used to determine medical safety of the process as well as the products used, is unlikely to be the same as the guidelines used in the United States. Every breast surgery including breast lift and breast reduction should be considered a serious operation and patient should always take into consideration the steps that should be taken to ensure their best breast health. This includes monthly breast self-exam as well as annual mammograms after 40 years of age. Dr. Kim encourages patients to follow the advice of their primary care physician concerning their breast health.

Just when we thought it was safe to look adoringly at women having multiple pregnancies, Nayda Suleman is back in the news. The Orange County Register blog reported on it once again. This time, Octomom, Nadya Suleman is in the news for posing in semi-nude for a British magazine. Just as before, questions- or rather accusations, about whether she’s had plastic surgery, most notably a tummy tuck — are once again talk around the water cooler. Suleman, the mother of 14 was compensated to appear in the photos for Closer magazine, where the cover marked in bold letters, “Octomum bares all! ‘My body’s never looked this good!’. After the magazine came out, Suleman gave a video interview on Celebuzz denying that she’s had any plastic surgery but a breast reduction. “I’ve never had a tummy tuck,” says Suleman, 36, in the video. She says she had skin removed from around her navel area because of an issue with a belly button ring. This admission alone is subject to interpretation. When the video interviewer asked if she would consider getting plastic surgery in the future, she said :“I think God gives us what we were born with. I’m different, my ethnicity is mixed. Middle Eastern, and European and Lithuanian and German. And so, I don’t believe in it.” Honestly, the most disturbing part about her statements are that she has not had a tummy tuck or any other large removal of skin. They are an insult to the overwhelming majority of women who have loose and lax skin after pregnancy that is virtually impossible to get rid of. Most of these women have not had 14 children; all of which were multiple birth pregnancies. Dr. Kim explains to his patients who have had children that pregnancy can take a cruel toll on the body of most women. Many women even after one pregnancy are left with loose and lax skin on the abdomen, stretch marks, and a loss of volume in their breast. In many cases Dr. Kim recommends the mommy makeover which includes both a breast augmentation as well as an abdominoplasty. Most patients will choose breast implants to help shape the breast and regain volume to the breast. Patients should not feel that having cosmetic plastic surgery after pregnancy is something they should be ashamed of. There are many factors to take into consideration when it comes to the ability of a woman to regain her pre-pregnancy shape. Some factors, like genetics; patients have no control over. The decision to have plastic surgery following pregnancy is a personal one and patients who choose to do so should make the decision based on their own personal desires.

When we look at body piercings, especially in Southern California, where it’s prevalent most people feel as though it’s pretty harmless. Everything KTLA report found that that’s not necessarily the case. According to the news story almost of 20 percent of body piercings end up with bacterial infections, according to a paper published by Dr. Anne Laumann, chief of dermatology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. Piercings are dangerous even though many people do not think so, said Laumann. There are piercings that can cause other complications. Complications could be temporary problems such as interference with X-rays ,MRIs, and surgery because the health care provider cannot remove the jewelry, or worse complications such as broken teeth or gum damage from tongue piercings. They can even be fatal, such as infections that reach the heart or other vital organs. Twenty-three percent of generation Y’rs had at least one body piercing other than the earlobe in 2010, said the Pew Research Center. That was 23 times more than baby boomers, 1 percent of whom have piercings. Popular piercing sites other than the earlobe include the nose, eyebrow, tongue, nipple, navel and genitalia. Patient should be aware if they are considering cosmetic surgery in most cases they will have to remove body piercings. Patients who consult with Dr. Kim for breast augmentation and have nipple piercings often ask if they have to remove them. Once they find that it is necessary, many are anxious to know when they can have them re-pierced. Dr. Kim advises patients individually with respect to his recommendations. It is wise for patients to consider their and breast augmentation result (which they are likely to be very pleased with) before insisting upon new piercings. Patients who are considering abdominoplasty or abdominal liposuction will also be required to remove any bellybutton piercings. Although body piercings are a personal decision, some patients who have had cosmetic plastic surgery enjoy the benefits of their new shape and contour and are less likely to choose body piercing as an adornment.

The concept of having access to medical test from our home works well for most people. A recent ABC news story looked at the effectiveness of popular medical test on the market. According to the news story Consumer Reports says some medical tests could provide wrong information, like a home test designed to let women know menopause has begun. Women in their late 40s and 50s might interpret those results to mean that they no longer need birth control, and that could result in an unwanted pregnancy, said Marvin Lipman of Consumer Reports. Some of the other home tests have debatable value, this includes the ones that claim to test for high cholesterol levels, These tests measure total cholesterol, but you still need a doctor to interpret the results for you and to tell you what to do about it, Lipman said. A medical test on the market can help you discover if you have a urinary-tract infection, but you need a prescription for medication to cure the urinary tract infection from a physician if you get a positive result. You really have to know in advance whether your doctor is willing to prescribe over the phone. Many are not willing to do that, Lipman said. At-home test, whether recommended or not, all have instructions indicating that consumers should not substitute the test for medical advice or diagnoses. Dr. Kim explains to his patients the value of maintaining excellent health especially those who are approaching middle-age in their 40s and 50s. Just as self-diagnosis through at-home medical test is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment the same holds true for cosmetic laser skincare devices that are becoming more prevalent on the market today. Dr. Kim treats many patients who are concerned about the appearance of aging on their skin as well as acne scarring, brown spots, and uneven skin tone. Today’s lasers are improved dramatically and with medical laser resurfacing many of these issues can be addressed and improved. It stands to reason that at-home laser products will not have the strength and effectiveness that would be available in a plastic surgeons office. Dr. Kim invites patients to consult with him concerning their skin and consider if laser resurfacing and other medical grade skin care treatments are right for them. As an a ASPS skilled plastic surgeon Dr. Kim is able to offer exceptional results with facial rejuvenation surgeries including facelift, brow lift, and blepharoplasty for appropriate candidates.

It doesn’t take much convincing in Southern California with our great weather to prove the benefits of exercising with your dog. A recent KTLA news story focused on the proven benefits of exercise not just for people but also for dogs. Dogs, it seems, are following in the footsteps of their human owners. Currently, 70 percent of Americans and 53 percent of dogs are obese. The health issues and expense are similar for both. Studies prove that for both man and dog obesity increases the risk of metabolic diseases, including diabetes, degenerative joints, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, tumors, skin diseases and a life span that is shorter than necessary. Even with all of the research, advice from medical experts, diets and diet foods available for man and dog, obesity statistics continue to be on the rise. The reason, according to the experts, is that both man as well as dogs are eating too much and exercising too little. According to the news story daily and consistent walks can improve most health issues and concerns for both the dogs as well as humans. Dr. Kim consults with many frustrated patients who have been diligent about exercise(some of which they do with their dogs) on a consistent basis, yet they still have small areas of fat that affect their contour. The areas most commonly mentioned are the outer thighs, lower abdomen, and love handles. This can be very frustrating especially for a patient who is of normal weight and exercises regularly. Dr. Kim explains that liposuction could be an excellent option. Liposuction is not a weight loss procedure it is a contouring procedure. Liposuction allows Dr. Kim to artistically sculpt and shape the legs, abdomen, and love handle area. Although liposuction can be performed on most any area these areas are the most common. As an expert, Dr. Kim is able to achieve a shape and contour that is superior to what the patient can achieve through diet and exercise alone. As patients continue their exercise routine after their procedure they will see excellent results that continue to get better over time.