In Honor of Kanye's Mom, Lawmakers Push for Stricter Plastic Surgery Rules

SACRAMENTO — Six months after Kanye West's mother died following liposuction and breast surgery, two state lawmakers are pushing for greater protections for cosmetic surgery patients.

Such surgeries are increasingly carried out in outpatient clinics, where doctors can avoid the type of rigorous review they would expect at traditional hospitals.

"These (clinics) are not hospitals," state Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles), chairman of the senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development, told the Los Angeles Times in a story printed Monday. "You have to raise the standards."

Though California has previously pushed to regulate outpatient surgical centers and legislators passed a law saying such centers must be accredited by a state-recognized agency, Ridley-Thomas said the law has been ineffective. He has proposed legislation requiring regular inspections.

Known as SB 1454, his legislation would require outpatient facilities to be inspected at least once every three years.

Another lawmaker is also pushing for new protections.

Assemblywoman Wilmer Amina Carter said Donda West's niece asked her to introduce a bill requiring a health check before a person chooses to have cosmetic surgery. She introduced the "Donda West Law" in February.

West, 58, died at a Los Angeles-area hospital on Nov. 10, a day after she underwent breast reduction, tummy tuck and liposuction procedures.

She had been sent home following

her 5 1/2-hour surgery. A coroner's autopsy report found that West most likely died of heart disease coupled with complications after plastic surgery. But, it said the exact cause of death couldn't be known.

Dr. Jan Adams, who operated on West, has denied any wrongdoing.

California is not alone in seeking to increase oversight of cosmetic surgery doctors. Florida has passed a law designed to educate patients about their doctor's credentials and in the Canadian province of Ontario, officials are clamping down after a woman died following liposuction.

Source: News

Cosmetic Skin Fillers May Cause Delayed Side Effects

Cosmetic skin fillers called polyalkylimide implant injections may cause infrequent, but sometimes severe, immune-related side effects months after treatment, Spanish researchers warn.

These implants, which consist of gel and water, are used in cosmetic procedures for facial features such as the lips, cheeks, forehead and lines that develop between the nose and mouth (nasolabial folds).

"In the early reports on polyalkylimide implant injections for cosmetic purposes, there were no significant signs of bioincompatibility (rejection of, or reaction to, the foreign material). However, more recent evidence refutes these statements, and so the complete safety of polyalkylimide implant gels can no longer be assured," wrote Dr. Jaume Alijotas-Reig, of Vall d'Hebron University Hospital and Autonomous University of Barcelona, and colleagues.

They assessed 25 patients who developed adverse effects 12 months or more after polyalkylimide implant injection. The problems included swelling, hardening, and swollen or tender nodules (skin lesions) near the injection site, along with systemic troubles such as fever, arthritis, and dry eyes or mouth.

"Eight patients were previously injected with another implant," the study authors wrote. "Tender inflammatory nodules were seen in 24 patients. Systemic or distant manifestations appeared in six cases. Laboratory abnormalities were found in 20 cases. After an average of 21.3 months of follow-up, 11 patients appeared to be free of adverse effects, and 10 still had recurrent bouts."

The actual rate of these kinds of delayed adverse events is unclear, said the authors, whose findings were published in the May issue of the journal Archives of Dermatology.

"Considering the increased use of polyalkylimide implants in European countries and in the United States, physicians should be aware that intermediate or delayed adverse effects can occur with polyalkylimide implants just as they can with collagen, polyacrylamide, polylactic acid or methacrylate (cosmetic fillers)," the authors wrote.

More information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration have more about cosmetic procedures.

Could New Acne Treatment Cause Cancer?

My mother always says “look beneath the skin.” Great advice from a child psychologist turned stay-at-home mom for evaluating relationships, but keen advice for evaluating well-respected journalism as well.

Browsing Yahoo Health, an article from Reuters caught my eye. “Drug Combo treats severe acne in women: study.” Knowing the emotional turmoil those tiny spots can inflict on the composure of otherwise self-confident women, I rapidly clicked, and even more quickly became alarmed.

This study, published in the January 2008 Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, cites the combination of the birth control pill Yasmin(r) and spironolactone (a diuretic) as a safe and effective treatment for acne. In this study, recipients had an 85 percent chance of either being free from their acne or having excellent improvement. And complications were low. There was no significant weight gain or menstrual cycle irregularites and no problems with elevated potassium levels.

But, what about the long run? Most of these women are young!

We know that oral contraceptives, such as Yasmin, are associated with a small increase in the risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer. How small? In the worst case scenario in the studies, using these for four years before the birth of a first child conferred a relative risk of 1.4. Simply said, if we consider the current risk of breast cancer to be one in seven women (some may argue one in eight or nine), this risk would now be one in five. This risk can often be justified. Going through pregnancy and delivery could definitely be considered riskier. But acne?

And then add in spironolactone. This is a great drug in certain conditions. It can help with fluid retention in those with heart failure and cirrhosis, and be a life saver for those with a condition called primary aldosteronism. Yet, as with many potentially life-saving treatments, that treatment can come at a cost. Spironolactone is listed in California’s Proposition 65 under chemicals associated with a risk of cancer.

Shocking - but not really. Looking back at the treatment of acne over the years, we laugh at our ignorance as we raised cancer risk while treating a cosmetic nuisance. First it was X-rays, now known to increase the risk of thyroid cancer. Then it was sun (UV ) exposure. Will we look back in thirty years and question why we considered a combination of a known and a probable carcinogen an acceptable treatment for something only skin deep?

Myself - I plan on listening to my mother’s advice. “Look beneath the skin.” With the alarming incidence of breast cancer in our country, and one in three women expected to develop some form of cancer in addition to skin cancer, I think I’ll opt for safer alternatives.

And for my kids it serves as an internet lesson. Unlike the TV ads as of late portraying the wonderful advantages of a multitude of meds, a laundry list of potential problems did not follow this article, nor was I able to find a direct way to contact anyone to discuss our concerns.

Get extensive information on cancer prevention by reading “Avoiding Cancer One Day At A Time: Practical Advice for Preventing Cancer” to learn more.

Source: Health Guide

Diet treatment call for epilepsy

A special high-fat diet helps to control fits in children with epilepsy, a UK trial suggests.
The number of seizures fell by a third in children on the "ketogenic" diet, where previously they had suffered fits every day despite medication.
The diet alters the body's metabolism by mimicking the effects of starvation, the researchers reported in the Lancet Neurology.
The researchers called for the diet to be more widely available on the NHS.
It is the first trial comparing the diet with routine care, even though it has been around since the 1920s.
Children are given a tailored diet very high in fat, low in carbohydrate and with controlled amounts of protein.
It is not exactly clear how it works but it seems that ketones, produced from the breakdown of fat, help to alleviate seizures.
A total of 145 children aged between two and 16 who had failed to respond to treatment with at least two anti-epileptic drugs took part in the study.
Half started the diet immediately and half waited for three months.
The number of seizures in the children on the diet fell to two-thirds of what they had been, but remained unchanged in those who had not yet started the diet, the researchers reported.
Five children in the diet group saw a seizure reduction of more than 90%.
However, there were some side-effects including constipation, vomiting, lack of energy and hunger.
Availability
Professor Helen Cross, study leader and consultant in neurology at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, said the diet had been around for a long time but had fallen out of favour because it was thought to be too difficult to stick to.
"The parents say the first two weeks are quite difficult, but then it becomes much easier because you can make foods in bulk and it especially helps if you can see the benefits from it," she said.
"We have to be sensible about it, in this study we had children who had complex epilepsy.
"If your epilepsy is easily controlled on one medication then I wouldn't advocate the diet, but if at least two drugs have failed then it should be considered."
She said national guidelines recommend the diet as a treatment option, but a shortage of dieticians meant it was often unavailable.
A spokesperson for Epilepsy Action said: "The results of this trial add valuable information to what is already known about the diet, presenting evidence that it works for some children with drug-resistant epilepsy.
"In addition to this, however, we also recognise that the ketogenic diet is not without its side-effects, and that the risks and benefits should be considered before prescribing, as with drug treatment."
She said the results would hopefully encourage wider inclusion of the diet in the management of children with drug-resistant epilepsy.

Source:BBC