A fair amount of people commonly associate the word “fake” with breast implants, but breast cancer? A Texas woman, Trista Joy Lathern, age 24, is being charged with embezzling individual donors and businesses for thousands of dollars in an attempt to get free breast augmentation surgery, following cancer that authorities now claim she never had.

Lathern, a Waco Texas (approximately 160 miles north of Houston and San Antonio) resident created a benefit fundraiser, complete with flyers, live music & a silent auction to stage the hoax. The benefit drew a few hundred people, including dozens of Lathern’s family members and friends, all of whom she successfully duped into her scheme.

McLennan County Sheriffs began investigating following contact from an Austin plastic surgeon’s attorney, who suspected the money used to pay for the breast enhancement was stolen.

“Stranger things have happened with plastic surgery,” according to Houston breast augmentation specialist, Dr. Michael Eisemann. “Thankfully, fraud on this scale is relatively easy to catch.”

According to the police affidavit, Lathern cited marital problems as her motivation for the theft and she thought that telling her husband she had cancer would bring them closer together. The procedure costed approximately $6,800.00 and local authorities are seeking out residents who donated to Lathern’s fundraiser for reimbursement.

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Two California and two Las Vegas women have been charged with organizing, and participating in a scheme to defraud the local Culinary Union’s health insurance program. The women submitted claims for unauthorized cosmetic surgery procedures performed on union members in Mexico, according to U.S. Attorney Greg Brower of Nevada.

Rebecca Acosta, 46, of Chula Vista, Calif., was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury on three counts of mail fraud. Acosta was arrested April 14 in San Diego and released Wednesday on a $150,000 bond. Three other women have been charged by criminal complaint for their involvement in the scheme, Brower said. Ana Bertha Acosta, 39, of Dulzura, Calif., was arrested Monday in San Ysidro, Calif., and Sara Casales, 47, of Las Vegas was arrested April 14 in Las Vegas. Both are charged with health care fraud and aiding and abetting. Lucia Solano, 49, of Las Vegas, also arrested April 14 in Las Vegas, is charged with making false statements to investigators.

In 2006 federal investigators initiated an investigation to determine if Las Vegas insurance providers were being targeted for fraudulent medical claims by Mexican medical providers, according to court records. The investigators found that the Hotel and Restaurant Employees International Union Welfare Fund, also known as the Culinary Fund, which offers medical insurance to at least 50,000 people in the hospitality industry in Las Vegas, had been billed about $4.9 million for “out of country” claims from about January 2002 to February 2006. Those “out of country” claims were almost entirely from Mexico, investigators discovered. Most of the claims were for “emergency procedures” in Mexico.

When investigators began interviewing a number of the patients, they were told that the insurance claims were fabricated and that they had actually had cosmetic surgery in Mexico, not emergency services. The Culinary Fund does not provide coverage for cosmetic surgeries, unless they are medically necessary, such as breast reduction and certain types of rhinoplasty.

Rebecca Acosta, the prinicple suspect, and her cohorts allegedly devised a scheme to defraud the Culinary Fund of money through submitting false health care claims. Acosta and the others met with prospective patients at a Summerlin residence and elsewhere for consulting on cosmetic surgeries, court documents say.

Acosta told the patients that she would bill the Culinary Fund for the cosmetic surgery, such as breast augmentations or “tummy tucks,” even though such procedures were not covered through the insurance program. She told patients that she would make it appear as if the patient suffered an unexpected injury in Mexico and had received emergency medical care, and then allegedly made arrangements for the prospective patients to receive a cosmetic procedure at a Tijuana, Mexico, clinic. She followed by charging the patients a fee in addition to any reimbursement they would receive from the Culinary Fund. Acosta instructed each patient not to disclose the true nature of the treatment they received in Mexico.

Once the patients received treatments in Tijuana, Acosta and the others submitted false and fraudulent claims to the Culinary Fund, requesting reimbursement for emergency medical services, even though they knew that the patients had actually received breast implants and body contouring surgery, court documents state.

Between September and October 2005, Acosta allegedly submitted three fraudulent claims for reimbursement for emergency procedures performed on three patients and the Culinary Fund paid more than $42,000 on the claims. If convicted, Acosta faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count; Ana Bertha Acosta and Sara Casales face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine each; and Lucia Solano faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case is being investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Labor, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Crane Pomerantz.

“This indictment sends a stern message to those medical providers that defrauding union health and welfare benefit plans by filing fraudulent claims will not be tolerated by my agency,” said Daniel R. Petrole, deputy inspector general for the U.S. Department of Labor. “We are firmly committed to working with other law enforcement agencies to investigate this type of crime.”

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Despite personal views, plastic surgery has gone mainstream, and is obviously here to stay. The release of plastic surgery statistics has become an annual ritual, almost on par with announcing awards show nominees. Every year the numbers are analyzed to see what trends are revealed, and the 2008 data, released last month from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), provided a few surprises.

Paramount among these was the emergence of breast augmentation as the number one cosmetic surgery procedure, knocking off liposuction which has traditionally held the spot. Though cosmetic surgery overall declined in 2008 (which also happens to be a first), the surge in cosmetic implant use was mirrored by an increase of approximately 39% in breast reconstruction. This comes on the heels of FDA clearance for silicone gel breast implants 2 years ago, suggesting that the controversies that have plagued this breast implants type in the past have since faded.

A longer view reveals a more telling trend, however. While cosmetic surgery was down by a few percentage points, non-surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures-Botox or dermal filler injections, lasers and the like-were up. One widely held interpretation of this is that people are shifting into “maintenance mode” by opting for more affordable procedures with minimal or no downtime until the economy improves and they can justify their facelift. Botox might be the new lipstick, a modern version of the historical increase in lipstick sales with every major economic downturn in the past.

Forecasting Plastic Surgery Trends

But broader analysis reveals that non-surgical cosmetic procedures have been increasing a lot more than surgery for several years. Although 1.7 million surgical procedures were done in the U.S. last year, non-surgical procedures checked in at more than 10 million. This is due, in part, to continually improving products and technologies, and with this has come greater social acceptance. Many of them are even household words now. Plastic surgeons have adapted by expanding their repertoires to include minimally invasive technologies and beauty services at their practices.

The big question on everyone’s mind is what all this means for the economy and where we are headed. One could easily subscribe to the theory that plastic surgery bookings anticipate an upturn, and if the first quarter of the year is an indication, then the economy is headed in the right direction. Some are freshening up their appearance as they change careers, others taking advantage of time off in between jobs. Either way, it is a vote of confidence; whether it is right for you, as always, is a personal choice.

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Recent findings in a report in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal states that more than 40% of cosmetic surgery patients take some form of herbal supplement in the 2 weeks leading up to their operation.

Many supplements can aid recovery, but experts are concerned that others can be harmful around the time of surgery and may also interact with conventional post-operation medicines.

These include some of the most popular supplements, typically used to boost the immune system, such as ginkgo biloba, ginseng, garlic and echinacea.

Dr. Alan Gold, president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), said that despite the well-documented side-effects of some herbal supplements, “many patients do not fully appreciate the importance of discontinuing these treatments before surgery”.

Dr. Gold also added: “Stopping certain herbal supplements prior to surgery is just as critical as stopping aspirin, ibuprofen and many other common drugs.”

When undergoing any elective surgery, the most serious and potentially dangerous effects of alternative medicines and herbal supplements occur during the operative and in the immediate postoperative periods.

“In considering the dizzying array of supplements available, the main concerns of the plastic surgeon are interaction with other medications, cardiovascular effects, alteration of coagulation [bleeding] and sedative effects,” adds David J. Rowe, M.D., author and Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University Hospitals Case Medical Center, in Lyndhurst, OH.

This situation is not unique to North American pateints either. The advice may be relevant to a significant number of British people as well, as several plastic surgery clinics recently told British newspaper, the Mirror, that there is likely to be as much as a 26% increase in the number of women undergoing breast enlargement surgery in April compared to March.

Herbal Medications to Avoid Within 2 Weeks of Plastic Surgery:

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Huntington Beach, LOS ANGELES – A California woman who has earned the nickname “The Boob-Job Bandit” in local media, has turned herself in to police after being accused of using a fake identity to obtain breast implants from a Huntington Beach plastic surgery clinic.

Yvonne Jean Pampellonne, 30, surrendered to local authorities on Tuesday (March 4th) afternoon in Huntington Beach, California, where she was wanted on charges of commercial burglary, identity theft and grand theft. Pampellonne arranged her surrender through her attorney and has been released on $20,000 bail pending an arraignment on the charges on May 27.

Police say that in September of 2008 Pampellonne used the personal information of another woman to establish a fraudulent line of credit at the Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery in Huntington Beach. By the time it was discovered, doctors performed $12,000 in liposuction and breast augmentation surgery at the center, say police.

The Orange County Register newspaper reported that Pampellonne was caught by police detectives using breast implant tracking numbers. Medical staff at the center became suspicious after Pampellonne returned for follow-up appointments and, after police identified her through the tracking numbers on her old implants, picked her out of a photo line-up.

Pampellonne’s arrest marks the second similar plastic surgery-related case this year in Orange County, which recently has been portrayed as an oceanfront playground for the wealthy on such TV shows as “The Real Housewives of Orange County” and “The O.C.” In January and February, a still-unidentified woman who gave the names “Miriam Gombar” or “Miriam Flemings” had thousands of dollars worth of Botox injections and facial fillers at a pair of Newport Beach plastic surgery clinics and left without paying.

According to the Register newspaper, a worker at one of the two plastic surgery clinics described the mystery woman as having a dark complexion and shoulder length hair, adding that she was in her late 40s to early 50s, adding that she was “not very attractive”, despite the work she had.

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In our continuing efforts to bring our readers the most information on a wide variety of cosmetic surgery procedures, we’re taking this opportunity to answer some common cosmetic surgery FAQs! In this and future Frequently Asked Questions posts, we’ll take a look at one or two of the most commonly asked questions regarding a given procedure and share our wealth of knowledge with you, our readers and potential patients.

Q. What is breast augmentation?

A. Breast augmentation is a plastic surgery procedure designed to enhance the size, shape, and symmetry of a woman’s breasts. The procedure can be done in a variety of ways, however, the most common method uses either silicone gel or saline (salt water) breast implants. The result of breast enlargement surgery is an enhanced figure, and a potentially heightened sense of self-confidence.

Breast augmentation is a procedure that has definitely evolved drastically, since its inception. Many years ago, the earliest breast enhancements consisted of women getting silicone injected directly into their breasts. But not long after the injections, the silicone would move and distort the breast augmentation. Some enterprising people (not necessarily physicians) found that if they put certain chemical impurities into the silicone, the material would stay in place. Unfortunately, these impurities caused infections and problems for many patients. Soon after, plastic surgeons improved the technique by putting silicone into a thin containment device and the modern day field of breast augmentation was born.

Q. What actually happens during the breast augmentation procedure? Is there multiple ways to do the surgery?

A. As with all things in life, there is always more than one way to do something. The basic breast enhancement procedure involves making an incision in and around the breast, creating a tunnel under the skin or muscle and putting an implant in that tunnel.

Here is where it gets a little interesting. Different surgeons advocate making incisions in different areas: under the arm, in the belly button, around the nipple or underneath the breast. Each method has its advantages and a disadvantages. Typically, the best procedure for you is what your doctor says it is. Each surgeon has his own preference and his own comfort level with different techniques. However, it is also important to address your own comfort level and personal needs, as well.

Our suggestion is this: Pick a plastic surgeon that offers multiple options for your procedure so that you get the one that’s best for you. If your surgeon offers only one way to do your procedure, you may not be getting the best possible solution for what bothers you. Ultimately, your plastic surgeon should be able to provide you with both a variety of options and an objective opinion on what will be the best method for you

As always, get several opinions before undergoing any sort of cosmetic surgery.

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Monday night, Dr. 90210 aired with its first episode of the new season. They only showed 2 patients; one who wanted a breast augmentation and another who wanted a breast augmentation, tummy tuck, and a brachioplasty (arm lift).

I found it interesting that even though the first patient, I beautiful young model / actress, who’s actually working in Hollywood and who has many magazine covers and her own calendar under her belt feels the need to have breast implants because her natural D cup breasts still do not fit the “Hollywood Image”.

Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Robert Rey was her surgeon and I have to agree with him that she has perfectly formed breasts. The natural tear drop or “ski slope” look as he puts it, unfortunately just isn’t what Hollywood wants now a days. Because her breast are natural they tend to sag some and this results in loss of fullness in the top portion of her breasts. According to the patient, this affects her modeling certain types of clothing, lingerie, swimwear and even implied nudity shots because she is always having to hold up her breasts.

Fortunately, Dr. Rey was able to perform her breast augmentation and still keep her breasts looking natural which has allowed her to go further in her carer.

Dr. Stuart Linder, a Hollywood and Beverly Hills breast augmentation specialist, who has performed breast augmentation on models and celebrities offers his views on celebrity breast augmentation in Hollywood on his blog.

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