Young girls are often influenced by the teen queens of television, movies, and music. So when they see their favorite actress dress a certain way it is no surprise that they immediately look for similar fashions. However, when they hear that their role models are going under the knife to enhance their appearance, teens seem to be opposed to the star’s decision. Most recently, Heidi Montag, star of “The Hills,” was a big upset to her young fans; Disney star Ashley Tisdale was also scrutinized for her surgery.

Although these stars are said to be a sort of example for their adoring fans, when it comes to plastic surgery, teens seem to getting smarter. Some state that they find their procedures unnecessary and make them look too plastic – more so in Montag’s case, who underwent facial surgery, breast augmentation, liposuction, and rhinoplasty. Tisdale addressed the surgery rumors by explaining that she had a deviated septum and therefore chose to correct the issue with nose surgery; this made more sense to her teen fans. Young girls are becoming more aware of plastic surgery at an early age and becoming educated on what looks natural and what looks fake – something that many stars may not be doing.

In Tucson, Jeffrey Nelson, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a qualified cosmetic plastic surgeon who can help patients determine what procedure(s) is most appropriate to meet their needs. If you are interested in a face, breast, or body contouring procedure, you can learn more when visiting his website.

Share This!

Many have come to the conclusion that the change yielded by plastic surgery is strictly superficial. But the truth is more complex than that.

Dismissing all plastic surgery patients as vain is incredibly crass, particularly when considering the roots of cosmetic plastic surgery and the modern facelift. While the very first rhinoplasty surgeries can be traced back to 2000 BC, reconstructive facial procedures rose to prominence following World War I and World War II. Drs. Harold Gillies and Archibald McIndoe helped many wounded veterans correct the permanent disfigurements left over from battle. Rectifying these physical scars proved to be an instrumental part of healing the emotional and psychological scars that many soldiers bear after experiencing the violence of combat. The same reconstructive facial work that these doctors pioneered has helped plastic surgeons treat children born with facial deformities, such as cleft lips and malformed ears.

Likewise, modern breast augmentation procedures also hearken back to reconstructive surgeries. Breast cancer survivors who have undergone mastectomy surgeries often feel incomplete, even after making a full recovery from the cancer treatment. Breast implants and other cosmetic surgeries can help them feel more feminine, completing the healing process that extends beyond medical treatment.

Another example of lifechanging plastic surgery is embodied in the “Mommy Makeover.” While the emotional hardships of motherhood are relatively more mundane than those faced by soldiers and cancer survivors, the theme of sacrifice and recovery is still significant. Most women’s bodies will be irrevocably changed after childbirth. While nearly all mothers gladly undertake this burden for the sake of their children, afterwards, many women find that plastic surgery can help them restore their confidence and self esteem. Dr. Robert Wald, an Orange County tummy tuck specialist and certified plastic surgeon, often helps mothers feel more like themselves after pregnancy. Many families consider a makeover a well-deserved reward for the selfless gift of giving birth.

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder—but oftentimes, the problems that cosmetic surgery treats are rooted from deeper emotional afflictions. Correcting these imperfections can be an integral part of moving beyond frustrating, painful, and traumatic experiences.

Share This!

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.”

Share This!