Nurse may have neglected Donda

People Nov 26, 08 10:35 AM CST
(Newser)
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Authorities have launched a new investigation into the death of Kanye West’s mother, People reports, this time focusing on Donda West’s nephew. Registered nurse Stephan Scoggins, who is being investigated for possible negligence, was supposed to supervise West's post-op care but left for a baby shower the day after her surgery, a source said. Scoggins may also have administered too much Vicodin.
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Victoria's Secret bares a navel-less belly on the runway

BBC Nov 23, 08 8:17 PM CST
(Newser)
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Supermodel Karolina Kurkova's recent turn on the catwalk for Victoria's Secret had curious spectators wondering what happened to her belly button. The Czech stunner offered no explanation for her smooth stomach, which has only a minor indentation where her navel should be, and her agent says only that "she's not an alien." The BBC goes in search of navel intelligence.
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opinion
Studies link better pay to better looks, so a face-lift helps you—and your surgeon

Los Angeles Times Sep 11, 08 3:36 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Rising gas prices, fewer jobs and the slumping economic has many craving a face-lift, literally. Most would-be patients make less than $60,000, so why not have "tax breaks on cosmetic surgery for low-income Americans," Rosa Brooks suggests in the Los Angeles Times . It’s a completely rational investment, she writes, since "we live in a society that rewards beauty (and penalizes ugliness)."
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Vanity clients trump medical patients at dermatologist's office

New York Times Jul 28, 08 9:13 AM CDT
(Newser)
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These days, dermatologists offer luxurious treatment rooms and personalized services for high-paying cosmetic clients seeking a Botox injection. But for those suffering medical conditions, the experience can be far less personal—increasingly, skin doctors are hiring assistants and nurse practitioners to handle everything from psoriasis to skin cancer. The New York Times looks at how vanity procedures are transforming dermatology and pushing serious skin care aside.
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Before-and-after shots highlight absence of mark often savaged in the media

Huffington Post Jul 16, 08 11:00 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Sarah Jessica Parker's signature chin mole, on full display as recently as 6 weeks ago, was conspicuously absent during an appearance last night at Yankee Stadium, the Huffington Post notes. One Sex and the City reviewer called the big-screen "growth on her face … so distracting you can't concentrate on anything else."
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But critics worry that payoffs skew testimonials

New York Times Jun 26, 08 8:41 AM CDT
(Newser)
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When her doctor offered her a $100 discount to post her Lasek surgery on YouTube, Michelle Wilder was perplexed. “I was wondering, ‘Who wants to see my surgery?’” she says. But the money talked, and now you can see Wilder, and thousands of others, go under the knife online, the New York Times reports. More and more cosmetic surgeons are rewarding patients for such exhibitionism.
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Bone-breaking procedure gaining takers, at $100K a pop
Details May 31, 08 10:25 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Short, and even not-so-short men who feel their height is holding them back in life are turning to surgery in growing numbers, Details reports. Clinics abroad offer cosmetic limb lengthening that can add a few inches of height, but the bill can top $100,000 and the procedure, which involves breaking and stretching the bones, leaves the patient crippled for months.
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OPINION
TV critic decries 'new—and wrinkle-free!—elephant in the living room'

Los Angeles Times Apr 14, 08 2:07 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Cosmetic surgery is out of control, TV critic Mary McNamara contends in the Los Angeles Times , and it's time to break the taboo of talking about it in mainstream criticism. TV reviews shouldn’t descend into blogospheric dissections of cosmetic work, but obvious surgery not connected to an actor’s role “can affect not only their performance but the whole tone of the show.”
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But controversial 'lipodissolve'
injections not yet approved

BBC Jan 9, 08 5:23 PM CST
(Newser)
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Cosmetic surgeons are peddling a controversial new way to lose weight for those too busy to exercise. It's called "lipodissolve"—a series of injections that dissolves fat and takes 15 minutes to administer. The active ingredient, a chemical known as PCDC, melts flab within days. The procedure has been banned in several countries and hasn't yet been approved in the US, but some docs are calling it a "miracle cure."
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Cosmetic surgeries can be cheaper abroad—and come with perks

CNN Jan 3, 08 4:57 PM CST
(Newser)
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Americans looking to get cosmetic surgery are eschewing expensive procedures at home and opting for "medical tourism," traveling abroad for cheaper procedures—that sometime come with exotic vacation perks. Countries including South Africa, Argentina, Thailand, Brazil and Singapore are marketing their health services to Americans with the promise of lower prices—and, CNN reports, a vacation getaway.
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Patient faces massive side effects

Los Angeles Times Dec 13, 07 3:00 PM CST
(Newser)
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Isabelle Dinoire can smile a little, her doctors reported yesterday, a big accomplishment for the world’s first face transplant recipient. Her case shows that the controversial surgery can work—but it also highlighted the risks involved. Dinoire has dealt with two tissue-rejection episodes, two kidney failures, anemia and high blood pressure in the 18 months since the transplant in France.
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High-profile Adams had alcohol convictions, faced malpractice action

Los Angeles Times Nov 14, 07 2:23 PM CST
(Newser)
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The mother of rap star Kanye West died Saturday "as a result of surgery or anesthesia," a preliminary autopsy showed yesterday—more bad news for her surgeon, the Los Angeles Times reports. Dr. Jan Adams—a talk-show regular—faces sanctions from various state agencies over a string of alcohol-related convictions, including revocation or suspension of his medical license.
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First such transplant patient shares her new perspective

Guardian (UK) Oct 5, 07 1:19 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Isabelle Dinoire, the French woman who in November 2005 received the world's first partial face transplant, has taught herself how to eat and speak again, but what she really wants to learn, the Guardian reports, is how to kiss. In a new book published in France yesterday, Dinoire describes her slow adjustment to living with another woman's face after surgery.
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$10,000-a-pop operations address "psychological issues"

Australia's News Network Sep 17, 07 7:38 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The Royal Australian Navy has footed the bill for $10,000 breast-enhancement surgeries for sailors, says a plastic surgeon who told Australia's News Network that he performed breast enlargements for two such women—although neither had any injury. Officials insist the Navy pays for cosmetic operations only when there are "compelling psychological/psychiatric reasons."
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New study says medical patients wait longer than cosmetic patients

New York Times Aug 29, 07 3:00 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Patients have a better chance of seeing their dermatologists if they want Botox than if they want a potentially cancerous mole examined, a new study finds. Researchers, posing as patients in a dozen cities, faced a typical wait of eight days for cosmetic procedures and 26 days to test a suspicious mole that could signal skin cancer.
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"Benefactors" pay to view naked photos and chat with women wanting implants

Yahoo! Aug 17, 07 2:51 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Web entrepreneur Jason Grunstra says his site is just a service connecting people with similar interests. The interest happens to be breasts, and the site connects those who like to look at them with those who'd like to have theirs enlarged. Women upload pictures of themselves, hoping to attract “benefactors” who will contribute to the cost of their implants, in exchange for a peek at the goods, Yahoo reports.
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