Deflated 'Pancake' Breasts Restored After Pregnancy, Weight Loss, Aging

/CAUTION -- EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE AT 10 A.M. EDT WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8/

Innovative 'No Breast Implant' Procedure Presented at ASPS Annual Meeting

/ADVANCE/ CHICAGO, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Women who desire a
mommy-makeover, have had major weight loss, or are unhappy with the toll age
has taken on their breasts can breathe easier. An innovative procedure to
correct severely deflated, sagging breasts left looking like "pancakes" will
be presented at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Plastic
Surgery 2008 conference, Oct. 31 - Nov. 5, in Chicago. The procedure
corrects misshapen breasts by lifting and restoring them to a more natural,
full shape and position without the use of breast implants.

"In the past several years I've seen more women in their 50s who are unhappy
with their breasts," said Dennis Hurwitz, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and course
instructor. "These women have had numerous pregnancies, waited later in life
to have children, lost a lot of weight, or simply haven't aged well and want
to restore their figure. The breast irregularities these patients share are
unique. These are extreme cases -- not your 'run of the mill' augmentation
patients who simply want to enlarge their breasts from an A to C cup."

The procedure presented at Plastic Surgery 2008 uses unwanted tissue and fat
from the patient's tummy, along the bra line, or beneath the upper arm, shapes
it into a breast mound and secures it with absorbable sutures into a tissue
sheet that acts like a sling to hold the flap into position. This "spiral
flap" is mobile enough to permit artistry in shaping, positioning and
enlarging the breast. According to Dr. Hurwitz, the breasts are not only
enlarged and better-shaped; they are soft and shift naturally with changes in
body position. Patients also get the dual benefit of body contouring.

Currently, the majority of these patients are treated with conventional breast
surgery, generally with less patient satisfaction. However, the "spiral flap"
technique should not be substituted for standard breast implant augmentation,
augmentation with breast lift, or breast reduction in all patients. While the
procedure may be an option for a small percentage of women (post-pregnancy or
as a result of aging) with extremely flattened chests who have ample excess
skin around their mid torso, the majority treated with this technique are
massive weight loss patients.

"For these women, so much volume and skin elasticity is gone that a basic
breast augmentation or lift just doesn't produce optimal results," said Dr.
Hurwitz. "By using the patients own tissue, they get a more natural
augmentation with the dual benefit of body contouring."

Nearly 348,000 breast augmentations were performed in 2007, making it the
number one cosmetic plastic surgery procedure last year, according to ASPS
statistics. In addition, more than 106,000 breast reductions and 104,000
breast lifts were performed last year.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of
board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. Representing more than 6,700
physician members, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and
information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS
comprises more than 90 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the
United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by
The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and
Surgeons of Canada.

Note: The course "Mastopexy and Augmentation of the Severely Deformed Breast
after Massive Weight Loss, Aging, and Pregnancy" is being held Sunday, Nov. 2,
7:00-9:00 a.m., at the McCormick Place West (convention center), Chicago.

Reporters can register to attend Plastic Surgery 2008 and arrange interviews
with presenters by logging on to
http://www1.plasticsurgery.org/ebusiness4/media/mediaregistration.aspx or by
contacting ASPS Public Relations at (847) 228-9900 or in Chicago, Nov. 1 -
Nov. 5 at (312) 791-7028.

SOURCE American Society of Plastic Surgeons

ASPS Public Relations, +1-847-228-9900, media@plasticsurgery.org