HOUSTON, TX–(Marketwire – July 18, 2012) – according to the latest statistics from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), liposuction is the most commonly performed surgical cosmetic enhancement procedure in the U.S. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Sam Sukkar says he has seen a similar increase in body contouring procedures at his practice, and adds that the Hi-Def Liposculpture method from VASER® is a contributing factor to the overall growth in popularity.
According to Dr. Sukkar, the difference between the traditional liposuction procedure and Hi-Def liposuction from VASER® lies in the ability to factor in the unique shape and anatomical structure of each patient. the VASER® method is intended for active men and women that want to achieve greater definition in the appearance of their musculature by removing superficial fatty deposits that have been resistant to diet and exercise. Dr. Sukkar says the ability to selectively shape and remove fat in the treatment areas allows him to create the sculpted, toned appearance his patients want.
The VASER® method can help the Houston plastic surgeon sculpt a number of areas, including the abdomen, breasts, hips, waist, thighs, buttocks, and male chest. Dr. Sukkar says the entire procedure, from surgery to initial recovery and discharge, typically takes four to six hours. He adds that the results are immediately noticeable, though he stresses that patients should expect to be out of work for anywhere from one to seven days. the Hi-Def liposculpture method does not typically cause swelling or bruising, and does not require the use of sutures. Because of the nature of the procedure and the type of patients that pursue the VASER® treatment, Dr. Sukkar says a common concern is the ability to begin exercising again. He says he recommends waiting at least three weeks from the date of the procedure before resuming their workout routine.
As body contouring procedures continue to increase at his Houston plastic surgery practice, Dr. Sukkar says he will continue to pursue the latest advancements in liposuction and in the plastic surgery industry as a whole to ensure his patients receive the safest and most effective procedures. This is one reason Dr. Sukkar says he urges patients to consult with a board certified plastic surgeon, as the certification process with the American Board of Plastic Surgery not only requires mastery of proven methods and techniques, but also continuous education in the ever-evolving world of cosmetic enhancement.
After earning his medical degree from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine, Dr. Sam Sukkar completed training in general surgery at the University of Texas Hermann Hospital, and a plastic surgery residency at Northwestern University. He is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a member of both the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
Sukkar Aesthetic Plastic Surgery & Medical Spa is located at 1616 Clear Lake City Blvd., Suite 102, Houston, TX 77062, and can be reached at (281) 940-1535 or (866) 764-7886. Dr. Sukkar and his team can also be found online at drsukkar.com, or their Houston Plastic Surgery Facebook page.
CLEVELAND, June 18, 2012 — /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Checkpoint Surgical, an emerging leader in neurotech surgical instruments has hired industry veteran Don Hubbard as its Vice President of Sales and Marketing. for the past 10 years, Hubbard was Senior Vice President for PartsSource, Inc., a multi-modality medical parts supplier, where he led sales growth from $4 million to $110 million and grew the sales team from four to over eighty members.
“Don has served on Checkpoint Surgical’s board for two years, gaining strong admiration for our products and our team,” said Len Cosentino, Checkpoint Surgical president and CEO. “In his new role with us, Don is rolling up his sleeves, lending his tremendous experience and expertise to help us continue growing the company in the U.S and abroad.”
In both 2005 and 2010, mr. Hubbard received the DMSE Sales Executive of the Year Award for Northern Ohio. Prior to joining PartsSource, Hubbard served as Vice President of Operations for Agency Rent-A-Car and Vice President of Sales for Spirit Rent-A-Car Agency. he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and Economics from the University of Michigan.
Mr. Hubbard will oversee sales growth of Checkpoint Surgical flagship product, the CHECKPOINT® Stimulator/Locator, a state-of-the-art intraoperative neuroprotective stimulator that helps surgeons locate, identify and evaluate nerve and muscle excitability during surgery to facilitate nerve preservation and repair. CHECKPOINT® recently received the CE mark and has launched commercial sales overseas.
There are more than 2 million annual surgeries in the U.S. alone where nerve damage is a major risk, representing an annual global revenue opportunity in excess of $500 million. Checkpoint Surgical was founded in 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio, and CHECKPOINT® received FDA clearance in the U.S. in October 2009.
In 2010, the company launched U.S. sales of the CHECKPOINT® which is now used in a wide range of nerve repair, ENT, orthopaedic, plastic reconstructive, and oncological surgical procedures at many of the nation’s premier hospitals.
“I’m thrilled to be working with the team at Checkpoint Surgical,” said Don Hubbard. “There’s great interest in CHECKPOINT® from distributors, surgeons and major health systems in the U.S. and overseas, and I look forward to putting it in their hands.”
A 'strategic partnership' brings South Hills health system into larger network June 13, 2012 12:07 am By Steve Twedt and Bill Toland / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh health insurer Highmark Inc. added a major building block to its planned integrated health care delivery system with Tuesday's announcement of a “strategic partnership” with Jefferson Regional Medical Center that will infuse millions into the Jefferson Hills facility, while turning over control of Jefferson's board to Highmark.
The affiliation means there are just two fully independent inpatient, general acute hospitals remaining in Allegheny County that aren't part of a larger network — St. Clair Hospital in Mt. Lebanon and Ohio Valley General Hospital in Kennedy.
As part of the agreement, Highmark will contribute $75 million to the Jefferson Regional Medical Center Foundation; will guarantee up to $200 million of Jefferson's long-term obligations, such as debts and pensions; and will commit to expansions of the hospital's emergency room and the ambulatory surgery suite in Bethel Park at an “undetermined” cost.
The partnership also includes plans to expand clinical services such as neurosurgery and gynecology.
Jefferson, a major health system in the South Hills, will be a part of all of Highmark's insurance products.
J. Robert Baum, Highmark board chairman and interim CEO, said at a Tuesday press briefing that the $75 million earmarked for the Jefferson foundation will come from $1 billion that Highmark set aside to build its provider organization.
Jefferson would retain control of how that $75 million is spent. The foundation supports the hospital's overall medical mission, with a special emphasis on community outreach and indigent care.
Jefferson Regional President and CEO John J. Dempster said board members voted unanimously Monday to approve the affiliation, which, pending state approval, would make the health system “the southern hub of the Highmark provider network.”
Highmark and Jefferson, which hope to finalize the agreement by year end, need clearance from the state Attorney General and the Allegheny County Orphans' Court division. they will not have to go through the state Insurance Department a second time after Highmark did so in its acquisition of West Penn Allegheny Health system, the second largest health system in the region.
A year ago, Highmark officials announced plans to acquire financially ailing West Penn Allegheny Health system, which would serve as the flagship for the insurer's plans to create a regional healthcare delivery system. That deal is still under review by the state insurance department.
“We share a common vision to meet the healthcare needs of the southern region of Western Pennsylvania,” mr. Dempster said. “In order to remain strong, we needed a long-term, trusting partner.”
Trust, he added, was a critical component to the Jefferson board's decision to turn over board control to Highmark. “None of us own these institutions. They're community assets,” said mr. Dempster. “We are absolutely OK with this structure.”
Mr. Baum called the talks with Jefferson Regional, which began in earnest in February, a “refreshing negotiating experience” — in contrast with the negotiations with UPMC to extend Highmark's contract with the region's largest health system, talks that eventually required intervention by the governor's office.
Jefferson, mr. Baum said, will be a part of the relaunched Community Blue product network. Community Blue was a lower-cost, “very popular” Highmark insurance product that placed hospitals and providers into tiers, based on price and “favored-nation” contractual relationships. That new product could relaunch by the beginning of 2013.
Jefferson's current joint ventures with UPMC, including oncology care, are unaffected for now.
Jefferson Regional's chief medical officer, Richard Collins, said physicians will continue to refer patients to UPMC facilities if they believe that is in the best interest of patients. “We will never restrict our physicians from doing the right thing for our patients.”
But Highmark's chairman, mr. Baum, made it clear that they expect to attract patients into their network by providing high quality care at lower cost.
“Part of the integrated delivery system strategy involves using products and systems and information that will help us [keep] the institutions that we have within our structures full … if that means that we're taking business from anybody, whether it's UPMC system or anyone, those structures will be used toward that end.”
Asked for reaction to the Highmark-Jefferson pact, UPMC spokesman Paul Wood said, “UPMC welcomes a more competitive market among both health insurers and providers. this is a direct result of the coming expiration of UPMC's contract with Highmark, which will allow businesses and patients to enjoy the benefits that long-awaited competition will bring to the region.”
Mr. Baum noted Highmark's cash “is not a rescue” but part of a growth strategy for both organizations.
He also said WPAHS and Jefferson Regional would essentially be “sister” entities on the new Highmark organizational chart. The two health systems will remain independently operated, but essentially under Highmark control.
Jefferson Regional Chief Financial Officer JoAnne Hahey said the South Hills health system has recorded $4.5 million earnings from operations for the first nine months of the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council reported Jefferson had $219 million in net patient revenue for fiscal 2011 that ended June 30.
John Paul, leader of Highmark's Integrated Delivery system and architect of the Jefferson affiliation, said the agreement does not include a sunset provision.
The only way for either party to back out would be if something “catastrophic” were discovered during the due diligence research period, he said.
Mr. Paul said the Pittsburgh health insurer's next step would be an intense focus on its planned outpatient clinics — 10 of them, to be scattered throughout the region.
“We've been making a lot of inroads in” outpatient and clinical care, he said. “What's next is, you will be seeing [a] broad array of ambulatory sites, full-service, convenient locations throughout our region.”
One is now certain to be built in Butler County. on May 31, Highmark, through an intermediary, acquired the rights to 25 acres in Cranberry for $8.96 million.
Included in the sales agreement was a restrictive covenant, which requires the property to used for a medical mall, a health care facility, an insurance company or as a corporate headquarters.
Construction is set to begin before June 1, 2014, as per the agreement. The property had been owned by Mine Safety Appliances and was purchased by Principo Advisers LLC.
Highmark is also targeting medical mall properties in Robinson, Washington and Fox Chapel, and has already acquired properties in Monroeville and Pine.
Besides the 373-bed main campus facility in Jefferson Hills, the Jefferson health system has outpatient centers in Baldwin, Bethel Park, Belle Vernon, Brentwood, Charleroi, Clairton, Homestead, Pleasant Hills, Squirrel Hill and Uniontown.
This past fiscal year, from July 2010 through June 2011, Jefferson saw more than 17,000 admissions, making it the fifth-largest hospital in Allegheny County in terms of patient traffic.
Vanity is my main reason for even considering plastic surgery. my breast are slightly uneven, my boyfriend doesn't even notice but it's always bothered me since puberty. I also want liposuction. I've been working out and exercising but I'm a little worried about my skin, I've been losing weight rapidly for the past 5wks and my skin isn't as tight as I want. So how should I do my research about safe plastic surgeons, if I do decide to go through with plastic surgery?
When considering plastic surgery check the dr's credentials to see if he's board certified with the American Board of Surgeons. Also, ask about how many times the dr has done the procedure you are considering. The more experienced they are at the procedure you want the lower the chance of complications and other risks from occurring.
I would also recommend talking to your primary care physician to see what they say about further information on Plastic Surgery.
My wife works for a great plastic surgeon. Most important make sure they are Board Certified. Second ask to see a portfolio for the sugery you are looking for. you can also look up credentials on the doctor by going to his/her website. In the US any surgeon can practice placstics so Board Certification is tops.
If it is for vanity, there is no reason for it. unless you are scarred from an accident, have a birth defect or it is causing you other health problems, you don't need it. However, I have had it twice on my mouth for a defect, and (hopefully) later this year for a breast reduction. I am 18 and about a DDD. It is a cosmetic surgery for medical reasons. I have very bad back, neck, and shoulder pain from them and poor posture.
I'm against plastic surgery so I can really answer that part of the question. I just wanted to let you know that your skin will naturally tighten on it's own. It's just gonna take some time. Five weeks definately isn't long enough for it to tighten.
1. See at least THREE Plastic surgeons before choosing. 2. See as many pictures as you can of their work. Realize that the post operative pictures may be fairly soon after the surgery so also look at one year post operative photos. 3. ask tons of questions. 4. Research the positives 5. Research the negatives of the surgeries. Find out WHY they had the negative affects (smoking, illness, diabetes, etc). 6. Check the American Board of Plastic Surgeons. 7. Google your PS online, find out what his/her patients think. 8. Cheaper is not necessarily better.
