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Botox and Medical Malpractice

Botox Patient — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 08:49:34 +0000

Contrary to popular belief, very few medical malpractice cases involve doctors and Botox cosmetic.

The prevailing idea is similar to what a respected icon in the makeup industry opines: Women should be afraid of Botox. Her reason: because it involves injecting poison into your skin.

I’d be rich if I got a penny for every single time I’ve read and heard this statement. Here’s the important truth that you, our dear reader, should remember. Botox cosmetic, administered in the proper dosages by an experienced injector, is safe.

Firstly, Botox is not injected to the skin but into the muscle underneath. Its purpose is to calm the muscle, giving the skin a break from repetitive creasing which, in the long run, allows it to return to its taut state. When the skin is allowed to smoothen out and tighten up, your wrinkles become less visible and eventually disappear.

Secondly, Botox is not scary. In fact, even the FDA acknowledges that most common side effects associated with the drug’s cosmetic use is ptosis or drooping of the eyelid.

Yes, there have been several reports linking Botox to paralysis and death but those instances are not from the cosmetic use of the drug.

The FDA’s Postmarket Drug Safety Information has the following information:

Adverse effects for pediatric cases are reported to come from treatments of muscle spasticity in cerebral palsy.

For adult cases, migration or distant spread of toxin effects are reported to come from treatment of spasticity and cervical dystonia. The report also stated that the several deaths connected with the use of the drug cannot be attributable to the toxin itself but to complications of pre-existing conditions.

With regard to the cosmetic use of the toxin, the FDA categorically stated, and I quote, “…there have been reports where some symptoms could be consistent with distant spread of toxin effect following dermatologic use. However, no definitive serious adverse event reports of distant spread of toxin effect associated with dermatologic use of Botox at the labeled dose of 20 Units (for glabellar lines) or 100 Units (for severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis) have been identified”.

Even with this current track record, doctors are careful with injecting the toxin to the lower part of the face to treat smile or marionette lines. There’s a world of difference between causing droopy eyelids and paralysing somebody’s lips disabling them from speaking. The first only pertains to appearance, the other can affect one’s life and work. Doctors know this so, some of them refrain from performing these treatments. In any case, the effects of Botox cosmetic, both the good and the bad, are only temporary. As such, things return to the way they were after a period of time.

We don’t have any legal authority to say that a malpractice case becomes moot after things return to normal. But at the very least, people should consider the fact that there are few medical malpractice cases involving Botox as a sort of reassurance. Doctors take care of their patients and their reputations and would not intentionally cause harm to clients. Add this to the fact that the drug itself is safe, and you end up with something that should not be feared.

Botox and Medical Malpractice is a post from: Botox Patient

The Real Score Between Botox and Doctors

Botox Patient — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 21:49:43 +0000

Ever wondered about the relationship between Botox and doctors? Well, today is the day when you’re wondering ends…

Every patient is aware that Botox treatments are expensive. In fact, we’d wager that this is the first consideration of most of them. But what very few realize is that doctors usually get so little profit from doing Botox. The fact of the matter is that it’s not a big ticket item in cosmetic medicine. Here’s the simple reason why: the drug, by itself, is expensive. Which means that even your trusty clinic bears the brunt of the high price of the drug.

According to this report, a vial of Botox containing 100 units carried a price tag of $525 last year, 2009. That translates to a bottom line cost of $5.25 per unit.

While prices vary per region, clinics typically charge their patients $10 per unit. That’s a little less than twice the cost of the drug itself! Let’s consider this for a moment. The $4.75 you pay on top of the cost of Botox will cover the following expenses: utilities (electricity and water), salary of all of the staff (yes, you pay not only for your Botox injector but also for everybody in the payroll), operating expenses and lease expenses (for the office and equipments), among other things. Of course all these costs are distributed among all the clients and you only shoulder a fraction of the overall expense. But, do you see how far doctors and clinics stretch the little margin they get per treatment?

Here’s an illustration so you may see the situation even better. A regular treatment of the glabellar lines for women require 20 units of Botox so, you will be paying the clinic $200 dollars for the procedure – $105 for the Botox, $95 for all of the other expenses that was already mentioned. Can you imagine what will be left as net profit? Gets you thinking, huh?

You might now be wondering why a lot of physicians are still deciding to add Botox to the services they offer. Here’s the answer to that one: Botox is a great introductory service and since it’s one of the most sought after treatments, it’s a fabulous way to obtain new clients. Making Botox patients happy can lead to a long term relationship that will (hopefully) include some of the ‘big ticket’ procedures. We know it sounds very utilitarian but this is the reality of the business side of things…

Now, let us make it clear that we aren’t divulging this info to disillusion you or to make you cynical. We just want you to see the other side of the coin. Before you think that your doctor is ripping you off with the price of his services, you should consider the things we pointed out above. Keeping these little bits of info in mind may help you understand your Botox provider and get you better treatments.

The Real Score Between Botox and Doctors is a post from: Botox Patient

3 Reasons Why Botox Gets a Bad Rep

Botox Patient — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 01:34:48 +0000

A lot of women have shunned Botox use because – let’s admit it – there’s more bad than good reviews in popular media about the drug and its effects.

Here are 3 reasons for its infamy:

1. Hollywood

Yes, you read right: the glitzy and glamorous Hollywood.

Let’s cut through the fluff and admit that some of the worst ambassadors for Botox are celebrities. In fact, most patients refer to some of them when describing how they don’t want to look after a treatment.

It’s also very possible that one of the more famous Botox myths – that you become incapable of emotions – sprung forth from its star-encrusted streets. I, personally, believe it started from directors who complained that their actors became unable to convey the emotions required in a scene.

It doesn’t help either that these actors get photographed so often that before and after pictures are so easy to come by (Perez Hilton probably has a whole gallery of them!). And because the effects are so drastic sometimes, people can’t help but notice.

2. Botox Scams

A definite cause of infamy is Botox scams. While it’s good that these con games are found out, publicized and their masterminds prosecuted, they also spawn a negative stigma that people assume to be fact. They create what I like to call Botox Terror. Unfortunately, this fear is usually misplaced and is based on misconceptions.

For one, these scams commonly involve fake Botox – not just any harmless placebo but the shouldn’t-be-used-on-people-because-they-can-kill kind. Secondly, these are generally marketed as DIY kits that require self-injection – an absolute no-no, unless you’re willing to run the risk of poking your eye out or puncturing blood vessels in your face!

3. People assume they know everything there is to know about Botox

Now, this is the absolute culprit for Botox’s growing bad rep.

Everybody has an opinion on the drug and the loudest voices are probably those of its detractors. Unfortunately, some of the most emphatic of them know squat about the real deal. They take what they’ve read, watched or heard from some random tabloid or magazine and accept it as truth without verifying it first.

For those who are interested, here’s the real score: Botox, produced by Allergan, is a safe drug. However, most people often gloss over the fact that a Botox treatment is still a medical procedure that carries risks, especially if the drug is misused. Your best ally would be to keep an open mind and take everything you read with a grain of salt. Read up and research and see if everything checks out. Remember, the smart patients get the best and safest treatments so it definitely pays to be one of them!

3 Reasons Why Botox Gets a Bad Rep is a post from: Botox Patient

Common Botox Safety Concerns

Botox Patient — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 13:36:40 +0000

Botox, like every other word, has an etymology that can tell you so much about what the word denotes.

Most people overlook the fact that Botox is the brand name that Allergan gave the drug it manufactures for the treatment of wrinkles. This commercial name is actually a contraction of the words Botulinum Toxin from which the drug is derived.

BOTOX = BOtulinum TOXin

Let us now deal with the 2 main words involved:

Bot·u·li·num* (n): a spore-forming bacterium that secretes Botulinum Toxin. [From the German word "Botulismus"; coined from the Latin term "Botulus" which means sausage. The word 'sausage' is a depiction of the shape of Clostridium Botulinum, the bacteria that produces the toxin]
Tox·in* (n): a poisonous substance… usually very unstable, notably toxic when introduced into the tissues… [From the Latin term “Toxicum” which means poison]

Bacterium. Poison.

The two main words associated with Botox involve things that people usually stay far away from. No wonder most women’s primary concern is the safety of using Botox!

The Insider’s Guide that we are currently creating will include a section that will delve into the safety issues commonly associated with Botox treatments such as:

Is it safe? If so, how?
Important things you need to know to do Botox safely
How things can go wrong in a Botox treatment and how to avoid them
Possible side effects and measures you can take to prevent them from occurring
Botox pitfalls that you should avoid at all costs

We’re hoping that tackling this issue head on will give you the answers to common questions you may have regarding the safety of using Botox. The ultimate goal is to give you eveything you will need to make smart choices every step of the way.

*definition from merriam-webster online

Common Botox Safety Concerns is a post from: Botox Patient

The Truth About How Botox Works

Botox Patient — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:35:38 +0000

What exactly does Botox do?

One of our goals for this Guide is to give you an accurate description of how Botox works. Of course before you can decide that a Botox treatment will work for you, you have to know how the drug works.

A simple google search on the topic will give you the impression that the research is easy enough – and it actually is. Well, at least until you come across a site that says something different. Then you question which of the two possibilities is correct.

Here’s what most of the sites say: Botox blocks the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine which is the muscle’s signal to contract. Even the pictures available online all illustrate this cause and effect scenario. The common visual interpretation depicts Botox as encircling little spheres in the nerve ending that contain the acetylcholine. By virtue of such encircling, Botox prevents the release of the neurotransmitter and the muscle does not receive its signal to contract. No muscle contractions mean reduction in wrinkles. This explanation puts forward the theory that what is affected is the function in the nerve ending.

Now, here is what the dissenting website had to say: the function of Botox is to prevent the receptors on the side of the muscle from recognizing the acetylcholine – which means that the neurotransmitter is still released but the muscle receptors cannot recognize the signal. In this explanation, the organ affected by Botox is the muscle.

To a non-scientist, the second theory actually makes sense following this logic: Botox is injected into the muscle therefore, the organ affected is the muscle.

However, when one realizes that the Botulinum Toxin, from which Botox is derived, is a neurotoxin, you realize that it can and will have an effect on the functions of neurons so it is plausible that they affect the nerve that is responsible for making the muscles move even if the drug is injected in the latter.

Ah, the confusion.

It doesn’t help that Medline Plus, a website by the US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, says that Botox treatments work by weakening or paralyzing certain muscles OR by blocking certain nerves. This technically gives both of the theories leg to stand on. This now leads me to 3 hypotheses: (1) both of these theories are actually correct and are not mutually exclusive in describing the effects of botox, (2) if only one of them is correct, even these government agencies are unsure which of the two is correct or (3) none of these theories is correct and there is a third explanation out there just waiting to be discovered.

On that note, let the research resume…

The Truth About How Botox Works is a post from: Botox Patient

Botox Without Needles

Botox Patient — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:20:30 +0000

New news on Botox without needles or injections.

Botox Without Needles is a post from: Botox Patient

Botox & Nose Jobs becoming more popular in India

Botox Patient — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:22:58 +0000

Botox becomming more popular in India?

A pointed nose and taut skin seem to have emerged as the two most important assets for Indians going by the number of people opting for rhinoplasty or “nose jobs” and botox injections in the country.
Though there are no official records of plastic surgeries in India, a study of hospital records show that cosmetic procedures like rhinoplasty and liposuction have seen an increase of 150 per cent in the last five years.
Other popular surgical procedures include abdominoplasty and male breast reduction.
Among the non-surgical procedures, some of the widely practised procedures include Botox injection, microdermabrasion (a non-invasive procedure that uses a spray of micro crystals to remove the outermost layer of dry, dead skin cells and reveal younger, healthier-looking skin), collagen injection, laser hair removal and chemical peel.

via ptinews.com

Vanity is constant as the norther star… So is Botox. Just the kind of thing you can get at any laser clinic or skin clinic.

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

Botox & Nose Jobs becoming more popular in India is a post from: Botox Patient