Exclusive: Ridley Scott on Adapting Monopoly

While talking to Ridley Scott about his new action-adventure Robin Hood, starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett, the director told ComingSoon.net more about bringing the board game Monopoly to the big screen.

We asked Scott if the game would be referenced in the movie at all other than the title. "Yes, absolutely," he said. "It's a Hasbro film and they have the game. That was a tough thing to crack in terms of the screenplay because first off, many would want to integrate literally the shaking of the dice and the throwing of the dice into the board. I couldn't really get past that. I wanted to just make a movie about the idea of greed. I told them you know your game can turn your sweetest, dearest aunt into a demon - a nightmare of greed. So that's what we're going to do."

We also asked, given the current economic situation, whether the project will have a tougher look at the real estate market. "Completely. It's a blood bath. It was really bad behavior. It's [going to be] a comedy," Scott added.

The film is set up at Universal Pictures with a script by Pamela Pettler. A start date has not been announced.

Producer/author Frank Beddor previously revealed that the story he pitched for the movie featured a "comedic, lovable loser who lives in Manhattan and works at a real estate company and he's not very good at his job but he's great at playing Monopoly. And the world record for playing is 70 straight days – over 1,600 hours – and he wanted to try to convince his friends to help him break that world record. They think he is crazy. They kid him about this girl and they're playing the game and there's this big fight. And he's holding a Chance card and after they've left he says, 'Damn, I wanted to use that Chance card,' and he throws it down. He falls asleep and then he wakes up in the morning and he's holding the Chance card, and he thinks, 'That's odd.'

"He's all groggy and he goes down to buy some coffee and he reaches into his pocket and all he has is Monopoly money. All this Monopoly money pours out. He's confused and embarrassed and the girl reaches across the counter and says, 'That's OK.' And she gives him change in Monopoly money. He walks outside and he's in this very vibrant place, Monopoly City, and he's just come out of a Chance Shop. As it goes on, he takes on the evil Parker Brothers in the game of Monolopy."

FDA Warns Spas Against Fat-Melting Claims of Lipodissolve

Is Lipodissolve or mesotherapy safe? The FDA has recently issued a warning to six medical spas for making false or misleading statements that their fat melting injections are safe and effective, despite the fact that they've never been appropriately studied or approved by the FDA for this purpose. According to the US News and World Report:

Lipodissolve involves injecting small amounts of soy lecithin and bile salt directly into problem areas on the hips, waist, thighs, and buttocks, which supposedly melts away fat. The injections became wildly popular three years ago with spas opening up around the country and with doctors in every specialty—from pediatricians to dermatologists —taking weekend seminars to learn the procedure before opening fat-dissolving clinics.

Fat melting injections became popular a few years ago, but have since lost a lot of their hype. To date, no wide-scale scientific study has validated its safety or effectiveness, although some smaller case studies have shown some effectiveness with the injection of certain drugs to melt fat. The problem is that the majority of physicians who perform these fat-melting injections have the drugs made in a compounding pharmacy to whatever concoction they believe might work. There is no standardization, like in most other medications we take. In my area (metro Detroit) I don't know of a single reputable plastic surgeon who performs these treatments. Most of the doctors who perform these treatments are what I consider 'fringe' practitioners. I have seen patients who have lost fat from mesotherapy, however, so I do believe there is some validity to these treatments. They just need to be standardized and studied to make sure they are safe, effective, and at least somewhat predictable.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Botox Gel and Internal Bras? The Future of Plastic Surgery

For all of you who are wondering what the future of plastic surgery has in store, there is a very interesting article on Aol.com written by Lan Nguyen which addresses it. Be on the lookout for Botox gel, nonsurgical fat reduction with ultrasound waves, injecting your own platelet-rich fibrin into your face, and a bra implanted inside your breast. These four products/procedures could dramatically change the field of plastic surgery if proven effective. There are several big-name plastic surgeons quoted in the article, along with little old me.

One big thing that should be added to this article: Stem cells. The future of both medicine and plastic surgery.

Check out the article here.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Cynosure Smart Lipo

I went to a fascinating preceptorship/educational course on Cynosure Smart Lipo today, taught by my former residency program director Dr. Steven Ringler. There were 20 other plastic surgeons in attendance from all parts of Southeastern Michigan. Dr. Ringler performed laser-assisted liposuction with the Smart Lipo MPX machine on two patients, and it went very well.

The hottest thing in liposuction surgery right now is laser liposuction. It seems every laser company is coming out with their own laser liposuction machine. The big question is: Are there real benefits of laser liposuction over traditional tumescent liposuction? Proponents will claim that laser liposuction results in less downtime and more skin retraction (tightening). Is that really true? Also, is it safe?

With the recent publicized laser liposuction disaster by an ER doc just a few miles from me, I've been very focused on the safety of laser liposuction. The threat of burns from the laser should be foremost in every plastic surgeon's mind. One thing that I'm really impressed with is the safety mechanism that Cynosure has built into its newest Smart Lipo devices. It would be extremely difficult to burn patients with this machine, and the disaster I mentioned above was with laser liposuction by a different company's device.

One thing is for sure: laser liposuction is hot right now, and will be around for at least the foreseeable future.


Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Plastic Surgical Procedures Down 17% in 2009 Due to Recession

According to a survey released by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, plastic surgery operations were down 17% last year due to the recession. Nonsurgical cosmetic procedures, like Botox, increased by 0.6%, with a total of 10 million surgical and nonsurgical procedures performed last year. For the third year in a row, breast augmentation was the most common plastic surgery performed, with over 300,000 pairs of breasts enhanced last year. Botox injections were the most common nonsurgical procedure, with over 2.5 million Botox treatments performed last year.

These numbers are not surprising to me. Last year was definitely a tough one on plastic surgeons' wallets (although no one should cry for us!!), as most plastic surgeons saw a considerable decline in their practice revenues. This was most apparent in areas like my part of the country, where the crashing U.S. auto industry sent shock waves through the region with hundreds of thousands of auto-related jobs lost. This year has begun much better than last, however, so I bet this downward trend will be reversed next year. I'm pleasantly surprised at how many people still want plastic surgery in this economy!

For more ASAPS stats, click here.




Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

"Caulk" Butt Enhancements Hospitalize Six in New Jersey

According to an article on CBS News.com, six New Jersey women were recently hospitalized after receiving buttock injections with silicone used to caulk bathtubs. These treatments were apparently performed by "unlicensed providers."

Seriously?!?!?!?!

A tip for anyone considering injections into your buttocks: Do not allow anyone to inject anything except your own fat into your behind. Anything else is likely to either not work or cause some major problems (think of turning your buttocks into a big vat of cottage cheese). If you do have someone inject fat into your buttocks, make sure the surgeon is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Photo credit: CBS News

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Instant Dimples - The Newest Fad Surgery?

There is an interesting article on MSNBC.com that focuses on a fringe plastic surgery procedure: dimple creation. Yes, there is a surgery to create dimples, and it works pretty well. Contrary to popular belief, it's not a new procedure, as plastic surgeons have been performing it for years. According to the article, the procedure costs between $2000-$5000. A quote from a doctor I know well:

Dr. Ellenbogen, who says he’s been performing dimple-plasties for 30 years, says it’s not a particularly common request.
“I get maybe four requests a year and three of the four I talk out if it because they’re doing it for the wrong reason,” he says.

The procedure basically entails making an incision through the inside of the cheek (in the mouth) and using a suture to connect the skin with a deep muscle in the cheek. This creates scar tissue which will cause the skin to indent when smiling, hence creating a dimple. I've had a few requests for this procedure over the years, but it really is pretty darn uncommon.

I was never really big into dimples until my daughter was born with one.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

An Internal Bra for Breast Lifts?

Physicians overseas have begun using various types of internal bras to help with breast lift surgery. One of the most frustrating things about performing a breast lift is that no matter how high a surgeon may lift a breast, gravity always takes hold and eventually causes that breast to droop once again. Because the only thing that keeps a lifted breast from drooping is the quality of the skin and breast tissue, it's inevitable that every lifted breast will gradually sag with time, especially if implants are involved.

Knowing this, plastic surgeons in Europe and South Africa are working on implantable internal bras to help prevent breasts from sagging after breast lifts. The devices are similar to the mesh used to prevent hernias from recurring, and basically act as a hammock for the breast. These products do have some merit, in my opinion, but unfortunately it's going to be quite some time before we see them in the States.

For more information, check out the following article from the NY Daily News.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Awake Tummy Tuck? Scary...

Should you consider having your tummy tuck awake? According to an article by The Plastic Surgery Channel a physician in San Antonio, TX is advertising an awake tummy tuck. No general anesthesia is used, just a light sedation and local anesthetics. In fact, you can make conversation with the doctor while she's cutting open your abdomen! The article mentions that she's not a real plastic surgeon, but trained in Family and Emergency Medicine. Scary!

I perform an average of one tummy tuck a week, and I wouldn't wish an awake tummy tuck on my worst enemy. While local anesthetics can work for smaller procedures, to perform a complete tummy tuck under local anesthetics is crazy. General anesthesia is meant to save people from experiencing the excruciating pain of having your body cut open.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

FDA Clears Laser to Treat Stretch Marks

The FDA has recently cleared a fractional laser for treating stretch marks. In clinical studies the Lux1540 produced an average of 51-75% reduction in stretch marks. This is the first fractional laser that I know of which has been cleared to treat stretch marks.

I find it extremely rare to see stretch marks after breast augmentation such as in Kate Beckinsale's photo here. In the past five years I think I've seen maybe three of my patients who've developed stretch marks after breast implants. Surprisingly, all three patients did not have large implants placed. All the implants were around 350cc. In these situations we've utilized a pulse-dye laser with pretty good results. It usually takes several treatments though. Unfortunately, there is no way to completely erase stretch marks without actually cutting them out (and trading them for a scar).

Link to story source: http://www.americanhealthandbeauty.com/articles/?article=2557

Photo source: celebritysmackblog.com

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Shelby Township, Michigan Laser Liposuction Disaster

This is a photo of a patient who underwent laser liposuction by an ER physician just down the street from me. This is from a sad but very interesting article by the Macomb Daily which exposes what happened to this poor woman at a Shelby Township, Michigan med spa. Check out the article here.

From the article:

The 46-year-old Clinton Township woman said the amalgamation of damaged skin tissue that stretches from her waist to the top of her ribcage resulted from a liposuction-gone-bad performed by Dr. C------ M-- at A---- Medical Spa in Shelby Township.

According to his Web site, M--, a D.O., is certified by the American Board of Phlebology (physicians specializing in venous disease), American Board of Osteopathic Emergency Medicine, American Society of Cosmetic Breast Surgery and American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine. In court documents, he says he is also certified in "tumescent liposuction" and "contour thread lift."

I am not a member of any of these groups.

The Macomb Daily also published an article on how independent surgery centers are not regulated by the state. Check it out here.

To view my guide on selecting a plastic surgeon, click here.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Does the Brava Breast Enhancement Device Work?

The Brava system is a nonsurgical breast enlargement device that claims to increase the size of your breasts 1/2 to 2 cups after 10 weeks of use. The wearer is supposed to use the device for a minimum of 10 hours a day and avoid missing even one day's worth of treatment. There has been some support for the effectiveness of this device in scientific studies. It works on the principle of tissue expansion, similar to what we use when reconstructing breast cancer patients, except instead of using an implant inside the breast it uses a vacuum applied to outside of the breasts.

The Rachael Ray Show (my favorite syndicated talk show :) ) has a segment tomorrow called Human Lab : Bigger Breasts. In the episode they will follow the experience of a viewer who tried the Brava system. Check it out if you get a chance! (No, I'm not on this episode) Click here for a link.

As an aside, I once had a patient come to see me after using the Brava and having disappointing results. She ended up giving me her Brava system after her breast implant surgery.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Juvederm XC - Less Painful Injectable Filler?

Allergan has just received FDA approval for Juvederm XC, the newest hyaluronic acid injectable filler formulated with lidocaine for greater comfort. In their study they found that 93% of the patients treated with Juvederm XC had less pain than when treated with the non-lidocaine formulation of Juvederm.

That sounds good to me. I'm very fond of using hyaluronic acid fillers due to their versatility and longevity. The only knock on them has been that they are somewhat uncomfortable to have injected. I hope that the new Juvederm XC will make the experience of injectable fillers much more pleasant.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

The Decade's Top 10 Plastic Surgery Stories

Plastic Surgery News, the official newsletter of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, has released their Top 10 Plastic Surgery Stories of the Decade. Here they are:
1. Face Transplantation Becomes a Reality
2. Silicone Implants Return
3. Plastic Surgery and Reality TV
4. Botox Launches Minimally Invasive Trend
5. The Next Generation of Soft Tissue Fillers Arrive
6. High Profile Deaths Raise Patient Safety Awareness
7. Plastic Surgery Goes to Washington
8. Post-Bariatric Boom
9. Increase in Office-Based Surgery
10. Medical Tourism

In general I would agree with all of these. The field of plastic surgery has changed immensely in the past 10 years. I look forward to seeing how plastic surgery will be different in 2020!

By the way, I would add #11: Dr. Youn's popular Celebrity Cosmetic Surgery blog debuts. ;)

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Cytori Gets FDA Approval For PureGraft System

Cytori Therapeutics, one of the world leaders in stem cell technology, has recently received FDA approval for its PureGraft system. Now, this is not a stem cell harvesting machine, but instead is a device that makes fat grafting more efficient. According to released information, PureGraft helps to prepare fat for reinjection within about 15 minutes. It's scheduled to be formally launched at the May meeting of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in Washington, D.C.

Does this mean actual stem cell transplantation for cosmetic purposes is close to reality in the U.S.?

I doubt it. 'Sigh'

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

iPhone Apps That Remove Wrinkles, Cellulite, and Even Grow Hair?

Now I've heard of everything! There is a company that is selling iPhone Apps that claim to erase wrinkles, smooth cellulite, reduce puffy eyes, and even grow hair! Here is the company's explanation of how using their iPhone app can erase wrinkles:

The wrinkle eraser uses green color and the Jade gemstone to increase collagen and elastin. Green is the color of nature. It is related to love and self-love and includes the ability to give and take love unconditionally. It has a calming effect that especially builds collagen, elastin, and protein therefore helping with wrinkles and fine lines.

What a crock! I know of no evidence that putting a certain color light on your skin can do anything at all. If this was truly the case, I'd sleep with a green light over my face.

For their website, click here.
Thanks to Cosmetic Makeovers for the information.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Dr. Youn's Plastic Surgery Predictions for 2010 (Cont.)

And now, the final four of Dr. Youn's Plastic Surgery Predictions for 2010:

4. The Lunchtime "One Hour" Mini-Facelifts will Continue to Be Exposed For What They Are: Misleading Advertising by Poorly Trained Cosmetic Surgeons - 2009 saw one mini-facelift company fined by a state attorney general for posting false internet reviews. The numbers of real facelifts by real plastic surgeons continue to grow after a slight dip a few years ago. Will 2010 continue to reveal the truth behind mini-facelift centers? I hope so.

3. Nonsurgical Liposuction Will Remain the Holy Grail of Plastic Surgery - 2009 saw the emergence of Zerona, currently the only laser used in widespread fashion for nonsurgical inch loss. Even though it does appear to work, there are many other companies working on their own nonsurgical liposuction devices, including Cryolipolysis, External Ultrasound (Ultrashape and Liposonix), and others. I don't think we'll see these machines FDA-approved in 2010, but anticipation will continue to build for their possible emergence in 2011.

2. There Will Unfortunately Be More and More Plastic Surgery Disasters By Phony Plastic Surgeons - In 2009 we saw an increasing number of phony plastic surgeons losing their medical licenses, performing botched procedures, and even having their patients die from poor or improper care. There was an occupational medicine physician performing carboxytherapy on a patient who died (link), a family doc who made a 10 cm incision for a free promotional breast augmentation (link), and the ER doc whose patients died after he performed liposuction on them (link). What's next? A radiologist using his patients' liposuctioned fat to power his car? Oh, that's right. That's already happened (link).

1. After two years of mild decline, the number of people undergoing plastic surgery is going to significantly increase. 2008 saw the amount of plastic surgery performed decline, possibly for the first time ever. I expect that the amount of plastic surgery performed in 2009 will also follow this trend when the American Society of Plastic Surgeons releases their statistics later this year. With the Great Recession over, however, I believe that more and more people will have plastic surgery in 2010. After a two year dip, things may return to the levels they were back in 2007. It also helps that the Bo-Tax has been killed.

I predict that this positive plastic surgery trend will be present in all states except one: Michigan. Bummer.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Dr. Youn's Plastic Surgery Predictions for 2010

A few weeks ago I posted how I did with my plastic surgery predictions for 2009. So what do I think 2010 has in store for plastic surgery? Here's a rundown of my Top 8 Plastic Surgery Predictions for 2010:

8. After a couple years without a new, successful plastic surgery reality program, a new plastic surgery reality show arrives to take the place previously occupied by Dr. 90210 and Extreme Makeover. 2009 had the Oxygen show Addicted to Beauty, which had relatively few addicted to watching it, and Dr. 90210 recently had a special, called Extreme Dr. 90210. I believe in 2010 we may see an all new, original plastic surgery reality show that will get some good ratings and actually last more than one season!

7. New injectables will hit the market, but none will have the impact of Dysport, the only valid Botox competitor. 2009 saw the emergence of many new injectables, such as Hydrelle (yawn) and Dysport (huge). While we may see some more hyaluronic acid-based fillers, we will probably need to wait until 2011 for another 'game-changer' to hit the market. Could it be a new topical Botox-type cream? Possibly!

6. Will the Gummy Bear Breast Implants make it Big in 2010? I doubt it. I hear through the grapevine (sorry, can't reveal my sources) that we will not likely see Form Stable Silicone Gel (a.k.a. Gummy Bear) breast implants until late 2010 at the absolute earliest. We may see a reprise of the Thanksgiving 2006 FDA announcement, when the non-form stable silicone gel implants ban was lifted. Could the gummy bears be approved in Thanksgiving 2010? Maybe at the earliest...

5. A big name Hollywood star will admit to plastic surgery. 2009 saw mostly D-list and reality stars admitting to going under the plastic surgeon's knife (Bruce Jenner, many of the Real (annoying) Housewives, Kate Gosselin, etc.). Could this be the year that an A-lister admits to having plastic surgery? It's becoming more and more accepted in Hollywood to admit to Botox, but that's still a far cry from admitting to having a facelift or breast augmentation. Here's a list of people I'd like to see cop to having work done (can't fool me!): Sly Stallone, Suzanne Somers, Nicole Kidman, and Nadya "Octomom" Suleman. Actually, cancel that last one. I have no desire to ever see or hear from her again!

For numbers 4-1, stay tuned to my next post!

Happy New Year!

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

The Bo-Tax is Dead

Breaking News:
The Bo-Tax has died. The proposed 5% tax on cosmetic plastic surgery has been removed from the final draft which was agreed to by the final Democratic senator holdout.

Hopefully we will not see the Bo-Tax rear its ugly head again...

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Do It Yourself Plastic Surgery?

There was an interesting segment on 20/20 regarding Do It Yourself plastic surgery. Some of the stories are unbelievable, with some horrific results. I find it amazing that people would buy items on the internet and inject themselves with them. I don't mind giving injections and performing surgery, but I still can't look when I get a flu shot.

Make sure to always choose a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. To do anything else would be taking an unnecessary risk. You don't want to end up looking like the poor Korean woman in the video! (yes, a bit of an exaggeration, I know)

For the 20/20 segment on streaming video, click here.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.: