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Revirgination is not the same as hymenoplasty

The operation called hymenoplasty is requested by women all over the world before marriage if they have engaged in premarital sex. They think that by undertaking the procedure of hymenoplasty they will regain their lost virginity, a theory that is...

Reconstructive Surgery in Post Colonial Africa

Both plastic and maxillo-facial surgery developed out of armed combat. Initially, general surgeons attached to the military might perform reconstructive attempts, but more realistically and pragmatically, destructive surgery was more suited to their situation. Amputation of limbs undoubtedly saved lives...

The First World War and the Development of Facial Surgery

Facial surgery has a history stretching to antiquity, but its success depended on luck until medical science had advanced enough to deal with three major issues – infection, surgical shock from blood loss and good anaesthesia. It was not until...

Clitoral reconstructive surgery after female genital cutting

Female genital mutilation / cutting (FGM/C), aka female circumcision, is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “All procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons” [1]. Practised in Africa and other...

Hand rejuvenation with injectable fillers

The author, an internationally recognised aesthetic dermatologist and Faculty Member for this year’s 5CC meeting in Barcelona, provides an expert guide to the use of injectable fillers in hand rejuvenation. Ageing of the hands can result in discrepancy between a...

Emerging from 2020 – positive stories from the world of aesthetics

2020 was the year of shifting our mindset, pivoting our business and our priorities, whilst quickly adapting and responding to change, uncertainty and negativity. For some, this past year brought extraordinary hardship and suffering and for others, unexpected, but welcome...

The safety of performing elective dermatological procedures under local anaesthetic during the COVID-19 pandemic

During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, guidance advised postponement of elective procedures except for time-critical local anaesthetic (LA) procedures [1-3]; our NHS Trust therefore continued with LA skin malignancy surgery. All patients having possible skin cancer lesions removed...

The perfect upper lid blepharoplasty

The authors share their thoughts on how to achieve the best blepharoplasty results based on their 35 years of experience. Are you a surgeon wishing to offer the best upper lid surgery to your discerning patients? To help chart the...

Online connections in a post-COVID world

Looking back at the pandemic, it has brought us unexpected friendships. The lack of direct interpersonal communication, meetings, parties and hugs increased the role of digital sources of contact which used to play a less important role in our lives....

OPINION - Impact of the Paterson Inquiry on the cosmetic and aesthetics sector

On 15 December 2022, The Department of Health and Social Care published the ‘Government response to the independent inquiry report into the issues raised by former surgeon Ian Paterson: 12-month implementation progress update’. The reference documents (which apply to England)...

Stratifying preoperative risk in revision augmentation: the six Cs

Breast augmentation is the most frequently performed cosmetic surgical procedure in the UK [1], and with an increasing number of providers, plastic surgeons are managing revisions without information pertaining to the original procedure. Anticipating the features of successive generations of...

An epidemic of lower limb gunshot injuries

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact upon us all, the author, a reconstructive plastic surgeon, provides a thought-provoking account of a different type of epidemic that is having devastating consequences. The Oxford English Dictionary defines an epidemic as “a...