Earlier this month, a young woman was been charged with stealing money that was originally supposed to go to her breast cancer fund. Trista Joy Lathern, 24, took thousands of dollars from individuals who thought they were giving to a charitable fund. However, there’s more. Lathern never had breast cancer in the first place. Still, she allegedly played the hoax to the max. The McLennan County Sheriff’s Office stated Lathern even atttemped to shave her head, and then held a fundraiser for herself that was attended by dozens of friends and neighbors, and raised over $10,000 for the treatment. Arrested on Wednesday, Lathern was charged with “theft by deception over $1,500, but under $20,000.”

The current study performed by Zapiach used 50 women who had their liposuctioned fat used for breast augmentation. X-rays were used to look for dead tissue and breast cancer 3 to 12 months after the operation. One key element to the study featured the use of a bra-like device Zapiach invented called the Brava. The device includes a small battery-operated pump that creates suction on the breast. That, in turn, increases volume and promotes the growth of blood vessels in the area.

This is great news for surgeons who now have an alternative method to perform their surgeries. Theoretically, there is still a risk that the use of fat for augmentations could increase the risk of breast cancer, Zapiach stated, but it is evident that this new break through will help to advance the practice of breast augmentation.

In commemoration of National Breast Cancer Awareness month, WedMD has created a series of segments featuring personal stories of breast cancer survivors, in hopes of providing insight and inspiration to those in the same situation or close to it.

Relating important messages through the stories, the series touches on topics ranging from preventio and early detection to in case diagnosis, and methods for one’s own proactive health care. In addition, the stories highlight the sentiments of losing one or both breasts, which to many are symbolic characteristics of womanhood.

One of the stories featured in the series tells the story of 39-year old Zunilda Guzman, a mother from Miami who was diagnosed in 2008. Initially noticing lumps in her chest, she thought it may have been related to her breast implants. However, after a biopsy was performed, her plastic surgeon confirmed that she indeed had breast cancer.

Although a devastating reality, Zunilda thought of her 9-year old daughter Summer to provide her with the strength needed to get through her struggle. Zunilda underwent a double mastectomy followed by the removal of her ovaries and uterus.

While severe, the fortunate reality is that breast cancer is no longer necessarily equated to a death sentence. Advances in medicine, screening and treatment have improved the prognosis for breast cancer patients over the years. Building off the strength of other breast cancer survivors, women all over the world now have the support and love needed to conquer a onetime devastating illness.

Aesthetic enhancement is often shunned in Hungary. Organizers recently held a “Miss Plastic Hungary” beauty pageant to combat the negative view of plastic surgery in the country.

Miss Plastic World Competition

Qualifying for the competition meant going under the knife, as botox and facial fillers were not enough to compete. Rhinoplasty and breast implants were the most popular operations, while one finalists had a procedure to adjust her toes.

The contest sought to shed a new light into the world of surgery, combating images of over-tightened, over collagened, and over-implanted women. For the winner, an apartment in Budapest and an opportunity to compete in the Miss Plastic World competition matched awards won by the surgeons as well.

After asking friends, searching the web and visiting forums, you will discover that there are many opinions out there. The thing is, every person that has that opinion is not you! They have their own experiences, desires, biases and motivations. The best thing you can do to get answers to your breast augmentation questions?

Easy: Ask a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon.

Wherever you live, we recommend using the Ask an Expert feature at Breast Implants USA, where you can fill out a form with a breast augmentation question and have a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in your area respond to you. It’s simple, it’s easy, and it gives you a chance to bounce your thoughts off of a surgeon with all the training and experience that Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery denotes.

If you are interested in Breast Augmentation and you live in Texas, Dallas Breast Implants Surgeon Dr. Ricardo Meade also takes questions on his Dallas Plastic Surgery website. His blog – covering questions about Dallas Tummy Tuck, Plano Liposuction, Facelift and more, in addition to Breast Augmentation — contains many questions from people wanting to learn more, and Dr. Meade answers each and every one.

So whether you are in Dallas or anywhere in the US, look to a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, a true Breast Augmentation Expert, when you ask questions that are about as serious a topic as your health.

In Las Vegas, a woman named Vanessa (last name withheld) underwent a breast augmentation procedure so painful and botched that surgeons who observed her later observed that the surgery appeared to have been performed “by a pre-schooler.”

According to KTNV:

She met with the medical director and owner of the Skin Body Institute, Dr. Sean Su.

He would perform her surgery. Within a week, he scheduled the procedure and what happened next, Vanessa describes as a nightmare.

“It was scary. I was under a lot of pain,” said Vanessa.

Vanessa was awake throughout the procedure and experienced every harrowing moment consciously.

“I was feeling his fingers just pulling on the skin, stretching the skin I could feel his fingers rubbing on my rib cage,” Vanessa says. “I was moaning, I was crying and all they would do is keep on giving me drugs.”

And Dr. Su responded by telling her to stop complaining, before continuing to put her through tremendous pain. In the end, the work he did was so substandard that her implants were exposed within a week.

He told her she needed more surgery, and the nightmare continued.

The worst part is that this doctor portrayed himself as Board Certified — but look closer at his credentials and you will see he was not certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons. Rather, he was certified by groups that do not hold members to nearly the same standards — and some hold them to no standards whatsoever, except for the standard of whether or not they can pay membership fees.

The American Board of Plastic Surgeons: this is the board certification you want to see. Do not be taken in by lesser certifications when it comes to your health, your safety, and results.

As with most medical decisions, you and your doctor know best. According to Salt Lake City Board Certified Plastic Surgeon M. Kirk Moore, MD:

No matter the size and shape that you choose for your implants, your body needs to be able to support them over time. Your doctor must be able to advise you of the best way to achieve the look that you want.

That means: don’t get too caught up in the size of the breast implants until you consult with your surgeon. Starting from this solid foundation, you are much more likely to be pleased with your results.

As for the do-it-yourself, homemade ways to find your size? Feel free to give those a shot and be ready to show your doctor how you’d like to look. Again, keep in mind that the two of you together will have to translate your goals into an actual breast implant size.

Your desires combined with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon’s expertise gives the best opportunity for a positive outcome.

New Jersey Plastic Surgeon Dr. Evan Sorokin describes a scenario in which:

…certain cosmetic procedures are being offered by physicians not trained in plastic surgery. Large “spas” have opened in this area where Botox and Restylane treatments are routinely performed by internal medical doctors and family practice doctors. Patients are often surprised to find out exactly what type of training these providers have. From their training, one might expect these physicians to be prescribing antibiotics for the common respiratory infection; they are instead offering cosmetic procedures.

Surgeons who are certified by the ABPS receive rigorous training and testing. Always start your online search with a reputable portal such as BreastImplantsUSA, where only Board Certified Plastic Surgeons are featured.

Then, you can get to the interesting and exciting parts — the consultation, the informed decision, the surgery and the results!

• 3 percent — nearly 3.5-million working women — say they’ve already had a cosmetic procedure to increase their perceived value in the workplace.
• 13 percent say they would consider having a cosmetic medical procedure specifically to make them more confident and more competitive in the job market.
• 73 percent believe, particularly in these challenging economic times, appearance and youthful looks play a part in getting hired, getting a promotion, or getting new clients.
• 80 percent think having cosmetic medical procedures can boost a person’s confidence.

So what does this say about women in the workforce today? to find answers to these questions, Breast Implants USA News looks in-house to our own Alexandra Collum.

Felicia Ng, Breast Implants USA News: Having recently undergone Breast Augmentation yourself, can you comment on how you feel Plastic Surgery has affected your role in the workforce?
Alexandra Collum: Well, I may be considered an unusual case study. I do write for a Breast Augmentation news site, so having a plastic surgery procedure led to my current job in a very direct way.

FN: Fair enough. In the bigger picture, what do you take away from these numbers the ASPS has provided?
AC: What I see right now is that — well, we’re in a recession. Maybe we’re actually in a recovery now, but it’s a recovery that’s not shown a large increase in job offerings yet, outside of manufacturing. So people are looking for every advantage they can get. If that leads people to a cosmetic procedure… I mean, usually it’s something they were wanting to do anyway, this just gives them the push. At least that’s my opinion on that.

FN: Any other message in these numbers?
AC: I have heard some opinions that [commentators think] this says something negative about either women or work culture, but I don’t think it’s as big a deal as it’s being made out to be in that regard. I mean, hair transplants are also up, you know? And men have been doing their own version of improving their looks to improve their job standing — comb-overs, toupees — for eternity. Not to mention what we spend on makeup, clothes, expensive suits… I think those cultural critics just feast on stuff like this, but never in context.

Women are more empowered now than ever to control their own destinies. That’s cool!

FN: Final word?
AC: More a final thought. This confidence stuff is both external, yes, but also internal. The same person can look a lot better when she is solid in the knowledge of who she is. And that goes both ways — a beautiful woman can go unnoticed if she doesn’t believe in herself. So I say if, like me, you get surgery, do it for yourself, and then be your own top supporter, your own #1 fan. The results you get will be many times more positive than just what the surgery itself provides.

This morning, the Los Angeles Times reports:

Investigators said they are looking at whether one unidentified woman aided Ryan Jenkins when he was hiding in Washington state and a second woman helped him in British Columbia, including checking him into a motel where he was found hanged Sunday night.

At this point, investigators aren’t sure whether or not the women were aware that they were abetting a fugitive.

Police believe that Jenkins, a reality TV show contestant who was once briefly married to Fiore, killed her and then removed her fingers and teeth before disposing of the body. The mutilated body was found in a suitcase in a garbage bin. Despite the missing teeth and fingerprints, Fiore was identified when investigators traced the serial number from her breast implants.