Surgeries for the Soul

From: IN JUPITER MAGAZINE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 BY: JEN KRAMER

Face Time with Dr. Vartan Mardirossian

A career based in compassion – from the trauma of the Boston Bombing to reconstructive procedures in Jupiter, one local doctor doesn’t just practice “plastic surgery,” he specializes in “Surgeries for the Soul.”

“In April of 2013, I was finishing up as a clinical instructor at Boston University Medical Center, specializing in otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery. On the day of the Boston Marathon, we were following the news as we went about our rounds. Suddenly, we were in the midst of a trauma situation and I was on call at Boston Medical Center.” 

In his Jupiter office at Mardirossian Facial Aesthetics, Dr. Vartan Mardirossian, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a long way from that fateful day when terror erupted during the Boston Marathon. It remains, however, as a defining moment in a career combining compassion and cutting-edge techniques. 

Dr. Mardirossian's quick-thinking
 determination saved a Boston bombing
victim from permanent facial dis-figuration.

A graduate of the University of Padua’s School of Medicine and a Research Fellow in head and neck cancer at Boston’s MIT, Madirossian has clinical interests in head and neck plastic surgery, facial plastic surgery, facial injuries, Mohs surgery reconstructions, rhinoplasty, face- and neck-lifts, eye and midface rejuvenations, and minimally invasive techniques for facial rejuvenation. On that terrible day in April, he was finishing his fellowship in Boston, lecturing at Boston University Medical Center and working at Boston Medical Center.

As Dr. Mardirossian sets the scene, he recounts that Boston Medical Center is not unfamiliar with violence. The doctors and nurses there treat gunshot victims and those suffering from violent trauma on a routine basis. But on April 15, 2013, as homemade bombs detonated, spewing nails, bolts, and twisted metal into the Marathon watching crowd, the “regular” violence escalated. The “normal” trauma suddenly more closely resembled actual battlefield wounds and amputations, and every available doctor in the area was called into action.

Read the whole article here including the details of one extraordinary case done that day in Boston. 

Fast-forward three years. Dr. Mardirossian now has his own successful practice in Jupiter, Florida. Here, he practices what he terms, “Surgery for the Soul,” including reconstructive work for cancer survivors, as well as for those who have lost extreme amounts of weight. He also specializes in facial feminization procedures, designed to increase confidence – especially among those in the midst of gender transition. In fact, Mardirossian is one of a handful of plastic surgeons to understand and practice this specialty.

“Facial feminization surgery (FFS) isn’t just for the Transgender Community,” Mardirossian points out. “It also helps women with facial features they are not happy with, or men with too strong features. It allows everyone to find their true identity.” When you find your true self, the rest will follow. The FFS process is newly emerging within the field of plastic surgery, so once again, Dr. Mardirossian is on the cutting-edge of technology and medical science.

Sought after for his skills in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, he has established a devoted clientele not only in Jupiter, he also has patients from out of state seek his services because of his compassion and dedication to innovative techniques. He has remained true to the ideals that he championed in the days following the Boston Marathon Bombing. “Surgeries for the Soul.”

For more information about Dr. Vartan Mardirossian, visit www.palmbeachplastics.com

Call Palm Beach Plastics FFS Surgeon for a Free Consultation SKYPE, Phone Consultation or in office. 

Note: Vartan is my doctor, business associate, and friend. 

Appear More Feminine

While doing research on flats for a previous post I ran across this discussion on heels.  Why do we wear them?  Why do women in general put up with the danger, discomfort, and future health issues. Despite the often discomfort of wearing high heels, I understand the addictive allure and attraction. The article below squarely put in the realm of Sex Appeal.  A non-scientific study that did some basic and simple tests found what we already knew all along.  Enjoy.... 

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Shoes With Sex Appeal: Why Women In High Heels Make Men Weak In The Knees

Published in Medical Daily 11/20/14 By Lizette Borreli

Sex Appeal 

A pair of 4-inch heels can make the difference between being a wallflower and being the center of attention in a room. High heels add the finishing touch to any ensemble, making them a girl’s best friend. According to a recent study published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, women who wear high heels are found to be significantly sexier to men.

"Women's shoe heel size exerts a powerful effect on men's behavior," said Nicolas Gueguen, lead author of the study from the department of social behavior at the University of Bretagne, according to the press release.

Heels force the pelvis to tilt so that your backside and your chest stick out more in comparison to flats. This elongates the female body and accentuates one of the most desirable traits found by men: long legs.

Woman wearing high heels and dress Women who wear this heel height exude more sex appeal, making them more likely to be approached by men. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

From an evolutionary standpoint, a woman’s leg length is tied to the state of her health and fertility. A 2008 study published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior found leg length is a good indicator of nutrition, since legs stop growing once women reach puberty. If a woman has long legs, she most likely grew up in a good environment, which can yield a positive effect on fertility.

Gueguen sought to observe the effect of sartorial appearance by conducting a series of four studies on the length of women’s shoe heels. In three out of the four studies, the French female participants were identically dressed in black suits with straight skirts and white shirts. Most of the participants were all brunettes because previous studies showed that men were more likely to approach blonde women over brunettes and ask them out on dates. The only noticeable difference among these women were their shoes.

The first three studies involved a woman confederate wearing black shoes with no heel, a 2-inch heel, or black pumps with a 3.5-inch heel asking men for help in various circumstances. The woman switched shoes after soliciting every 10 people.

In the first study, the women asked men to respond to a short survey on gender equality. The findings revealed women garnered the most responses when wearing the highest heels, with 83 percent of the men approached agreeing to spend three to four minutes answering questions. In comparison, 47 percent answered the questions when women wore flats.

Gueguen was curious as to whether this pattern could be seen when four women approached both men and women to answer some survey questions. The second study asked men and women to participate in a survey on local food habit consumption. Similar to the first study, men were more likely to respond when the women wore the highest heels — 3.5 inches — with a rate of 82 percent compared to their flat counterparts who only got 42 percent to say yes to the survey request. However, only 33 percent of women agreed to answer the survey, regardless of their heel height.

Since the men in both studies were receptive, Gueguen sought to test his obvious attraction hypothesis by observing men and women who were walking in back of the female participant. For the third study, the women were asked to walk ahead of the “targets” and then drop a glove in an oblivious fashion. The findings revealed 93 percent of men chased after the women when they wore high heels to return the glove, while only 62 percent did when she wore flat shoes. In this scenario, women were also more likely to track down the high-heeled women than their flat counterparts by 52 percent and 43 percent, respectively.

In the fourth and final study, Gueguen wanted to observe if high heels actually make men more likely to pursue a woman as a romantic interest. He strategically placed women wearing different heel heights in three bars as he sat them at tables near the bar where their shoes were visible to those standing and walking around the area. It took men about eight minutes to approach a woman wearing heels compared to those wearing flats, which took about 14 minutes.

Although science may have given some credibility to the sex appeal of high heels, Gueguen himself isn’t sure why heels make a woman more attractive. He suspects changes in walk and posture make her appear more feminine. He told Time, “As a man I can see that I prefer to see my wife when she wears high heels, and many men in France have the same evaluation.”

Gueguen’s study warrants further research to accurately determine whether this effect is contingent on a woman’s shoe heel size and on any change of strut because of the high heels. Whether it’s the high heels or the new ounce of confidence has yet to be determined. Regardless, remember ladies:You may be able to get your way wearing your favorite pair of heels.

Sources: Gueguen N. High Heels Increase Women’s Attractiveness. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 2014.