Alex Lenkei, a 61-year-old hypnotist, opted against using any traditional anesthetic for his recent surgery, choosing instead to send himself into a hypnotic trance for the duration of the surgery.

He was able to hear the cracking of his bones and the surgeon asking for a saw -- he could even hear the surgeon "hammering away at the bone" with a hammer and chisel. He could feel the doctor "pulling and manipulating" him, but felt no pain.

Much of the medical community is quite interested in this, as studies have shown that using less anesthetic can reduce the time patients spend in the hospital and speed healing. Additionally, many patients are nervous about using an anesthetic, and while they might not opt for using hypnosis only, it might help to calm them and allow a lower dose of anesthetic to be used.

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Join me as I search my soul for direction regarding my latest pursuit: A tummy tuck. Will I go through with it? Will I "Tuck It In?" Keep reading. Keep coming back. And you'll find out.

March 11, 2008

Exercise won't work. Diet won't work. I know because I've been perfecting the art of both for almost one year. I've been running, strengthening my core, pulling resistance bands, teetering on my BOSU, and lifting some weights. I've bid a fond farewell to sweets, soda and excess calories, fats, sugar, and carbohydrates. These feats have brought me great results -- a 15-pound weight loss, a strong heart, more energy -- but they've failed to address what troubles me the most: My tummy.

I've written about my tummy before. And in a December 15, 2007 post, I declared that I would not surgically alter this part of my body. The risks were just too great. A tummy tuck is an elective operation, after all. There's no medical reason for one. Hard work was all I needed. More hard work to whittle away at the wrinkling, hanging skin sagging from my mid-section.

Then I began talking to others about my struggle -- friends, family, doctors, fitness trainers -- and realized that this skin is not going anywhere. Ever. Because it's skin. Loose skin. Not fat. Not extra weight. It's skin. Skin left behind from the bigger-than-10-pound babies I carried in my stretching belly seven and four years ago. Skin that hangs more now that I've lost weight than ever before. Skin that I've become obsessed with. Skin I want removed.

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A little nip/tuck action went a long way last year according to a new report coming from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. In 2007, Americans went under the knife for 11.7 million cosmetic procedures.

These weren't just surgical, however, some were like Botox. This is a 2 percent jump from the year before in 2006. Even though 2004 set a record with 11.8 million, the popularity of these procedures has caused a 457% increase over the past decade. Over 90 percent of these operations were done to women.

They even have a list of the top surgical and non-surgical procedures. Cosmetic surgeries saw liposuction as the most popular, followed by breast augmentation and eyelid surgery. On the non-surgical side, Botox reigned supreme at well over 2.5 million procedures. Laser hair removal was located in the #3 spot.

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When I come across health articles that seem a bit extremist or unrealistic, alarm bells tend to go off. I think that there are a lot of warnings about a lot of things out there that, in truth, pose minimal risk to most of the population. While warnings against smoking and information about skin cancer protection make sense, I tend to wonder if there's really a need for so many scary reports on things like Avian flu and West Nile virus. I felt the same way when I found this piece about unnecessary surgery.

The article mentions that, for various reasons, a number of people out there are going under the knife needlessly. They're either having surgeries that are more extreme than what their condition warrants, or could be trying successful alternative therapies first instead of having an operation. The four most common unnecessary procedures performed are spinal surgery, knee arthroscopy, hysterectomy and angioplasty.

I don't know what to believe to be honest. The article does say that many times these surgeries are needed and offer significant results -- but not always. I think the most important thing to always remember is to stand up for yourself when it comes to your health. If you're unsure about an initial diagnosis, don't be afraid to get a second opinion. And always research all possible options and get lots of advice before undergoing a major operation.

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