January 2008 Blog Archive
Thursday, January 31, 2008
3 Reasons to Consider Mesotherapy Instead of Liposuction
Many people who formerly would have gotten
liposuction to rid their body of excess fat are now turning to a non-invasive technique called
mesotherapy. According to a recent report at
Medical News Today, there are three major differences between the two types of treatments.
The three big differences between mesotherapy and liposuction are:
1. You don't have to be sedated. This is a quick procedure that requires no sedation and allows you to walk in to the doctor, have the work done and walk out. Liposuction is a more intense surgical procedure requiring that you be sedated and have recovery time before leaving the doctor.
2. The level of pain for mesotherapy is significantly lower than that for liposuction. The healing period required is also quicker.
3. There will be no scarring on the body as a result of a mesotherapy procedure. The same can not be guaranteed with liposuction which frequently leaves scars.
There are benefits to doing liposuction as well but many people are turning to mesotherapy for the reasons cited above. Consider discussing this option with your
plastic surgeon before making a final decision.
Question of the Day: Which is better for you - lipo or mesotherapy?
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Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Breast Surgery: Discussing Infections
Breast surgery is a highly common form of plastic surgery. Unfortunately the kinks haven't been entirely worked out of the treatment despite how popular it is. A
recent report took a look at infection risks in women who have breast surgery and found that one in twenty women develop an infection at the location of the incision. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't get breast surgery if you're interested in it but it does mean that you should get comfortable talking about infection.
The main thing that you can do to prevent this problem from happening to you is to discuss the risk of infection with your doctor prior to the surgery. Additionally, you should discuss what needs to be done post-surgery to keep the site free of infection. And you should ask for a follow-up visit with your doctor that particularly addresses preventing the development of infection. By preparing for the problem in advance, you could be able to avoid it altogether.
It should be noted that a majority of the cases reported on in this study were women who were getting mastectomies. Women who are getting breast augmentation for cosmetic reasons may not have as much cause for concern. However, it's something that should be discussed with a doctor as a form of prevention.
Question of the Day: Had you thought about the concern for infection when considering breast surgery?
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Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Combine Treatments for Best Eye Surgery
One of the most popular facial plastic surgery requests by patients is
blepharoplasty, better know to the average person as eye surgery. This tightens up the face around the eyes and provides a more youthful appearance. However, it's an invasive procedure which is something that many patients are turning away from these days in favor of less intense treatment options. Some doctors are finding that blepharoplasty can be combined with less invasive techniques to provide the look that patients are seeking.
As described in
this article on the topic, it is possible to combine eye surgery with injectable dermal fillers (such as Botox or collagen) as well as with a unique treatment called Portrait Plasma to get a well-rounded treatment option that meets all of a patient's needs. It not only improves the tightness of the skin around the eyes but also resurfaces the area in order to remove age and sun spots. This provides a total makeover look.
Patients who want to avoid surgery altogether may opt to get either dermal fillers or Portrait Plasma alone to improve the appearance of their eyes. Portrait Plasma is a form of thermal energy used to resurface the skin and provide many of the same benefits of surgery without the invasiveness of blepharoplasty.
Question of the Day: What eye surgery would you select?
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Monday, January 28, 2008
Woman Finally Gets Plastic Surgery After 20 Years of Considering It
There are some people who take a long time to come to a decision about things, especially things that are as important to their lives as plastic surgery. For Nancy Fox the decision took about twenty years. She had the work she wanted done last year and is happy that she made the right choice.
Fox started considering plastic surgery in her fifties but had her concerns about the procedure. Primarily, she felt that it was something only done by narcissistic people and she didn't want to be seen as shallow. However, after years of thinking about it, and a little nudging from her daughter in the right direction, Fox decided to go for it.
Fox had surgery on her neck and eyelids. This provides a more youthful appearance that makes her look much younger than her seventy some odd years. Despite that it took awhile, she's glad that she made the decision that she did.
Get the full story about Fox and others in her area who have had plastic surgery recently from this article at the
Wisconsin State Journal.
Question of the Day: Would you think this kind of wait was worth it or are you more impulsive in decision-making?
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Friday, January 25, 2008
Why People Get Calf Implants
If you don't yet know a lot about plastic surgery, you might think that it's an art limited to breast implants and liposuction. That's simply not the case. There are many different procedures that you can get which make changes to your entire body. For example, one little-known plastic surgery procedure is
calf implants.
Here are just a few reasons why a person might want to get calf implants:
- To give the appearance of muscle. Men who don't want to work out but want to look like they do can give the appearance of muscled calves by using implants.
- To sculpt the leg. Women wear high heels to show off a sculpted leg. Sometimes that leg needs a little bit of help.
- Because exercise isn't helping with calves. Exercise can't always get the right shape for certain areas like calves, no matter what the desired shape is. Surgery can.
Calf implants are just one example of a type of plastic surgery that isn't rare but also isn't well-known in the general public.
Question of the Day: What would be your reason for getting calf implants?
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Thursday, January 24, 2008
Should Teens Be Allowed to Get Plastic Surgery?
The role models that teens look up to are celebrities. And more often than not, those celebrities are young celebrities. Many of those famous folks get plastic surgery to improve their appearance enough to be able to make it in Hollywood. And of course this leads to teens wanting to emulate their idols by getting
plastic surgery themselves. But should teenagers be allowed to get cosmetic procedures?
The main argument against teens getting plastic surgery is that teens are fickle. They don't really know what they want so it's difficult for them to make decisions which have a long-lasting impact. Today they think they want huge breasts and a smaller nose. Tomorrow the trend is for smaller breasts and bigger noses and they regret their decision. Additionally, many teens don't have the ability to comprehend the seriousness of getting surgery which means that their expectations and reality don't coincide.
There are, however, some instances when plastic surgery might make sense for teens. Teens who are morbidly obese, for example, may benefit from weight loss surgery. This affects their self-image as well as their health and is something they would likely need down the line anyway. It's still a serious issue but one that parents might not dismiss so easily with a "no way".
Question of the Day: What do you think about teens and plastic surgery?
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Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Avoid Plastic Surgery Regret
There's an article over at
The Chicago Tribune which explores the problem of plastic surgery regret. It cites staistics which show that an increasing number of people are experiencing regret about their plastic surgery procedures. It also talks about a trend to get additional procedures, called "revision procedures" which actually make you look the way that you did before plastic surgery.
Although it's great that there are doctors out there who can return you back to your original state if you hate your plastic surgery, it's better if you avoid plastic surgery regret all together.
Here are five things you should do before getting plastic surgery to make sure that you don't suffer from regret down the line:
1. Consider why you're getting the procedure. It's not going to entirely change your life or fix your relationship or work other miracles that have nothing to do with how you look.
2. Make sure you're clear on what kind of procedure you want. Do you want your breasts bigger or do you just want them lifted? Do you really think your nose is the problem on your face or is it something about your jawline instead? Be clear on the problem and the solution before getting started.
3. Talk to a doctor. Ask a lot of questions. Have professionals assisting you in figuring out exactly what is right for you.
4. Envision what you will look like after the procedure. Many people don't actually get a good visual image of what the work will look like when complete. Work with a doctor that can show you computer images of the new you before you go under the knife.
5. Accept yourself. No amount of surgery in the world is going to make you perfect so change the things that really bother you and then accept the rest.
Question of the Day: Why do you think plastic surgery regret is on the rise?
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Tuesday, January 22, 2008
3 Books on Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation is a plastic surgery procedure which is making a comeback now that silicone impants are back on the market. One obvious way to get information about the procedure is to find a book about it.
Here are three popular books on breast augmentation that might interest you:
1. The Best Breast: The Ultimate, Discriminating Woman's Guide to Breast Augmentation. Written by Terrye Tebbetts back in 1999, some of the information may be a bit outdated but it's a good starting point for basic knowledge about breast implants.
2. Cosmetic Breast Surgery: A Complete Guide to Making the Right Decision - From A to Double D. The authors of this book are as cheeky and informative as the title suggests.
3. Your Complete Guide to Breast Augmentation and Body Contouring. This will not only give you information about bigger breasts but will help you understand plastic surgery for the rest of your body as well.
Reading books about plastic surgery is great but you'll want to make sure that you talk to a
qualified doctor about your breast augmentation before you make a final decision on the exact choices that are right for your body.
Question of the Day: What books have you read in the past on the subject of breast implants?
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Monday, January 21, 2008
Realize: Lap Band Alternative Gaining Popularity
Last year, the FDA
approved a new weight loss procedure called Realize which is designed to be an alternative to the very common Lap Band Surgery. It started seeing minimal use by the end of the year but is now
gaining in popularity. In addition to the technology itself, the Realize procedure comes along with a patient support system that is believed to improve the success rate of the weight loss.
"The band helps control a patient's hunger while the interactive, online system will help guide, motivate and support patients through their journey to long-term weight loss and a healthier life." (source)
Many people have found that
weight loss surgery is an effective tool for rapidly reducing weight, particularly among the obese. However, some patients have been unsuccessful in keeping all of the weight off after the procedure is complete. The hope is that the online support system can assist patients in maintaining the weight loss over time.
Question of the Day: Would you be interested in a post-surgery weight loss support group?
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Friday, January 18, 2008
Make Friends with Your Plastic Surgeon's Patients
Tomorrow is
New Friends Day and that's as good of an excuse as any to make a new friend. If you don't already have a friend that is also a patient at your
plastic surgeon's office, now would be a good time to make one.
Having friends who go to the same doctor as you for cosmetic surgery procedures has a number of different benefits. Those benefits include:
- Emotional support. Getting plastic surgery has many emotional repercussions. You are literally shedding your old self and moving forward with your life. Only someone else who has gotten work done can truly understand that. A friend with this kind of understanding will be a good friend to have when you get additional procedures done.
- Convenience. You can drive each other to and from procedures. You can provide each other with additional plastic surgery information.
- Similar interests. Although it's not guaranteed that you'll have the same interests as someone that you meet at your doctor's office, it certainly provides some common ground for finding the interests you do share.
If you're not comfortable with a one-on-one meeting with someone new, consider setting up a support and information group for the patients at your doctor's office.
Question of the Day: How would you go about approaching someone at your doctor's office to try to be friends?
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Thursday, January 17, 2008
Celebrity Plastic Surgery: Jenna Jameson
There was some
harsh criticism of celebrity porn star Jenna Jameson over at 2Snaps yesterday. The author of the blog post points out that Jenna had some serious plastic surgery work done, including that she got
breast implants and then later had them removed. The surgery left some scarring that the author says is none too attractive on the aging beauty. In fact, the author calls Jameson "one of the worst plastic surgery nightmares ever".
Incidentally, the author also makes the comment that the woman's, um, "girl parts" are probably a bit stretched out after all of the, um, action that they got over the years. That statement probably doesn't hold much water sinche Jameson
reportedly had a
vaginoplasty done last year. Despite that she was apparently unhappy with the surgery, the procedure should have helped tone the vaginal muscles to keep that baby tight.
Question of the Day: What do you think - thumbs up or thumbs down on Jenna Jameson as a plastic surgery celebrity?
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Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Reconstructive Surgery Won't Help Beating Victim Find Her Attacker
There was a
disturbing assault case that happened last week at the University of Washington. A woman was attacked on campus by someone that she didn't know. The man took a hammer and beat in her face, shattering her cheekbone. She is currently awaiting
reconstructive surgery to repair the damage. A good
plastic surgeon should be able to rebuild her face without any problems but that's only the surface of the problems that the student is facing.
Apparently the woman was attacked in plain view of many witnesses. She claims that she screamed for help but didn't receive any assistance. The people who have come forward so far have said that they didn't realize what was going on because it happened too quickly. Police are now looking for additional witnesses to assist the woman in finding her attacker.
Reconstructive surgery is important in cases such as these. It is the first step in rebuilding the life that you had for yourself. However, it's only the beginning. The woman will need additional assistance from the community around her to regain her faith in others after this attack.
Question of the Day: What role do you believe reconstructive surgery plays in cases such as this one?
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Tuesday, January 15, 2008
A Face Lift Makes You Look Younger ... For Reasons Other than what You Think
You probably know that you can get a
face lift to help you appear younger than your years. But why do you think that is? Most people believe that the face lift pulls back the skin and removes wrinkling which redcues the appearance of aging. While that's true, the real reason that you might look younger after you get a face lift could have more to do with the shape of your jaw than with the smoothness of your skin.
It has
recently been found that people's jawlines change as they get older. A study revealed that the lower jaw in both men and women continues to grow as they age. The larger and less rounded the jaw, the older they appear. The face lift can help to re-shape the jaw back to a smaller appearance. In turn, this makes you look younger.
Question of the Day: How much attention have you paid to the shape of your jaw as you've aged?
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Monday, January 14, 2008
Experts Confirm that you Must be Healthy before Plastic Surgery
You probably already knew that you basically need to be a healthy person before getting
plastic surgery of any kind. If you didn't, you could have learned it here. Or you'd probably be told so by
your doctor. But in case all of those informational resources failed to impress upon you the importance of the issue, there's a
new report by medical experts which confirms it.
Although plastic surgery can do wonders to improve an appearance, it's a procedure which is less cosmetic than it is medical. It's a surgery; all surgeries have risks. These risks are increased considerably when the person undergoing the plastic surgery procedure isn't in healthy shape. You can always do a plastic surgery procedure at a later date; you can't get your health back. Make sure that you work with a doctor to get your health up to par before moving forward with plastic surgery.
Question of the Day: What fitness regimen and diet would you consider a good one for plastic surgery preparation?
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Friday, January 11, 2008
Call Your Plastic Surgeon: It's International Thank You Day
Today is one of those fun holidays that gives you an excuse to do something nice for someone else. It's International Thank You Day. That means that you should take the time out of your busy schedule to call and thank the people who you appreciate in your life. Hopefully, that's a long list of people. As you're making that list, you might want to think about adding your
plastic surgeon on to it.
Plastic surgery improves people's lives in a number of ways. It boosts their self-esteem by making them look on the outside like they feel on the inside. This alignment of perception and reality makes the mindset of the person more calm and confident. This is something that many people who have gotten plastic surgery feel grateful for.
The doctors who have assisted you with plastic surgery are not necessarily looking for your thanks. They do their jobs because they love their jobs. But everyone likes to get a little bit of recognition for the work that they do. If you're going to go ahead and celebrate International Thank You Day, you might as well go all out and thank the doctors in your life.
Question of the Day: What can you do to show your appreciation to a plastic surgeon today?
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Thursday, January 10, 2008
Qualities of a Good Liposuction Candidate
Have you ever wondered if
liposuction would be a good option for you to reduce your fat? If so, you might be interested in a
recent news article which outlined the characteristics of a good candidate for the weight loss surgery.
According to the article, these are the qualities that good liposuction candidates have in common:
- The individual should be a generally healthy person. Persons with medical conditions should be aware of the risks of surgery including liposuction.
- The person should eat regular meals with a general attention to the healthfulness of their diet. They should have already tried dieting for weight loss and should be able to stick to a basic diet without difficulty.
- The person should exercise regularly. They may have already seen weight loss from exercise and are now at a stable weight.
Of course, the only way to know for sure whether you are a good candidate for lipo or not is to get yourself to a
qualified doctor to find out.
Question of the Day: Why do you believe it is that lipo candidates should be basically healthy?
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Wednesday, January 09, 2008
6 Plastic Surgery Trends
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has been actively conducting research and studies to review plastic surgery throughout the nation. That information is provided to the public as well as to doctors so that we can all understand the nature of current plastic surgery trends. One of their recent surveys found that trends in major metropolitan areas don't always match national trends.
Closer examination of the information revealed six trends that can be seen in recent years in the major metropolitan areas of the United States. Those trends are as follows:
1. An increase in male plastic surgery patients.
2. A decrease in the average age of plastic surgery patients.
3. An increase in patients of ethnic minorities.
4. An increase in the number of couples / family members getting surgery together.
5. A trend towards using minimally invasive procedures instead of surgery.
6. An increase in interest in body contouring procedures by patients of massive weight loss surgery.
Learn more about these trends
here.
Question of the Day: Why would national plastic surgery trends differ from regional plastic surgery trends?
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Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Miss America Reality Check Tackles Plastic Surgery Issue
There is a new reality television show out that is getting the attention of a number of people. It's called
Miss America Reality Check. The goal of the show is to reinvent the image of what Miss America is so that she is more like the average girl than she currently may be. It challenges the old stereotypes of what beauty is and it takes a hard look at some serious subjects.
One of the subjects being tackled by the show is the issue of
plastic surgery. The topic came up as part of a section on "controversy" in which the girls were asked to discuss their opinions on controversial issues. (You can read a general recap of the show
here.)
This brings up the question of whether plastic surgery should really be something that is controversial. In fact, most of the controversial subjects discussed on the show - like birth control - really seem like they should be issues of personal choice. Plastic surgery is something that one should do for themselves, not for anyone else in the world. And a choice that you make about your own body shouldn't be something that's up for debate.
But that's not the way that the real world works, now is it?!
Question of the Day: Is plastic surgery a good topic of debate for Miss America?
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Monday, January 07, 2008
ASPS Refutes Three Common Concerns About Silicone Breast Implants
You may have already heard the news:
silicone boobs are back. Taken off of the market for a time because of the health risk that they posed to women, they have now been re-vamped and made safe enough for use. Despite this, many people have concerns about using silicone for
breast augmentation.
These concerns have prompted the American Society of Plastic Surgeons
to study the use of silicone breast implants more closely. Their findings have resulted in dispelling three common myths that are associated with implants. They looked at concerns about cancer, concerns about breast-feeding and concerns that women who get silicone breasts have poor body image. They found all three areas to be areas that shouldn't be of such high levels of concern.
It should be noted that these concerns weren't specific to a comparison between silicone and saline breast implants. Instead, they were an overall look at the concern of implants alone. They compared cancer risk, breast-feeding risk and body image problems between women with silicone implants and women without implants to obtain these findings.
Question of the Day: Do any of these three breast implant myths still concern you?
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Friday, January 04, 2008
Friday Fun: Plastic Surgery for the Sun Maid Raisin Girl
We love gossip about
celebrity plastic surgery. Some of that plastic surgery is what has actually been done by the stars. But often what we want to talk about is the celebrity plastic surgery that we only speculate has taken place. It's not just that people like to gossip. We like to make guesses about things that we can't really know for sure. And when
plastic surgery is done right, it's so subtle that it leaves people guessing.
But for Friday's fun, let's take a look at some semi-celebrity plastic surgery that we know for a fact hasn't taken place. At least not in the office of an actual
plastic surgeon. This glimpse takes a look at the before and after photos of the Sun Maid Raisin Girl - you know, the chick on the cover of the raisin box. A report on the issue by
Defamer.com takes a look at what surgeries would have needed to be performed to make the changes that this chick has undergone.
The major plastic surgery treatment that they say she must've gotten between the "old" and "new" photos is
rhinoplasty to repair a deviated septum. No one can blame her; all of the
celebrities are doing it. They also suspect that a
brow lift and some
Botox perked up her face a bit. And that great skin isn't just from harvesting grapes; it could be from
chemical peels and
sunless tanning. Or maybe not, but it's fun to take a look at it, isn't it?
Question of the Day: Which cartoon characters would you say have had some plastic surgery work over the years?
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Thursday, January 03, 2008
Surgeons Stay Silent on Breast Reconstruction
Women who have breast cancer have a lot of things to worry about. First and foremost, they worry about the cancer itself and the steps necessary to beat the cancer. Often, they worry about finances as their money goes to taking care of medical expenses. But one of the biggest worries frequently goes undiscussed: concern over the appearance of breasts that are lost (in full or part) to the cancer.
It's surprising that this issue still remains a quiet issue amongst the general public. But what is even more surprising is that it stays off the table in many
doctors' offices as well. A
recent study has found that two-thirds of women facing surgery for breast cancer do not discuss
breast reconstruction with their doctors prior to the surgery. It is possible that women themselves are hesitant to bring it up or it may be that they are concerned primarily about their health at this time. However, it's shocking that the doctors are not making this more of an issue since it is a big area of concern for most women.
It appears that women who are younger and women who are more educated are more likely to discuss this issue with their doctors. This indicates that raising awareness of the issue is a primary concern in changing these numbers. Perhaps as
additional advancements are made in the area of breast reconstruction, we will see information spreading more openly.
Question of the Day: Of the women you've known with breast cancer, how many have had reconstructive surgery?
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Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Celebrity Plastic Surgery: Apollonia
Are you familiar with Apollonia Kotero (better known by just her first name)? If not by name, perhaps you'd recognize her face. She was a swimsuit model who gained some fame when she played the lead in Prince's
Purple Rain. Given that history, you'd probably have no trouble guessing that she's been appreciated as much for her body as for her gorgeous face.
But people these days are saying that her body's not looking so hot. And the reason that they're saying it is that they believe that she got bad celebrity plastic surgery.
Awful Plastic Surgery reports that Apollonia got a
breast augmentation. And it's the opinion of that author that the work done was too excessive for her body. The question they're asking there is, "really, what was wrong with her stunning breasts before?"
Of course, people might say that about anyone's breast augmentation. That kind of plastic surgery isn't about "what was wrong". Like any other
plastic surgery, it's about improving the way that you feel about your own body. But it's true that you can go "too large" with a breast augmentation and throw off the proportions of your body in a way that others may find aesthetically not pleasing. Make sure you talk to
your doctor about your desired appearance and the surgery you need to see those results.
Question of the Day: Do you believe that there is such a thing as "too much" for breast implants?
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Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Christmas Charity Review: Rhinoplasty for Homeless
The new year has just begun. Despite the fact that the holidays have passed, we shouldn't forget about the importance of charity which fills the holiday season. Last week we took a look at the
plastic surgery charities that were available for you to donate money to in order to assist others with their cause. Today, let's take a look at the case of one individual who recently benefitted from the
plastic surgery charity of others.
The case comes from a news report in
The Valdosta Daily Times. It tells the story of a man in Georgia who was assisted by the
South Georgia Coalition to End Homelessness. The major problem that he was suffering from was cancer and the coalition assisted him in obtaining the treatments that he needed in order to survive the cancer.
However, once that was complete, he still had a problem. The cancer had eaten away at his nose, leaving what was basically just a small line of cartilage in place of where there once was a nose. The coalition searched around for some assistance and found some Christmas charity for the man. A
rhinoplasty procedure was performed so that the man could breathe more freely.
Don't forget to be charitable even though the season is complete!
Question of the Day: Would you be more inclined to give to a charity or to an individual for a plastic surgery cause?
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