Practice News

The Institute for Advanced Reconstruction’s own New Jersey plastic surgeon Dr. Russell Ashinoff was featured in the Asbury Park Press for his work with Long Branch, NJ train accident victim Michael Villafuerte.  Read the full article here.

For Helen Lockhart, it was a near death experience that resulted in gaining a new life. Lockhart, who has been overweight her entire life, had reached a high of 370 pounds (she is 5’2 ½” tall) resulting in a series of infections in the skin of her lower abdomen. In May, 2011, one of those infections resulted in a 104-degree fever, a subsequent week-long hospitalization and I.V. antibiotics. “It almost killed me,” declared the 45-year-old Whiting, New Jersey resident.

That’s when her primary care doctor told her, “I think I know someone who can help you.” That someone was New Jersey plastic surgeon Dr. Russell Ashinoff of The Institute for Advanced Reconstruction in Shrewsbury, NJ.

Lockhart described her first meeting with Ashinoff, “He spoke to me for a few minutes, and asked to see the infection. Most doctors would just pull off the cover and look, but he took care to place a blanket over me.” His kindness immediately impressed her.

Following her recovery from the infection, she went to the offices of The Plastic Surgery Center, where Dr. Ashinoff explained to Lockhart, her mother and sister, the operation that would remove the excess skin of her lower stomach and repair her abdominal hernia. This skin, which hung to her knees, was the site of recurrent infections and severely restricted her ability to move around.

On September, 27, 2011, Helen Lockhart had her post-bariatric surgery. The surgery was designed to take off the excess skin and fat from her lower abdomen. The weight Dr. Ashinoff took off, coupled with what she has lost through subsequent diet and exercise, accounts for 86 total pounds.

According to Dr. Ashinoff, “When a patient has a large amount of skin and fat of the lower abdomen, it is really a vicious cycle. It prevents her from exercising and leads to more weight gain. This procedure allows us to break this cycle and give patients their lives back. Helen is an amazing woman who always puts others first. The first thing Helen asked me when she woke up was, “How are you feeling Dr. Ashinoff?” Her great attitude really helped the recovery process.”

Following the surgery, she spent nearly three months Laurelton Village Rehabilitation Center in Brick, New Jersey, where they offer all types of physical therapy. Her experience led her to plan on returning to volunteer to assist with other patients. “They called me the cheerleader of the floor, since I was always encouraging other patients.”

Currently, Lockhart walks outside a half-hour daily, supplemented with a build-up of more walking time on her indoor treadmill—all which she has been able to do as a result of her surgery. “I can walk better, breathe better. I can do everything better,” she testifies.

“The surgery was a lot to do, but I’m glad I did it, and I’d do it again. I’m very happy,” says Lockhart.

As for Dr. Ashinoff, Helen Lockhart reserves the highest praise, “He’s the most kind and compassionate man ever.”

Dr. Matthew Kaufman of The Institute for Advanced Reconstruction at The Plastic Surgery Center has dealt with a lot of patients in incredible pain. Faith Schulpheiz is one of them.

“There are days when my headache is so horrible, my vision is impaired, everything is blurry, I feel nauseous like I am going to throw up, and nothing seems to matter. It becomes a waiting game and I don’t know how long it is going to last,” says Schulpheiz, 46, of Middletown, New Jersey. 

Schulpheiz began experiencing headaches within the last ten years when other medical issues arose. At first she accepted the headaches as part of her condition and began taking ibuprofen almost daily. Years went by before her neurologist diagnosed her with cluster migraines–a neurological disease that entails a massive amount of pain to the head.

The headaches interfered with her daily life. According to Schulpheiz, a previous executive, work wasn’t even an option. She began postponing deadlines and appointments. She moved from Manhattan to New Jersey, where she currently resides, with a great support system of friends and family.

In 2006, Schulpheiz was treated for migraines with Botox® in New York. At the time, the procedure was controversial (pre FDA approval), and after two treatments she stopped and began oral medication. Initially, the oral medication proved to be very helpful, but after two years of taking it she started to experience adverse side effects. 

Schulpheiz claims, “If you looked at me you could see that I was in pain. I had such a headache that I would look mad because my face was so scrunched up.” Her neurologist finally recommended Botox injections with New Jersey plastic surgeon Dr. Matthew Kaufman.  This time she was confident. She received her first Botox injection in April of 2010 and then again in July. Following a break in treatments due to problems with her insurance company, she has resumed the Botox injections.

Many ponder, says Schulpheiz, why put Botox into your system? According to Schulpheiz, “Other medications have basically all had the side effects. Dr. Kaufman injected me exactly where the pain is and it goes right to the area that needs treatment, versus the oral medicine, that travels throughout my body and gets into my bloodstream.” She even described how she felt immediate relaxation to her “scrunched up” face following the Botox injections.

Dr. Kaufman assures Faith that if she received relief after minor treatment, one day she could have more a more permanent improvement. “I know I have other medical issues but if I can have relief in one area of my life, why not?” 

According to Dr. Kaufman, “Faith has been suffering with migraines for many years and had trouble finding a successful treatment.  She has responded extremely well to Botox therapy, and it has allowed her to regain a more normal and functional life.  We anticipate continuing Botox therapy for the next few months, and will consider offering her the nerve decompression surgery that we sometimes perform in patients who have responded well to Botox therapy. The surgery is essentially the “surgical equivalent” of what Botox does on a temporary basis.  Therefore, the surgery has the potential to provide a more permanent reduction, or possibly even elimination, of migraine headaches.  Of course, not everyone will benefit from migraine surgery, so it is important to speak with a surgeon who is skilled and experienced in this surgical technique.”

For more information on migraine relief, log onto The Institute for Advanced Reconstruction’s Migraine Headache Treatment page.

Dr. Matthew Kaufman with migraine patient Cheri Weiss

Migraine headache patient finds relief with cutting-edge BOTOX® treatment with Dr. Matthew Kaufman of The Institute for Advanced Reconstruction

Cheri Weiss endured headaches throughout her life, to the point where she would carry ibrupofen every day during high school.  She began experiencing migraine headaches and occipital neuralgia — a medical condition characterized by intense, chronic headaches — at 21 years old, in the second year of her Physician’s Assistant program.  She knew about aneurysms and assumed the worst:  “I took five ibruprofen and went back to bed, assuming I was going to die.”

Weiss survived the ordeal, but realized she was in a new and escalating battle with her headaches. She continued to suffer through the migraines and occipital headaches for over a decade.  Despite the support from her family and friends, they simply couldn’t fully grasp what she was going through, Weiss says:  “Unless you feel that kind of pain, it’s really hard to completely understand.” This from someone who truly understands, especially since she also works in a pain management practice.

Misdiagnosed with tension headaches, Weiss was unaware of a family history of migraines stemming from the women on her father’s side of the family; a common phenomena,  women suffer from migraines nearly three times more than men.  At the peak of her crisis, Weiss was suffering from an average of 23-25 occipital headaches and migraines per month.  Despite the crippling effects of the headaches, which can often cause dizziness, nausea, light sensitivity, and more, the nature of Weiss’s job meant that she could not afford to miss work.

After being diagnosed with migraines and occipital neuralgia, she began treatments with a typical migraine drug.  She then switched to an anti-caesural drug typically used to treat migraines, but suffered from adverse side effects despite seeing moderate results in pain relief.  Experimenting with acupuncture proved useful as well, but when her migraines became an almost daily occurrence in June of 2010, she sought out alternate treatments.

With her knowledge from years of work in the medical field, Weiss knew what she wanted.  After receiving a few occipital nerve block treatments from a pain management physician, she decided to try Botox® to provide a more extended relief.  “Botox works well, is safe, and isn’t something you have to take all the time, like medicine,” says Weiss.  She specifically chose Dr. Matthew Kaufman of the Institute for Advanced Reconstruction because of her work with him in the ER, and because of his expertise in plastic surgery, specializing in head and neck.  “Because I worked in the profession, I knew what I was looking for.”

Says Dr. Kaufman, ” We have been treating many migraine sufferers with BOTOX® for the last 6 years and have observed how well it can reduce or, in some cases, eliminate severe headaches.  For individuals who cannot tolerate the side effects of more traditional medicines, or who have experienced severe headaches despite therapy, BOTOX® should be a consideration.  Prior to treating any patient with BOTOX®, I ask that they consult with a neurologist, or headache specialist, to undergo a comprehensive headache evaluation.”

In response to a front page article in the New York Times (U.S. to Force Drug Firms to Report Money Paid to Doctors, January 16, 2012), Dr. Jonathan Weiswasser of The Institute for Advanced Reconstruction submitted this Letter to the Editor, which was published on January 22 in The Times.

To the Editor:

I am in full agreement that as a means to guarantee against interference by pharmaceutical companies in doctors’ judgment, the federal government has an obligation to regulate certain marketing practices by drug and device manufacturers.

Let’s please apply the same standard to those who are imposing these regulations and document all the ways in which these same manufacturers are allowed to influence our elected representatives in their decision-making process through lobbying.

The hypocrisy here is unreal.

JONATHAN M. WEISWASSER
Shrewsbury, N.J., Jan. 17, 2012

The writer is a vascular surgeon.