Amidst all the bad news that you may have been hearing about the economy, I am thrilled to report stable, steady growth at Mountain Medicine Directory – reflecting the overall health of the medical services community.

Our 2^nd edition of Mountain Medicine Directory was published in January 2009 and has been well received. We have been busy distributing the new publication to pharmacies, hospitals, medical offices and retail locations along the I-70 corridor from Vail to Grand Junction and Roaring Fork Valley from Glenwood Springs to Aspen.

The directory portion in our latest publication was completely revamped, providing a more accurate and complete listing of medical practices along with added categories.

We are now working on our new annual edition that will feature articles on dentistry and women’s and children’s healthcare. The new publication will be published in January 2010.

During the coming months, Mountain Medicine Directory will be expanding its coverage to the Internet.

Through the help of a local web development company, InteractiveWest, Mountain Medicine Directory has already revamped our website presence with the main focus being Mountain Medicine Directory Blog which allows us to repost articles from our publication to the Internet.

In the next few months, we will be taking the directory portion of our publication online. Mountain Medicine’s Online Directory will include information that you see in our print version plus practice description, listing of practice physicians, website link, plus map and direction links.

One good thing about troubled economic times, is that it forces consumers to make smarter healthcare choices. Our mission at Mountain Medicine Directory is to help connect healthcare consumers with the best care available through licensed doctors, certified practioners, hospitals, clinics and wellness centers.

Healthcare consumers clearly make better decisions regarding their health when they are fully informed and know what their options are.

We invite you to look to Mountain Medicine Directory to provide informative articles plus comprehensive and detailed directory of healthcare providers in our area both in print and on the Internet.

Plastic surgery holds an interesting niche in medicine, one in which science and art become one.

A thorough knowledge of human anatomy blends with finely honed dexterity and a well developed sense of aesthetics. Dr. Daniel Thimsen has practiced plastic and reconstructive surgery for over 24 years, at the Mayo Clinic and for the past 11 years serving patients in the Glenwood Springs area.

Board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Dr. Thimsen keeps current with the latest developments in cosmetic surgery through his active involvement in The American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. His Rocky Mountain Plastic Surgery practice offers a full spectrum of surgery for both men and women.

Among the most popular procedures nationally is eyelid surgery (or blepharoplasty), which enhances the most notable aspect of a face - the eyes. It is given one of the highest satisfaction rates for patients post-surgically, according to national surveys, producing natural-looking improvement at a relatively low cost. The surgery removes fat, usually along with excess skin and muscle from the upper and lower eyelids. It can correct drooping upper lids and puffy bags below the eyes.

Dr. Thimsen performs many eyelid surgeries in his private surgical suite. The results are impressive. Blepharoplasty restores a youthful appearance in a very natural way, eliminating eyelid bags and puffiness.

One of Dr. Thimsen patients, an attractive woman in her fifties, had always been less than satisfied with her eyelids. "My eyes always had a lot of fatty skin over my eyelids. As a teenager, I cried the first time I tried to put on mascara and the fatty tisue touched my lashes. At this phase in my life, I was looking tired - much more tired than I actually felt. I did some investigation with Dr. Thimsen and decided on the eyelid surgery - I treated myself."

Her satisfaction with the procedure is palpable. "There are no perceptible scars and the recovery was precisely as Dr. Thimsen had predicted. And I don’t look tired or angry any more. I look how I really feel."

According to Dr. Thimsen, the best candidates for eyelid surgery are men and women who are physically healthy, psychologically stable, and realistic in their expectations. Most are 35 or older, but if droopy, baggy eyelids run in your family, you may decide to have eyelid surgery at a younger age.

His surgical services also include facelifts, browlifts, breast augmentation, laser skin resurfacing, rhinoplasty (nasal surgery), breast uplift, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), liposuction, otoplasty (ear surgery), reconstructive breast surgery, mole and skin cancer removal, and hand surgery. Further information on these procedures is available on Dr. Thimsen’s website at www.rockymountainplasticsurgery.com.

In addition to Rocky Mountain Plastic Surgery’s state of the art facility, Dr. Thimsen also offers medical skin treatments and products at his Medispa at Glenwood Meadows. He also peforms injectable treatments such as botox, Restylane and Juvederm at the Medispa office. Free Medispa consultations are available by calling 970.945.8390.

Dr. Thimsen offers free cosmetic surgery consultations at his Glenwood office, as well as his offices in Eagle, Edwards, and Rifle. To make an appointment, call 970.945.1144.

2008 has been the year of reinvention and upgrade in the field of medical lasers. In 2009, it now seems we are into the next generation of lasers all of which is meant to improve efficacy and safety for the patient. There are no substitutes for the effects that these machines give. The Medical Spa® at Plastic Surgery Specialists, PC has always prided itself on staying abreast of new developments and not only keeping the very best equipment for our patients but also providing the very best education of our staff to operate these impressive machines. Some of the most efficient lasers today that are used in our practice are:

The Dornier Laser® is used to collapse down the abnormal varicose veins in the legs. What is unique about our laser is that the same fiber energy and fiber can be used not only inside the vein but can be directed onto the skin where there are visible varicosities. With this one laser, we can treat the full gamut of varicose vein deformities.

Our SmartLipo Laser®, used for fat destruction and skin tightening, is the leading laser in the field of least invasive fat destruction for body contouring purposes. It is being used now for many different applications including excessive sweating in the armpits (called hyperhydrosis) and for sagginess of the aged face and body.

The LightSheerXC® has always been and still is the number one top hair removal laser. The new XC has a larger treatment head and more efficient cooling of the tip, all leading to much less pain.

We also have other lasers. Come check out your treatment of choice.

For a person experiencing a heart attack, the common medical adage is, "Time is muscle."

The sooner a blockage is resolved, the less damage is sustained by the heart muscle and the better the long-term prognosis. For people living in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River Valleys, the safety net for heart attack patients was strengthened over the past two years. Valley View Hospital cardiac catheterization lab opened in January of 2007 and began providing an essential, lifesaving link in the continuum of care.

When a patient arrives in the emergency department with chest pain, the presence of the catheterization facility in the hospital provides a range of diagnostics and interventions that greatly increase the odds of a positive outcome. The only cath lab between Grand Junction and Denver, Valley View’s facility has saved dozens of lives in its first two years.

Catheterization technology involves threading a very fine filament through blood vessels and into the heart. The technique provide valuable immediate diagnostic imaging, and is also is an avenue for interventional procedures. A stent or balloon device can be inserted via the technology to open a vessel and resolve a cardiac event. Such timely treatment can minimize tissue damage and often can save a life.

The creation of a specialized and highly technical facility such as the cath lab required the import of a thoroughly experienced medical team. Dr. Frank Laws, a nationally respected cardiologist with an extensive background in the cardiac catheterization field, leads a team of seasoned professionals. Their presence has made a very real difference in their first years at Valley View.

Close to 300 catheterization procedures have been performed at Valley View since the facility’s opening. According to Dr. Laws, "People are alive here today because they were able to receive an intervention in the cath lab quickly." The lifesaving power of the technology is beyond that of clot-busting drugs, the cardiologist explains. "There are emergency cardiac patients who need a cath lab to survive an event - not in a matter of hours, but in a matter of minutes. There is nothing routine in the cath lab."

Dr. Laws welcomed the opportunity to bring new services to the area and to act as a pioneer in expanding locally available medical services. "It was a unique opportunity," he says, "to design a cath facility and assemble a good team to work together". He notes that he had worked with the technicians he chose for Valley View for many years, which provides a high level of confidence during an emergency procedure.

Cardiac patients are supported not only by the new cardiac facility, but by the adjacent Critical Care Unit at the hospital. "Sixty percent of a cardiac case depends on the emergency treatment provided," Dr. Laws notes, "But aftercare is critical and makes up the other forty percent in determining a successful outcome." In addition, the helistop at Valley View allows patients to be flown quickly to an urban center via helicopter for cardiac surgery, if necessary.

With Valley View’s lifesaving heart and vascular capabilities expanding, cardiologist Rebecca Laird, M.D. has recently joined Dr. Laws as part of the cath lab team.

The Heart and Vascular Institute at Valley View Hospital: 384-7290. Information on the internet: www.vvh.org.