Posted on August 31, 2009 12:19PM in Dr. LeRoy's Blog
Brow lifts and rhinoplasties are among some of the most common surgical procedures to change or enhance the shape of your face. But with the increasing popularity of cosmetic fillers – many are turning to these nonsurgical injections as an alternative to going under the knife. In fact, a recent article in Aesthetic Surgery Journal (the publication created by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons or ASAPS) detailed the use of hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers in the brow and eye area as an alternative to a traditional blepharoplasty (eye lid surgery) or brow lift. This technique involves injecting the brow area to fill in wrinkles and lift sagging skin instead of cutting the excess skin away. In the past, fat injections have been used for this same purpose, but some patients ran the risk of the fat cells actually growing and getting larger with weight gain, causing unevenness and swelling in the brow. Facial fillers, on the other hand, are not permanent (although results have been known to last up to two years) and can be reversed using hyaluronidase if patients are unhappy with their results.
But the alternative uses of facial fillers are not just restricted to the area around the eyes. Different places around the world are beginning to uses these same fillers as “nonsurgical nose jobs” – to help straighten the profile of the nose or change its overall shape. This procedure began in 2002 in Brazil, but other countries are following their footsteps– with an estimated 1000 persons in the United Kingdom having the procedure done. Some doctors are hesitant to provide this service because of the risk of scar tissue forming – with up to 18 percent of patients who get the “nonsurgical nose job” will see side effects like loosened cartilage, excessive bleeding, and scar formation. Like all procedures with fillers – this treatment is not permanent and must be periodically touched up by a board certified plastic surgeon.
Your face is home to the most unique features on your body, thus the plan to enhance it must be just as specialized. While fillers may be the answer for some patients, others will need a full facelift, a lighter version of a facelift like Dr. LeRoy’s originally developed “Band Aid Facelift”, or a blepharoplasty to achieve the results they desire. Schedule a consultation to find out which procedure will be the best option for you.
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Posted on August 18, 2009 8:46AM in Dr. LeRoy's Blog
The safety of fat grafting has been a hotly contested issue for well over 20 years. There have been numerous concerns that fat grafted into the breast may prevent accurate mammograms or hide unsafe traces of breast cancer. However in a recent effort by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) to put this issue to rest, a team calling themselves the Fat Graft Task Force met to review years of research and trial information. Their consensus: there is no evidence or indication that fat grafting is unsafe for surgical patients.
While the task force admits to the need for more testing, they see no reason why fat grafting techniques shouldn’t be employed or embraced. For years, fat grafting has been used to liposuction excess fat from the body to augment or reconstruct another part of the body. And while fat grafting is typically used for breast augmentation or reconstructive surgery, recent science shows an emergence of even more widespread options.
In fact, there was a study done in Brazil recently that compared the number of stem cells found in the fat of various parts of the body. The first study of its kind, the researchers performed liposuction in various areas of 23 women to ultimately conclude that there is a significantly higher concentration of stem cells in the lower abdomen and inner thighs than in any other fatty area of the body.
Stem cells are unique in that they are unspecialized. In short, this means they can multiply and divide to make any other type of cell – making them integral to cell repair. Thus, stem cells have the potential for healing and repairing heart failure, spinal injuries, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease. This is also great news for the potential of fat grafting, where stem-cell rich areas of fat can be used to reconstruct other parts of the body – particularly to augment the breasts and correct wrinkles and imperfections of the face.
One such technique has emerged; it is a non surgical procedure that injects pluripotent cells, including adult stem cells, into the face or skin of patients to renew cell growth and restore the skin’s smoothness and firmness. If this wrinkle treatment catches on in popularity, it could one day be a serious competitor to popular injectables and fillers like Botox®, Dysport®, and Restylane®.
While the discussion over stem cell use is always controversial, the potential use of these unique cells is interesting to note. Whether or not stem cells find a permanent place in the world of plastic surgery remains unknown – but it sure makes for interesting discussion in the world of scientific advancement!
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Posted on August 1, 2009 10:47AM in Dr. LeRoy's Blog
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