One variation of the usual abdominoplasty (tummy-tuck) is known variously as the “anchor”, the “vertical” or “Fleur-de-lys” abdominoplasty. This involves removing not only the lower abdominal skin and fat, but also adding a vertically-oriented segment shaped like an inverted “V” in the upper midline. When the surgery is completed, this leaves a T-shaped or “anchor” […]
I came across an interesting survey in the latest issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. A total of 895 board-certified surgeons were surveyed about their practice, their work hours and the levels of personal satisfaction about their practice, lifestyle and factors that might influence these perceptions. Here are some of the findings: […]
There are a few websites that claim to simulate the effects of plastic surgery on a photo that you can upload to the site. Others have adjustable 3-D renderings of models, where you can adjust their appearance by moving slider-type controls, to more closely mimic your own appearance.I’ve looked at a couple of these, and […]
One of the most worrisome problems for surgeons is known as venous thromboembolism (VTE) – blood clots such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. These can occur after long operations, even in seemingly healthy people – and can be a life-threatening problem. In the past, we’ve used compression stockings, pneumatic sequential compression devices, or injectable blood […]
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, the Thread Lift was a much-hyped procedure in which a special type of barbed suture would be placed under the skin, to draw the loose facial tissue upward. The idea was to get a facelift-like lift, without actually doing a real facelift. It sounded so […]
I noticed a new (to me) product at the 2009 ASAPS meeting: a saline-filled lip implant. I kid you not. Known as VeraFIl, it has actually been FDA approved for about a year. Essentially, it is a tapered tubular implant with a silicone shell and a gore-tex outer coating. A tunnel is made in the […]
One of the big topics of discussion at ASAPS this year was biofilms. Biofilms are a type of bacterial contamination that loves to form on solid, implanted devices like man-made heart valves, contact lenses, orthopedic implants, and yes…breast implants. There is a growing body of research that suggests that these biofilms are linked to the #1 […]
At the recent ASAPS meeting, a number of breakthrough new technologies were presented, as potential alternatives / improvements on the standard liposuction technique. Bear in mind that most of these wonder gadgets are still in the developmental phase, and do not yet have FDA approval. But some of the before & after photos looked pretty […]
Sounds like science fiction, right? – a wrinkle-fighter that works without needles… One of the coolest products in development that I heard about at the ASAPS meeting belongs to a company called Revance therapeutics, based in Palo Alto, California. They seem to be the first ones to have cracked the problem of getting large molecules into […]
The most important educational meeting for aesthetic plastic surgeons, in my opinion, is the ASAPS annual meeting. It’s happening next week – and yours truly will be there. We’ll hear “what’s hot”, “what’s new” and “what’s not working”. All of the “major league” players of aesthetic plastic surgery will be there, discussing the best ways […]
