I see numerous patients these days who are interested in replacing their aging saline implants. While some choose to place new saline implants, many are interested in switching to silicone. There are several motivations for the change, but here are a few: Read Full Article…
Why Exchange Saline Breast Implants for Silicone
The FDA Approves Marketing of Liposonix, a New Fat Removal Device
Earlier this month, the U.S. FDA approved marketing for Medicis Pharmaceuticals Corp’s new non-invasive fat removal device, the LipoSonix system, which uses ultrasound technology to destroy fat cells. Read Full Article…
The FDA Approves Cosmetic Injectables Xeomin® and LaViv®
The U.S. FDA recently approved two new cosmetic injectable treatments, Xeomin® and LaViv®, for use in patients with facial wrinkles. Xeomin® falls in the category of botulinum toxin type A injectables and works similarly to BOTOX® Cosmetic and Dysport® in that the product relaxes the facial muscles that cause wrinkles. LaViv® is a treatment that involves the harvesting and re-injection of the patient’s own tissues to fill in facial wrinkles. Although we do not currently offer these products at the plastic surgery practice of Paul Pin, MD, we have reviewed the benefits and drawbacks of each injectable treatment in this blog post. Read Full Article…
The Bad Facelift: the tell-tale signs
The Bad Facelift
Patients interested in facial rejuvenation are often reticent to proceed for fear of looking worse. Everyone has seen the unfortunate patient with the “Bad Facelift,” and patients are unanimous in wanting to avoid it. An additional cause for concern is that if celebrities and even high-profile NFL owners can have Bad Facelifts, how can a more normal patient avoid the same fate? The simple answer is to select a surgeon whose ideals and aesthetics match yours. Ask your surgeon to show you pictures of what they think looks like a very good result. If it looks bad to you, find another doctor. There are several common deformities that are signs of a bad facelift: Read Full Article…
FDA Update: Silicone Implants Are Safe But Do Come with Risks
An updated FDA analysis on the safety of silicone breast implants found that the products are not associated with the development of connective tissue diseases, breast cancer or reproductive problems. However, the FDA did stress that complications resulting from silicone breast implants leads at least 20 percent of augmentation patients to undergo revision surgery within 10 years of their primary operation. Read Full Article…
ASAPS /ASPS Issue Statement On Stem Cell Plastic Surgery
The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) released a statement earlier this month about the use of stem cells in plastic surgery. According to a joint task force created by the two associations, more long-term data needs to be collected before aesthetic stem cell procedures are marketed to the public. Read Full Article…
The Skin-Sparing Latissimus Breast Reconstruction
Traditional Latissimus Flap
Numerous alternatives are available to women seeking breast reconstruction. Most commonly, patients are offered a simple technique, a tissue expander, or a complicated one, like a free-flap reconstruction (DIEP flap.) Often not mentioned, is an intermediate technique I call a “Skin-Sparing Latissimus Flap” which offers advantages over the other two procedures. Read Full Article…
The Fate of the Nipple in Mastopexy
MASTOPEXY
Women with ptotic or “droopy” breasts are often interested in a breast lift or mastopexy to improve their breast shape, but are reluctant to do so because they believe that the nipple and areola are completely removed and replaced as part of the procedure. Fortunately, this is seldom necessary. Read Full Article…
How to Treat Common Facial Flaws
Facial plastic surgery procedures such as facelift, browlift, and blepharoplasty are designed to reduce the signs of aging in patients. These procedures tighten loose skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. However, they are not intended to treat other facial flaws such as a poor complexion, hyperpigmentation, and uneven skin tone. Here, we review common facial flaws and appropriate treatment options for these conditions. Read Full Article…
How Smoking Cigarettes Can Affect Your Appearance
Smoking cigarettes causes serious health problems, including lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, stroke, infertility problems, and birth defects, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition to the devastating medical problems associated with smoking, it can also present a number of cosmetic and health problems for our plastic surgery patients. Read Full Article…