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U.S. Anticipates Release of New Injectable Fillers and Wrinkle Relaxers

July 15th, 2010 by editor2

Juvederm VolumaWithin the next year, a number of new injectable fillers and wrinkle-relaxing toxin competitors already being used in Europe are anticipated to become available in the U.S.

This is good news for doctors and patients in the U.S. because not only does the introduction of new injectable fillers and toxins on the market mean more options, improved product technology and better results, it also typically means more competition and lower prices.

Some next generation hyaluronic acid (HA) injectable fillers that are rumored to be contenders for the U.S. marketplace include:

  • Belotero (Merz) – Hyaluronic acid filler available in soft, basic and intense formulas
  • SubQ & Voluma (Medicis & Allergan) – Thicker, heavier HA fillers for contouring larger areas
  • Restylane Vital & Juvederm Hydrate (Medicis & Allergan) – Thinner, lighter HA fillers for areas that have been historically difficult to correct
  • Derma Veil (Medinter) – A pure collagen stimulator similar to Sculptra Aesthetic
  • Novabel (Merz) – Filler formulation derived from brown sea algae

More plumping, less lumping

Belotero, an HA filler similar to Juvederm that is less likely to cause post-injection lumps and bumps, has already been filed with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and may be available later this year.

SubQ and Voluma are large volume injectables used for facial contouring, such as chin augmentation and cheek augmentation, throughout Europe. Derma Veil is also used for cheek augmentation and restoring facial volume by increasing collagen production.

Unlike the other fillers used for adding volume to large facial areas, SubQ is also reportedly used by some for breast augmentation and buttock augmentation.

Innovative fillers for hard-to-treat areas

The lighter HA fillers being introduced by Medicis and Allergan, Restylane Vital and Juvederm Hydrate, are ideally suited to treat areas that have been historically difficult to correct with fillers, such as the back of hands, décolleté and neck.

These fillers also purport to increase skin hydration and elasticity to offer wrinkle prevention effects, and Restylane Vital even boasts a specialized automatic injection pen that regulates product injection volume and speed for more precise results.

While Restylane Vital may offer the most advanced injection technology, Novabel certainly offers the most unique composition and formulation of the new injectable fillers.

Unique formula for thin skin

Novabel’s biocompatible alginate composition is said to make injection easier and reduce swelling, while the patented Geleon technology used in its formulation reportedly improves skin elasticity. These factors make Novabel ideal for adding volume to facial areas with thin skin, such as the eyelids and tear troughs.

Better than Botox?

In addition to the European injectable filler products being considered for U.S. crossover, two new botulinum toxin type A products that may offer an advantage over Botox and Dysport are poised for introduction to the U.S. marketplace as well.

Theoretically, Xeomin, made by Merz, and PurTox, made by Mentor, would offer the same wrinkle-relaxing properties as Botox and Dysport, but with decreased chance of allergic reaction and development of blocking antibodies in patients. Xeomin and PurTox may also work faster and last longer than Botox and Dysport, however these theoretical benefits have not yet been proven.

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Study Finds High Satisfaction Rates Among Facelift Patients

July 8th, 2010 by editor2

The Journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons recently published a study reporting high short-term and long-term satisfaction rates among facelift patients both the first year after facelift surgery and 10-15 years later.

More than 97 percent of patients reported their face lift outcome was “very good or beyond expectations” one year after their face lift, and more than 68 percent of face lift patients felt they looked 10 years younger and said their results continued to be “very good or beyond expectations” 10-15 years after face lift surgery.

A minority of patients (31 percent) who participated in the study indicated that they were disappointed by some aspect of their long-term face lift outcome, which suggests a majority of face lift patients experience a high degree of satisfaction with face lift results many years after surgery.

Each patient who participated in the study had a superficial musculoaponeurotic system–platysma face lift, or SMAS face lift, performed between January 1, 1994 and January 1, 1999. The study, which included total 89 face lift patients of study senior author Dr. John Owsley, is reportedly the first to measure long-term face lift patient satisfaction rates.

The SMAS facelift technique typically involves surgical repositioning and tightening the SMAS, which is a sheet of muscle and connective tissue on the cheek that contributes to facial expression.

A SMAS facelift offers patients more natural and longer lasting results than a subcutaneous, or skin-only, facelift, and is typically recommended to correct sagging skin and jowls. An extended SMAS facelift offers the same benefits as a SMAS facelift, in addition to correction of nasolabial folds.

When considering facelift surgery, it’s important not to get caught up in the catchy names, marketing terminology and particular surgical techniques. The most important step you can take to ensure optimal facelift results is to choose a highly experienced New York facelift surgeon who can customize your facelift procedure to achieve your unique facial rejuvenation goals.

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Revision Breast Surgery Advised For Ruptured PIP Implants

June 29th, 2010 by editor2

A guidance issued by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons warns the estimated 50,000 British women with faulty Poly Implant Prostheses (PIP) breast implants to have their implants checked for rupture within the next six months and have them both removed if rupture is discovered in even one breast implant.

The recalled PIP implants were found by the French Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons to contain an untested, unapproved silicone gel that led to abnormally high rupture rates. As a result, the implants were recalled, but now thousands of women may need to consider undergoing revision breast surgery.

Although ruptures sometimes do occur in the safe, FDA-approved silicone breast implants used for breast enlargement in the U.S., there is usually no immediate health risk, so women have a choice about when and how to address implant malfunction.

Most women choose a breast augmentation revision to replace their implants, while others choose to undergo breast explant surgery, or breast implant removal, but do not have their ruptured implants replaced.

When breast implants are removed and a breast augmentation revision is not performed, a breast lift may be performed to remove skin stretched by the breast implants. Occasionally, women may even choose not to seek corrective breast surgery if their ruptured breast implants do not cause health problems or breast deformity.

Ruptures are easy to detect in saline breast implants, as the implants deflate and noticeably lose volume, while an MRI is necessary in order to detect a rupture in silicone breast implants.

If you think one or both of your breast implants have ruptured, don’t panic. Consult an experienced female breast revision surgeon who can show you before and after photos of satisfied patients and present you with all available options for breast surgery revision.

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Studying Outcomes With Highly Cohesive Silicone Gel Implants

June 14th, 2010 by newseditor

Maybe you’ve heard of the so-called “gummy bear” implants and even learned about the technology behind them. If you haven’t, you may want to read about the Allergan 410 or the Mentor CPG 300 series breast implants.

A recent study published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal compares results achieved with each breast implant and studies the potential processes that may improve breast augmentation with gummy bear implants.

The authors evaluated data such as:

  • Breast characteristics
  • Patient’s quality of life
  • Patient / Surgeon satisfaction with outcome
  • Adverse events

After breast augmentation with highly cohesive silicone gel implants, doctors followed up on patients 16 to 77 months later. “The outcome data indicate that these devices produce natural-appearing breasts with extremely low aggregate reoperation rate (4.2%), writes study author Mark Jewell M.D. Between the two breast implant manufacturers, the study showed measurable differences in the incidence of visible implant rippling. Read the abstract to learn more.

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False Positive Mammograms Found With Breast Reduction Patients

June 7th, 2010 by newseditor

When a mammogram is conducted prior to breast reduction, a false positive result can frequently occur, according to a recent study conducted by doctors at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Washington.

The use of mammography before breast reduction varies. Some surgeons may recommend it and some may not. According to Dr. M.J. Campbell and the authors of this study, between 31% and 72% of patients do not undergo mammograms before breast reduction surgery. The authors suggest that the role of mammography in breast reduction is “ill defined” and there are “no formal guidelines for surgeons.”

When mammograms are conducted, the likelihood of receiving a false-positive result is relatively high. In a study group of 207 breast reconstruction patients, 32 of them presented abnormal mammographic results, and all were false positives. While the authors say the reason for this unexpectedly high number is unknown, they do offer a theory:

“The high incidence of false-positive results may be the result of poor image clarity, as obese women, typically with larger breasts, might have a thicker volume of breast tissue compressed between the mammography plates, which can lead to more scattered radiation and decreased image contrast and quality.”

You can read the entire study, “The role of preoperative mammography in women considering reduction mammoplasty: a single institution review of 207 patients” in the May 2010 issue of The American Journal of Surgery.

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Male and Female Plastic Surgeons: New Comparisons

June 3rd, 2010 by newseditor

According to a study just released in the prestigious Annals of Plastic Surgery Journal, female plastic surgeons are less likely to be married and more likely to be childless or to have children later in life than their male colleagues. Yet, they work similar hours, practice about the same number of years, and appear to have similarly high levels of satisfaction with their careers.

The study found that 35% of the female surgeons were unmarried, while only 12% of the male surgeons were single. Not only that, 42.9% of the females had no children, compared to only 11.5% of the males.

What does this mean in the era of so-called equality in the workplace? For one thing it means that the past decade hasn’t necessarily made life easier for female plastic surgeons.

You can find a similar ASPS study done in 1992-1993 that also turned up significant differences in the private lives of female and male plastic surgeons. This study revealed that even a decade ago there were no significant differences between the male and female surgeons in terms of academic excellence, advanced training, or hours worked per week. And over 90% of the doctors who responded to the survey were happy with their career choices, similar to the 2010 study.

Yet many more of the male plastic surgeons were married (89%) with children (86%) than their female counterparts (65% married, 54% with children.) It’s good to know that both male and female surgeons are highly competent, dedicated to their work, and equally satisfied with their careers. Yet, the women are clearly making sacrifices in terms of postponing marriage and children.

See both “Gender Differences in the Professional and Private Lives of Plastic Surgeons” and “Plastic surgeons: a gender comparison” on PubMed

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Survey Uncovers Motivating Factors for Plastic Surgery

May 24th, 2010 by newseditor

In Norwegian women, specific factors –both physical and psychological –can predict an interest in cosmetic procedures, according to a study in the current issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Over 1800 women in northern Norway responded to a questionnaire about interest in cosmetic surgery. All participants were under the age of 35. The study analyzed their responses to determine what influenced their interest in specific procedures.

Psychological factors

Women interested in rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, and liposuction were motivated by “complex psychological factors.” Researchers found correlations with lifestyle factors such as divorce, history of teasing, education, self-image, body dysmorphic disorder, and the so-called Big-Five personality traits.

Physical Factors

Questions about abdominoplasty (the tummy tuck) presented some unique findings. Most participants who were interested in the procedure were interested in it exclusively. Having children and the “desire to repair the bodily changes occurring after childbirth” was a consistent predictor of interest for a tummy tuck.

Read an abstract of this study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

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Earnings for Allergan Inc Indicate Rising Consumer Interest

May 7th, 2010 by newseditor

If Allergan Inc serves as an accurate meter of the economic demand for cosmetic surgery, then perhaps things are looking up. First quarter earnings for the pharmaceutical company (maker of Botox, Juvederm and Latisse) are “soaring.” Second quarter forecasts, according to the Wall Street Journal, are ahead of expectations.

The company’s continuing success shouldn’t be surprising, given the statistics just released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. According to the society, minimally invasive procedures have increased a whopping 99 percent this decade. Topping the list are wrinkle filler and botulinum toxin injections, two treatments in which plastic surgeons are very likely to utilize an Allergan product.

It doesn’t hurt to be on the cutting-edge of aesthetic medicine either, with the new “no-pain” Juvederm Ultra XC making its way to cosmetic practices across the nation. Not to mention the popularity of Latisse, Allergan’s one-of-a-kind eyelash enhancement drug

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Botox Studied as Potential Treatment for Tennis Elbow

April 26th, 2010 by newseditor

Researchers in Tehran have been studying the use of Botulinum toxin as a treatment for lateral epicondylitis, a condition commonly known as “tennis elbow.”

The study is published in the latest issue of the journal of the Canadian Medical Association. At the Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex in Tehran, a randomized placebo-controlled trial was conducted with 48 patients. They were injected with either Botox or saline, the placebo. Injection sites were customized for each patient’s anatomy.

When Botox injections were performed with anatomic measurements as a guide, they “significantly reduced pain at rest in patients with chronic refractory lateral epicondylitis.” However, doctors caution that because of side effects, the treatment may not be appropriate for patients who require finger extension.

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As War Recedes, Iraqis Turn to Cosmetic Surgery

April 19th, 2010 by newseditor

CNN brings us this news from Iraq, which documents the rising popularity of cosmetic procedures. With influence from the media and the Internet, Iraqis are turning to beauty salons and doctors to enhance their looks.

Read Buying Beauty in Baghdad on CNN

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