Breast Enlargment Using Fat?

It's an intriguing idea, since grafting one's own fat cells is established for other areas of the body. We use it regularly to enhance women's lips, cheeks, and buttocks. Can you achieve breast augmentation without an implant using only you own fat?

This idea is not new, but its been in the news lately. One recent variation on the technique has included processing some of the removed fat to try to increase its proportion of cells capable of developing and specializing (stem cells). This procedure is being tried in Japan using US-based technology. There is not yet FDA approval or even trials, so its wide-spread use is a few years away.

Office-Based Plastic Surgery Safety

Over 1 million (1.1) procedures were reviewed by the AAAASF (American Association for the Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities) between 2001 & 2006. Data reveal mortality rates similar to hospitals (0.002%). You can learn more at: http://www.plasticsurgery.org/media/press_releases/July08-PRS-PatientSafety.cfm.

We are accredited by AAAASF and undergo yearly re-evaluation. Fortunately for our citizens, South Carolina is one of the minority of states that require accreditation. All members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons only perform surgery in accredited facilities.

For your safety, if you are considering a procedure ask your doctor which organization accredits their facility.

Recycling: From Cardboard Boxes to Breast Implant Packaging?

Our facility proudly provides cosmetic surgery, non-surgical cosmetic medicine, and professional skin care for several hundred patients per year.

Doing this entails many shipments, plenty of packaging materials, innumerable containers, not to mention soda cans and bottles for our staff and patients, etc. We contracted with an office recycling company since we didn't' like seeing this going to our landfills. Now cartons, plastic bottles & aluminum cans, and yes, even plastic containers from breast implant packaging are recycled.

We also have routine trash disposal. Otherwise, we have unique waste disposal requirements. Documents with personal information are shredded. We utilize a separate regulated medical waste hauler for those materials.

We are glad to be reducing and recycling.

Evolence - New Injectable Filler Material

Johnson & Johnson has just obtained FDA approval to market Evolence, an injectable collagen used to treat facial wrinkles.

This will be interesting for several reasons. First, J&J is the first large pharmaceutical corporation to enter a market populated by smaller specialty companies like Allergan (Juvaderm) and Medicis (Restylane & Perlane). Their marketing will, no doubt, be superb. Second, the new product is made of porcine collagen derived from pig tendon. J&J emphasizes the source as "naturally sourced", rather than synthetic like established fillers. Finally, bovine (cow) collagen has been declining in popularity for 10-15 years. It was the first available filler, but fell out of favor because of rapid disappearance and the need for skin allergy tests.

Evolence has been used in Canada and some European countries, but there is little US experience. We will evaluate its risks and benefits over time before incorporating it into our selection of products.

Oncoplastic Surgery: What Does That Mean To You?

Oncoplastic Surgery is a new and developing subset of breast cancer ("oncologic") surgery which incorporates plastic surgical reconstructive techniques. Breast skin incisions are planned as they would be in breast lift or reduction techniques, rather than simply directly over a lump to be biopsied. Going a step further, internal repositioning of remaining breast gland tissue may be done to avoid dents or contour defects. You may also be offered reshaping surgery on your other (uninvolved) breast, if this will improve symmetry.

When a woman learns she has breast cancer, she will first determine if she is a candidate for lumpectomy or mastectomy. If your surgeon offers oncoplastic surgery, ask whether she/he operates simultaneously with an experienced plastic surgeon. If your surgeon does not, she/he should have had significant additional reconstructive plastic surgical training. Optimum breast shaping, reconstruction, lift or reduction all require substantial plastic surgery experience.

Botox, Browlift, Blepharoplasty: How Do I Choose?

How do I tell which procedure or combination will give me an improved appearance around my eyes? Well, during an in-person consultation, we would demonstrate on your face and help you decide, but here are some hints:

1. Frown lines and squint lines or crow's feet respond to Botox treatments. A browlift may give longer lasting improvement in frown lines, but more motion will usually remain. Only the Botox will reliably improve the squint lines.

2. Excessive active lines crossing the forehead do not go away with typical browlift. Instead the entire forehead unit moves up a little (gravity has pulled it down). Botox can diminish the lines, or make them go away if they're mild.

3. Be careful about using Botox for too much forehead treatment. You may have either no natural forehead expressions (people wonder about you) or you may have drooping brows (we use our forehead muscles to lift our brows).

4. If your eyebrows are slightly too low, a little Botox beneath the inner and outer corners can give a little lift, without surgery.

5. If your eyebrows and thick skin just under the brows closes-in around your eyes, that responds best to surgical browlift. In addition, that procedure may improve your upper eyelid appearance.

6. Hooding of the eyelid skin over the lid or lashes improves with blepharoplasty (eyelid lift, tuck)

7. Puffy, thick upper eyelid folds respond to blepharoplasty.

8. Finally, a laser peel can greatly improve the texture of the eyelid skin. Sometimes that would be enough, without skin removal.

Obviously, some or all of these techniques may work together to enhance your appearance.

"Water Bottle Lips" Instead of "Smokers Lines"

Friends tell me that the national news ran an amusing item. It seems someone has decided that sucking from the spout of sports water bottles on a regular basis may cause wrinkles in the skin around the lips. Hydration is good for the skin, so don't stop drinking plenty of water.

Smoking was a problem in two ways. It seemed to accelerate skin aging chemically and smokers pursed their lips while sucking in the smoke.

If excessive lines develop, we offer a variety of solutions:

• Obagi skin care
• Fillers such as Restylane or Juvaderm
• Skin Tightening, minimally invasive
• Laser Peels