Cosmeticsurg Blog

Highlights from the 2010 ASPS plastic surgery hot topics panel We recently attended the annual ASPS National Plastic Surgery Meeting in Toronto. We particularly enjoyed the ‘Hot topics’ panel session and have written an analysis of the notable presentations on Adipose Stem Cells by Dr. Robert Singer and Dr. Peter Rubin.

A recent study published by a team from University of Pittsburgh Medical School is encouraging for researchers, clinicians, and medical device makers who are developing adipose stem cell treatments for breast reconstruction. Learn about the history of fat grafting and the safety conclusions of the Pittsburgh study.

Lately, my patients have been quite educated about the various techniques that surgeons use for the Lip Lift procedure. Recently a patient asked me if my technique would cut muscle or nerves. This is a good question and I would like readers to know that my technique does NOT cut muscle or nerves! In summary, this is a description of the Lip lift technique that I have been using for many years:

1. An incision is made at the base of the nose in the natural ridge between lip skin and nasal skin.
2. Skin is elevated only to the level where preoperative markings were made, leaving the muscle intact.
3. We spread muscle fibers at 5 points to reach the membrane covering the septum and nasal bones. Three tunnels are made centrally: one through the septum and the other two on either side of i, corresponding to the middle and ridges of the philrum in the upper lip. One tunnel at the outer border of the nostrils.
4. The sutures are tied to the underside of the lip skin. The sutures do not tie muscle, and do not tie nerves. There is no cutting of any structure once we cut skin.

While much of our web site is dedicated to learning about cosmetic surgery and preparing for your procedure, we would like to talk about the recovery period following any cosmetic surgery procedure. In your pre-operative appointment, which usually occurs the week before your surgery, Dr. Rodriguez and the Surgical Coordinator will review your post op instructions. They will give you a description of what you should expect following your cosmetic surgery. Dr. Ricardo Rodriguez uses smart cell phone technology to keep in touch with his patients during the immediate post op period.

Fat grafts to the face are a great way to rejuvenate your face. As you age, your dermis thins, and your face will sag.You may lose volume in your cheeks and under your eyes. These areas appear to be hollow or not as defined as they were when you were younger. Additionally, some people have areas of their face lacking volume no matter what their age. Fat grafts will naturally fill those areas to restore your youthful appearance. Additionally, your own adipose fat contains adults stem cells. Adult stem cells have regenerative properties that can increase blood supply to your tissue and skin to make you look younger.

The use of non-laser liposculpture with fat injections can help a woman achieve a more feminine figure. Fat is removed where it is unwanted and reinjected to places where you desire more curves. Read more about it on Dr. Rodriguez’s CosmeticSurg blog.

Patients often ask for post operative advice on the web. I think the web is a great information gathering tool, but in the post-operative period, it is not a good place to start. Why is this? Dr. Rodriguez explains why all of his post op patients are given his cell phone number following surgery.

“Can I have another procedure at the same time as the Brazilian butt lift?” The answer is yes and no. A Tummy tuck can be safely combined with the Brazilian butt lift to give a great result. However, combining the butt lift with breast aug is usually not advisable. Watch this video by Dr. Ricardo Rodriguez, a Yale trained Plastic Surgeon.

Find out why Dr. Rodriguez, a Yale trained Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, thinks fat grafting is a better technique for facial rejuvenation than laser resurfacing. Fat grafts have a population of naturally occurring adult stem cells which rejuvenate the ageing face.

Adipose tissue has a higher population of stem cells than bone marrow. Enough said. The tissue which has the highest population wins. Read more about this in Dr. Rodriguez’s CosmeticSurg blog.

Dr. Ricardo Rodriguez, a Yale trained Plastic Surgeon, explains what happens when you lose weight after a Brazilian butt lift procedure. Do you lose some of your new augmented buttocks or does the fat graft survive? Watch his video which profiles a Brazilian butt lift patient who lost weight following her Brazilian butt lift surgery.

For months, we have been hearing the debate on ways to reduce healthcare costs. Thus far, nearly everything introduced requires vast amount of government expenditures and seriously upsets people who actually like the health care plan that they currently have. It is astounding that THE most important way to lower health care cost rarely , if ever, gets discussed. So how do we lower health care costs? As the Governor of Minnesota would say—prepare to be dazzled.

The year 2010 ushers in a new decade where science , beauty, and your own fat make a marriage that promises to deliver one of the most disruptive medical technologies of the century. Dr. Ricardo Rodriguez, a Yale trained Plastic Surgeon believes that stem cells from your own fat will lead the cosmetic surgery trends.

Tan tax In, Botax tax out. Starting July 1, 2010 tanning services will be taxed at 10%. This tan tax amendment was included in the bill to replace the 5% tax on cosmetic surgery.

Congrats to Molly Plummer, of Maxx Factor quartet, who will be competing tomorrow night in NBC’s first annual Sing-Off. The competition is a voices only, a capella competition and will be broadcast on NBC throughout the Holidays. Eight groups from around the country were selected for the competition. Molly is our financial coordinator at CosmeticSurg.