Archive for the ‘Facial Plastic Surgery’ Category
|Warning…the truth behind fat dissolving injections!
Thursday, July 15th, 2010
I am frequently asked questions regarding the use of fat dissolving products such as lipodissolve. Although I do not know much about these particular products I have heard that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning places not to use such fat dissolving products.
The FDA is alerting consumers about false and misleading claims being made about products used in lipodissolve. Recipients of lipodissolve get a series of injections intended to dissolve and permanently remove small pockets of fat from various parts of the body, e.g., abdomen, chin, around the eyes. Complications such as scarring, skin discoloration, and knots under the skin have been reported. The process is also known as injection lipolysis, lipozap, lipotherapy, and mesotherapy. The drugs most regularly used in the lipodissolve injection regimen are phosphatidylcholine and deoxycholate. These have not been approved by the FDA for fat removal. Other ingredients may also be used, including drugs or components of other products such as vitamins, minerals, and herbal extracts. The FDA is not aware of evidence supporting the effectiveness and safety of the substances used in lipodissolve for fat elimination. In order to protect the consumer, the FDA has sent warning letters to six medical spas for making false or misleading statements about safety, effectiveness, and superiority assertions about lipodissolve. This “too good to be true” injection is too good to be true. Consult with your facial plastic surgeon if you have concerns about fat deposits in your face.
This information was provided by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Tags: fat, fat removal, injection, injections, lipodissolve, lipolysis, Liposuction, lipotherapy, lipozap, mesotherapy
Posted in Liposuction | No Comments »
The Internet: A Blessing and a Curse
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
The internet is a wonderful thing and most of us would agree that we couldn’t get by in today’s world without it. In some instances however, information propagated through the internet is not entirely accurate. In fact, it can be so fictitious that many patients make poor decisions based on this erroneous information that they feel they have genuinely “researched.”
Plastic surgery and related cosmetic and laser procedures is a prime example of this. Companies and individuals can create a “story” by providing information and in some cases photographic evidence to sway the patient in a particular direction with regard to a technique, product, or device to achieve a more attractive and youthful appearance. Countless examples of these techniques, devices, and lasers that once held great promise for an easier, less invasive road to youth now lie in the bowels of the cosmetic surgery junkyard. Yes, that’s right, they weren’t such a good idea after all and it didn’t take us too long to realize it, in some cases only months.
Unfortunately, many patients pay significantly – both monetarily and otherwise – to come to this unfortunate conclusion. We have all heard the saying, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” The same rule would apply to cosmetic surgery; there are no shortcuts (such as “thermage”, “liquid facelift” or the “thread-lift” ….the list could go on and on.) Many non-ablative lasers or minimally invasive procedures have come and gone over the past ten years due to poor results.
The bottom line is that patients need to educate themselves but be aware that not everything online is fact. Personal references provide reassurance and clarity in regards to character and skill. Do your homework, but ultimately find a Board Certified plastic surgeon/cosmetic dermatologist/ etc. that you trust. Your surgeon should help to decipher the multitude of options available to the cosmetic surgery patient, formulating a specific recommendation that fits your needs.
There is a time and place for everything, but beware of clinics or medi-spas that only have a limited number of options to offer patients, as they often oversell a particular treatment that may not be the best option for that patient. Botox, fillers, and lasers are great, but also limited in regard to overall improvement and duration of the result. Time-tested procedures performed with state-of-the-art techniques remain the mainstay of facial and body rejuvenation.
Mark A. Petroff, MD FACS
Tags: board certified, botox, Facial Plastic Surgery, fillers, lasers, liquid facelift, medi-spa, non-invasive, plastic surgery, rejuvenation, thermage, threadlift
Posted in Facial Plastic Surgery | No Comments »
Botox and Filler Injections
Monday, February 1st, 2010
Patients routinely ask me “how much do you charge per unit for botox”? This implies that they are calling around town and will go where the unit cost is cheapest. What patients should be asking is “who does your botox and filler injections, and what training and experience do they have?”
Getting a botox or filler injection is not like getting a flu shot! Your result depends upon placing the correct amount of botox/filler in the correct places to achieve the desired result. Knowledge of the anatomy of the face and the muscles causing furrows and wrinkles is imperative to attaining good results with injectable treatments. Many of the offices or medispas in the Portland metro area do not have a highly trained professional ( ie plastic surgeon or cosmetic dermatologist ) performing the injections, and consequently many patients are disappointed in outcomes from poorly performed injections. Just as patients would never ask me to deliver their babies or treat their diabetes or high blood pressure, so should they not be trusting their face to clinics and medispas operated by physicians with no formal training in cosmetic procedures or surgery.
Beware of physicians practicing outside their primary training trying to “cash in” on the cosmetic surgery industry!
Mark A. Petroff, MD FACS
Tags: artefill portland, botox portland, cosmetic surgery portland, dysport portland, fillers portland, injectables portland, juvederm portland, medispa portland, plastic surgery portland, radiesse portland, restylane portland
Posted in Facial Plastic Surgery, Injectables/Fillers | Comments Off
