Massive weight loss fuels surge in plastic surgery
An increase in the number of weight loss surgeries in the U.S. is beginning to have a ripple effect in plastic surgery, according to new data released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Procedures specifically associated with massive weight loss, including tummy tucks, thigh lifts, breast lifts and upper arm lifts, grew at their fastest rate in four years in 2014, according to the report. That follows a similar increase in the growth of weight loss surgeries.
Most plastic surgeons now use fat grafting as part of facelift surgery
In recent years, a large majority of US plastic surgeons have adopted fat grafting techniques as part of their approach to facelift surgery, reports a study in the July issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
FDA approves bellafill for treatment of pitted acne scars
Bellafill is an injected gel that adds volume to the skin to lift and smooth out pitted acne scars to the level of the surrounding skin, the agency said. In the study that led to FDA approval, 64 percent of 87 patients treated Bellafill said their skin had improved six months after treatment, compared with 33 percent of 46 patients treated with a placebo.
3-D printing guides human face transplants
Researchers are using computed tomography (CT) and 3-D printing technology to recreate life-size models of patients’ heads to assist in face transplantation surgery, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Physicians at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston performed the country’s first full-face transplantation in 2011 and have subsequently completed four additional face transplants. The procedure is performed on patients who have lost some or all of their face as a result of injury or disease.
Complications after thigh lift surgery common, but usually minor
Performed as part of body contouring procedures in patients with massive weight loss, a procedure called medial thigh lift carries a substantial risk of complications, reports a study in the January issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).