Future Option in Breast Enhancement: Injectable Gel?
November 18, 2010 - Rhys Branman, MD
Could a non-surgical breast augmentation procedure be a future possibility? A recent article published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal examines a hyaluronic acid-based gel called Macrolane as a potential option by assessing the safety and efficacy of the procedure and the gel for breast enhancement. Macrolane — by Q-Med, the makers of Restylane® — is a gel that adds volume to tissues and can be used for restoring and enhancing body contours or for filling concave deformities and scars. It provides results without open surgery and the scarring at the injection site is minor and is likely to become... 
Breast surgery could play a key role in the future of regenerative medicine according to an article in Wired magazine on Cytori Therapeutics, a biotech company that is trying to use stem cells from fat to help the body rebuild itself. CEO Chris Calhoun says the firm has figured out a way to augment breasts using stem cell–enriched fat tissue. Cytori’s process for breast augmentation and breast reconstruction involves using liposuction to harvest fat cells, and then injecting the fat into the company’s Celution System, where a centrifuge separates the fat cells from the stem and regenerative cells and prepares... 
A new study that examined patient satisfaction after facelift surgery found that 96.7 percent reported a more youthful appearance. Only 2 patients said they were unhappy with their scars. According to the study’s author, Dr. Eric Swanson, patient satisfaction and the effects of surgery on quality of life are two of the most important factors in determining if a surgery is a success, but they had not been previously prospectively studied in patients undergoing facelifts alone or in combination with other facial rejuvenation procedures. Swanson conducted interviews with 93 patients one month after surgery; the patients had a deep plane... 
Women view beauty products as a necessity, not a luxury, according to About.com’s 2010 Beauty Study. Over two-thirds of respondents said they will still purchase beauty products even while watching their budgets, and 80 percent said they plan to spend more or the same this year on cosmetic products. The survey, which had 1,952 participants and was conducted online in August, investigated how consumers shop for beauty products, what influences their purchase decisions, and what they're looking for in beauty products. It revealed that respondents use beauty products for a variety of reasons: 69 percent use them to make sure... 
A new study reported successful breast augmentations using a patients' own fat through a process called fat grafting. During fat grafting, fat cells are harvested via liposuction from one part of the body and injected into another. While fat grafting for breast augmentation has been a relatively obscure procedure, new studies, such as this one, present some evidence that it could be effective and have long-term results for breast enhancement. The study by Daniel Del Vecchio, MD, and Louis Bucky, MD, was conducted over a two-year period with 25 patients who had breast enhancement with fat grafting. The study's authors stressed the importance of... 
A new study found that a combination of nerve blocks and long-acting local anesthetics given before surgery decrease pain for recovering tummy tuck patients, making recovery easier and resulting in less downtime after surgery. Dr. Lu-Jean Feng, a microvascular plastic and reconstructive surgeon, looked at the charts of patients who underwent an abdominoplasty over a ten year period. Seventy-seven patients were treated with the numbing solution, which works by blocking pain impulses between the abdomen and brain, while 20 patients (the control group) were not. The study found that compared to the control group, those who received nerve blocks: Had... 
Considering breast augmentation? In addition to choosing an implant type (saline or silicone), patients also need to decide on what size they want their new breasts to be. This decision involves more than just choosing a cup size, reports New You, the consumer magazine published by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. It’s important to work with your surgeon when making the choice, as one of the top reasons women go back for a second augmentation is that they want to go larger than they did with the first surgery, says the magazine. Picking the right size includes taking into... 
Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Rhys Branman will be featured on a panel of doctors on the first episode of the new TV show “The Docs are In.” If you're in the Central Arkansas area, you can attend the live taping on September 29 at noon at St. Vincent Hospitals Main auditorium. The taping will be held from 2 pm – 7 pm; reservations are free and can be made by contacting Kristin Pruss at 501-227-4332. In addition to Dr. Branman, the first episode includes a cardiologist, an OB/GYN, and a pediatrician. The four Arkansas physicians will discuss a variety of medical topics... 
A recent informal user poll at www.implantinfo.com found that women interested in breast augmentation are more likely to want silicone vs. saline breast implants. Since the FDA approved silicone gel breast implants in November 2006, implantinfo.com noticed that choosing between silicone and saline breast implants became one of the biggest topics of discussion on its website. The poll received 481 responses from women who said they were planning to have breast augmentation surgery. The results found that 58 percent said they would choose silicone breast implants; 24 percent would choose saline breast implants; and 17 percent were undecided. Only 6... 