The Aesthetic Society Meeting is an important event for plastic surgeons as it provides a platform to learn about the latest innovations, techniques and advances in cosmetic surgery. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) is a leading organization dedicated to the advancement of cosmetic surgery. This year’s meeting brought together the best plastic surgeons from around the world to share their knowledge and expertise. Attendees participated in lectures, workshops and live demonstrations to learn about the latest developments and upcoming trends in aesthetic medicine. NewBeauty he was there to discover all the cutting edge innovations that top doctors couldn’t stop talking about.
“Super Neck” Techniques
Necks were the talk of the show, with several surgical and non-surgical approaches taking center stage. Houston plastic surgeon Henry Mentz, MD presented his approach to improving the “Super Neck.” To enhance the youthfulness and contour of the neck, it incorporates a dissolvable mesh into the neck lifters. It is the same mesh used as an inner bra in a breast lift. “This method is achieved with less risk than traditional deep contouring of the neck which may require removal of muscles and glands,” he explains. “The dissolvable soft mesh helps to lift the deep structures of the neck, the mesh then dissolves over a few months and leaves a thin layer of collagen for long-term support and therefore more durable neck results.”
For patients who want profile definition and a more refined jawline without full surgery, Beverly Hills, CA plastic surgeon Greg Mueller, MD developed MyEllevate. Considered minimally invasive, MyEllevate is one part facelift, one part structural support, and one part skin tightening. Performed in an office setting under twilight sedation, it lifts and tightens loose tissue around the jawline without excision of skin. “Instead of cutting the skin, we use a light-guided system to guide the sutures in the right direction and depth,” he says. “We then precisely place the underlying tissue and muscles in the upper neck with a suture thread leading to a more sculpted jawline.”
High-tech breast implants
Campbell, CA plastic surgeon Kamakshi R. Zeidler, MD shared that the biggest breast at this year’s show was the promise of a new breast implant. The Motiva implant, which is available overseas, will be here before we know it. “The Motiva implant is currently being studied in an ongoing clinical trial in the US,” says Dr. Zeidler. “It’s not FDA-approved and not yet commercially available in the United States, but the clinical data we’ve seen so far is very promising in terms of capsular contraction.” Dr. Zeidler adds that microchip technology allows patients to store information about size, serial number, volume, date of manufacture and silicone levels.
Minimally Invasive Tightening
Some FDA-cleared procedures for the face and neck are also used off-label on the body. Ellacor, the minimally invasive method for treating skin sagging, uses hollow needles to remove micronuclei of skin from the mid and lower face. During the Global Hot Topics session, Dr. Mentz presented the device’s off-label capabilities and showed how the device, which removes up to 8 percent of the skin in the treated area, can be used to tighten skin on the arms and legs as well.
Although it’s FDA-approved for the neck, Louisville, KY plastic surgeon M. Bradley Calobrace, MD says he uses the minimally invasive skin tightening treatment Renuvion off label on the body for tightening and contouring. Placed on the skin, it delivers a combination of radio frequency energy and helium into the deep layers of tissue. Dr Calobrace explains that the device uses helium and then radio frequency energy to create a cold plasma cloud. “This causes the tissue to contract and activates the body’s healing process. This creates new collagen and results in tighter skin.” When combined with liposuction, Renuvion helps tighten and firm the body during healing.
La Jolla, CA plastic surgeon Robert Singer, MD notes that for all of these treatments we will need to see long-term results in terms of effectiveness.
Lipo’s ChatGPT
Both Pittsburgh plastic surgeon Jeffrey Antimarino, MD and Grand Rapids, MI plastic surgeon Bradley Bengtson, MD said the new Lipo AI device is the future of liposculpture. Lipo AI works by incorporating a predictive algorithm that adapts to changes in temperature and energy. The liposuction cannula is able to interpret the surgeon’s movements to deliver the appropriate amount of energy to the tissue and adjust those levels in real time. “It will remove a little more fat, and the heat of the laser will shrink the skin,” says Dr. Antimarino. “Lipo AI is a good option for patients who may not want the scarring associated with a brachioplasty or a thigh lift, but want skin retraction along with fat reduction.”
Vaginal micro-acupuncture
Microneedling has been used for years on the face and body to induce collagen formation in the skin. The tiny, sterile needles create microtraumas in the tissue and the body responds by producing more collagen and elastin. Plastic surgeon Christine Hamori, MD Duxbury, MA, says the future of non-invasive vaginal rejuvenation is the Morpheus8 V, which uses the same principles and technology to address age-related changes in the vagina and vulva. The firming action strengthens the vaginal wall, which lifts the bladder and urethra, resulting in the improvement of urinary incontinence. “It can also rejuvenate the labia minora and labia majora for aesthetic enhancement,” she says.
No needle Sweat pad
Hot off the news of its recent FDA clearance, the Brella SweatControl Patch made its debut at this year’s show. The 3-minute in-office treatment uses a patented “targeted alkaline thermolysis” (TAT) technology to reduce excessive underarm sweating. Sodium foil targets sweat glands to slow down sweat production and stop excessive sweating for three to four months.
