San Francisco Plastic Surgery Blog - Page 11 of 26

With fat grafting, blood vessels from the injection site and blood vessels in the fat must re-establish blood flow via arteries and veins to survive and “take”.

When this happens, final results can be permanent. However if you’re looking for a temporary solution, you may want to consider dermal fillers, as the results of fat grafting can be difficult to predict.

Regardless of the option chosen, the face does not swell enough from the procedure to permanently stretch the skin. Make sure to discuss all options with your surgeon to be sure you’re picking the right one for you and make sure they are experienced with fillers and grafting.
There are different techniques used by surgeons when harvesting fat, and the ultimate goal is to keep the cells alive and to isolate the fat cells so that their opportunity for survival in the new location is at its peak.

However, while there are different techniques used, when it comes to location to harvest fat, anywhere that the fat is abundant is usually fine. Often patients will combine liposuction to remove unwanted fat, with fat grafting to use the fat elsewhere with success.

Interestingly, the fat will keep its same weight gain characteristics as the donor site, no matter where you put it as a graft. What this means is that if your body is prone to store fat in the abdomen and a great deal of this fat is used as a graft on your face, then the grafted area of your face can gain weight disproportionately with the rest of your face. However, if the grafted fat is going into the buttocks such as with a Brazilian Butt Lift, then the weight gain might actually compliment your figure even more.
Results can vary, depending upon several factors such as what area is being grafted and how it is placed. Fat grafting is a highly skilled procedure, requiring a surgeon with experience and knowledge to perform it successfully. The survival of the fat will depend upon those skills and will be the result of how the fat was harvested, how it was purified, and how and where it was injected. Specifically, a process called ‘micro fat grafting’, though labor intensive, is the best way to ensure that the highest percentage of grafted fat will take.

When done successfully, the injected fat grows a new blood supply and begins to receive the nourishment it needs to survive from your body. When this happens, results can and often are permanent. However there can be a percentage of fat that does not take and this is why touch-ups are sometimes necessary. It is important to discuss options in advance to determine the best course of action for your situation.
Quick update: For two weeks in mid-winter, I will be heading off to my sixth medical mission. These are the highlights of my year, as it is not only is a chance to give back and help those in dire need, but the satisfaction these missions provide is something that truly sustains my spirit and recalibrates my value system.

This year’s mission is to Vietnam, where we will be handling an array of birth defects, most notably cleft palate. Whereas past missions have been through non-profit I founded called Destination Hope, this time around I am joining ReSurge (formerly Interplast) as a volunteer on one of their missions. In reality, I am relieved to be joining and not leading / planning this time around!

Destination Hope’s past missions have been to the Philippines and Ecuador. I will provide a lengthier post of this mission, with photos and hopefully a link to a video, after I return.
Yes, but it will depend entirely on variables unique to your situation. The extent of the wrinkling will play a factor, as well as your age and the results you are looking for. The best course of action is to schedule a consult to discuss your options and decide the best treatment options for your situation.

Treatment options range from Botox, chemical peels, Thermage skin tightening, Juvederm or Dysport fillers, or even, depending on the severity of lines lower eyelid surgery.
Yes, when administered by a surgeon experienced with fillers, there should be very little bruising and swelling visible after treatment. As the days pass, some very mild effects may be visible, with very minor bruising in 20% of patients still occurring on Monday. After that, any bruising should be entirely resolved no later than Wednesday. Schedule a consult with Dr. Mosser to discuss your options.
When done by a professional experienced with injectables, results can often be seen almost immediately after treatment. When done correctly there is very little bruising or swelling immediately.

Over the course of the next 3-5 days you may then see some minor swelling, but after the 5th day that should be resolved almost entirely. As always, consult a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon before making any decisions regarding treatments, to discuss the best options unique to your situation.
For a temporary fix, popular treatments are dermal fillers such as Restylane, Juvederm, Radiesse and Artefill. There are others as well, and which you use will depend entirely on the area you would like treated, and the overall objectives you’re looking for.

These objectives should be discussed, pros and cons. From there you can decide the best course of action to suit your unique needs, and treatments can usually be done in office, with effects lasting anywhere from four-to-six months.
Definitely each ethnicity has different characteristics. Once upon a time surgeons were trained to view the Caucasian aesthetic as the ideal look when performing a rhinoplasty. However, over time that training has evolved, and instead of a “one size fits all” mentality, surgeons now try to create an ideal that fits the individual, rather than the masses.

The goal usually is to achieve an aesthetic that is pleasing to the patient without diminishing ethnic traits, and respecting each person’s individuality and facial harmony. With Hispanic patients, there is often a bit of extra tissue on the dorsum (ridge) of the nose, or a lack of bone in the upper part of the nose (the nasion or bridge area).

A board certified plastic surgeon experienced in rhinoplasty will be able to identify and explain clearly to you the particular ethnic features of your nose, and how they would be addressed with rhinoplasty while still maintaining your look.
Merz pharmaceuticals is seeking FDA approval for a product closely related to Botox called Xeomin.

It has been used for many years in Europe, and might finally make its way through the US regulatory system in 2011. In many ways it is almost identical to Botox. It is also nearly painless, lasts just as long and has the same effect. In fact, it’s made of nearly exactly the same stuff, but is much more pure.

I had the chance to fly to Miami this past weekend to hear all about Xeomin, and to talk endlessly with German dermatologists who have had years’ worth of experience with Xeomin – to the point that for a few of them this is all they use. Why not use a product with nearly flawless purity? I’m very excited and will be watching for FDA announcements on the subject very closely, so that I can bring Xeomin to San Francisco right away.

In case you missed the previous post about the new injectable filler Belotero, please click here.