American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Warning

Avoid mesotherapy/injection lipolysis treatments until further research on safety, efficacy

New York, NY (May 14, 2007) - The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) released today a warning against the use of injection fat loss treatments. Patients are advised to avoid these procedures, which are commonly known as lipolysis, mesotherapy, or the brand names Lipodissolve and Lipostabil. Although marketed as fat loss treatments, these procedures are scientifically unproven, lacking any objective data on safety and efficacy. In addition, none of these procedures has received FDA approval, with the ingredients poorly defined. The procedures may also be offered by persons without sufficient medical training, thereby putting patients at risk of harm.

“Safety needs to come first. We do not have definitive information on injection fat loss treatments. All we have is a few small studies and anecdotal evidence. Until we know more, we cannot recommend these procedures to patients,” said Foad Nahai, MD, president of the Society. “The bottom line for patients is this: Don't allow yourself to be injected with an unknown and untested substance.”

Despite media and advertising claims that mesotherapy or injection lipolysis treatments can safely and effectively eliminate unwanted fat, published peer-reviewed scientific reports of properly performed controlled prospective trials to confirm either safety or efficacy do not exist. Furthermore, there is no objective data on how these treatments produce ‘fat dissolving' effects and there are numerous reports of complications documented in the medical literature, including bacterial infection, granulomas (disfiguring masses of chronically inflamed tissue) and localized necrosis (tissue death), particularly when injections were done by lay people.

“ Mesotherapy treatment centers are opening all over the country and these consumer outlets may not be staffed by trained medical professionals. Patients seeking fat dissolving treatments should be educated about the lack of clinical data supporting these treatments and cautioned to wait until there is reliable information to guide their decision,” said Alan H. Gold, MD, president of the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation (ASERF). “For now, the only proven method for eliminating unwanted fat cells is suction assisted lipoplasty, a procedure that has a long and successful track record for both safety and effectiveness."

A placebo-controlled study is being sponsored by ASERF to demonstrate safety and efficacy—or lack thereof—of one type of injection lipolysis treatment. The formula that will be used for injection in this 20-patient study —phosphatidylcholine (PPC)/sodium deoxycholate (DC)— is one that has shown the most promise in small, published trials. The study, which will be conducted under FDA supervision, will follow patients for 46 weeks to evaluate the efficacy of PPC/DC for injection lipolysis and collect data on local and systemic reactions and any long-term complications. At present, n either drug being studied in this trial is FDA approved for subcutaneous injection for any purpose. Once completed, the results will be published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal and presented at an annual ASAPS meeting.

The 2400-member American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) is the only plastic surgery organization devoted entirely to the advancement of cosmetic surgery.

ASAPS is recognized throughout the world as the authoritative source for cosmetic surgery education. U.S. members are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Canadian members are certified in plastic surgery by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Toll-free referral line: 888.ASAPS.11 (272.7711). Web site:www.surgery.org

American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery New President

Aesthetic Society Elects Top Officers at 2007 Annual Meeting in New York, NY

     New York, NY (April 24, 2007)—Atlanta plastic surgeon Foad Nahai, MD, is the new President of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).   The Aesthetic Society, with nearly 2,400 members, is the leading national organization of board-certified plastic surgeons specializing in cosmetic surgery of the face and body.  The election of new officers was on April 24, during the ASAPS 2007 Annual Meeting in New York, NY which was attended by plastic surgeons from around the world.

     Dr. Nahai, of Atlanta Georgia, has been an ASAPS member since 1989.  Dr. Nahai is a plastic surgeon at Paces Plastic Surgery.  He is currently serving as Chair of the Aesthetic Society’s Education Commission, Program Committee, and ASAPS/ASPS/PSEF/Co-Sponsored Symposium Committee.  Dr. Nahai currently serves as a Director of the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is the First Vice-President of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 

      He received his medical degree from the University of Bristol in Bristol, England and served his internship at United Bristol Hospitals.  Dr. Nahai began a general surgery residency at Johns Hopkins and finished at Emory University Affiliated Hospitals in Atlanta. He remained at Emory for his plastic surgery residency, and was certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) in 1980.  

     “The recent FDA approval of silicone breast implants and fillers are some of the many exciting new developments that will have the media and the public buzzing about cosmetic surgery this year,” said Dr. Nahai. “As the cosmetic surgery business continues to expand in demand and popularity, it is our mission to keep prospective patients informed, aware, and above all, safe.”  Dr. Nahai is the Associate Editor of the Aesthetic Surgery Journal and a specialist in breast and facial surgery.    

Other new Aesthetic Society officers on the Executive Committee are:

President-Elect:  Alan H. Gold, MD, of Great Neck, NY.  An Aesthetic Society member since 1985, Dr. Gold is in private practice and holds an academic appointment as Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University.  He is currently serving as Chair of the Legislation Committee and as an ASAPS representative to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Board of Directors.  Dr. Gold is also President of the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation (ASERF), President of the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF), and is a Clinical Editor of Aesthetic Surgery Journal.

Vice-President:  Renato Saltz, MD, of Salt Lake City, UT.  An Aesthetic Society Member since 1995, Dr. Saltz is a plastic surgeon affiliated to the Huntsman Cancer Institute.  He is a traveling professor for the Aesthetic Society, and is currently the Co-Chair of the Cosmetic Medicine Task Force.  Dr. Saltz served as Chair of the Symposium Committee, Chair of the Candidate Liaison Committee, Chair of the Resident’s Forum, and served in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal Task Force.  He is a Clinical Editor of Aesthetic Surgery Journal and is the General Secretary of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.   Dr. Saltz is also the Founder and President of the Image Reborn Foundation of Utah, a retreat program for women with breast cancer.

Treasurer:  Felmont F. Eaves, MD of Charlotte, NC.  An Aesthetic Society Member since 1999, Dr. Eaves is a partner at Charlotte Plastic Surgery and an attending surgeon at Presbyterian Hospital, Carolinas Medical Center, and Mercy Hospital.   A former traveling professor and Public Education Chair for the Aesthetic Society, Dr. Eaves currently serves as the Chair of the Patient Safety Committee, Administrative Commissioner, Aesthetic Surgery Journal Task Force and the Former Chair of the Finance & Investment Committee. 

Secretary: Jeffrey M. Kenkel, MD of Dallas, TX.  An Aesthetic Society Member since 2001, Dr. Kenkel is a professor and Vice Chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.  He is the editor of Selected Readings in Plastic Surgery.  Dr. Kenkel currently serves as the Secretary of the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation (ASERF), and he is the incoming Chair for both the Aesthetic Society’s Program Committee and the Education Committee.

The 2400-member American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) is the only plastic surgery organization devoted entirely to the advancement of cosmetic surgery.
ASAPS is recognized throughout the world as the authoritative source for cosmetic surgery education. U.S. members are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Canadian members are certified in plastic surgery by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Toll-free referral line: 888.ASAPS.11 (272.7711). Web site: www.surgery.org

Odd Plastic Surgery Perceptions

How interesting, that the perceptions of beauty can become oddly skewed when someone is opposed to self-improvement. This newspaper article from Canada.com discusses a new book out by a feminist scholar which takes issue with TV makeover programs which include cosmetic surgery procedures. The following is a quote from the article:

Cressida Heyes has a problem with reality shows like Extreme Makeover, and she's letting people know about it. Heyes, a philosophy professor at the University of Alberta, was recently published in the journal Feminist Media Studies' March issue. Her article, "Cosmetic Surgery and the Televisual Makeover."

While it is possible to go too far with anything, most people choosing elective Plastic Surgery are making minor changes, rather than major makeovers as depicted in the "Televisual" programs. The quote from the article which makes the most sense is from Dr. Elizabeth Hall-Findlay, a Banff, Alberta.-based cosmetic plastic surgeon, who compares breast reduction, breast augmentation, facelifts and tummy tucks - to home repairs.

"It's OK to fix a saggy porch," she says, just like it's OK to cut away excess skin from someone's eyelids to get rid of a permanent tired expression. A lot of what we do in cosmetic surgery is take away the wrong impression."

Plastic Surgeons Refine Surgical Techniques to Meet Future Boomer Demand

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- With new laser treatments and injectable wrinkle fillers and fighters, many baby boomers are choosing to postpone the facelift -- but it is not dead! In fact, patients age 45 and older may find they only achieve their desired result with surgical rejuvenation options. A study in May's Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery(R), the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), reveals a new facelift technique that offers patients more options.

"With the introduction of injectable fillers and Botox, many people over 45 believe they can achieve the same results as a facelift without surgery," said ASPS President-elect Richard D'Amico, MD. "However, as we get older our brow lines, jowls and wrinkles can become too deep for an injectable to smooth out. When a patient's degree of facial aging is such that an injectable can not achieve the desired result, surgery is the next natural progression."

In the study, the authors placed the facelift incision, in a specific angle, within the side burn and temple areas (traditional techniques place the incision above the ear). Hair grows back through the scar which is hidden within the hair. The technique allows women to comfortably pull their hair back without exposing a scar and men to grow sideburns without the embarrassment of missing hair. The technique also allows for better repositioning of tissue, further reducing the risk of the "wind blown," overdone look

Although surgery may provide better results, injectables still play an important role in facial rejuvenation for the over 45 set. "After a facelift, fillers and Botox are key adjuncts to help restore volume and maintain surgical improvements for many more years," said Dr. D'Amico.

"Whether injectable fillers, surgery or a combination of both, the procedure selected should fit and meet the needs of the patient," said Bahaman Guyuron, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and study co-author. "With the youngest boomer turning 42 and the oldest turning 60 this year, the demand for surgical procedures that produce results without the tell-tale signs of having had a facelift are going to continue to increase."

Facelifts are the second most popular cosmetic surgical procedure for men and women over age 55, according to new ASPS statistics. Nearly 102,000 people aged 40 and older had a facelift in 2006.

For referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons call 888-4-PLASTIC (475-2784) or visit http://www.plasticsurgery.org and also learn more about cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. With more than 6,000 members, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 90 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.