The "Wow" Effect

There are precious few procedures that we perform where, immediately after the procedure, we can hand the patient a mirror and their typical response is "wow". The injection of filler is the outstanding example of this phenomenon. The results are immediate and frequently very impressive. The final result, however, is more of an art, rather than a science. This is especially true now that filling has evolved from plumping up a specific groove to re-contouring the face, producing a more youthful facial structure. This is very operator dependent and it is unusual to see physicians who are not members of "core" cosmetic specialties (dermatology and plastic surgery) venture into this arena.

Liposuction: Laser Assisted Lipo Reconsidered

Since the original release of laser assisted liposuction machines, I have been a skeptic. I have regarded the claims as unverified and the procedure as one that added risk without providing a proven benefit. In fact, there have been burns associated with this procedure. The original device, the SmartLipo was initially underpowered and it used wavelength appears not to have been optimal. There were claims of skin tightening, but no documentation of this was produced. In fact the manufacturer discouraged studies that would have evaluated whether this occurred