I am pleased to announce the initiation of our new blog, which will allow our patients to stay informed on the latest advances and other news in Facial Plastic Surgery. I will be posting articles and other entries that help to ensure that you are exceedingly well-prepared for any procedure, and keep you updated on new developments and specials here at Cincinnati Facial Plastic Surgery. Importantly, I also encourage each of you to submit anything you might be interested in, including any articles, questions, or comments about recent developments. Having a running dialogue like this is a fantastic and stimulating way to learn more about how to get the best results and the best bang for your buck!

To kick things off, those of you who have been asking about alternatives to Botox will be happy to know that the long-awaited competitor, Reloxin (to be distributed by Medicis, the makers of Restylane and Perlane), is finally under review by the FDA. It's impossible to predict when exactly the review will be completed, but I will let you know as soon as I do. The Botox brand has had a monopoly on this market in the U.S. for years now, and we welcome the prospect of competition in this area to stabilize, or even improve, the affordability for all of our patients.

I also have a backlog of interesting articles I've accumulated over just the past few months. I'll start with this one from the front page of the Enquirer--it's a very well-written article. Please also see my reply to the author, pointing out the benefits of Fat Transfer for a more long-lasting effect of Volume Replacement in the face.

Dr. Donath

Fat Transfer (Volume Lift SM)
Posted May 18, 2010 7:44 AM in Facial Surgeons

I saw a patient today who is approximately one year out from having malar  implants (cheek implants) placed by another surgeon and was now interested in  improving the transition between the implant and his lower eyelid area. The  primary reason why I do not routinely use hard cheek implants (such as  silastic) is exactly as is the case with this patient today, where the  transition between the borders of the implant and the lower eyelid area can be  abrupt and leave the patient hollowed and even more tired looking than before  the implants were placed; the implants can contribute to the "dark circles"  look under the eyes. This can be easily corrected by filling in the depression  directly above the cheek implant with synthetic fillers such as Restylane, and  can be done in less than an hour in the office and requires only application of  numbing ointment which is very effective. This also provides an immediate  improvement which was very gratifying to the patient today.  There can be  significant bruising associated with this procedure, but this is minimized by  avoiding aspirin, advil, motrin, and any other medicine in the "NSAIDs" class,  as well as vitamin E and fish oil, all of which can thin the blood. Additionally,  we have a V-beam laser which we routinely use to treat bruising so that the  patients can get back to work or social activities much faster. If this patient  had come to me initially for filling of the cheeks, I would have likely  recommended fat transfer for the filling of the cheeks as well as the tear  trough area (the "dark circle area" under the eyes) because I am able to tailor  this to any patient's individual needs, which vary considerably. Using the  patient's own fat is also beneficial because fat is the richest source of stem  cells in the body, and these stem cells seem to improve the quality of the  overlying skin in the months to years after the fat transfer.

For  examples of pre and post procedure pictures ("before and afters") for fat  transfer to the face, please click on this link http://www.cincyfacialplastics.com/Fat_Transfer_01.html.

For  examples of patients who have undergone fillers to the face such as Restylane,  Perlane, Juvederm and Radiesse, please click on this link http://www.cincyfacialplastics.com/Injectable_Fillers_01.html.

Lastly, if you have any questions about any of these procedures, please don't hesitate  to call the office at 513-891-LIFT (5438) or email us at info@cincyfacialplastics.com.
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