News from Dr. Genter

Vampire Face Lift May Reverse Some Loss of Youth

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Staff Writer

A new injection treatment called a vampire lift is gaining attention for the youth it may add to the face, according to businessweek.com.

Patients who choose to undergo vampire face lifts may do so to combat signs of aging on the face. Even with proper skin care, time and gravity take hold and wrinkles can begin to appear in places like the nasolabial folds, or laugh lines.

While patients currently may choose injectable fillers to diminish the appearance of wrinkles and lines, some plastic surgeons are looking at vampire face lifts as a means to reverse some aging factors.

The way vampire face lifts work is not actually like a facelift surgery, but a procedure that uses components of the patient’s own blood. Platelets and fibrin in the blood has been shown to increase collagen production and strengthen connective tissues to repair some injuries.

Once the surgeon takes a sample of blood and has separated the platelets and fibrin, they are mixed with calcium chloride and prepared then injected into aged areas of the face.

Weeks after the procedure, it was found that at the treatment site, new collagen and blood vessels had developed. Researchers found that at ten weeks after patients underwent the vampire facelifts, the effects evened out, but should be long-lasting.

As vampire face lifts still must seek FDA approval, some plastic surgeons are skeptical of the benefits of the treatment.

Plastic surgeon and former AAPS president Phil Haeck told Los Angeles Daily News that more research should be done on the procedure. As Haeck says, plastic surgeons ensure that little to no blood is left behind in a traditional facelift, so he is unsure how placing blood under the skin achieves the desired result.

Haeck adds that his opinion on vampire face lifts could be changed, but that he needs to see further evidence of the procedure’s effects and safety.

To find out more about non-surgical treatments for aging on the face, we encourage you to email Philadelphia plastic surgeon Dr. Genter.

Posted in Dermal Fillers, Injections and Botox, Interesting Topic, non surgical procedures, plastic surgeons | Tagged Vampire Face Lift | Leave a comment

Breast Cancer Experience Hits Plastic Surgeon’s Family

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Staff Writer

One plastic surgeon got an unwanted breast cancer experience when he helped his daughter through her treatment, as he told savannahnow.com.

Plastic surgeon Dr. Robert Laughlin had been treating patients who requested breast reconstruction, as well as a host of cosmetic surgeries for more than 25 years when he learned of his own daughter’s breast cancer diagnosis. From his years in practice, he already had an understanding of the type of breast cancer experience a woman can go through, from diagnosis to reconstruction, but this life-changing event gave him a new perspective, he says.

After her breast cancer experience, his daughter Julie has been a survivor for eight years, but throughout the ordeal, Dr. Laughlin says he wanted to make sure she had the best care possible, since her family lived too far away for her to be treated locally. To this end, he kept in close contact with Julie’s physicians, listening to their recommendations and helping her understand the options.

Some of the tips Dr. Laughlin gave Julie, and those he may give others going through a similar breast cancer experience were to listen to all of the recommendations of specialists and do her own research. He also stressed the importance of bringing a family member to all consultations because the amount of information can be overwhelming.

Now that Julie has beaten breast cancer, Dr. Laughlin says he has learned some valuable takeaways from the breast cancer experience that he can use to help his patients in the future.

He says he better understands how families can feel going through countless office visits and procedures. Dr. Laughlin knows the importance of working with each patient individually, allowing her to ask whatever questions she needs to. He also understands the importance of the entire medical team (and family) in helping each patient through her own breast cancer experience.

“This whole experience has made me even more understanding and compassionate and, hopefully, a better plastic surgeon,” Dr. Laughlin says.

To learn more about your options for breast reconstruction in Philadelphia, please contact Philadelphia plastic surgeon Dr. Genter.

Posted in Breast Surgery, Reconstructive Surgery | Tagged Breast Cancer Experience | Leave a comment

New Plastic Surgery Tax Stresses UK Plastic Surgeons

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Staff Writer

Plastic surgeons in the UK worry that a review of tax codes may mean new taxes for cosmetic surgeries, according to WebMD.

Currently in the UK, a plastic surgery tax only exists on non-surgical treatments like Botox, fillers and laser treatments, a fact that plastic surgeons take no issue with. (In the UK, a VAT tax or “Value Added Tax” is somewhat similar to sales tax in the US in that consumers must pay it on top of the price for a good or elective service.)

Lawmakers in the UK, though, may soon examining whether a plastic surgery tax should apply to elective cosmetic surgeries, like breast augmentation. In the US, patients already pay sales tax on elective plastic surgeries, but not medically-necessary procedures, which are often billed through insurance.

Some plastic surgeons in the UK are beginning to speak out against a possible review in the application of VAT, which may cause patients to have to pay a plastic surgery tax when they previously did not need to.

Current laws regarding VAT tax stipulate that procedures are tax exempt when the “protection, maintenance or restoration” of health is the main goal. A handful of plastic surgeons argue that changing any of these tax laws could put many patient’s surgical desires in a gray area.

Former president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons Dr. Douglas McGeorge says the common image of plastic surgery is mega-celebrities casually undergoing elective procedures. Rather, he argues, it is members of the general public who choose plastic surgery to improve small aspects of themselves for a positive result.

McGeorge uses the image of an older worker undergoing facial rejuvenation to help make themselves more competitive in the workplace. He sees the difficulty in distinguishing between what is a functional improvement and what is purely cosmetic.

In response to the worry of some plastic surgeons regarding a new plastic surgery tax, the UK government says they currently have no plans to revise the VAT for cosmetic surgeries.

“Medical treatment for purely aesthetic reasons has been, and continues to be, liable to VAT at the standard rate,” it said in a statement.

To learn more about options for financing your plastic surgery in Philadelphia, please contact plastic surgeon Dr. Genter.