The Surgical Artist's Blog

I have some exciting news for those of you in the region near Jasper, TN, South Pittsburg and North Alabama! I have partnered with Grandview Medical Center in establishing a Cosmetic Surgery office and will offer cosmetic procedures beginning next month. This is certainly new to the area and we hope to provide high quality cosmetic services to the people in the surrounding communities. Procedures offered will include face lift and neck lift, rhinoplasty, eye and brow lifts, breast augmentation, tummy tucks and Smartlipo laser body sculpting. Medical Spa services will include laser hair removal, chemical peels, Botox, Restylane, microdermabrasion and spa facials. We look forward to seeing you soon and helping you achieve your cosmetic goals!

Have you looked in the mirror lately and wondered what those brown spots or splotchy areas are? These areas are hyperpigmentation. Sun exposure, acne scars, pregnancy or the natural aging process, are some of the causes of this condition. The Pigment Balancing Masque, by SkinCeuticals, is a customizable brightening treatment targeting these damaged areas. By treating these areas with the Pigment Balancing Masque, one can dramatically improve the uneven appearance of photodamaged skin.

The Pigment Balancing Masque combines high-performance brightening, anti-inflammatory agents, and a powerful exfoliant to accelerate cell renewal and diminish hyperpigmentation. The series normally consists of 4-6 treatments.  Come by and see me in the Calhoun, GA office, or visit our Dalton, GA location to learn more about our complete line of skin care products & services, as well as our cosmetic surgery options.  Treatments cost $125 ~ Amy C.

I am excited to share with you another patent pending formulation from SkinCeuticals.  Hyperpigmentation is the #1 skincare concern globally, affecting people of all skin types, ethnicities and age groups, and skin brightening is the fastest growing category of take-home skincare in the United States.

To be successful hyperpigmentation products must:

1. Reduce the production of excess melanin
2. Reduce the transfer of melanin to the top of the epidermis
3. Break-up and remove the existing melanin clusters on the skin's surface

Prior to the introduction of Pigment Regulator, by SkinCeuticals, no topical product has been able to address all three steps of hyperpigmentation safely and effectively.  Visit Southern Surgical Arts at one of our locations in Calhoun or Dalton, Georgia to learn more regarding this treatment .  Let the leader in the field of skin care therapy, Southern Surgical Arts, help you to look and feel your best. Tammy and I are here to get your skin beautiful for Spring and Summer. Call us! ~ Amy C.

The laser face lift study that we are conducting at Southern Surgical Arts is going very well so far. We have completed more than 5 procedures and have 10 more in the next few weeks on the schedule. Most of the patients are from the Chattanooga and North Georgia area. We have 10 more slots to fill and expect to do so in the coming weeks. The results so far have been very good with all patients being satisfied with the short-term results, and the down-time has been about a week as predicted. Overall, I am very pleased with the progress.

I expect the results from the laser facelift study procedure to improve over the six-month follow-up period because the collagen production and skin tightening from the laser treatment starts 30 days after the procedure and continues for 3 to 4 months.

There is one set of before and after photos on our site now, and we will add more soon. Be sure to check our website over the next few weeks to look for more as we have 15 patients scheduled. If you are interested and qualify to participate - age 40 - 55, non-smoker, never had a facelift, generally healthy, -please contact our office to set up a consultation.

The Laser Face Lift involves the combination of the Affirm CO2 fractionated resurfacing laser and the SmartLipo laser for neck and jowl tightening. The downtime is about a week and requires only light sedation and local anesthesia with essentially NO perceptible scars.

We'll keep you posted with more information as it comes! Look for our Chattanooga office to open this spring.

Last weekend, I attended the annual CACS meeting in San Diego and met with some of the most influential cosmetic surgeons in the country, including the current presidents of the CACS and AACS. We discussed several topics, including the latest technology available for body contouring, including laser liposuction and the newest treatment for cellulite called the TriActive laser by Cynosure. I was so impressed with the TriActive laser that I bought one there at the meeting! We are beginning treatment with it next week after some staff training. I plan to use it for not only new patients but to improve the results of Smartlipo laser body contouring as well, particularly on the buttocks and back of the thighs. The improvements in the dimpling of the skin are really remarkable, and I expect it to be in high demand right away.

We also discussed my currently ongoing laser facelift study, and several other surgeons may be including some of their patients in the study to increase the overall number of participants. The combination of the two lasers (the Smartlipo MPX and Affirm CO2 fractionated laser) has been impressive so far, and we have enrolled about 10 patients, with plans for a total of 25 at my office. The key benefits are reduced down time (less than a week) and no scars! Check out the first set of photos in my before and after gallery.

At Southern Surgical Arts, I am currently conducting a study using two new lasers for facial rejuvenation, and I call this the "Artistic Laser Lift." The idea is to use two lasers in combination, one called the Affirm fractionated CO2 laser for skin resurfacing, and the other is the Smartlipo 1064 laser for skin tightening and fat removal from the neck and jowls. This is a one hour outpatient procedure, done with local anesthesia and light sedation, and I expect that the benefits will include skin tightening, a naturally lifted look, smooth skin with improved overall tone and texture, and the removal of surface sun damage and softening of wrinkles. The main point to make is that there are no scars at all, no stitches, and down time is expected to be 5-7 days at the most. I have been using the two lasers independently for about 6 months and have gotten very good results. But I believe that the combination could be even more remarkable!

For those interested, I am including both men and women, ages 40-55, non-smokers, generally good health and you cannot have had a face lift in the past. The first 25 who qualify will be included in the study. The cost of the procedure will be cut by 50% of the normal fee for study participants. Also, there are several other facial cosmetic surgeons from around the country who are participating in the study, so we hope to have about 100 total participants. I am traveling to San Diego next weekend to discuss the study with several surgeons from California. Give my office a call if you are interested and think you may qualify. Thanks and have a great day!

There is a new trend out there in the cosmetic surgery world called a liquid facelift. This is basically an in-office procedure that adds volume to your face and helps relax the muscles that cause the frown lines and crow's feet. We use Botox or Dysport to relax lines on the brow and near the eyes, and then use Restylane, Perlane and sometimes Sculptra for volume replacement of the lips and cheeks, which decreases as you age. The procedure can be done with local anesthesia only, requires no down time and the results are nearly instant. This does not replace a surgical face lift if that is what you need, but for the 30's and 40's crowd, this is a great option. And we often combine the liquid face lift with laser resurfacing (Affirm CO2) and also neck Smartlipo to tighten the neck line and reduce mild jowling.

Now is the time to get ready for summer and Bikini season! We are currently offering breast augmentation with saline implants for $3995 and silicone gel for only $4995. We often combine this with Smartlipo to get rid of those stubborn areas of fat that don't disappear with diet and exercise, like the outer thighs and love handles. This special price expires April 30th, so call soon for a complimentary consultation.

We are in the final planning stages for our new cosmetic surgery center in Chattanooga! We hope to break ground at our Southside downtown location this summer! The detailed plans will be available to check out in my Calhoun and Dalton offices soon. I'll keep you posted on the details and we look forward to serving the community of Chattanooga and East Tennessee.

I'm off to the annual American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery meeting tomorrow in Phoenix, AZ. On Wednesday I will be presenting my research on external ultrasound and it's application to abdominal liposuction. I found that is it somewhat helpful overall to the outcome of the procedure but there are some minor problems with it that made me decide to switch to using the YAG laser (Smartlipo), which works great and I have not had any problems since I started using it, over 150 cases done so far, including about 40 facelifts (Smartlift). The meeting is always a good time to catch up on the latest research and newest technology that will improve what I can do for my patients. The goal is always better results with less down time and smaller scars, at least that's how I approach cosmetic surgery, and my patients seem to agree. I'll likely come back to Georgia with some new device, laser or instrument that will be a great addition to my practice. I'll post an update after the meeting, and maybe attach some photos of my family at the Grand Canyon!