The Surgical Artist's Blog

Physicians from around the world joined Dr. Nease and Dr. Deal at Southern Surgical Arts for an American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS) Live Surgery Workshop on Facial Rejuvenation. There are approximately 10 of these workshops offered by the AACS in the U.S. each year. Doctors from Australia and Canada, as well as the United States joined us to learn the Facial Cosmetic Surgery techniques that help our patients discover the art of beauty. Techniques included both non-surgical and surgical techniques such as Face Lift, Liquid Face Lift (in this case, Botox®, Juvederm® and Radiesse®), Laser Resurfacing, Blepharoplasty, Fat Transfer, Facial Implants (chin and cheek) and Lip Augmentation. "I was excited to teach physicians from around the world the latest techniques for Facial Rejuvenation," said Dr. Nease.

Dr. Nease will also discuss his Laser Face Lift technique on a Web Cast hosted by Cynosure on April 6. Southern Surgical Arts, Dr. Nease and Dr. Deal are committed to staying abreast to the latest techniques available in the marketplace. Our goal is to provide our patients natural enhancements with minimal downtime and minimal scarring.

The Liquid Face Lift has received lots of media attention in the past year. The coined term, "Liquid Face Lift" is just a way to describe using fillers and other injectables to provide a patient with temporary facial rejuvenation and is a great solution for the patient who is seeking rejuvenation but is not quite ready for a Face Lift.  Many patients seek minimal downtime when considering any cosmetic procedures. Facial filler and injectables are good options for those who consider this an important factor in their decision-making process.  "A Liquid Face Lift is a procedure that can be done in the office in about 30 minutes and can make you look more youthful, refreshed and up to 5 years younger with essentially no down time.  Our patients see instant results and are happy that they have this alternative to surgery," said Dr. Nease.

According to the Liquid Face Lift Association, the Lift uses,  "dermal fillers such as Juvederm^® , Radiesse^®, Sculptra^® and Perlane^®, as well as BOTOX^®". And, something to consider when contemplating surgery is that a liquid face lift has benefits that can't be found with surgery, such as restoring natural facial contours and volume. A growing number of cosmetic surgeons are augmenting surgery with liquid face lift products to restore natural 3-dimensional contours to the face. Also, a liquid face lift is typically more subtle than surgery. An increasing number of individuals are trying liquid facelift procedures before traditional face lift procedures. At Southern Surgical Arts, our surgeons use these products on a weekly basis to provide our patients with the desired "lift." We are one of the top providers of fillers in North Georgia and Chattanooga, according to Allergan Consulting, which distributes Botox®, Juverderm® and Latisse®.

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We recently attended Formal Affair in Chattanooga, Tennessee and had an influx of soon-to-be brides requesting information on fillers and surgical procedures. Brides are increasingly turning to cosmetic surgery to get ready for their big day! We primarily see brides seeking Breast Augmentation, Smart Liposuction, fillers and other injectables such as Botox®. We also see patients requesting our laser technology, such as laser resurfacing, laser hair removal, treatment for acne and cellulite reduction. A Cosmetic Surgeon from California is seeing the same trend in cosmetic surgery and noted it in an article recently published.

Brides should consider the timing of their procedures. In fact, patients need about six months to see the final result of their surgical procedure. Further, Dr. Chad Deal notes that "patients getting married should remember to give themselves 2-4 weeks before a wedding for injectables and fillers and no less than three months for most surgical procedures."

Patients should always research the surgeon's education, training, experience and proven clinical competence. At Southern Surgical Arts, our surgeons are Fellowship-Trained Cosmetic Surgeons and Dr. Carey Nease is Board-Certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. We also encourage you to take a look at our Before and After Gallery and find how many women have discovered the art of beauty through cosmetic surgery.

Choosing a surgeon who is trained in Cosmetic Surgery is an important part of your surgical evaluation process.  Dr. Robert Kotler, a board certified cosmetic facial surgeon in Beverly Hills, recently contributed to Web MD. Dr. Kotler discusses an article in South Florida Sun-Sentinel after a death from “complications of liposuction and a buttocks enhancement procedure.” Dr. Kotler also notes the importance of choosing a surgeon based on the following requirements numbered below. Southern Surgical Arts, Dr. Deal and Dr. Nease agree with him. "The requirements outlined by Dr. Kotler are important in choosing your Cosmetic Surgeon. We encourage each of our patients to research his/her surgeon's education, training, experience and proven clinical competence. "Further a surgeon's before and after gallery should consistently display his/her results time after time and not just one or two examples of when they got it right," said Dr. Deal. Below are the criteria found in the article on WebMD:

1. The doctor should be board certified in a surgical specialty recognized by the ABMS and should be practicing within the scope of their training.

(At Southern Surgical Arts, our surgeons are Fellowship-Trained Cosmetic Surgeons. Dr. Nease and Dr. Deal performed over 700 procedures each during their cosmetic training. Dr. Nease is certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, and both are board certified in a specialty recognized by the ABMS.)

2. A post-graduate fellowship in Cosmetic Surgery is a very strong credential.

(Dr. Deal and Dr. Nease have both completed a year-long fellowship sanctioned by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. After the fellowship, Dr. Nease then became a Board-Certified Cosmetic Surgeon.  Dr. Deal completed his fellowship in June of 2010 and will sit for his Cosmetic Surgery boards in April 2011.)

3. The procedure should be performed in a qualified, credentialed hospital or outpatient surgery center. Credentialing means that the facility has been awarded a stamp of approval by either the State Department of Health, the United States Department of Health & Human Services, or another independent accrediting organization.

(Southern Surgical Arts' office based surgery center is AAAHC-accredited, which is a nationally recognized accrediting organization.)

4. A specialist in anesthesiology should be in your service. My personal preference is a board certified doctor anesthesiologist because I have always favored the concept of "two doctors in the operating room." Some surgeons are comfortable supervising the work of a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA).  If that is there choice, and the patient is comfortable, that is fine. But the patient does need to know the nature and qualifications of the anesthesia specialist.

(Southern Surgical Arts has a full time CRNA on staff in their current OR and is currently interviewing for an anesthesiologist in their new Chatanooga location)

There are many different types of Facelifts available and many promise minimal downtime, if any. The Vampire Facelift is a new type of Facelift that is gaining popularity (probably an effect of the Twilight craze) and the results last approximately two years. There is even a story today in the New York Times about the procedure. It uses your own blood to help provide a rejuvenated look to the face. Dr. Nease of Southern Surgical Arts warns patients to ask about the clinical studies and proven results, "The long-term results of this procedure, as well as other short-term Facelift options have yet to be proven."

At Southern Surgical Arts, we offer the traditional Facelift and the Laser Facelift. The traditional Facelift includes incisions, although at Southern Surgical Arts, Dr. Deal and Dr. Nease have specific expertise in minimizing scars. The Laser Facelift, developed by Dr. Nease, was designed for the patient who desires facial rejuvenation but is not ready for the traditional Facelift. The Laser Facelift combines Smart Liposuction, Laser Resurfacing and Fat Transfer to the face, which makes a person look approximately five years younger. Additionally, the Laser Resurfacing to the skin can be performed several times for optimal results.  The Laser Facelift clinical study was presented at the annual American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery conference in Phoenix, Arizona in January 2011 and the initial results show that over 75% of patients were highly satisfied.

When researching a Facelift that is right for you, make sure you ask:

1. How long the results will last?

2. How many procedures has the surgeon performed?

3. Does the procedure require anesthesia or is it done in an office-based setting?

In a recent article found on American Health and Beauty, a New York surgeon talks on the Rachel Ray show about new technology that helps reduce cellulite for approximately three months. At Southern Surgical Arts, our technology includes the Triactive Cellulite Workstation. The Triactive is similar to a therapeutic massage and can be combined with other treatments. Dr. Nease and Dr. Deal often add the Triactive technology after SmartLiposuction. "Approximately two weeks after  SmartLiposuction, the Triactive can be added to decrease swelling and to provide the skin a more smooth appearance," said Dr. Nease.

At Southern Southern Arts, we are committed to providing our patients with the best outcome by using the latest cosmetic procedures proven to show results.

Liposuction is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures in the country. Recently, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) conducted a survey with its members regarding preferences of liposuction. The results can be found at the Plastic Surgery Practice Web site. At Southern Surgical Arts, our experienced Cosmetic Surgeons, Dr. Carey Nease and Dr. Chad Deal, have many years of experience performing Smartlipo believe that the benefits of the laser-assisted liposuction has many benefits.

Carey Nease, founder and Cosmetic Surgeon at Southern Surgical Arts in North Georgia and Chattanooga, Tennessee said about the survey, "Though there are several ways to improve your body's shape, liposuction has proven beneficial for many patients over the last 25 years.  The newer technologies available have also proven helpful when added to traditional liposuction, especially lasers and ultrasound.  This article surveyed a group of plastic surgeons regarding their preferences among the various technologies available for body contouring, specifically traditional liposuction, power-assisted liposuction, laser-assisted liposuction and ultrasound-assisted liposuction.  It is not surprising that most of the surgeons preferred traditional suction-assisted liposuction since this is likely the method they initially learned and are most comfortable performing.  What does surprise me is that they felt strongly that laser addition was least beneficial and had the highest complication rate.  I have done all of the above types of liposuction, and after 3 years of performing Smartlipo (laser assisted), I can say that there are several benefits, including skin tightening and less bruising, and there is not a significantly higher risk of complications.  In experienced hands, I think this is the best technology available for body sculpting, particularly for people in good physical shape who have small areas of stubborn, unwanted fat."

The preferences of this study is limited to the ASAPS. It would be interesting to see the results that include the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, which provides extensive training to its fellows by providing FOCUSED training specifically in the field of cosmetic surgery.

I just returned home from a speaking event in the mile high city where I presented my latest techniques for facial rejuvenation and laser body sculpting. I spoke to a group of surgeons in Denver who are interested in adding Smartlipo and the Affirm fractional CO2 laser to their practices. The highlight of the discussion centered around my use of both the Smartlipo laser and Affirm CO2 laser in combination for facial rejuvenation. One of the facial plastic surgeons there is involved in a laser face lift study similar to mine and we shared tips and techniques that will make us both better at using the technology for the benefit of our patients. It was a quick trip but well worth the time mainly because I get to meet other cosmetic, plastic and facial plastic surgeons across the United States who also pursue the latest technology and techniques to advance our field. I'm looking forward to the annual meeting of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgeons (AACS) in Phoenix in January!