The Surgical Artist's Blog

I am in sunny Miami, FL today attending a superb facial cosmetic surgery meeting with surgeons from all over North and South America, and even a few from Europe. This morning we reviewed some great eyelid and brow rejuvenation techniques that give lasting results and help to keep our patients safe as well as make them happy. Several lectures were given from well-known surgeons around the world, and some have more than 40 years of experience! This is extremely valuable for me as a young cosmetic surgeon, and many of the issues discussed gave me confidence in knowing that my training was excellent and that I am doing both safe and very effective procedures that should consistently produce beautiful results for my patients in Chattanooga and the North Georgia area. A new technique for lower face and neck rejuvenation was discussed that should help make my results more dramatic and also long-lasting. I'm looking forward to a night out for sushi tonight and then more lectures tomorrow, which will focus on rhinoplasty (nose reshaping) and then skin rejuvenation with lasers and chemical peels.

The advanced Allergan training I went to on Friday was fabulous!  It was a fun learning experience.  We are proud to announce that we now offer Juvederm XC!  This new formulation is enhanced with lidocaine for patient comfort.  You can now get the smooth dermal filler you expect, with the improved comfort you want!  I would love for you to make an appointment with us to help restore your skin's volume and smooth away facial wrinkles, folds and smile lines!

See you soon!

Jennifer, RN,BSN

For the past two years, we have been the leader in laser-assisted liposuction technology, or Smartlipo, for the Chattanooga and North Georgia area. We are celebrating our two-year anniversary as the only Cosmetic Surgery practice in this area to bring you the latest technology like Smart lipo, the Laser Face Lift, V-Beam Laser Facial Rejuvenation, Affirm CO2 Laser Resurfacing, Advanced Laser Hair Removal, and the latest approach to Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, skincare, microdermabrasion and more. You want beautiful skin and a beautiful body for summer? Southern Surgical Arts and the team of nurses and aestheticians who work with me can help you achieve your cosmetic surgery and non-surgery goals.

Look at our before and after pictures, then give us a call. We are here to help you.

I am very excited about the advanced training I am going to attend today from Allergan!  I will let you all know what new things I learn about Botox and Juvederm injecting!  Happy Friday! ~ Jennifer, RN, BSN

I'm back to work after attending the annual AACS meeting in Orlando and am considering some new techniques to incorporate into my cosmetic surgery practice. The most interesting topic discussed was breast augmentation using fat transfer rather than saline or silicone implants. This technique has been studied for the last few years and is being used in many countries around the world. There are several surgeons in the US doing it now as well, but there is some controversy. The main issue is safety in regard to imaging for breast cancer screening, and most radiologists believe that they WILL be able to accurately interpret the mammograms in patients who have fat transfer for cosmetic or reconstructive reasons. The other problem is that several procedures may be necessary to get the size desired, as one session will likely only increase the breast by one cup size. Benefits include that fact that there is no foreign material used (implant) and the results have a very natural appearance. I think many patients will still prefer implants, but this will likely be an option for women seeking a natural enhancement in the near future. I will continue to keep up with the latest research and when I feel it is safe, I'll be excited to bring this new procedure to the women of North Georgia and the Chattanooga area.

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.

Liposuction has been redefined. Today many cosmetic surgeons are using laser technology for body sculpting, and in 2010 I expect that trend to continue. Traditional liposuction is quickly becoming a thing of the past, as the benefits of laser technology have made the results so much better. At Southern Surgical Arts, I have been using Cynosure's Smartlipo laser for the last 18 months. My experience has shown significant improvements over traditional liposuction, including less pain, less bruising, less swelling, better skin tightening and overall happier patients. The best candidate for Smartlipo laser body sculpting is someone who is generally healthy, near their ideal body weight, and has a small stubborn area of unwanted fat that just won't go away with a good diet and exercise.

Common areas of treatment are the neck, arms, bra line, abdomen, love handles and thighs. The procedure is done with tumescent local anesthesia and IV sedation. Recovery is typically just a few days.

Another new treatment available at Southern Surgical Arts is the Triactive cellulite laser. This low level laser is combined with a mechanical massage for smoothing the skin and reducing the appearance of cellulite. It is not a surgical procedure but is often combined with Smartlipo for really great results, particularly on the backs of the thighs, the flanks and abdomen. Triactive laser treatments are typically done both before and after the Smartlipo laser body sculpting, and there is no pain and no anesthesia required. Based on my extensive experience, I truly believe that laser liposuction is here to stay. And we bring the latest liposuction technology to the Chattanooga and North Georgia area at Southern Surgical Arts.

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!