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While performing a mini-facelift,the plastic surgeon uses liposuc-tion to remove fat from thepatient’s abdomen. He then iso-lates and filters stem cells fromthe fat—and mixes those cells

back into the patient’s own fat that’s been specially preparedfor grafting. The enriched fat graft is injected into thepatient’s face to augment areas thathave shrunk or shifted with age.

Science fiction? Hardly. It’s real-lifescience—and it’s happening only in ourarea.

Dr. Francis Johns of Artisan PlasticSurgery, with locations in Greensburgand Monroeville, is the sole physicianparticipating in a clinical study to testthe safety and efficacy of enriched fatgrafts for facial procedures. Plastic sur-geons have used fat grafts for contourproblems for some time with moderatesuccess. Enriched fat grafts could beeven more effective because of theadded healing power of stem cells,which can transform into any type ofcell the body needs for repair.

Johns is excited about the potentialimplications of this new, innovativeprocess. “Stem cells are not only thefuture of plastic surgery,” he says, “butthe future of medicine.”

This clinical trial is represen-tative of how the field of cos-

metic surgery is becoming more rooted in cut-ting-edge science. It also speaks to the dra-

matic growth in demand for cosmeticsurgery, both nationally and locally.

National statistics from theAmerican Society for Aesthetic

Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)help bear out this

trend. Americansspent almost

$11 billion

Elves aren’t the only ones bustling about right

now. The holidays are also the busy season

for plastic surgeons. So we checked in

with a few noted ones around here

to learn what’s new and find

out how the latest cosmetic

surgery techniques can

help you look…

A Cut Above

last year on some 10 million cosmetic surgical and nonsur-gical procedures. According to ASAPS data, the top five sur-gical procedures in 2012 were breast augmentation (possiblybecause of the increased popularity of silicone gel over salineimplants), liposuction, abdominoplasty, eyelid surgery, andrhinoplasty.

Women accounted for 90 percent of all cosmetic proce-dures, with the top five surgeries last year including breast

augmentation, liposuction, tummytuck, eyelid surgery, and breast lift.Among minimally invasive procedures,the most popular included BotulinumToxin Type A injections and hyaluron-ic acid treatments (used to treat facialwrinkles), as well as laser hair removal,microdermabrasion, and chemicalpeels.

While we’re all atwitter whencelebrities appear to have “had a littlework done,” they aren’t the only onesturning to cosmetic surgery to enhancetheir looks. Here in Pittsburgh, far awayfrom the Hollywood spotlight, peopleare just as eager to achieve and maintaina youthful appearance, restore parts oftheir bodies they view as flawed, andfeel more comfortable and self-assuredin their own skin.

“Pittsburgh is a vibrant city forplastic surgery,” says Dr. DinakarGolla of Golla Center for PlasticSurgery, with offices in the FoxChapel area, Butler, McKees Rocks,

and the North Hills. But he sees differences in treatmentshis patients seek compared to some other parts of the coun-try.

“People here are more conservative than traditional plasticsurgery clients in other cities,” Golla notes. “They’re lookingfor maintenance therapy and softer, less aggressive changes.”

Dr. Leo McCafferty, who runs a private practice inShadyside and is immediate past president of ASAPS, attrib-utes the surge in popularity of cosmetic surgery to the fact thatpeople are living longer, healthier lives and staying in the work-force longer.

“Both women and men want to look as good as they feel,”McCafferty says. “I’m not saying that cosmetic surgery is rightfor everyone, but attempting to look better is an extension ofa healthy lifestyle, proper diet, and exercise.”

Dr. Dennis Hurwitz of Hurwitz Center for PlasticSurgery in Oakland believes that natural changes in

features may not bode well for job acquisition orretention.

BY MARY S. GILBERT

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“Looking young and at your best hasalways been an asset in the job market,”Hurwitz observes, “and cosmetic surgeryoffers you that. Even younger people, espe-cially women who don’t like a feature, con-tinue to see the value of that. The reality isthat plastic surgery has never been morecapable of delivering a good product safely.”

The decision often rests on how a personages, explains Dr. Dominic Brandy, found-ing medical director of The Skin CenterMedical Spa, with offices in Shadyside, Mt.Lebanon, and Wexford. For instance, heavybrows, drooping eyelids, or under-eye bagscan make you look tired. Deep brow fur-rows, facial creases, and facial volume losscan make you look angry, sad, or unap-proachable.

The minimally invasive QuickLift isBrandy’s most requested facial procedure,helping to address these effects of aging.Known for having developed and refined hisown technique, he tightens from the sides ofthe face upward rather than backward.

People typically don’t want to look likethey’ve had procedures or operations—andthey want to resume their lifestyles afterwardin short order. The field of cosmetic surgeryhas responded to patients’ desires for subtle-ty and briefer downtimes. Lasers can removepigmentation, fillers plump up tissue, and

A Cut Above

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More Options for a New You in the New YearThere are other ways besides plastic surgery toenhance your appearance and look and feelyounger.

Brace YourselfTooth alignment is always an option, as long as your gums and bone structure

are healthy, says Dr. Tina M. Reed, an orthodontist with offices in Squirrel Hill,the North Hills, and Monroeville. Correcting poor alignment and a bad biteusing braces and other methods not only improves your appearance but also con-tributes to your overall dental health. And with some of today’s nearly invisibletreatment options, no one will even know.

tinareedorthodontics.com

Scrub a DubExfoliate from top to toe, mon ami, says certified esthetician and massage ther-

apist Lyudmyla Andreyko, who offers an exclusive French Vichy scrub at her FoxChapel Day Spa. Providing total body rejuvenation, the treatment begins with aDead Sea exfoliation massage, which is followed by a Vichy shower delivered rightthere on the table. Luxurious intensive moisturizing completes the experience,and you arise positively glowing!

foxchapeldayspa.net

Brighten and WhitenBrighten discolored, stained, or aging teeth with a state-of-the-art whiting

process, suggests Dr. John W. Hart, whose Exceptional Smiles dental practice islocated in Oakland. Spend just over an hour in the office or choose an at-homecustom whitening treatment to reclaim your youthful smile. For severe stains anddiscoloration, veneers, which are very thin porcelain shells bonded to the front ofteeth, will cover your flaws.

smilesbyhart.com

cornerstonepgh.com

(Cornerstone is seconds from the Highland Park Bridge)

neurotoxins remove dynamic lines. Doctorsalso tighten both facial and body skin withdevices that use energy forms like ultrasound(Liposonix) and radio frequency(Thermage), as well as heat and cold.

Johns believes that facial rejuvenationtechnology has changed more in the past 10years than any other aspect of cosmetic sur-gery. People wanting facial rejuvenation atever-younger ages prompted the evolution ofless-invasive mini facelifts, with shorter pro-cedure and recovery times.

Drs. Jeffrey Antimarino and TheodoreLazzaro of Aesthique Plastic Surgery &Medispa, with locations in East Liberty andGreensburg, agree that there’s been a movefrom the pulled-tight face and frozen fore-head results to a more balanced, naturallook. Their patients want to look like theydid a few years ago without drastic changes.Baby boomers especially want to achieve arefreshed look and maintain it.

“Our patients do things earlier and insmaller quantities, such as having Botoxtreatments in their 30s instead of their 40s,”Antimarino says. “Fifteen years ago, the aver-age age for a facelift was 58 to 62. Now it’s48 to 52.”

With the advent of weight-loss proce-dures like bariatrics, body contouring sur-gery has also become much more relevantand popular. Hurwitz, who is a specialist inbody contouring and lectures worldwideabout his techniques, says it’s quicklybecoming a subspecialty of plastic surgery.

Arm lift surgery has also seen rapidgrowth. This procedure reshapes the underportion of the upper arms so they’re tighterand more toned, a frequent problem area fol-lowing weight loss. Even those who haven’tlost weight undergo this procedure becausethey don’t like the contours and toning oftheir arms owing to age or heredity.

Another common procedure is the“mommy makeover.” With the stretchingand sagging of skin caused by childbirth,many women opt for abdominal and breastprocedures—including breast enhancementsand lifts, liposuction, and tummy tucks—toreclaim their pre-baby shapes.

Brazilian Butt Lift surgery is a trenddesigned to enhance curves, while addingvolume and fullness to your rear. It beginswith liposuction to remove fat from else-where on the body, like the abdomen,

A Cut Above

HOL I D AY 2 0 1 3 1 2 5

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which is then prepared and injected intothe buttocks.

McCafferty points out that not everyoneis a candidate for liposuction. For thoseinterested in non-invasive body contouringprocedures, CoolSculpting uses coolingtechnology to eliminate fat and is federallyapproved for several body areas.

Using multiple, complementary tech-niques to help address the impacts of agingcan be another solution. For instance, Gollasays he can combine Liposonix technologyand Thermage treatments instead of liposuc-tion to avoid an incision. Operating on mul-tiple areas of the body simultaneously canalso mean cost reductions and less down-time, although medical safety and prudenceneed to trump all.

Another focus is skin care, and aestheti-cians at on-site “medi-spas” offer a menu oftreatments and experiences to serve differentages and stages of life. They rejuvenate andnourish skin with a vast array of productsbefore and after a facelift, as well as treat-ments like massage for longer-lasting effects.They also counsel patients to adopt healthyhabits, such as drinking more water (Golla’sNo. 1 piece of advice), eating fresh vegeta-bles for their antioxidants, avoiding heavycream and meats, avoiding sun exposurewithout sunscreen, and quitting smoking.

It behooves those considering a physicalchange to do their homework, keep theirexpectations realistic, and try to sort throughwhat’s marketing and what’s real. The doc-tors offer these recommendations:• Go to surgeons with board certification

in plastic and reconstructive surgery andaccredited facilities.

• Demand to see before and after photos.• Be cautious of the no-downtime

“lunchtime procedures.” They mightseem enticing, but the results don’toften last.

• When doing online research, pay morecredence to physician peer reviews andnational evaluation studies than to rat-ing services that offer unfiltered com-ments.

• Find a surgeon you feel comfortable with(including the staff and environment)and who is respectful and responsive.

• Know that a person’s response to treat-ments is individual, variable, andunpredictable. In the end, cosmetic surgery can do won-

ders, but it does fall short of miracles. “Wecan turn back the clock, not stop it,” Lazarrosays. SA__

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A Cut Above

For MoreInformation…Aestique Plastic Surgery & Medispaaestique.com

American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgerysurgery.org

Artisan Plastic Surgeryartisan-plasticsurgery.com

Golla Center for Plastic Surgerygollaplasticsurgery.com

Hurwitz Center for Plastic Surgeryhurwitzcenter.com

Leo R. McCafferty, M.D., F.A.C.S. Aesthetic Plastic Surgerymccaffertymd.com

The Skin Center Medical Spatheskincentermd.com

1 2 6 SH ADY AV E