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2004 Plastic Surgery Trends
Dec. 17, 2003 -- New, longer-lasting wrinkle fillers will be plentiful in the coming new year, top plastic surgeons predict.
Buoyed by the recent FDA-approval of Restylane, an injectable gel that temporarily corrects moderate to severe facial wrinkles and nasolabial folds, many companies will get in on the game, according to a list of predictions for cosmetic surgery in 2004 published by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).
But that's not all we can expect to see. ASAPS also predicts an increase in post-bariatric ( weight loss) surgeries, including total body lifts, to get rid of excess skin and flab and procedures to enhance the brow, the hands and the toes. And not just for women either, more men will take steps to look more youthful in the coming year.
Wrinkle in Time
Restylane is the third injectable wrinkle treatment to gain FDA approval, joining botox (botulinum toxin) and collagen injections. But the pipeline is bursting. Some doctors are now using hydroxyapatite (Radiance) off-label to erase fine wrinkles and deep folds. Radiance is FDA approved to treat certain vocal cord problems and bladder spasms. And the FDA is expected to approve Hylaform, an injectable gel like Restylane, soon.
Robert W. Bernard, MD, a plastic surgeon and ASAPS president says that, "within the next five years, we are going to have some [wrinkle-filling treatments] that are biologically acceptable, safe, and are very long-lasting."
He says that "there is always a spurt of others that follows an approval because it incentivizes other companies," he says. "Collagen is not the best bang for buck because you have to come back frequently, but some of these other newer biologic fillers may last longer," he says.
Undoubtedly, "the approval of restylane will add a new dynamic to the filler market and I am very interested to see how it shakes out against collagen -- the gold standard," adds plastic surgeon Leroy Young, MD, chairman of the nonsurgical procedures committee and co-chair of the breast surgery committee at ASAPS. "We know it flows better and it's easier to inject, but it may not yield superior results," he says.
Gleaning his crystal ball, Young also says that there will be an increase in the number of post-bariatric surgeries.
"What's happening is that revision following weight reduction is going to be really big because obesity is such an epidemic in the U.S. and bariatric procedures are growing exponentially as insurers realize that its cheaper to pay for surgery than complications of obesity," he says.
However the onus and challenge will be on surgeons to really craft the best approach to these surgeries including how to sequence, combine, and time the procedures for the best results with minimal downtime and risk, he points out.
These procedures may not be as straightforward in post weight loss surgery patients who have lost 100-150 pounds as they are in the general population, he says.
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