Beyond Botox®– New Arsenal of Injectable Treatments in Cosmetic Plastic Surgery

 

For Immediate Release: October 25, 2003

SAN DIEGO– Think Botox® is just for relaxing wrinkles? Think again. Plastic surgeons are not only discussing a multitude of uses for Botox, but a revolutionary set of new fillers to refill or plump up the aging face at Plastic Surgery 2003, the annual scientific meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation (PSEF) and the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons (ASMS). Entitled “Innovations in Facial Shaping – Adjuncts to Cosmetic Surgery, The Role of Botulinum Toxin and New Injectable Fillers,” the course runs from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2003 at the San Diego Marriot Hotel/Marina.

“Botox is a lot more than a wrinkle cure,” said Rod Rohrich, MD, ASPS president-elect and course faculty member. “By itself, the off-label uses of Botox include relieving migraine headaches and decreasing sweating in a patient’s palms and armpits. We’re using it to reshape the lower face from square to oval, a procedure requested by some Asian patients.”

According to Dr. Rohrich, Botox’s uses will be greatly enhanced when used with other fillers potentially coming on the market – creating an arsenal of options for plastic surgery patients. In fact, he believes that plastic surgeons will need to be proficient with fillers in addition to Botox to provide the entire spectrum of plastic surgery services to their patients. Botox relaxes, while the new fillers refill the wrinkle.

“As surgeons continue to pioneer other uses, we’re finding that Botox relaxes muscles while injectable fillers keep the shape or add volume,” said Dr. Rohrich. “With the revolutionary fillers coming to the market, plastic surgeons will have access to safe and effective injectables that last three times longer than previous collagen products. However, we must also be aware of the possible hazards. With the potential for permanent fillers, we also have the potential for permanent problems.”

“Innovations in Facial Shaping” will provide an in-depth review of the treatment rationale and clinical applications of Botox in aesthetic facial procedures. The emphasis of the course will be on techniques to improve facial lines, shape and contour with Botox. Live Botox demonstrations for different aesthetic problems will be presented. The course will also include an in-depth update on new injectable fillers with edited video showing these new fillers that can be used with Botox to augment overall facial contouring.

Plastic Surgery 2003 offers several other courses and programs focusing on non-surgical procedures. “Injectable Fillers for Facial Shaping” will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This comprehensive course will provide an in-depth review and comparison of the new soft tissue injectable fillers becoming available.“Clinical Applications of Botulinum Toxin Type A” will be given on Wednesday, Oct. 29 from 10:45 to 11 a.m. to increase the understanding of Botox and its clinical uses to rejuvenate the face. Immediately following the lecture, a one-hour panel entitled “Lasers, PulseLight and Peels – Which One and When?” will be offered. The goal of this panel is to give a clear description of the role of each of the three modalities in facial rejuvenation.

 

ASPS, founded in 1931, is the largest plastic surgery organization in the world and the foremost authority on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. For referrals to ABPS-certified plastic surgeons in your area and to learn more about cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery, call the ASPS at (888) 4-PLASTIC (1-888-475-2784) or visit www.plasticsurgery.org