Regenerative Medicine Is Putting Science Back Into Cosmetic Surgery

There has been a quiet yet steady shift to using Regenerative Medicine in Cosmetic Surgery and Facial Rejuvenation. Whom are some of the doctors making this transition, they are sprinkled across the country but their numbers are growing in mass. Many come from organizations like IFATS whose President Dr. Ricardo Rodriguez is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Or like Plastic Surgeon Randy Miller out of Miami who has developed multinational relationships with other noted Stem Cell scientists and doctors all across southeast Asia. Most are scientific leaders in their respective countries. Dr. Miller also teaches an Introduction to Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine at the www.BostonBioLife.com conference.

We see Age Management Specialist, Cosmetic Surgeons, Plastic Surgeons, Dermatologists, Facial Plastic Surgeons, as well as Cosmetic Dentists starting to integrate regenerative medicine into each of their practice groups.

Why do we see this more and more? Because doctors are now more than ever willing to consider Regenerative Medicine and the use of stem cells as part of the current patient care plan when providing cosmetic and aesthetic treatments. In times past, surgeons would only look to their textbook and surgical training to see what was possible when it comes to cosmetic enhancements but with so many improvements in fat extraction and stem cell therapy, it has become hard to ignore.

In most cases, their training was to cut away the fat, reduce the excess skin, and suction away those unsightly love handles or belly fat. However, now Blood and Fat Is Where It’s At as was once said to me by my mentor Mr. Greg Washington of PUMC, just about ten years ago. How was he able to foresee the current happenings is beyond me lol. Now Blood and Fat used in cosmetic surgical procedures hold bounteous benefits in the field for both Regenerative and Cosmetic services, namely adipose stemcells, PRP, or new products like JPlasma or Exosomes from Kimera and Duncan Ross PhD. These treatments have low rejection rates and higher take rates because it is the patient’s own body providing the enhancement.

Why do I say such a thing you ask?

Have you heard of the Face Fat Transfer, or maybe the Colombian Butt Lift, or Vampire Breast Lift using blood-derived growth factors to activate unipotent stem cells, which start with blood being drawn from the patient. The blood is taken the same way it would be for a normal blood test. Once the blood has been collected, it is then centrifuged and the platelets are separated from the red blood cells. The platelets are then introduced to a calcium chloride solution which causes the platelets to release growth factors. Small amounts of synthetic injectable fillers like Restylane or Juvederm are added to the mixture as well. Once all the ingredients have been combined, a small gauge needle is used to inject the product into specific areas of the breast.

(* Results may vary from person to person)

Because aesthetic cosmetic medicine/surgery is a fee for service model or format. Doctors who provide such services are looking for the best possible outcomes to ensure that patients walk away happy with the best results, with the least amount of complications, or pain. At the same time, doctors are trying to stay out of the crosshairs of the FDA, which has yet to make a definitive ruling on the use of the various kinds of stem cells being used in aesthetics.

Many of these new treatment pathways like JPlasma or Exosomes have been able to bring down the internal cost of cosmetic treatments because it uses a patient’s own fat and blood for rejuvenation. Fat can and has been used as a volumizer instead of facial fillers and injectables. Plus the rejuvenating properties, which actually seem to perform better with the addition of PRP/ PRP, Exosomes and JPlasma show significant results. Duncan Ross PhD out of Miami has been a leading provider of the more powerful exosomes.

Some of the other changes that we are seeing are doctors deciding:

Use of a Local like the ProNox versus hiring an Anesthesiologist

Use of Water Assisted Lipo to preserve the fat (Body-Jet) versus Power Assisted Lipo or Laser Lipo which can cause the fat to lose its viability or melt and liquefy

From the use of only the Surgical Scalpel for cosmetic procedures to increased use of the Cannula which is less invasive and not as likely to leave heavy scarring.

From the outset, Fat Transfers are very likely to create volume loss along with saggy skin because of the extraction process. With a proper exercise routine, some patients begin to develop very nice muscle mass that the skin then adheres to and looks very good!

The beauty of the aforementioned treatments for Face Fat transfer is the ongoing benefits in helping to give the face continual rejuvenation long after the procedure has been completed or provides the breast a more full-figured structure. Plus fat with PRP injections tends to have low to no rejection for a patient when their own bodies fat or blood is processed for use back into the body.

And while implants can hold their shape and form, issues arise when those same implants have to be replaced over time or the body sees them as a foreign object which causes rejection or severe scar tissue issue.

What is starting to become undeniable however is when using fat transfer, the fat tends to dissolve back into the body without rejection. In any case, both surgical skill and understanding of the body’s anatomy, understanding of the science behind stem cell use when using these new regenerative procedures can and will contribute to the overall well being of the patient’s outcome when receiving such services and treatments.

Reference from: http://www.smartbeautyguide.com/procedures/injectables/fat-transfer/

What we are also beginning to see is that doctors across many medical specialties are taking the additional time to get extensive training in the science of stem cells and regenerative medicine. Whether through a weekend course, with companies like Boston BioLife or Train Now MD where combined training of Regenerative, Cosmetic and Age Management protocols are taught by Stem Cell Fellows, Geneticist, or Ph.D.’s.

To bring regenerative medicine into your practice, I would strongly recommend an ongoing two or three-year course put on by A4M to become a Stem Cell Fellow which can be very intensive and is often difficult to obtain but adds to the assurance that a doctor knows and is using and performing these procedures in a proper way. Plus it will provide a measure of cover when dealing with the FDA as they take on more direct guidance as to who can perform regenerative medicine procedures.

Recently, The 21st Century Cure Act was signed: Here is an excerpt which was published by one of the leading publications related to Regenerative Medicine BioInformant:

The bill, passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law today by President Obama. It is great progress that the U.S. is getting behind the development of innovative regenerative medicines, including cell therapy, with the passing of the 21st Century Cures Act.

It puts the U.S. on the same playing field as many other developed countries including those in the European Union (EU) and Japan, which already have accelerated regulatory pathways for regenerative therapies. The initiative will support President Obama’s cancer “moonshot,” Alzheimer’s research, and efforts to address opioid addiction.

The bill encourages late-stage development in regenerative medicine, recognizing the field’s potential to address severe unmet medical needs. It also correctly identifies regenerative therapy as a category in its own right.

The other interesting aspect is that some doctors are going as far as obtaining a stem cell processing lab. The key goal is to ensure proper processing and use as defined protocols for stem cell treatments which they plan to use and that those stem cells are processed in the most sterile environment which can be costly and difficult.

The future is ahead of us and regulations abound, but the opportunity to take medicine into the future falls into the hands of those brave doctors who are willing to bring science back into medicine, cosmetic services, and age management treatments.

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Quintin L. Gunn Sr. – CEO/CSO

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