Recently, I took stock in the number of news Web sites, RSS news feeds, and Google e-mail alert notifications I use to find information about aesthetic medicine. Among Twitter tweets and Goodle alerts alone, there are at least 300 little news notes or announcements arriving on my desktop every day. When the news is even slightly out of the ordinary, I immediately push it into my “must read” folder. That is what I did when I found this article on the Make Me Heal site — a plastic surgeon who basically outlines how he performs an unusual and controversial procedure. In this case, it’s Renato Calabria, MD, FACS’s stem cell facelift. Using Stem Cells In Plastic Surgery To Create The Face of The Future:
Dr. Calabria, who has practices in Beverly Hills, Palms Springs, and Italy says the process utilizes his own technique, the Vertical Facelift. First, Dr. Calabria harvests cells from the patient’s lower abdomen. This area contains rich regenerative cells, which include adult stem cells, blood vessel producing cells, and growth factor secreting cells, all of which aid in cell growth and rejuvenation. The collected tissue is then placed into a new, specialized devise with the purpose of separating the stem and regenerative cells, from the fat. After the cells are separated, they are washed and concentrated into a collection container. This amazing process can actually be completed within the timeframe of a single surgical procedure!
Next, a syringe is used to collect the cells that are to be redelivered to the same patient. After the cells have been re-infused with the body by injecting them into the volume deprived areas of the face, the surrounding tissues guide the newly-placed cells, and facilitate a natural healing response.
During the facelift, the regenerative cells are gently embedded with a blunt cannula into layers of the skin and under various muscles in the face. Once the fat is placed, Dr. Calabria continues with the facelift, checks for symmetry, excises the excess skin and finally, anchors the skin in a vertical direction, the defining characteristic of his trademarked Vertical Facelift.
Before I forgot, what about these before-and-after shots: Is this the same person?
