The annual meeting of the AACS (American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery) is upon us this week. And Mark Berman, MD, FACS, the current president of the AACS, has made a statement timed just prior to the start of the meeting, which has been published on the net via the newswire outfits. It’s about stem cells and the use of terms such as “stem cell facelift” and “stem cell breast augmentation” in aesthetic practices.
The most complete version of his remarks are available at the American Health & Beauty site:
“I’ve been hearing people say ‘We’re doing this stem cell face lift, we’re doing the stem cell breast augmentation stuff like that. That may be good for marketing but only as long as the patient understands what they’re getting,” says Dr. Berman. He says that patients need to understand that these procedures, for the most part, are simply fat transfer procedures. Some physicians do separate and concentrate stem cells before injection, but these are not miracle procedures. More research is needed.
“Sometimes people don’t like the term fat grafting, but that’s what we’re doing. We’re harvesting fat; we’re putting fat back into the face – because that’s what you’re missing. Within the fat there are basically two cells, the fat cell or adipocyte, and the preadipocyte which is simply a stem cell. So technically you are doing a stem cell face lift but the public has to know what you’re really selling,” says Dr. Berman.
I was expecting something more cogent from the head of a society that has many members that market stem cell facelifts. Also, are we supposed to infer that Berman’s comments will set some sort of tone for the AACS meeting, seeing as how the press release appeared the opening day of the event? I’ll ask him and let you know…
A shortened version of Berman’s press release is in wider release than the abovementioned version, and can be found here.
