By Wendy Lewis

The Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation (ASERF) launched its new Premier Global Hot Topics “365” Program as a webinar on Tuesday, October 1st.

The ASERF Webinar highlighted some emerging technologies in aesthetic surgery that have developed since the last American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) meeting. ASERF President and Innovative Procedures Committee Co-Chairs William P. Adams, Jr, MD, of Dallas, Texas and Joe Gryskiewicz MD, of Burnsville, MN along with Vice-Chair Simeon Wall, Jr, MD, of Shreveport, LA led an informative panel that included; Introduction of Voluma to the US presented by Chicago’s Julius W. Few, MD, Early Evaluation of New Liposuction Technology – Hydrasolve presented by Bruce W. Van Natta, MD, of Indianapolis, IN New Research in Biofilm – Breast Implant Interactions presented by Australia’s Anand Deva, MD, and lastly, Simple Yet Effective? The Cabochon Cellulite Device presented by Wall.

According to Few, the federal Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel Advisory Committee unanimously recommended approval of Allergan’s Juvéderm Voluma® XC for cheek augmentation in May 2013. Voluma® is a cross-linked hyaluronic acid gel with 0.3% Lidocaine indicated for deep (subcutaneous and/or supraperiosteal) injection in the cheek. FDA clearance is expected in the very near future, said Few.

Van Natta presented his experience with Hydrasolve™’s Tissue Liquefaction Technology (TLT). Using a specially designed cannula, the HydraSolve™ system replaces cutting and shearing of fat tissue with liquefaction of fat tissue while blood vessels, nerves and connective tissues are not affected. As Van Natta said, “HydraSolve™ utilizes its proprietary TLT to selectively liquefy the fat tissue by adding low levels of heat and pressure to natural saline. You need to go slowly with this device. The slower you move, the more fat you can remove. I have found that I can remove more fat quicker with Hydrasolve than with conventional methods.” Hydrasolve is also FDA cleared for autologous fat transfer. The system costs $75,000 and disposable cost per procedure is $600, and is most useful in large liposuction cases, he said.

Deva presented his research on wound healing and surgical infection, especially in relation to implantable medical devices. He discussed evidence that suggests subclinical (biofilm) infection around breast implants is a contributing factor to capsular contracture, and the theory that antibiotic-impregnated mesh can reduce bacterial access to breast implants and protect against biofilms and capsular contracture.

Wall described a novel technology designed to target localized areas of cellulite. The Cabochon system provides controlled and precise subcutaneous tissue release. It is a one-time treatment with short recovery, and rapid results. Side effects noted included some bruising and swelling, which resolved quickly. He presented pivotal and feasibility study data that indicated durability of results out to 40 months. The pivotal study in ongoing and the device was recently FDA cleared, he said. 

Wendy Lewis is president of Wendy Lewis & Co Ltd, Global Aesthetics Consultancy, founder/editor in chief of beautyinthebag.com, and a contributing editor to Plastic Surgery Practice. She can be reached at [email protected].