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Cosmetic Surgery
Cosmetic Procedures - A Regenerative Refresh
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Sep 14, 2021 - 7:24:16 AM
(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Mayo Clinic has launched a regenerative cosmetic service for patients aimed at resetting the body's clock to a time of more youthful function and appearance. The Multidisciplinary Cosmetic Center at Mayo Clinic in Arizona pairs general and facial plastic surgery with dermatologists, gynecologists, vascular surgery, urologists and aestheticists to deliver services grounded in scientific evidence and the latest regenerative technologies.
"The emotional and psychosocial benefits of cosmetic surgery are well-researched and clearly documented. It can literally give people their life back," says Michael Hinni, M.D., medical director of the Multidisciplinary Cosmetic Center in Arizona. "The Multidisciplinary Cosmetic Surgery Center strives to go beyond improving appearance to restoring health. Our procedures are backed by safety data and delivered by board-certified specialists."
Regenerative medicine is an emerging field that seeks to repair, replace or restore damaged or diseased cells, tissues or organs. Mayo Clinic's Center for Regenerative Medicine is at the vanguard of this movement. It supports the Multidisciplinary Cosmetic Center as part of its objective of advancing a regenerative approach to clinical care.
Going beyond standard treatments
Treatments aimed at rewinding tissues to a younger physical condition often focus on standard botulinum toxin, or Botox, injections and surgeries such as face-lifts. While the Multidisciplinary Cosmetic Center provides standard care, it also offers regenerative options, such as:
"Mayo is the one medical center where we bridge the science and research around cosmetics, facial reconstruction and regenerative medicine to provide new options for addressing unmet patient needs, particularly after cancer or traumatic injury," says Brittany Howard, M.D., an otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon. Mayo Clinic has several services that offer a regenerative approach to cosmetic surgery.
Watch: Multidisciplinary Cosmetic Center in Arizona.
Fat grafts to rejuvenate appearance
Fat grafting, also called fat injection, is a procedure that surgically transfers a patient's adipose, or fat, tissue from one area of the body to another to restore natural curves and fullness. Research has documented that adipose tissue is brimming with mesenchymal stem cells that promote healing and stromal vascular fraction cells that reduce inflammation, replace damaged cells and trigger tissue regeneration. Both types of stem cells have been well-studied and found to be safe.
"One of the things that happens with age is the face hollows. Rather than do eyelid surgery and face-lift surgery, we offer surgery to move the fat pads into more appropriate places," says Dr. Hinni. "We believe scientific data show it to be an effective way to help heal damaged tissue and restore the fullness of a youthful appearance."
Fat grafting is a reconstructive, cosmetic procedure for people who want to try to reverse the effects of disease, trauma, congenital defects, cancer or aging.
Platelet-rich plasma for skin renewal, hair loss
Platelets spun from a person's blood and injected through microneedles to the surface layers of skin is a regenerative procedure for aging and sun-damaged tissue. Known as platelet-rich plasma, this concentration of plasma contains natural growth factors and extracellular vesicles that function like a cargo service delivering healing messages to exact tissues in need of repair.
"With platelet-rich plasma, you actually see a reset of the genes that are being transcribed by the cells. The cells will go back to producing proteins and genes more along the profile of what they were like 10 years ago versus an individual's actual age," says Dr. Howard.
Platelet-rich plasma injections are also a new treatment option for alopecia — hair loss and baldness. Research at Mayo Clinic in Florida discovered that platelet-rich plasma worked as well as topical treatments or pills to facilitate hair regrowth and had no significant side effects.