Dr. Boynton's Spring 2007 Newsletter 

What’s new in Aesthetic Surgery?

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon:

Choosing a plastic surgeon is not something that should be taken lightly and can even be quite confusing.  A number of factors should be considered when deciding on a plastic surgeon.  These include surgical training and education, experience,  results, attention to patient safety, personality, and chemistry with the doctor.  But how do you make an informed decision based on a 30 minute consultation?  The answer is DO YOUR RESEARCH!

Before making your consultation appointment you should try to be familiar with the surgeon’s credentials, as most will post their credentials on their web sites; however, deciphering the different information and knowing what that means can sometimes be difficult.  The most important credential your plastic surgeon MUST have is board certification by The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS).  This alone will answer many of the questions stated above in regards to training and education, experience, and sound surgical judgment.  Being board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery means that doctor has undergone the most rigorous surgical training in plastic surgery required by the Board, and that they have passed rigorous written and oral examinations in plastic surgery designed to assess the knowledge, experience, and skills necessary to provide the highest quality of patient care in the specialty of plastic surgery. 

The ABPS is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), which is the umbrella organization that regulates the 24 approved medical specialty boards, including the ABPS, with the development of standard, evaluations and certification of their surgeons.  ABMS is recognized as the “gold standard” in any physician certification. 

Many different “Boards” exist to certify doctors in specialties that are related to Plastic Surgery. Specialty boards in the United States are regulated by the American Board of Medical Specialties. The only plastic surgery-related board recognized and regulated by the American Board of Medical Specialties is the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

The best way of determining if you surgeon possesses the training, education, experience and safety skills is to see if he/she is listed as a board certified plastic surgeon by the ABPS.  To verify a surgeon’s board certification through ABMS and ABPS, following the link http://www.abms.org/login.asp, or call 1-866-ASK-ABMS (275-2267).

Dr. Boynton wishes to provide his patients with this information because as a member of both ABMS and ABPS he is aware of the importance of educating the public about board certification in plastic surgery, because many doctors are performing aesthetic procedures that they have not been formally trained to do.  For all those who have chosen Dr. Boynton as your plastic surgeon, he thanks you and hopes you feel secure knowing he is board certified by the ABMS and ABPS.

Face Lift or Soft Tissue Fillers?

The effects of aging occur gradually and many who suffer from the effects of age on the face find themselves in the position where they are not quite ready for a facelift but desire some improvement.  Modern medicine has responded with several non-surgical answers to this dilemma.  For over 20 years women and men alike have relied on BOTOX to reduce facial wrinkles, one of the most common signs of age.  Today there are a range of what are called soft tissue fillers that are injected into wrinkles and/or hallow areas of the face to give it back the fullness it once had.

As the years have passed, new and better fillers have hit the market.  Some of the more popular ones today include:

• Hyaluronic acid which included Restylane® and Juvéderm™.
• Collagen
• Calcium hydroxylapatite (Radiesse®)
• Poly-L-lactic Acid (Sculptra®)

In addition to BOTOX® and the soft tissue fillers mentioned above fat grafting is another great way of restoring a smoother, more youthful-looking face.  Fat grafting is the process of harvesting your own fat cells from one area of your body and transplanting those cells to another.  Although this process is very safe and there is no risk of an allergic reaction, the number of fat cell that survives the transplant can be a bit unpredictable.  However, for many the use of one’s own tissue is an appealing alternative to the fillers listed above.

When considering any of the procedures listed above remember that each product is different in its chemical make-up, longevity and cost.  Your surgeon can educate you on their differences and help you make the best choice.

These fillers are the simplest and least expensive method of re-contouring the face but are not a replacement for a facelift.  These fillers can be used for smoothing out wrinkles, giving you fuller lips, correcting hollowness around the eyes or cheeks, smoothing out the jaw line, and correcting a deep furrow.

The introduction of the long pulse Nd:YAG lasers with its longer pulsewidths and wavelengths have made it possible to treat patients with darker skin tones and those who have but a small differentiation in skin tone to hair color. Please not that hair with no melanin is still not treatable nor does the Nd:YAG technology offer “permanent hair removal”. 

Lasers built for the purpose of hair reduction can only penetrate 2 millimeters deep into the skin. The majority of the dermal papilla, the only structure of the hair that can reproduce a new root system, is found approximately 4-7 millimeters deep. Therefore, given enough time most if not all hair will return. The Food and Drug Administration acknowledges that there is currently no hair removal procedure that is permanent and will not permit the use of the term “permanent removal”. Anyone claiming otherwise should be approached with skepticism. The FDA has approved a few lasers to claim “permanent reduction”. These few lasers have proven their superior hair reduction efficacy to the FDA and have been certified to make that claim.

At ACPS we are proud to own two Nd:YAG lasers approved by the FDA to claim “permanent reduction”. The Candela corporation’s Gentle:YAG is among the safest and most efficacious lasers on the market. Whether you are fair skinned, dark skinned or well tanned, the GentleYAG can eliminate your need for shaving or waxing. It’s suitable for the delicate small areas like the upper lip and the large areas of a man’s back. 

Swimsuit weather is approaching fast. The time is now to begin your treatments. Download and print the coupon below to receive $300 off your next treatment or package. We have two locations to serve you. One coupon per patient. To make an appointment call (713) 799-9999.