Author Archive | Dr Bass

SculpSure has just received FDA clearance for reduction of fat in the submental (neck or under the chin) area.  This is the sixth clearance for this totally non-invasive body contouring (shaping or fat reducing) technology.  SculpSure uses laser light to heat fat cells to a point that shocks the cells causing cell death and clearance […]

Belotero is a hyaluronate filler, like Restylane and Juvederm, which has very recently become widely available in the United States.  Experience with use in Europe for the past few years tells us a lot about where it will fit in with other available filler treatments here in the U.S. Also, since a select group of physicians including Dr. Bass have […]

I am back from the Summit in Aesthetic Medicine, the annual meeting  I co-chair with Dr. Christropher Zachary, the Chairman of Dermatology at University of California, Irvine.  This is a meeting attended by plastic surgeons, facial plastic surgeons, oculoplastic surgeons and dermatologists – the “core four” specialties that receive training in aesthetic surgery and medicine during […]

The CoolSculpting treatment has just received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for abdominal fat reduction.  The treatment, which used cold to selectively damage and remove fat cells, had been previously cleared for noninvasive fat layer reduction in the flank or love handle area.  What does this new clearance mean for doctors and patients?  […]

At the beginning of March, the FDA approved a new breast implant manufactured by Sientra Inc. (Santa Barbara, California).  This brings the number of available approved brands of breast implants to three in the United States.  The presence of a new implant option is always a good thing; it drives public interest as well as […]

In December 2011, the FDA approved Belotero, an injectable filler manufactured by Merz Aesthetics, for the treatment of moderate to severe facial folds, like nasolabial folds.  Several hyaluronate fillers have been added to the US marketplace since the initial approval of Restylane in 2004.  Each hyaluronate filler is based on the same basic building block […]

As we pass into a new year, there are those inevitable resolutions to lose weight, eat better and exercise more. Perhaps your goal is to fit into a favorite dress or pair of jeans. We all try to be serious about these resolutions,  but often they are all too easily abandoned in a few weeks. […]

How often do you hear about “no recovery” or “lunchtime” treatments when reading about plastic surgery in the media?  Companies are trying to provide what the public wants: quick, low-risk, low- or no-recovery aesthetic treatments.  But when these so call “no-recovery”  treatments fall short of these goals, the word doesn’t always get out there.  Many […]

Zeltiq Aesthetics Inc. completed their IPO and is now a publicly traded company. Zeltiq is the manufacturer and markets the CoolSculpting system, the first clinically effective non-invasive fat reduction system. What does this business event mean for doctors and patients? The big benefits stem from the new large influx of money, which will allow the company to put […]

Medicis, which distributes Restylane in the United States, just obtained FDA clearance for lip augmentation with Restylane.  Many people have already heard about (or used) Restylane or another hyaluronate filler for lip augmentation.  So why is this clearance big news?  Until now, this use has been “off-label”.  In other words, physicians are using the product […]