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Bid for Surgery: Collagen Injections
Collagen
Injections
| Procedure: |
Plump up creased, furrowed, or sunken
facial skin; add fullness to lips and backs of hands. Works best on thin, dry,
light-colored skin. |
| Risk Factor: |
Collagen: Allergic reaction including rash,
hives, swelling, or flu-like symptoms; possible triggering of connective-tissue or
autoimmune diseases. (A skin test is required before collagen treatment to determine
whether an allergy exists.) Also: Contour irregularities, infection. |
| Side Effects: |
Temporary stinging, throbbing, or burning
sensation. Faint redness, swelling, excess fullness. |
| Length: |
15 minutes to 1 hour per session. |
| Anesthesia: |
Collagen: usually none; local may be
included with the
injection. |
| In/Out: |
Outpatient. |
| Recovery: |
Usually 2-24 hrs. |
| Duration: |
Variable; a few months to 1 year. |
| The Procedure |
Soft-tissue fillers, most commonly injectable
collagen or fat, can help fill in these lines and creases, temporarily restoring a
smoother, more youthful-looking appearance. When injected beneath the skin, these fillers
plump up creased and sunken areas of the face. They can also add fullness to the lips and
cheeks. Injectable fillers may be used alone or in conjunction with a resurfacing
procedure,
such as a laser treatment, or a recontouring procedure, such as a facelift.
If you're considering a facial-rejuvenation treatment with collagen or fat, this brochure
will give you a basic understanding of the procedure - when injectables can help, how the
procedure is performed, and what results you can expect. It may not answer all of your
questions, since a lot depends on your individual circumstances. Please ask your doctor if
there is anything about the
procedure you don't understand. |
|
| Knowing your options |
Injected collagen and fat are primarily used to
improve the appearance of the skin's texture. They can help fill out deep facial wrinkles,
creases and furrows, "sunken" cheeks, skin depressions and some types of scars.
They can also be used to add a fuller, more sensuous look to the lips.
Injectables are usually not sufficient for severe surface wrinkles on the face, such as
multiple vertical "lipstick lines" that sometimes form around the mouth.
Instead, your plastic surgeon may suggest a resurfacing technique, such as chemical peel,
dermabrasion or laser treatments. Rather than filling in facial lines, resurfacing methods
strip away the outer layers of the skin to produce a smoother appearance.
Deep folds in the face or brow caused by overactive muscles or by loose skin may be more
effectively treated with cosmetic surgery, such as a facelift or browlift. Injectables are
sometimes used in conjunction with facial surgery procedures; however, injectables alone
cannot change facial contour the way surgery can.
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| Types of anesthesia |
Collagen: Because the anesthetic agent
lidocaine is mixed in with collagen, additional anesthetic is usually not used. However,
if you are especially sensitive to pain, your doctor may use a topical cream anesthetic or
a freon spray to numb the injected area. Or, you may elect to have an injected local
anesthetic or sedative drugs. |
| Fat: |
Both the donor and recipient sites are numbed
with local anesthesia. Sedation can be used as well. If you elect to use sedation, be sure
to arrange for a ride home after your treatment. |
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The Treatments
Collagen |
Collagen is a naturally
occurring protein that provides support to various parts of the human body: the skin, the
joints, the bones and the ligaments. Injectable collagen, patented by the Collagen
Corporation under the trade names Zyderm and Zyplast, is derived from purified bovine
collagen.
The purification process creates a product similar to human collagen. Injectable collagen
received approval from the Food and Drug Administration in1981. It is produced in various
thicknesses to meet individual patient needs.
Collagen is used primarily to fill wrinkles, lines and scars on the face and sometimes the
neck, back and chest.
The procedure: Treatment with collagen can begin after a skin test determines
that you're not allergic to the substance. 4-6 weeks later if there is no allergic
reaction, treatment constrains. The collagen is injected using a fine needle inserted at
several points along the edge of the treatment site. If a local anesthesia has not been
used, you may feel some minor stinging or burning as the injections are administered.
Years of squinting and other facial
muscle movements can take their toll
on the eye area, leaving crow's feet
and other noticeable lines
Since part of the substance is salt water that will be absorbed by the
body within a few days, your doctor will slightly overfill the area. You may be asked to
hold a hand mirror during the procedure to help your doctor decide when you've had enough.
After treatment: Immediately following treatment, you may notice some minor discomfort,
stinging or throbbing in the injected area. Occasionally some bruising or swelling will
occur, but it is usually minor. Any redness that appears in the injected site usually
disappears within 24 hours. However, in some individuals, particularly fair-skinned
patients, this redness may persist for a week or more.
Tiny scabs may also form over the needle-stick areas; these generally heal quickly.
No bandaging is needed and you are free to eat, drink, and wear makeup with sunblock
protection shortly thereafter. There may be some temporary swelling and redness in the
treated area which should dissipate within a few days. If these symptoms persist, contact
your surgeon.
After treatment, the skin around the eye
area appears smoother and more taut.
Results: As stated earlier, the duration of results from collagen
injections is variable. Collagen's longevity depends on the patient's lifestyle and
physical characteristics as well as the part of the body treated. In general, the injected
material is likely to disappear faster in areas that are more affected by muscle movement.
Your doctor can help you determine how long you can go between treatments to best maintain
your results.
The procedure: After both the donor and recipient sites are cleansed and treated
with a local anesthesia, the fat is withdrawn using a syringe with a large-bore needle or
a cannula (the same instrument used in liposuction) attached to a suction device. The fat
is then prepared and injected
into the recipient site with a needle. Sometimes an adhesive bandage is applied over the
injection site.
Lines and creases that form around the
mouth are usually caused by gravity
and a breakdown of tissues beneath the skin.
As with collagen, "overfilling" is necessary to allow for fat
absorption in the weeks following treatment. When fat is used to fill sunken cheeks or to
correct areas on the face other than lines, this overcorrection of newly injected fat may
temporarily make the face appear abnormally puffed
out or swollen. |
| Fat |
In the medical world, the fat-injection
procedure is known as autologous fat transplantation or microlipoinjection. It involves
extracting fat cells from the patient's abdomen, thighs, buttocks or elsewhere and
reinjecting them beneath the facial skin. Fat is most often used to fill in
"sunken"
cheeks or laugh lines between the nose and mouth, to correct skin depressions or
indentations, to minimize forehead wrinkles and to enhance the lips. |
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| Do I have to stay in a hospital
after the surgery? |
No, Outpatient only |
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| Risk factors, complications, side effects?
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Risks related to injectables
When injectables are administered by a qualified plastic surgeon, complications are
infrequent and usually minor in nature. Still, individuals vary greatly in their anatomy,
their physical reactions and their healing abilities. The outcome of treatment with
injectables is never completely predictable.
Collagen: Allergic reaction is the primary risk of collagen. To help determine if
you are allergic to the substance, your surgeon will perform an allergy skin test about a
month before the procedure.
After the test is performed, the test site should be watched carefully for three or four
weeks, or as long as your surgeon advises. Any sign of redness, itching, swelling or other
occurrences at the test site should be reported to your surgeon.
Risks not necessarily related to allergies include infection, abscesses, open sores, skin
peeling,
scarring and lumpiness, which may persist over the treated area. Reports of these problems
are very rare.
Fat: Allergic reaction is not a factor for fat because it's harvested from a
patient's own body.
However, there is still a small risk of infection and other infrequent complications. |
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| How long would recovery take? |
After treatment: If a larger area was treated,
you may be advised to curtail your activity for a brief time. However, many patients are
able to resume normal activity immediately. You can expect some swelling, bruising or
redness in both the donor and recipient sites. The severity of these symptoms depends upon
the size and location of the treated area. You should stay out of the sun until the
redness and bruising subsides - usually about 48 hours. In the meantime, you may use
makeup with sunblock protection to help conceal your condition.
The swelling and puffiness in the recipient site may last several weeks, especially if a
large area was filled.
The lower face appears firmer and
smoother after treatment with injectables.
Lines around the mouth are filled in and
nearly imperceptible.
Results: The duration of the fat injections varies significantly from
patient to patient. Though some patients have reported results lasting a year or more, the
majority of patients find that at least half of the injected fullness disappears within
3-6 months. Therefore, repeated injections may be necessary. Your doctor will advise you
on how to maintain your results with repeat treatments. |
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| Would I have a new look? |
If you're like most patients, you'll be very
satisfied with the results of your injectable treatments.
You may be surprised at the pleasing results that can be gained from this procedure. 
With regular follow-up treatments,
your refreshed look can be easily
maintained.
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| Cost of this procedure varies with region from a low of
$500 to a high of $1,290. This cost includes surgeon's fee, anesthesia, and facility
costs. |
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