With the availability of noninvasive procedures that use injectable fillers to do the work surgery once monopolized, more people than ever before are seeking the elixir of youth that comes now at the end of a needle rather than a knife.
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August 2010For the physicians who wield this needle, communicating the risks of injectable fillers is critical, both to inform the patient of any potential negative outcomes and to modulate the patient’s expectation of what fillers can and cannot do about what nature has either eroded or neglected to give.
Along with educating patients about the number of products available and safely administering the product, Jonathan Sykes, MD, professor and director of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of California (UC) Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, Calif., and president-elect of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, emphasized that his job also involves talking about limitations. “There are some patients who want something that won’t work, or it may take more than one injection” he said. “My job is to provide two-way communication to find out what the patient wants.”