ANOTHER LOOK AT FACIAL AESTHETIC HEALTH
First approach to reshaping the neck and facial contour par le RENUVION or J plasma
Dr Béatrice Lafarge Claoué Plastic and Aesthetic Surgeon Past president of SFCE Member of SFCEP and ISAPS Former medical director of Clinique Alphand
Our patients want less invasive techniques to rejuvenate their necks and correct the loss of facial contours. They are afraid of scarring and want gentle, early procedures.
So, while I and my patients are pleased with the gentle contour lifts, it's worth making room for scar-free techniquesas surgical radiofrequency which consists of introducing a radiofrequency cannula under the skin, in relation to deep structures, whose retractive power is enhanced by helium gas (the surface temperature is reached in thousandths of a second).
It's a surgical procedure that requires training. But it's a highly effective procedure, performed under local anaesthetic, which gives patients a great deal of satisfaction.
Our new challenge is not to neglect these new tools in our arsenal!
The challenge is to act on tissue ptosis without incision, which could create visible scars.
-
Achieve retraction of difficult areas such as the chin area, and treat very young patients (40 years old) with early signs of facial oval loss and neck wilting.
-
Improve contours, both cutaneous and muscular, through associated retraction. The appearance of the skin is improved by collagen regeneration.
-
This technique is also indicated for improving patients who have already undergone a facelift with an imperfect result, or patients who are too old.
-
Of course, this also applies to patients with a history of keloids.
This is a minimally invasive surgical technique with several 3 mm puncture points, minimal social eviction, no bruising due to subcutaneous coagulation, no pain but a sensation of subcutaneous crackling if the gas is not evacuated properly.
Renuvion plasma helium delivers energy by means of monopolar radiofrequency waves in an environment of ionized helium gas.
The principle is to heat the subcutaneous tissue for retraction and neo-collagenesis while destroying superficial fat.
The face, jowls and neck must be well infiltrated to allow the radiofrequency cannula to work its way in, if necessary by channelling the areas to be treated with or without liposculpture, depending on the fatty impasto.
As with all procedures, a consent form and post-operative instructions must be signed.
You have to wait for the final result, which will evolve over 6 months.
Learning to use the equipment (cannula) and adjusting the helium and power is essential. I've been using an antero-retrograde technique for over a year now.
I make 5 passes back and forth along the pre-drawn axes and sometimes between them, depending on the thickness of the skin and the degree of retraction required.
Power in the face and neck is 30 to 40 %, with helium flow reduced to 1.5 L to avoid excessive swelling.
So far, I've had no nerve complications or skin burns (one patient complained of tooth sensitivity).
The patients are all satisfied, but I only promise a 50% improvement, and I write this on an advance document.
Conclusion
To be effective, the right energy must be delivered, depending on the area and thickness of the skin.
It is useful to make a pre-passage with a foam cannula when the subcutaneous tissue is fibrous to prevent the cannula from becoming blocked, and it is very important to make multiple puncture points to evacuate the gas.
Patient satisfaction was 90 %, which is rare in aesthetic procedures.
Bibliography
-
https://physicians.renuvion.com/a-prospective-multicenter-evaluator-blinded-study-evaluating-the-safety-and-effectiveness-of-the-renuvion-apr-device-to-improve-the-appearance-of-lax-tissue-in-the-neck-and-submental-regio/
-
https://physicians.renuvion.com/a-retrospective-chart-review-of-subdermal-neck-coagulation-using-helium-plasma-technology/
-
https://physicians.renuvion.com/a-prospective-multicenter-evaluator-blinded-study-evaluating-the-safety-and-effectiveness-of-the-renuvion-apr-device-to-improve-the-appearance-of-lax-tissue-in-the-neck-and-submental-regio-2/
