My theme for this year as President of The Aesthetic Foundation is “to make a difference”. The Foundation is in a unique position as the research, education, and charitable arm of The Aesthetic Society to achieve that goal.
Foundation sponsored research has affected the practices and patients of aesthetic plastic surgeons worldwide. In my six years on the Board, I have seen the level of research become exponentially more complex with exciting implications for improved outcomes and safety for our patients. Last year we awarded over $300,000 in grants including studies on lateral flow assay for detection of ALCL in implant seromas, Cytotoxicity of Implant Exposed Serum on Breast Cancer, and Increasing SMAS Durability vs Photochemical Passivation for Facelifts. We were thrilled that the Spotlight on Research Luncheon, where 7 Foundation sponsored research studies were presented, had over 100 attendees, the largest audience ever for the luncheon, allowing surgeons and industry representatives to see first-hand, the high-level research being conducted.
The externship program matched 35 medical students from schools without plastic surgery programs to mentor plastic surgeons all over the country. Our goal is a mentor in every state so we can match students with Mentors in their geographic area to reduce travel expenses and allow us to help more students. If you are interested in becoming a Mentor, please contact The Foundation at [email protected].
MENTOR HERE
Breast implant safety is at the top of the list of concerns from patient groups and the FDA. Implant registries enhance safety because of the ability to track implants which could lead to early identification of implant related issues and provide transparency which could increase patient confidence in breast implants. The ARISE registry, powered by Aesthetic One, has been upgraded to a new platform for better functionality. The registry is now fully compatible for registration of Allergan, Mentor, Motiva and Tiger Aesthetics implants. There are over 300 surgeons currently using ARISE to register their implants with 70,000+ implants currently in the registry with 12,000 added since February. ARISE does not just collect the implant data for registration with the manufacturer, but also the details how and why the procedures are performed, the type, style, and volume of the implant, whether soft tissue support or funnels are used, and information on whether and what type of pocket irrigation is used. Data on reason and timing for reoperation is also collected. Explantation without implant replacement can also be entered into ARISE. Understanding the timing and reasoning for implant removal can give valuable insight to understand complications and patient concerns. We encourage all surgeons to stop faxing and use ARISE to register implants and track valuable data.
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We have tremendous opportunity to make a difference for our patients through The Aesthetic Foundation research, the Externship program, and ARISE. These programs are funded through our Foundation dues and donations. If you are not a Foundation member, please consider joining, it is $200 well spent!
Sincerely,
Patricia McGuire, MD
President, The Aesthetic Foundation
Contact The Foundation at: [email protected]
