A little over a century ago, plastic surgery emerged as a treatment for wounded soldiers in WWI. While the general concept remains the same- meticulous attention to detail, tissue handling and moving tissues from areas of excess to areas of lack, technology has completely revolutionised the possibilities of reconstructive surgery.
Over the last two decades, advanced technology such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality, telemedicine, and robotics have emerged and gained prominence in medical learning and practice, according to the latest studies published in The Journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Here are some of the latest tech innovations in the field of plastic surgery:
Hybrid Breast Augmentation
Also called composite breast augmentation, involves using fat to enhance the results of breast enhancement using implants. In other words, This procedure combines breast implants with fat transfer to the breasts and it is becoming increasingly popular with women and surgeons alike as it allows for the use of less heavy silicone implants and better, more natural soft tissue cover and feel of the breasts.
For hybrid breast augmentation, the surgery begins with harvesting fat from an area of excess or where it’s unwanted, such as the abdomen, flanks, or thighs, using gentle liposuction. The benefit of this approach is that it enables plastic surgeons to customize breast augmentation procedures even more than they do now. The implants used in hybrid breast augmentation are often lighter, softer and placed over the muscle thereby allowing less tissue disruption. Less downtime and quicker recovery.
Smart Lipo
Liposuction is one of the top two most popular plastic surgeries in UK, USA and across the globe. Modern smart lipo uses laser technology, which melts away excess fat in liquid form and is noninvasive, unlike traditional liposuction which involves removing solid fat using a large cannula. One of the major advantages of choosing Smart Lipo, however, is that it is also a skin tightening procedure. Since traditional liposuction only removes fat, patients may end up with deflated or loose areas.
Fat transfer/stem cell work
Plastic surgery has always been a pioneering surgical speciality. It is at the forefront of innovations throughout medicine – the development of microvascular surgery, pedicled and free flap surgery, stem cell work, and tissue grafting.
Plastic surgeons are therefore very often au fait with technologies and techniques way ahead of the media or social media world and are aware of just what can be achieved.
The willingness and desire to change things about yourself that you do not like are now better able to be accommodated. The aesthetic supply now beginning to more closely match the seemingly unquenchable demand for perfection, beauty and youth that every generation demands.
If you’re considering plastic surgery in 2022, schedule a consultation with an awfully trained FRCS (Plast) plastic surgeon. They can help you choose the right procedure for you based on your health history and aesthetic goals.
