We are very excited to introduce to you a nice advancement and addition to our practice enhancing patient safety. We are now using ultrasound to help guide dermal filler injections at my Dallas facial plastic surgery practice. As plastic surgeons, we are very familiar with facial anatomy. There are certain individuals who have what we call “uncommon anatomy” or “aberrant” anatomy. Patients with atypical anatomy may be at greater risk for developing complications from facial injections including loss of skin. Ultrasound allows us to pick the safest and most effective depth for that patient, to inject the dermal filler product.
What will I experience when I come in?
Prior to injecting patients, we will apply a small amount of ultrasound gel and use a handheld scanner to image the area we are treating.
We will look for blood vessels and their depth to help us to determine where is the ideal place to inject the product to achieve the desired outcome. Most of us have undergone an ultrasound exam in the past. It uses soundwaves to show the underlying structures like skin, fat, muscle, bone and blood vessels. It is a painless procedure.
What areas benefit from ultrasound imaging?
We are imaging all areas we are injecting to confirm the ideal and safest place to inject the product. The procedure adds just a few minutes to your visit and does not hurt.
Can ultrasound be used for anything else?
Ultrasound allows us to image product that has been injected in the past. In some cases, the product can cause prolonged swelling or irregularities in the skin. Should we determine that dissolving the product is needed, ultrasound can allow us to be very precise with our injection of hyaluronidase (dissolves the dermal filler product). This helps optimize your treatment and reverse the filler.
Did you know that ultrasound has been used in medicine for years? It is currently being used in plastic surgery in several other areas including breast implant surveillance and assisting in fat injections. It also helps us treat complications of surgery such as seroma formation (fluid under the skin). The use of ultrasound during your visit will only add a few minutes and can greatly enhance the safety of the chosen procedure. Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
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