Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Articles

Needles and fillers are synonymous—for better and for worse. You may dread the former, but your love of the latter’s effects is probably enough to carry you through the treatment.

And yet, a needle isn’t the only way to place facial fillers. In most situations, it may not even be the best way. A 2016 study that compared placing soft-tissue fillers with a needle and a cannula found that the cannula showed “more precision in the placement of product.” When a needle was used, the filler tended to migrate back along the path of the needle, ending up in multiple layers of tissue and skin. The filler placed with a cannula, on the other hand, remained confined to intended location, the deep tissue layers.

The study also indicated that there’s a higher risk of piercing blood vessels when filler is placed with a needle, which can result in bruising and swelling.

I do use a needle to place fillers in certain parts of the face, but, increasingly, Davis Cosmetic Plastic Surgery is turning to the latest-generation cannula, as evidence of its superior comfort and safety mounts.

What is a cannula?

A cannula is also a type of needle, but unlike the kind that’s used by many injectors, the cannula’s tip is blunt. Basically, it looks like a long, thin, flexible tube with a small opening on one side. Its shape and flexibility allows me to inject a variety of locations through a single, small opening, which isn’t possible with a conventional needle.

Fewer injection points, coupled with the reduced risk of piercing blood vessels (and, in turn, less bruising and swelling), equates to less downtime following the procedure.

And that’s not the only significant benefit of the cannula’s unique shape and flexibility. As we age, our skin tends to become undulated across our foreheads and around our mouths and cheeks. It’s the cumulative effect of so many expressions made over and over again. Gradually, the skin becomes tethered to the surface underneath. I can run a cannula under the skin and break up those attachments prior to injecting a filler, further enhancing the filler’s energizing effects.

The future is here

Recently, Restylane Lyft, a hyaluronic acid-based filler, became the first filler of its kind to be approved by the FDA for placement through a cannula in the cheeks and middle of the face. (The FDA has also approved cannula placement of Restylane Silk in the lips.)

In a study that investigated Restylane Lyft’s effects when it was placed in the middle of the face with a cannula, 98.3% of the participants showed aesthetic improvement 16 weeks after treatment, which is quite promising. The takeaway from that is that you could walk away from your next filler treatment with precisely the look you want and much less bruising and swelling to deal with. 

Either way you wish to proceed, we at Davis Cosmetic Plastic Surgery in Cherry Hill is here to make sure we get you the results you want. If you wish to speak to me or one of our team members at DCPS, please contact us and we will setup a virtual consultation.

If the prospect of “going under” is keeping you from committing to the cosmetic plastic surgery you know could make a dramatic difference in your life, consider this: We are performing more and more surgical procedures, like neck lifts and even facelifts, under local anesthesia.

This is a trend Davis Cosmetic Plastic Surgery has practiced for a decade now. Lately, this has gained momentum as plastic surgeons refine their techniques and patients become more enamored with the range of benefits, including that surgery under local anesthesia is less physically taxing, less costly, and, for many, far less intimidating.

Having the option to undergo a growing list of plastic surgery procedures (mini lifts, brow lifts, eyelid lifts, lip lifts, rhinoplasty, breast lifts, and breast implant removals) is making these procedures more accessible to a segment of patients we see who can’t go under general anesthesia, whether because they’re taking a blood thinner or for other medical problems.

But, for most, local anesthesia simply creates a chance to enhance their appearance without worrying about the potential side effects of general anesthesia, including post-operative nausea and vomiting, which is estimated to affect a third of surgical patients. Vomiting after surgery can also lead to increased bruising and swelling, which can lengthen the recovery period.

How Local Anesthesia Works

Local anesthesia affects nerves on a cellular level, shutting down pain receptors so that a patient doesn’t feel anything other than a bit of pressure. A critical difference between local and general anesthesia is that local numbs only the area where it’s injected, while general anesthesia—usually a cocktail of drugs administered through intravenous injection—renders a patient completely unconscious and unable to feel anything.

The most common local anesthesia we use is lidocaine. If you’ve ever had facial filler, you’re probably familiar with its effects because it’s frequently mixed in with the injectable to minimize discomfort at the injection sites.

For more invasive procedures, including surgery, we often use oral sedation, such as Valium, along with local anesthesia. Our goal is to have the patient feel fairly awake, but very relaxed and comfortable. After feeling a few pinches when the local anesthesia is injected, the discomfort is minimal. And then you shouldn’t feel much of anything in that area for a few hours, when the anesthesia finally wears off.

As you consider your plastic surgery options, please know we at Davis Cosmetic Plastic Surgery are here to guide and advise you when it comes to your options and to ensure to receive your desired results.

Please contact us with any questions, or if you wish to have a consultation with Dr. Davis and our staff.