CosmeticSurg blog: Expert insights from Dr. Ricardo L. Rodriguez

Discover the benefits of an extended tummy tuck with top Baltimore Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Ricardo Rodriguez.  The Extended Tummy Tuck extracts loose skin not only in the abdomen, but also around the flanks and backside.

(originally published August 13, 2012) It’s been over two months since I updated my database of Adipose Stem Cell Clinical Trials. I am tracking registered Clinical Trials in the ClinicalTrials.gov database. A lot has happened in only two months! Eight new Clinical Trials have been registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov database since June 1, 2012. This brings the all time total of Adipose Stem Cell Clinical Trials to 62.

(originally published July 3, 2012)

Spain…soccer world superstar. But what about stem cells?! If there was a world cup for stem cells, Spain would get that too! While Spain is the world leader of Soccer, they are also the dominant player in a new arena of stem cell research. According to information publicly available at ClinicalTrials.gov, Spain is the leader in clinical trials using adipose stem cells. And just like Soccer, compared to other countries, it’s not even close! adipose stem cell clinical trial leaders As of early June 2012, Spain has registered at least 18 different clinical trial locations using adipose stem cells. Mexico and Korea are next with 11 and 10 trials respectively. And what of the great USA, the hot bed of medical innovation? We have a grand total of 3 trials. We pose the question: Has any U.S. money gone to funding these overseas trials?

This week I will focus on whether each of the 54 existing adipose stem cell trials used autologous or allogeneic stem cells. This analysis therefore includes all adipose clinical trials, regardless of recruitment status. Why is knowing whether a clinical trial used autologous or allogeneic adipose stem cells important? It is important because each category represents a different sector of the health care industry. Thus, it gives a hint as to whether Pharma, Device Makers, or Personalized Medicine are leading the new era of Regenerative Medicine.

Anyone who reads this blog knows that we are passionate about the future of adipose stem cells, the stem cells that are derived from your own fat. Many people know about their ability to enhance fat grafts for Breast reconstruction, but we hear very little in the general media about their ability to cure and treat many diseases. Unless you are a biotech investor hanging out in Cytori message boards, you may not know that many Phase I clinical trials with adipose stem cells have even been completed.

Dr. Ricardo Rodriguez, a Yale trained Plastic Surgeon with 20 years experience, explains why minimally manipulated adult stem cells for autologous usage should not be considered ‘drugs’. There are rumblings that the FDA will classify all adult stem cells as ‘drugs’. Fat cells are a type of adult stem cell. Is your own fat a drug? Read about it in his CosmeticSurg Blog.

(originally published Sept 11, 2011) Unless you are a science major, understanding the topic of stem cells can be daunting. The mainstream media has provided some good articles on the topic of stem cells, but there is a lot of misleading information out there.

Often times mainstream media lumps all stem cells into one category to imply that all therapies are a decade away and that very little clinical data exists. That is simply not categorically true. In an effort to give you a mile high view of the stem cell world, we made a graphic, Stem Cell Types – Debunking Misconceptions.

(Originally published January 11, 2012 ) Several years ago we became fascinated with the potential of adipose stem cells for both cosmetic and medical purposes. However, we soon discovered that nothing in the written FDA guidelines specifically addressed the use of autologous adipose stem cells.

Thus began our journey for an answer. In June 2009, we sent a letter to the FDA asking for a position statement on adipose stem cells. Our request focused specifically on autologous, freshly isolated, adipose stem cells for use in reconstruction. These stem cells are from your own fat, for your own usage, and not culture expanded in a lab. After a very long wait, we recently received a written response from the FDA. First, a little bit of background for any stem cell newbies….

President Obama ordered federal agencies, such as the FDA, to search their books and strike any overburdensome regulations. In June, the FDA quietly posted a request for comments to any existing regulations that are burdensome or outdated by technology. We passed the link on to Professor Mary Chirba who then submitted comments to the FDA regarding autologous stem cell therapies. She has graciously given us permission to post her comments here on our blog.

Most patients are often surprised by the choices and considerations they’re faced with when considering a Breast augmentation.

Looking at your breasts the way a doctor does can be an emotional event full of new information which may be hard to process. However, it is essential that you and your doctor are ‘on the same page’ regarding the type of implant and surgical approach that will be used.  

After the initial consultation, I prefer to see all of my patients one more time to be sure that we have answered all of the questions.

I did my first case of micro fat grafting to the face over 20 years ago. It was a patient that had acne scarring in her face. During the decade of the 90’s I had tried laser for that problem, under the theory that you could level the skin.

Frankly the results were OK, not great, because the pits were not filled. Fat grafting was used to fill the pits under the skin. The great surprise was how good the skin looked after the fat injections ! The skin became rosier, softer, and just younger looking.

There are several factors which contribute to visible breast implant rippling. The most common factors are:

1. Type implant: saline, gel silicon, or gummy bear silicone
2. Amount of coverage of the implant by your own soft tissue cover (skin, breast gland, fatty tissues)
3. How much of the implant is placed under the muscle

In summary, Laser resurfacing technologies destroy tissue (which the body repairs), while fat grafting (Fat injections) builds up and regenerates tissues.

Most lasers shoot a high energy beam which vaporizes cells, whereas fat grafting techniques mobilize teams of repair cells to bring more blood supply and nutrients to your face.

I believe that stem cell enhanced fat grafting offers an advantage to lasers currently being used by plastic surgeons and dermatologists. Fat grafts are the most natural way to get a long lasting youthful rejuvenation of your face.

Let’s clarify what lip lift does first. The lip lift shortens the long space between the base of the nose and the upper lip. Some people are born with a longer space, while other people start to notice it more during the aging process.

Here are the considerations to make when planning the procedure, and the steps involved in the procedure.

Why does the butt look lifted in a BBL?

It’s all about how the eye perceives shapes. When you look at the back of a typical woman what you think is the butt is really a combination of two separate fat pockets:

1. the buttock itself
2. the flank, or “back muffin top” above the buttocks

The combination of the two fat volumes creates a visual unit. It is longer than it is wide so the butt appears to be droopy or sagging. From the side it appears there is no shelf but a long slope that makes the buttock look like it is hanging. If you eliminate the back muffin top above the buttock there are a lot of perception changes that result.