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Combat Hair Loss with Robotic Hair Transplantation

A recent survey conducted by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) showed that men and women around the world are seeking to correct hair loss while they’re younger rather than putting it off until later in life.
Since the ISHRS starting tracking data on hair restoration in 2004, the extrapolated worldwide volume of surgical hair restoration procedures performed from 2004 to 2012 increased 85 percent.  What explains this tremendous increase in people seeking help for hair loss, even during tough economic times?  We believe the unprecedented growth and increased popularity in hair restoration over the past decade can be directly attributed to the continual refinements and advances in this type of surgery – together with proven medical therapies – that produce natural-looking, permanent results.
Other key findings of the survey include:

  • The number of women undergoing hair restoration surgery worldwide increased 20 percent from 2004 to 2012
  • Patients aged 30 to 49 sought treatment for hair loss more than any other age group
  • In 2012, ISHRS members chose John Mayer and Sofia Vergara as the celebrities with the best hair

Hair Loss Treatments

We offer a variety of hair loss treatments to suit our patients’ every need and busy lifestyles. Dr. Mark Bishara stays current with the latest in hair restoration technology to offer you the most effective solutions and help you reach your aesthetic goals. With solutions ranging from non-surgical treatments to more in-depth procedures like a hair transplant, you can reverse the effects of hair loss and achieve the look you desire. To learn more about our treatment options, or to set up a consultation with our skilled and experienced hair restoration surgeon.
Hair Transplantation
During a hair transplant, hair is redistributed from fuller areas of the head, typically the sides and back of the head, to the balding or thinning areas. These grafts are placed to create a natural appearing result. The new hair follicles act as your normal hair, growing at the same rate as the rest of the area. The procedure can help you achieve a fuller head of hair and the results are permanent.

The ARTAS® Robotic System

ARTAS_System_Small
The ARTAS® Robotic System is a highly advanced surgical device used to harvest follicular unit grafts. It contains infrared cameras as well as state-of-the-art software to provide accurate follicle information for the most precise and efficient hair restoration surgery. ARTAS incorporates a number of elements in its operation, including an image-guided robotic arm and special imaging technologies that co-ordinate together for the purpose of implementing the “follicular unit extraction (FUE)” technique upon the recipient of the system. This procedure is available for both men AND women.
In our practice, we offer patients some of the latest techniques in hair restoration surgery and proven medical treatments that can help men and women permanently restore thinning hair.  If you are interested in hair restoration treatments, including ARTAS robotic hair transplants, and the latest treatment options, we would be happy to speak with you or invite you for a consult at our office.  Please call our office at (817) 473-2120, visit our website at www.MarkBisharaMD.com.

 

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Fun Facts About Breasts and Breast Augmentation

Quick, name three materials other than silicone or saline that have used historically for breast augmentation! On what animal were recent predecessors of modern silicone implants first tested on? Think you know? Breast augmentation is one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries in the United States, and it isn’t surprising when you consider the level of satisfaction most women report after their surgery. However, very few know the history of augmentation and statistics that surround this popular procedure. Read on to learn a brief history of breast augmentation, as well as the reasons why women seek breast augmentation and other fun facts.

BREAST AUGMENTATION IN THE 19TH CENTURY

Long before modern silicone and saline implants were available, women were subjected to a number of questionable materials when seeking breast enhancement. At one time, surgeons used materials such as glass balls, carved ivory, wood chips, peanut oil, and even ox cartilage to fill out the breasts. The resulting complications are too disturbing to describe.
In the 1880s, an Austrian physician named Robert Gersuny began to offer paraffin injections in the breasts as an augmentation method. However, women suffered from complications such as having unnatural hard masses in the breasts to experiencing life-threatening conditions such as blood clots in the lungs and brain. Later, silicone was injected directly into the breasts without good results, although with significantly fewer complications than Gersuny’s methods and materials. Scarily, these methods of breast augmentation are still in use in some parts of Asia.

20TH CENTURY BREAST AUGMENTATION ADVANCES

Moving forward to the 1960s, an American surgeon named Thomas Cronin was carrying a bag of blood when he realized that it was similar in consistency to a human breast. Cronin had already developed silicone prosthetics and realized that he could put together the idea of a solid bag with silicone gel to form implants. Cronin and his colleague, Frank Gerow, developed the first true predecessor to modern breast implants. The first prototypes were implanted in a dog named Esmeralda.
After World Wars I and II, mass media such as movies and magazines began to place wider emphasis on appearances, and starlets such as Marilyn Monroe were often cited as the ideal for body shape and breast size. This created a push for proper surgical solutions for women who were unsatisfied with their breasts.
Technology advanced fairly rapidly after Cronin and Gerow’s developments, and now breast implants are safer than ever before with oversight by the Food and Drug Administration (the FDA). Although there are risks with any procedure, cosmetic or otherwise, breast implants have come so far in terms of both materials and surgical approach that breast augmentation is now often considered one of the safest of all surgeries performed in the United States.

WHAT ABOUT BREAST IMPLANTS USED TODAY?

In the United States, the FDA currently has approved two types of implants, both of which are encased in silicone shells. The choice of material inside the implants is either silicone or saline. Thirty-one percent of implants used in the United States are saline-filled, and these implants may come either pre-filled or they may be filled after they are placed. Saline implants are FDA-approved for women 18 years of age and older. The remaining 69 percent are filled with a stable, silicone gel. Silicone gel implants are available pre-filled, and are FDA-approved for women over the age of 22.
If you have been considering breast augmentation, a great first step is to schedule a consultation with Dr. Mark Bishara at The Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa. Call us today at (817) 473-2120 to schedule your consultation. We look forward to meeting you!

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Robotic Hair Transplants Information

Like good health and youth, most of us take a thick head of hair for granted — that is, until it is gone. For many people, hair transplant procedures can help bring back the appearance of a full — or at least a fuller — head of hair.

Overview of Robotic Hair Transplant Procedures

Robotic hair transplant surgery is a logical advance in the technology of Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). The potential advantages of Robotic FUE (R-FUE) over traditional FUE procedures include:

  • Increased accuracy of harvesting grafts to minimize damage to follicles
  • Ability to use FUE in a wider variety of patients
  • Reduced harvesting time
  • Increased graft survival

Follicular Unit Extraction is a harvesting procedure where hair is removed directly from the donor region of the scalp as individual, naturally-occurring groups of 1-4 hairs. The technique consists of two main steps: 1) Separation of the follicular units from the surrounding skin, and 2) Extraction (removal) of the follicular units from the scalp.
Step one, the separation of the follicular units from the surrounding donor tissue, is a highly repetitive and labor intensive process that requires great precision. This step requires the centering of the punch over the follicular unit and the alignment of the dissecting instrument with the follicles to prevent damage. This step, which must be repeated manually hundreds to thousands of times in a typical FUE procedure, subjects the patient to significant human variability and error.
The problem associated with the initial step of separating follicular units from the surrounding tissue has been a major challenge for FUE practitioners. A significant advance towards minimizing trauma to follicular units in this first step was to divide it into two parts; sharp, followed by blunt dissection. This additional step reduces the chance of injury to the lower part of the follicles during dissection. The current robotic system is based on this concept.

 

Risks and Costs of Treatment

 
The cost of hair transplantation will depend largely on the amount of hair to be transplanted, but it generally ranges from $4,000 to $15,000. The procedure is rarely covered by insurance.
As with any surgical procedure, hair transplantation carries risks, including bleeding and infection. Other risks that can occur with hair transplants include scarring and unnatural-looking new hair growth.
Around the time new hair growth starts, some people experience inflammation or infection of the hair follicles, called folliculitis. This can be relieved with antibiotics and compresses. Another potential risk is the sudden loss of transplanted hair, called shock loss. Fortunately, this hair loss is rarely permanent.
If you are bothered by thinning hair or balding, hair transplantation can significantly improve your appearance and self-confidence. However, it is important to understand that hair transplantation is just that — transplantation of hair you already have to a place where it is more visible. It does not create new hair.
To minimize the risks and improve the success of surgery, it is important to undergo hair transplantation only if you are healthy. You should always discuss the potential risks and benefits of any surgery with your doctor.
This Information is brought to you courtesy of Dr. Bishara and The Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa

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Silicone Breast Implants

Breast augmentation surgery, also known as augmentation mammoplasty, involves enlarging or reshaping the breast with the use of an implant. If you are thinking about getting breast augmentation surgery, there are a few things you should know before embarking on the process. The first thing is to not be intimidated by the word “surgery”. This type of cosmetic enhancement is one of the most common types of procedures performed in the United States, with thousands of women having breast augmentation done every year.
About Silicone Implants
Silicone implants are considered to be more realistic in that the gel with which they are filled has a similar consistency to breast tissue. Saline implants are firmer and filled with salt water instead of gel. While there is the potential for a silicone gel implant to rupture as a result of an injury, this is a rare event. If it does rupture, the silicone should remain within the implant shell or move to the implant pocket. If a saline implant ruptures, its contents will be absorbed by the body.

  • Silicone is used safely in the body in many medical devices and products, including pacemakers, hear valves, artificial joints and baby pacifiers
  • Silicone gel breast implants are among the most studied medical devices in existence, with thousands of peer-reviewed and published reports on studies
  • Silicone implants have a softer feel that is closer to that of natural breast tissue than saline implants

Dr. Mark Bishara provides a wide range of cosmetic procedures to help patients look and feel their best. These procedures are designed to improve the appearance of the face and body through minimally invasive techniques that provide highly effective results. Many of these procedures can be combined in order to achieve your desired appearance. Please call our office for more information at (817) 473-2120 or visit our website at www.MarkBisharaMD.com.
Please visit our Facebook page at The Paragon Plastic Surgery and Medspa

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Blueprint to the Aesthetic Consult

BluePrint to the Aesthetic Consult

FEBRUARY 2015
Today’s aesthetic patient does not want to look good . . . they expect to look fantastic! These patients have high treatment expectations and are willing to pay for great results even in a difficult economic climate. Let me echo that again: patients are willing to pay for great results. But, the results and the experience must be extraordinary. This all begins with the critical aesthetic consult. I believe that the consult is the single differentiating factor between thriving practices and those that struggle.  I continue to be amazed (and disappointed) in the lack of time and effort, many practices dedicate to the consult.  
Understanding a patient’s cosmetic goals goes a long way to achieving complete patient satisfaction and long term loyalty. The main purpose of all aesthetic consults is to find the “Real Reason” why your patient wants to look better —it almost always has very little to do with the initial stated reason. When in fact you find this reason, it yields a raw emotional response from the patient.  If you can evoke that emotional response, you are on the threshold creating a loyal patient for life, but this takes time, effort, and good listening skills.  As I’ve said many times, it’s about paying attention to the details.
Always try to avoid the temptation to prejudge the patient. It is important to understand that it’s not their hormone level or the size of their wallet. It’s the wiring of their DNA; some patients are just wired for aesthetics.  Those that are, will seek your services and if satisfied beyond their own expectations, will pay happily for them.
In every patient consult, first ask the patient to identify their facial features that they like. Tastefully point out what you see as their positive features and congratulate them on these great genetics. Then, with their permission, honestly and carefully show them the issues that need to be addressed.  I call it “Face Whispering.”
Patients often have a specific cosmetic concern but rarely see other areas in need of treatment. I call this mono- or selective focus. To fully engage the patient in a successful discussion on full face reflation that will yield the best result, you must first convince the patient to look beyond their single concern and describe the face in a three-dimensional way.

As part of my blueprint to the consult I also find that showing patients their baseline photographs is very effective in gaining their confidence.  I have a dedicated camera room and take many pictures daily. I show patients their baseline photos from all views so they can see the whole face.  In addition, I give patients an assignment to bring in a youthful picture of themselves, say in their early twenties.  By comparing this youthful photo with their baseline, I’m able to discuss harmony, balance and symmetry, and identify for them areas that require attention. It is important to tell patients that the goal is not to make them look “20 again,” rather to restore some of their natural features to look great for their age. This whole exercise helps patients understand why we look at and treat the whole face.
Simply put, the consult is integral to the success of your practice.  If you truly want to take your practice to the next level, improve your patient consultation style; dedicate more focused time to your patient in order to understand his/her expectations and desires; carefully transition them to focus on the whole face; and finally, incorporate the most innovative products and techniques into practice.  Earn their trust and the right to treat them, create an extraordinary result and watch the barrier of price disappear.
Article by B. Kent Remington, MD, FRCP
Co-Founder, The Aesthetic BluePrint


This Article is brought to you Courtesy of Dr. Mark Bishara and The Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa

 
 

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