What was the best addition to your practice in the past year? Were you surprised by any success?
Haideh Hirmand, MD: I recently added Ultrashape and am surprised by its reception with patients—people who tried it so far all liked it and they are getting nice results. CoolSculpting remains strong for us in the body area.
Jennifer Walden, MD: ThermiVa using radiofrequency for vaginal rejuvenation. I'm not surprised after seeing growth in patients seeking surgical labiaplasty over the last few years.
Dr. Fabi: The best addition to our practice this year has also been the ThermiVa, mainly because of the overwhelmingly positive feedback our patients have given. I was surprised by how bothered women are by both the aesthetic appearance of their vaginal area as well as the urinary incontinence that interferes with their daily life. I feel this procedure, more than most I perform, has increased the quality of life of my patients.
Jeanine Downie, MD: ThermiRF system was the best. The technology to lift jaws and help fight cellulite for the ThermiTight is tremendous. The ThermiSmooth is giving me almost blepharoplasty-like results on the upper eyelids after multiple treatment sessions. I was not surprised by the ThermiRF success and I am using it many times in conjunction with Kybella for optimal results.
Jeannette Graf, MD: I agree with Jeanine. I feel that the addition of ThermiRF as well as a new generation of machines has been a game changer. Also Kybella has been a great addition to my practice. I was surprised by the amount of Voluma I have used; Patients love the results and don't seem to mind paying for it.
Stephen Pearlman, MD: The best addition to my practice was two additional support employees and a certified nurse injector. We needed more help at the front desk and on the phones. My staff needed more time to spend talking with each potential patient. Even more importantly, we added a “non-surgical” cosmetic consultant. Her role is to discuss fillers, neurotoxins, and lasers with patients even before I see them. She also answers all the email and phone inquiries from our web marketing daily, so potential patients hear from us soon after sending an inquiry. The nurse injector will help with the increasing number of requests for non-surgical treatments as I look to concentrate more on surgical and invasive treatments.
Vivian Bucay, MD: Combination treatments really took off this year in my practice, with patients wanting a treatment plan, knowing and finally accepting that it's all about maintenance.
Erin Gilbert, MD: The most popular procedures in my practice have continued to be neurotoxins and fillers. Despite increased marketing for newer fillers and new indications (i.e., Radiesse for hands), I've been surprised that patients have continued to inquire about treatment with older products like Juvederm and Restylane.
Gregory Buford, MD: Augmentation followed by Secondary Breast Revision. Although I am not surprised by the growth of these procedures, I have been surprised by the variety of secondary cases I am now seeing. While some of these cases are basic revisions, many of them are much more complicated and are a great way for me to really think on my feet in the OR.
Joel Schlessinger, MD: As with most of the practices, the newest, latest and greatest addition is Kybella. I wasn't surprised by its success as I performed the clinical trials from 2008 and onward. I still think it has quite a bit of an opportunity and we haven't even begun to see its success. Once the word is out and DTC ads are running it will be huge, but for now it is just a soft introduction.
Richard Anderson, MD: In the past year I have done more aesthetic procedures of all types, especially neurotoxins and fillers. The percent of male patients has continued to grow. Minimal downtime procedures continue to grow.
Julie Woodward, MD: I think that the best thing that I've done this year was insist on a higher level of training of my existing staff. I also had to remove under-performers from my clinic. Unfortunately, in the world of EMR, some older employees cannot survive without good typing skills so they still do well in the OR, but not clinic.
Paul J. Carniol, MD: Most popular procedures this past year have been those with quicker recovery. Therefore, I have paid attention to the issue of how to do procedures attaining a shorter recovery with similar results. I have also been working on obtaining new technology with the lowest expenditure by studying technologies—results and related costs.
What procedures or interveNtions do you see as hot right now and expect to grow in the coming months in your practice?
Dr. Hirmand: Regenerative procedures are hot—PRP for example and micro needling/PRP combinations and procedures like that with minimal downtime. Also surgically, I see and expect growth in the neck procedures.
Dr. Bucay: Kybella has brought in a lot of new patients to the practice, and certainly more male patients to the practice. The combination of Kybella and Ultherapy is going to continue to grow...I have no doubt that we will be moving to off label indications for Kybella.
Dr. Woodward: I think that Kybella and microneedling radiofrequency will do well.
Dr. Fabi: With the acquisition of Kybella by Allergan, and the launch of the CoolMini, I expect that the demand for treating the double chin will continue to grow.
Dr. Walden: The below-the-belt procedures—noninvasive and invasive/surgical such as labiaplasty—are very hot right now as it has become more socially acceptable for women to talk about and seek these procedures.
Dr. Buford: We recently added ThermiRF and are seeing a growing number of patients interested not only in the skin tightening procedures but also in vaginal rejuvenation. We see this as a huge area for growth, given the lack of downtime and very positive results.
Dr. Gilbert: Kybella is definitely hot right now, and I'm continuing to follow the practical clinical outcomes before incorporating it into my practice. Chemical peels have also seen a resurgence in my practice, despite the availability of newer and better laser technology.
Dr. Graf: I expect an increase in the male market with the introduction of Kybella; I also see continuing to increase my filler practice—performing more brow lifts with filler with my favorite cannula (the Magic Needle).
Dr. Pearlman: Kybella has been a big draw for patients seeking neck rejuvenation. Unfortunately close to half are not candidates due to mostly sub-platysmal fat, very loose skin and/or prominent jowls…We expect that some of these patients will realize that surgery is their best option and will return for surgical consultation and treatment.
Randolph Waldman, MD: We expect BBL procedures to become core and more popular. Fat transfer to the facial area continues to grow.
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