Inexorably, stem cell biology is finding its way into a broad range of medical disciplines, including aesthetic surgery.

The best reconstructive strategies or the best strategies to augment soft tissue involves using the patient's own fat tissue rather than implants. Implants have their own set of long-term problems that one's own tissue doesn’t have.

The federal government is not ignoring this issue. The Adipose Stem Cell Center at the University of Pittsburgh has recently received multimillion-dollar grants from the National Institutes of Health toward breast cancer reconstruction applications, as well as from the Department of Defense, which is interested in how adipose stem cells can be used for the aesthetic reconstruction of wounded soldiers.

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Barry Eppler, MD, has launched what looks to be a nice series of "checklists" for specific procedures, starting with otoplasty, body lift surgery, and laser resurfacing.

Eppler's patient-centric blog speaks to prospective clinets in a clear style that should give other physicians a bit of inspiration on how to approach patients. I can even see doctors such top-ten-tyle lists on the wall in offices, as just one more way to inform potential patients in a format that most laypoeple can understand -- Explore Plastic Surgery: 

The Top Ten Instructions After Otoplasty Surgery

The Top Ten Instructions After Facial Laser Resurfacing

The Top Ten Instructions After Your Body Lift Surgery

Epply advise his "big surgery patients" to, prior to surgery, use a specific cocktail of Vitamin C (2 grams per day) and a branded supplement called Maxitropin supplements. Maxitropin is one of those powdered concoctions that claim to stimulate HGH production in humans. In general, I'm skeptical about these products but you cna read more here. 

Lancet published a report last week updating the conditions of two face transplant patients. Laurent Lantieri reported on their patient's status one year after a transplant; Chinese doctors also reported on their patient, two years after his surgery (hat  tip: Frank Holman). From the Associated Press:

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