Photo credit: Damian McNamara
Dr. Vince Bertucci (left) and Dr. Jean- François Tremblay (right).
"We are not going to replace rhinoplasty, but there is a lot we can do with fillers in an in-and-out procedure," said Dr. Vince Bertucci, Immediate Past President of the Canadian Society for Dermatologic Surgery and the Medical Director of Bertucci MedSpa in Woodbridge, just outside Toronto. For example, we can make the bridge of the nose more prominent, relax the "bunny lines" a patient gets when they smile, and make a nose less "droopy" at the tip, he said.
Nonsurgical rhinoplasty has its advantages, Dr. Jean-François Tremblay said. Injectables "can be used to see if a patient likes the changes to their nose before making the changes permanent." And, although results are not as dramatic, they avoid the often significant downtime, swelling, and pain associated with a traditional "nose job," said Dr. Tremblay, a dermatologic surgeon in Outremont, Que., Canada.
Filler and/or botulinum toxin enhancements are less expensive. Also, unlike surgery, many filler corrections can be reversed or modified, Dr. Tremblay added. On the downside, the effects don't last forever. Also, "you can only add volume and not remove anything."
Many patients unhappy with their nose appearance do not know injectables are an option, commented a dermatologic surgeon attending this session at the ASDS/ASCDAS joint annual meeting in Chicago. Dr. Tremblay agreed, and said more patient education is needed.
Dr. Bertucci receives honoraria from Allergan and is a consultant for Procter & Gamble. Dr. Tremblay is a medical consultant for Allergan, Medicis, Canderm Pharma, LaRoche-Posay, Procter & Gamble, and Johnson & Johnson.
–Damian McNamara
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