Rejuvenation of the neck with liposuction and ancillary techniques

Social Media Ratings of Minimally Invasive Fat Reduction Procedures: Benchmarking Against Traditional Liposuction

BACKGROUND

Minimally invasive fat reduction procedures are rapidly growing in popularity.

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate online patient reviews to inform practice management.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data from RealSelf.com, a popular online aesthetics platform, were reviewed for all minimally invasive fat reduction procedures. Reviews were also aggregated based on the primary method of action (e.g., laser, radiofrequency, ultrasound, etc.) and compared with liposuction. A chi-square test was used to assess for differences with the Marascuilo procedure for pairwise comparisons.

RESULTS

A total of 13 minimally invasive fat reduction procedures were identified encompassing 11,871 total reviews. Liposuction had 4,645 total reviews and a 66% patient satisfaction rate. Minimally invasive fat reduction procedures had 7,170 aggregate reviews and a global patient satisfaction of 58%. Liposuction had statistically significantly higher patient satisfaction than cryolipolysis (55% satisfied, n = 2,707 reviews), laser therapies (61% satisfied, n = 3,565 reviews), and injectables (49% satisfied, n = 319 reviews) (p < .05). Injectables and cryolipolysis had statistically significantly lower patient satisfaction than radiofrequency therapies (63% satisfied, n = 314 reviews) and laser therapies. Ultrasound therapies had 275 reviews and a 73% patient satisfaction rate.

CONCLUSION

A large number of patient reviews suggest that minimally invasive fat reduction procedures have high patient satisfaction, although liposuction still had the highest total patient satisfaction score. However, there are significant pitfalls in interpreting patient reviews, as they do not provide important data such as a patient's medical history or physician experience and skill.

Safety of liposuction of the neck using tumescent local anesthesia: experience in 320 cases

BACKGROUND

Liposuction of the neck has become a popular, minimally invasive technique for fat reduction and skin tightening.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the safety of neck liposuction in a large series of patients.

METHODS

Between 2003 and 2011, 320 patients underwent liposuction of the neck. Complications were recorded, and all patients were followed up after 8 weeks.

RESULTS

There were no serious complications. Four patients required closer follow-up because of hematoma (n = 1), transient mandibular nerve inflammation (n = 2), and globus pharyngeus (n = 1).

CONCLUSION

Liposuction of the neck with tumescent local anesthesia requires a higher amount of patient monitoring than liposuction of the body. In the hands of an experienced surgeon, it is a safe method rendering excellent aesthetic results.

Utility Outcome Assessment of the Aging Neck following Massive Weight Loss

Objective

The authors set out to quantify the health state utility assessment of living with the physical appearance of the aging neck following massive weight loss. Described utility scores may help to establish the health burden of the aging neck in the growing bariatric patient population.

Study Design

Prospective cohort observational study.

Setting

Tertiary referral medical center.

Subjects and Methods

Three validated tools were used to determine utility scores for living with an aging neck: visual analog scale (VAS), time trade-off (TTO), and standard gamble (SG). A 5-point Likert scale was used to evaluate the subjects’ ease of understanding. A prospective sample of volunteers from the general population and medical students was used for this assessment.

Results

In total, 118 prospective volunteers were included in the survey. All measures (VAS, TTO, SG); (0.89 ± 0.07, 0.94 ± 0.08, and 0.95 ± 0.10, respectively) varied ( P < .0001) from the corresponding ones for monocular blindness (0.62 ± 0.18, 0.87 ± 0.15, and 0.85 ± 0.20, respectively) and binocular blindness (0.32 ± 0.18, 0.66 ± 0.25, and 0.64 ± 0.28, respectively).

Conclusion

The authors objectified the health state of living with an aging neck in the massive weight loss patient with utility scores (TTO, 0.94) comparable with those living with obstructive sleep apnea. This sample population, if faced with an aging neck following massive weight loss, would undertake a neck rejuvenation procedure with a theoretical 5% chance of mortality and would be willing to trade 2.1 years of remaining life-years to attain this procedure.