I don’t think of myself as an easily excitable person. As an anesthesiologist and paramedic I have had to face many critical situations with trauma patients and maintain my cool to ensure that I provide optimum medical care. As a pilot I can’t get excited and lose sight of the big picture while flying. That said, I am truly excited about changes and developments in the aesthetic medicine world as well as in my medical practice.

Allergan, world famous for bringing Botox to the market, recently obtained FDA approval to start marketing Juvederm Voluma in the United States. According to Allergan, only the top 20% of aesthetic medicine practices are eligible to purchase Voluma for the initial rollout and Fusion Medical Spa has already received its first shipment! Voluma, approved for use in Europe for more than 3 years, received FDA approval in October 2013 and was released by Allergan in time for Christmas in December 2013. Voluma “reverses signs of age-related volume loss in the mid-face” with results lasting up to two years in the majority of subjects.

Why is this exciting? We have a new dermal filler that, in my opinion, will revolutionize how we treat typical signs of facial aging. Volume loss in the mid-face and cheek area is one of the major reasons that women come through the door of my practice. Volume loss in women usually starts to become apparent in the early 30s and continues to progress as age increases. This volume loss, accentuated by decreased skin elasticity, causes the cheeks to descend until the smile and then the lower jaw and neckline are affected. Voluma can reverse this volume loss better than any previous fillers.

I was even more excited to learn that Fusion Medical Spa had achieved “Gold” level status with Allergan. Gold status is reserved for the top 15% of Allergan’s aesthetic medical practices. We achieved this status in less than 3 years! Not bad for a practice located in Ruidoso, New Mexico.

Decreased volume and descent of the mid-face accelerates the look of facial aging. Unfortunately, the descent doesn’t stop at the neckline. Descent of bodily fat tends to accumulate around the mid-section and contributes to an increase in clothing size. Fusion Medical Spa recently received an early Christmas present to combat fat and cellulite from Cynosure.

The Smartlipo TriPlex system is Cynosure’s newest laser liposuction platform designed to treat stubborn fat, tighten loose skin, treat cellulite, and eradicate overactive axillary sweat glands. I have been following the progress in laser liposuction for the last three years and am confident that our new platform will allow us to treat issues that have historically been difficult to treat with traditional liposuction. Smartlipo laser liposuction is a vast improvement on older technology as it melts fat and tightens tissue simultaneously while allowing faster recovery.

Finally, Fusion Medical Spa will celebrate three years in operation as of December 27, 2013. My family and I have enjoyed the warm welcome that we have received since our transplant from Texas and we are happy to be a part of the Ruidoso community. Thanks for making our business a success!

Merry Christmas!

Disclaimer: Dr Stephen Rath, MD, DABA is a board certified anesthesiologist, Air Force flight surgeon, FAA AME, paramedic, and pilot as well as the owner and medical director of Fusion Medical Spa located in Ruidoso, NM. He is happy that his long walks on the humid Galveston beaches have been replaced by brisk walks in the mountains. Comments or questions? His email address is: DrRath@FusionMedicalSpa.net.