The 3. Meeting of the World Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (WAOCS) together with the Meeting of the Austrian Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and Esthetic Medicine, took place from August 29 until September 1st  in Vienna in the newly opened Parkhotel Schöbrunn, next to the imperial castle.

WAOCS was founded in 2010, as the first international society of cosmetic and aesthetic surgery. The members of the academy are doctors of all surgical disciplines with specialties in the field of aesthetic medicine, i.e. Dermato-Surgeons, Plastic Surgeons, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, General Surgeons, Gynaecologists and conservative Dermatologists.

President Peter Lisborg and the Governing Board were able to setup a complex, compact and fascinating programme including video transmissions of live OP’s out of the nearby Kiprov Clinic.

8 main topics were integrated into half day or quarterly day blocks summarizing all aspects of each topic on a world class level. The main topics were Cosmetic Vein Surgery, Rhinoplasty – Facial Surgery, Liposuction, Cosmetic Breast Surgery, Oculoplastic Surgery and Facial Rejuvenation, Advanced Methods in Body Contouring, Non-invasive Rejuvenation Therapies and Bioregenerative Medicine including stem cells and plasma.

 Morphing programs – helpful for patient and doctor

Steven Hopping (Washington D.C.) showed how shield grafting can provide excellent long term results in both primary and revision rhinoplasties and that the technique can be performed via closed rhinoplasty, open rhinoplasty or a combination of both. Robert Pavelka (Vienna) and Georges Stergiou (Zurich) presented their experiences with morphing programmes. The preoperative image simulation turned out to be very helpful for patients to precise their wishes and to better understand the information given by the doctor. It has been also helpful for the doctor to remind just before surgery what changes were intended and to measure the amount of reduction or increase for example of parts of the nose.

Liposuction with radiofrequency and laser

In the Liposuction session Guillermo Blugerman (Buenos Aires) presented his results using radiofrequency in liposuction surgery (BodyTite). His Conclusions: Additional benefits of this technique are excellent patient tolerance and fast recovery time. Nonetheless, a larger sample is required to confirm the authors’ results and guarantee the efficacy and safety of the procedure. Direct comparison with traditional liposuction or energy-assisted liposuction techniques may provide some insights to tailor future indications of this novel technique.

Furtehrmore Zoran Źgaljardić presented his results for using the 1470 nm Lasermar in Liposuction. He concludes that all procedure times have been shortened with the 1470 nm compared to other systems. Because of skin tightening effect results on flaccid skin were significant. Superficial fat was dissolved very well in the face. Significant improvement he saw on “striae distensae“ and the coagulation effect minimized the presence of haema-thoma.

Adipose-derived stem cells for tissue regeneration

Adipose-derived stemm cells (ASC) are a very exciting field right now and it was fascinating to listen to Mirjam Fröhlich and Miomir Knezevic, both from Ljubljana, Slovenia. Regenerative potential of ASC has been proved by numerous clinical reports. Safety and efficacy of ASC for treatments of perianal fistulas and reconstruction of breast tissue has already been proved by clinical studies. Clinical studies for treatment of type I and II diabetes, lipodystrophy, cardiovascular disease, and diabetic ulcers are also being performed. ASC based applications are already commercially available for soft tissue augmentation in aesthetic surgery, and for the treatment of the osteoarthritic joints.

However, despite promising results with ASC for regenerative medicine, the hope and hype of the use of ASC in human medicine should be carefully balanced.  Despite the great initial successes, there are still numerous scientific and manufacturing issues to be addressed if the safe, efficient and predictive clinical outcomes are expected.

 A new tool for hemostasis

Douglas D. Dedo (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida) lectured on the use of kaolin to achieve hemostasis. Presently there are several agents applied topically that have the potential to control bleeding from thrombin, to fibrin sprays and platelet gel. Kaolin, a naturally occurring inert mineral initiates the intrinsic clotting cycle. It has been embedded in gauze sponges making it available for intraoperative use. For the past three years different preparations of kaolin impregnated pads and gauze have been used not only intraoperatively but postoperatively as well to control bleeding. The first time it was used for a facelift, forty minutes of operative time was saved and only one third the number of sponges was used.   Post operative bleeding has been controlled in otoplasty, blepharoplasty and rhinoplasty.  Outside of cosmetic surgery the author has used it successfully to control postoperative tonsil hemorrhage and  spontaneous epistaxis. Not only is surgeon fatigue and frustration reduced, but patient morbidity with less cautery, less necrosis, less swelling is reduced as well.

To get an overwiew of all the topics of the conference, you can visit the website www.gmc-medien.de or www.waocs.org, where many of the abstracts have been published in issue 4-2012 of “Kosmetische Medizin – Cosmetic Medicine”.  The next meeting will take place in 2013 and the precise dates will be presented shortly.

Douglas Grosse