Surgeons launch campaign for injectable safety

The Physicians Coalition for Injectable Safety has officially launched a public awareness campaign on the safe use of injectable treatments. The coalition is actually an alliance of physician organizations including the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery. The main goal of the coalition is to raise awareness of the appropriate use and setting for receiving injectable therapies such as Botox and Collagen.

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) 2006 statistics, 5.7 million injectable procedures were performed for cosmetic reasons. The treatments are U.S. FDA approved products that are designed to treat facial wrinkles, improve the signs of aging, enhance facial appearance and treat skin imperfections. Botox and Restylane are usually the most common names associated with injectable treatments. Clients are advised to choose a board-certified plastic surgeon, who regularly performs facial cosmetic procedures to administer the procedure. They must also make sure that the surgeon, dermatologist, or ophthalmic plastic surgeon uses FDA approved injectables to ensure that they operation is safe and effective.

Though it is the perception of many that injectable fillers are non-invasive treatments, they have to consider the fact that these injections are medical procedures that should only be administered in a medical setting. Patients should make sure that the person prescribing and performing the injection has the appropriate training and the product used is genuine.

This, among other things, is what the coalition is trying to tell the masses.

Mark L. Jewell, MD, Chair of the coalition and past president of the ASAPS, said that the specialties that have pioneered and advanced cosmetic treatment with injectables have come together as a group in support of the value that cosmetic injectable treatment provide patients. However, he together with the coalition, are concerned that troubling reports and requests for help from patients hurt by incompetence and counterfeit, are growing.

Click here to know more about the campaign.