High intensity focused ultrasound (Ultherapy®) is well known in the cosmetic surgery realm, especially to tighten and rejuvenate skin. However, there are two other uses, pioneered and published by Dr Kornstein, that have tremendous benefit to a large number of patients.
1. Ultherapy® to non-surgically, efficiently and permanently reduce silicone lip injections
Conventional non-surgical therapies such as steroid injection does not work on the silicone injections as intended, instead they merely thin the natural tissues surrounding the silicone. Surgery cannot effectively remove the silicone/scar tissue beads as they are dispersed in the lip muscle tissue. In fact, surgery removes silicone, scar but also healthy lip tissue leaving behind more scar tissue which interferes with natural lip movement
Dr Kornstein discovered and pioneered a permanent non-surgical therapy, using Ultherapy® to remodel(melt) the scar tissue and reduce the size of the silicone beads into “sand” that enables the lip to look and move normally. Generally, one, two or rarely three sessions are necessary for the successful treatment of silicone injected lips. This is accomplished in office with a dental block for a pain-free treatment. Recovery varies from none to a few days as opposed to weeks for surgery with results seen three to four weeks after treatment.
2. Ultherapy® to non-surgically, efficiently and permanently reduce post-surgical nasal tip swelling
It is a well-known axiom of rhinoplasty surgery that nasal tip swelling can take months or years to reduce, revealing the surgically created underlying tip contour. However, in some patients, with scar from previous rhinoplasty or thick inelastic skin, the underlying structure is never seen because the nasal tip skin never shrinks. Conventional non-surgical therapy such as steroid injections only help accelerate the eventual result but do not improve the outcome or control skin shape.
Dr Kornstein discovered and pioneered a permanent non-surgical therapy to help “shrink wrap” the nasal skin over the underlying cartilaginous structure. This is generally accomplished in one two or sometimes three office-based sessions. The procedure is predictable, safe and permanent except for those patients who have a lack of underlying cartilaginous framework. These patients can be treated with injectable rhinoplasty or cartilage grafting.
