Barry DiBernardo, M.D., a New Jersey Plastic Surgeon, talks about a new breast lift procedure that’s less invasive with less recovery time.
Interview conducted by Ivanhoe Broadcast News in October 2016.
This thermi procedure had been used on other parts of the body, now I guess the usage for the breast is fairly new. In a nutshell can you take us through briefly as you can essentially what’s being done here?
Dr. DiBernardo: The problem is breasts are falling and we are tightening the skin around the breast to get a lifting and tightening of the breast skin.
When we say thermi what’s the procedure essentially?
Dr. DiBernardo: We are using a small probe with radiofrequency energy by thermi to go under the skin, create a certain temperature that gives the effect on the skin cells.
What’s actually providing the lift, this heat?
Dr. DiBernardo: This is a heat mechanism and there’s a specific temperature, and the uniqueness of this device is its measuring heat below the skin, there’s a thermal camera measuring over the skin so we know exactly where we are. It’s the science of heat and it affects the tissue. By getting to the right temperatures from studies that I’ve done years ago we know the cells make more collagen and elastin and there’s another mechanism where these vertical fibers are tightening. You’re getting a dual mechanism of tightening which then translates to a breast lift.
It’s minimally invasive but you are going in where?
Dr. DiBernardo: We make four small pin holes around the areola, around the nipple and we go in with our probe through those. It’s technically minimally invasive but those heal that you really don’t see very much at all.
What would you say about the results you’ve seen from the ones you’ve done?
Dr. DiBernardo: We do exact calibrated measurements of the photograph with a ruler in the picture and we see anywhere from a one to five centimeter lift. The patient you just interviewed had an inch, which is about two inches of rise of her nipple and the breast.
When you say that there’s hardly any scarring, just minimal scarring, compare that with what we would see with a more traditional procedure.
Dr. DiBernardo: If you get a mastoplasty, which is a formal breast lift by a plastic surgeon, we need to make the T incision. There’s an incision around the nipple up and down and underneath. That’s there are many variations of that but in any form there are a bunch of scars there.
We know there’s less scarring with this, is this compared with the more traditional are the results better as well?
Dr. DiBernardo: It all depends on patient selection, there are still patients who have too much and need a traditional breast lift but those who have mild to moderate sagging, which we call ptosis they would be a candidate for this procedure.
This is cosmetic, it’s not covered by insurance right?
Dr. DiBernardo: Correct.
What kind of feedback are you getting from patients in general about how much better this is than the alternative?
Dr. DiBernardo: The big advantage to the patients is number one, they don’t have the scars there, they’re seeing an enhanced shape of their breast, they can do it under local anesthesia in the office and there is some swelling, some bruising but most of that is in the first week.
In the overall scheme of the different work that you do overall, how cool is this for you to be able to do something it seems like kind of revolutionary.
Dr. DiBernardo: It’s very cool, it’s a cool procedure. The things that excite me as a technology research center is if we can fill a void that didn’t exist before, there are certain homeruns. If you can get a decent result, do it with local anesthesia, minimal downtime and patients are happy with that, we’ve achieved a great success.
And rehabilitation time if any?
Dr. DiBernardo: You can’t use the word no down time because it does have some bruising, some swelling. They wear a supportive bra for the first week or two but the patients can get back to their activities faster because we don’t have big incisions that need to heal that could pull apart and spread.
END OF INTERVIEW
This information is intended for additional research purposes only. It is not to be used as a prescription or advice from Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc. or any medical professional interviewed. Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc. assumes no responsibility for the depth or accuracy of physician statements. Procedures or medicines apply to different people and medical factors; always consult your physician on medical matters.
If you would like more information, please contact:
Barry DiBernando, M.D.
Sign up for a free weekly e-mail on Medical Breakthroughs called First to Know by clicking here.
