Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Richard Ellenbogen, Reinvents New Stem Cell Face Lift Procedure

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Nov. 18, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading plastic surgeon, Dr. Richard Ellenbogen, has harnessed the recent discovery of stem cells in liposuctioned fat to create a True Stem Cell Face Lift through the "Activation" of dormant stem cells. As the original facial fat transfer pioneer, Dr. Ellenbogen has channeled his research into a superior procedure using lower level laser to deliver – The "Activated" Stem Cell Face Lift – described by Dr. Ellenbogen as, "The foremost plastic surgery procedure in stem cell face lifts today. The missing link was to "activate" the stem cells to initiate this powerful regenerative process."

As Dr. Ellenbogen explains, "The patient's own stem cells combined with low level laser, provide regenerative effects and a significantly better end result in face lift procedures, adding youth restorative qualities and longer lasting results."  Dr. Ellenbogen recently appeared on Good Morning America, ABC News, Fox National News.  Next week, he will appear on an hour special on plastic surgery on ABC's News Nightline 10 pm PST on Wednesday, November 24th.  Dr. Ellenbogen will also be appearing on an upcoming CBS National News segment featuring his new Activated Stem Cell Face Lift.

Dr. Ellenbogen has spent several years working with European scientists that spent several decades developing a systematic approach to activating one's own body's stem cells using laser light therapy, now Dr. Ellenbogen has brought this groundbreaking technique to his plastic surgery practice, Beverly Hills Body. The "Activated" Stem Cell Face Lift is achieved by adding the patient's own growth factors from their blood and then exposing those stem cells to a special low-level laser, which "activates" the stem cells to start their reparative work at the sub-cellular level.

The stem cell face lift has been performed and misleadingly popularized in the media for the past several years by plastic surgeons using a very limited procedure, that involved only extracting the fat and re-injecting it in to the face – but without freeing the stem cells from the fat and adding millions of additional healing stem cells. By contrast, the Ellenbogen method, using lower level laser, triggers and "activates" the stem cells, enhancing the ability of the cells to rejuvenate the tissues. As Dr. Ellenbogen states, "Patients receiving the older stem cell procedure, without the advantage of activation, will see little to none of the actual stem cell regenerative capacity and nothing in the long term, over time."

The Activated Stem Cell Face Lift Process

A typical outpatient procedure can take three hours. The fat is gently harvested, using a medical procedure similar to liposuction. In a repeated purification process, the harvested fat is centrifuged (spun and separated) then treated with a dissolving solution to prepare extraction for stem cell isolation. The final step is to "activate" the stem cells using low-level frequency lasers after the addition of activation enhancers (protein growth factors from autologous platelet rich plasma). This multi step, exacting procedure is done in a laboratory within the operating room during the course of the operation.

Lastly, Dr. Ellenbogen injects the stem cells alone or mixed with more fat into the area of focus under anesthesia. In most cases a modified version of a standard face-lift has been surgically performed. "In using the patient's own cells, no ethical or moral issues are involved and the initial improvement of the skin is quite remarkable. The pores are closer together and the skin is absolutely radiant, pigmentations fade and wrinkles are improved dramatically. The long term reparative effects are being evaluated but appear promising towards longer lasting results and repair of all tissue in contact with the stem cells," says Dr. Ellenbogen.

SOURCE Dr. Richard Ellenbogen