New Research from Dr. Ransom and Dr. Jacono Presented in Washington, D.C.

This September, the annual Fall Meeting of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) will take place in Washington, D.C. The schedule of presentations will include two papers by Dr. Ransom and Dr. Andrew Jacono. This work represents an intensive effort to examine facial cosmetic surgery in a quantitative way, and to provide the plastic surgery community with rigorous and honest evaluation of the most up to date techniques.

The first study deals with the vector of lift during facelift surgery. Using data from 300 facial halves, Dr. Ransom and Dr. Jacono were able to identify the angle of lift which provides the most rejuvenation while still maintaining a natural-appearing and non-operated look. This presentation highlights the need for a more vertical lift, rather than the classic horizontal lift – which can leave the face looking stretched or pulled. A paper corresponding to this work has just been published in the September issue of the Aesthetic Surgery Journal (ASJ), and represents Dr. Ransom’s second article in this prestigious plastic surgery publication. His first article, dealing with the nasal function considerations during cosmetic rhinoplasty, won the Best Clinical Paper Award for the ASJ in 2010.

The second study takes a closer look at the facial anatomy of patients seeking rejuvenation of the midface – the area from the eyes to the upper lip. This part of the face is notoriously difficult to treat, and signs of aging here vary widely between patients. By categorizing 150 patients preoperatively, and then looking at their surgical results 12 months later, Dr. Ransom and Dr. Jacono were able to draw some important conclusions about midface rejuvenation. Among these are the importance of the underlying skeletal structure, as well as changes in the elasticity of the skin that occur with age (and especially after menopause in women). This work has been accepted for publication in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, and will be available in print sometime next year. This will be Dr. Ransom’s third publication in this important international journal.