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This is a very exciting time for facial plastic surgery and aesthetic and cosmetic medicine. The market as a whole continues to grow by leaps and bounds each year, and facial plastic surgeons are at the forefront of innovation, clinical practice, and research with respect to the industry’s growth. It is increasingly important for facial plastic surgeons to continue to stay informed of the research and clinical efforts that are taking place in this field because novel technologies and innovations are fueling advances in the profession. The goal of this issue of Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America is to provide information about cutting-edge ideas and techniques that some of the leaders in our specialty have already incorporated into their own practices. This will allow those who read this issue to make informed decisions about whether to adopt these new technologies and/or techniques in their own offices. A portion of this issue is devoted to new energybased technology and devices. With respect to these lasers and energy-based devices, technology is also moving at a rapid pace. At this time, we are seeing minimally invasive devices that are helping to achieve excellent results with less downtime than previously seen. For example, one of these technologies includes combining radiofrequency microneedling systems and percutaneous energy-based devices to tighten down neck and jowl soft tissue. The results from some of these procedures are outstanding, and the results would never have been possible without surgery just a few years ago. Another portion of this issue is devoted to new and innovative surgical and nonsurgical procedures and techniques that are gaining popularity more than ever before, including techniques that reduce surgical complications and improve outcomes. For example, this issue discusses a new implantable device designed to help patients breathe better, the latest in facial hair restoration, and nonsurgical treatments that enable a patient to “try out” a rhinoplasty before opting for surgery. Finally, trends in facial plastic surgery and the aesthetic industry are reserved. facialplastic.theclinics.com New Trends and Technologies in Facial Plastic Surgery marketing trends are utilized to attract new patients to practices and/or to market to existing patients. Other novel ideas include nonsurgical adjuncts like surgical nutrition options and postsurgery healing methods, which help patients reduce their downtime, improve their skin health, and optimize their overall results. These are implemented into practices to improve patient care, reduce adverse events, and make it easier to deliver treatments. I am hopeful that this issue will provide thoughtful commentary about some of the innovations and advances that are currently happening in our industry. While it can be interesting to experiment with new techniques and technology, we as doctors, must weigh the positives and negatives of each of these options for our own practices. Our ultimate goal should be to associate with things that help our offices run smoother and to show Washington University plastic and reconstructive surgeons perform head-to-toe corrective and cosmetic surgery across 10 clinical programs: aesthetic, breast reconstruction, craniofacial, general reconstruction, hand, limb preservation, lymphedema, nerve, pediatric plastic and gender affirming surgery. Many of these areas of focus require expertise in microsurgery, a discipline that uses specialized operating microscopes and precision instruments to repair intricate structures smaller than a few millimeters in diameter. The growing team of microsurgeons in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery restores form and function to an increasing number of breast surgery, limb preservation and lymphedema patients. “With the recent introduction of additional faculty with fellowship training in microvascular surgery, we are able to build on the existing breadth of plastic and reconstructive surgery services at Washington University,” says Division Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Justin Sacks, MD, MBA. The microsurgery faculty now includes Rachel Anolik, MD, who completed a microsurgery fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center before joining the department in 2020, and Joani Christensen, MD, who joins the department in 2021 after completing a fellowship in microvascular reconstruction at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Sacks, who is the Shoenberg Endowed Chair in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, notes that Anolik has been an instrumental partner in developing a novel multidisciplinary lymphedema program at the School of Medicine. “Improving the quality of life for patients with lymphedema is central to our goal,” says Anolik. “Our state-of-the-art multidisciplinary lymphedema treatment program offers conservative, medical, and therapeutic management. Our
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