Aesthetic Medicine

As we approach “the most wonderful time of the year” and start thinking about gifts to others, why not do something good for yourself? If you care about how you look and how others see you, now is the time to act.

Aesthetic medicine has made a giant leap in the last couple of years but few people are aware of many non-invasive and affordable medical treatments that can dramatically improve your looks and enhance the quality of your life. Your transformation can be accomplished in one sitting and with minimal down time. No nips, cuts, tucks or pain. Say good-by to the wrinkles around your eyes and lips to look great for the holidays and at least the next five years.

Thermage is a favorite treatment that renews collagen while tightening the skin on the face and neck, as well as a beautiful eye brow lift. The Lipotherm laser is the most powerful yet gentle laser on the market that will melt away fat permanently while tightening the skin, sculpting your neck, chin and eliminating the jowls.
Sequential use of two different lasers, which we call Bimodal Facial Rejuvenation, is a new procedure, which delivers profound and long lasting results, visibly tightening the connective tissue of the skin, removing fine to mild wrinkles, scars, age spots, large pores, and even acne scars.

The proven “liquid face lift” using Botox, Dysport, Evolence and other injectable fillers can make you look rested and many years younger. Get rid of that tired and sad look and brighten up your eyes and your smile!

It’s amazing what we can do with your own fat! We can take it from one part of the body and inject in the other to re-contour your body and facial lines. If Mother Nature gave you too much fat in one area but was stingy in the other, – such as your breasts, buttock or face – we can change this around!

Modern liposuction techniques can effectively reshape the abdomen, arms, inner and outer thighs, flanks, knees, calves and give you the body that will make you look wonderful. Again, no pain, no down time!

Many men want Dr. Cappiello to permanently eliminate the male breasts, double chin, jowls, belly and love handles. Rinnova invites all men reading this to let us show you how much better you can look.

Every year we all make resolutions to try to look and feel better about ourselves, but this year RINNOVA will help you actually do it!

Please use this code: RINNOVA-BLOG101 when calling 727-942-7000 for an appointment or sign up now to receive a generous discount or a free gift.

Happy Holidays!

Gerard Cappiello MD, FACOG, FACS

Either Restylane or Perlane can be used to restore volume and fullness to the skin and to correct moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as the lines from your nose to the corners of your mouth (nasolabial folds).

Large breasts can cause problems in many stages of a woman’s life. When they are larger than the usual standards of attractiveness in our society, the breasts are considered aesthetically displeasing. There can be a feeling of uncomfortable fullness, neck or back pain, and shoulder grooving. The goal of reduction mammoplasty is to reduce, re-contour and reshape the breasts. The breasts are made smaller and nipple areola complex is re-positioned upward, and if indicated, reduced in size. Excess skin and breast tissue is removed from the lower and outer portions of the breast. Read the rest of this entry »

At Rinnova I offer an anti-cellulite treatment that truly works. Thermage is a single treatment with no surgery, injections or downtime, to eliminate cellulite. Thermage smoothes dimples and improves the skins texture, leaving long lasting results. By using new procedure guidelines and the Therma Tip CL treatment tip, collagen connective tissues are restored and circulation is improved to help smooth skin and reduce the appearance of cellulite.

Results vary from subtle to dramatic. Generally, improvements may be immediately visible and continue to improve for up to six months. Results are long lasting and depend on your skin condition and the aging process.

Thermage’s Body Shape is a non-invasive procedure that can help tighten, firm and shape the body following just one treatment, without surgery or injections and little to no downtime. Patients may expect tightening and lifting, circumferential reduction of body areas and flatter and smoother skin.

The Body Shape procedure is ideal for men and women who are not significantly overweight and are looking to help firm sagging skin and reduce unwanted bulges. This is great for the arms and the abdomen.

Face by Thermage is a single non-invasive procedure that helps smooth and tighten the skin for a naturally younger looking appearance-without surgery or injections and little to no downtime. You will see smoother and tighter skin, contouring along the jaw and under the chin, softening of wrinkles around the mouth, eyes and forehead.

Eyes by Thermage is the only procedure that helps smooth and tighten skin and decrease wrinkles and hooding in the eye area without surgery or injections and little to no downtime. You’ll have younger looking, more lifted and less tired eyes. It takes about one hour and because there is no bruising, swelling or sutures, you can apply make-up and return to your normal routine after the procedure.

Men are increasingly opting for cosmetic procedures so as to look and feel younger. A male patient of mine who had liposuction of the chin, jowls and lower face, said to me that he did it because he didn’t want to look angry or sad. Liposuction in men has tripled over the past five years. More men also use liquid face lifts (dermal fillers) and Thermage.

In our office we use the safest form of anesthesia – local tumescent anesthesia. When tumescent liposuction is done correctly (not excessively), it is a very safe procedure. For example, there have been no reported deaths associated with tumescent liposuction. The dilute epinephrine contained in the tumescent anesthetic solution profoundly shrinks capillaries and thus virtually eliminates surgical blood loss. The xylocaine used as a local anesthetic provides a painless procedure and virtually a painless postoperative course. The tumescent technique permits the use of microcannulas which in turn yields smoother cosmetic results. Traditional liposuction cannulas (stainless steel tubes) have a relatively large diameter and remove fat rather quickly. However, with the use of large cannulas (diameter greater than 3 millimeters) there is an increased risk of irregularities and depressions in the skin. Microcannulas with a diameter less than 3 millimeters, allow fat to be removed in a smoother and more uniform fashion. I use only micro cannulas which have been shown to provide the most appealing cosmetic result and a virtually painless procedure as well as postoperative course. Read the rest of this entry »

In Florida alone, more than 12,000 new breast cancer cases are estimated to be diagnosed in 2009. To help find a cure for the disease, thousands of men and women gathered the last weekend of October to walk 60 miles in three days, and to raise over $4 million for non-profit foundations leading the breast cancer awareness initiative. Since its inception in 2003, more than $400 million has been raised through Breast Cancer 3-Day donations, contributions and sponsorships.

Rinnova Med-Surgical & Laser Institute is still accepting applications for a free breast restoration surgery for a cancer survivor in Tampa Bay. Please help spread the word.

The walkers, many of them breast cancer survivors, started at Sand Key Park in Clearwater on Friday and walked through the Pinellas county communities of Largo, Seminole, Treasure Island and Madeira Beach to cross the finish line in Spa Beach Park in St. Petersburg.

It’s an emotional finish filled with tears.

Our Boo-tox/Dysport on October 30th was fun for all guests. We enjoyed seeing some of our loyal patients as well as meet a few new people. We decided to do it again for the Thanksgiving!

Mark your calendar:

Wednesday, November 18
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Countryside office

Bring your friends and family, but make sure to register so we can plan accordingly.

We look forward to seeing you!

Implants or fat transfer?

Implants are filled with saline or silicone. Fat is taken from one part of your own body, most commonly the thighs or abdomen, and after minimal processing is injected into the breast. My vote is definitely for fat transfer: it is natural and without the usual complications associated with implants.

Breast enlargement using implants requires anesthesia. A pocket is made above the rib cage and under the pectoral muscle. Then an implant is placed in the pocket and inflated. This can be performed with an incision around the nipple, under the mammary fold or through the axilla.

Fat transfer is done under local anesthesia using tumescent solution and fat is taken from an unwanted area and transferred to the breast just under the skin. The breasts feel natural and it does not interfere with breast-feeding or mammogram readings. While implants can cause problems such as encapsulation, breakage and migration upward or downward, the fat transfer stays where it is placed. This fat remembers that it is from the thighs or abdomen and as one loses or gains weight, the breasts become less prominent or more prominent. They are totally natural and feel natural.

About tumescent anesthesia
Tumescent anesthesia is the injection of Xylocaine, an injectable pain medication much like what your dentist would give you before he starts your dental work. Xylocaine is injected into a liter of fluid and then the fluid is injected into your fat. This solution takes away all pain during the procedure and lasts for approximately 18 to 36 hours. The patient is awake and responsive to her environment and even interacts with the medical staff. The fluid is slowly absorbed. Usually the patient requires no medication after the procedure except Tylenol. Many studies have been done over the past five to six years which show that the fat transferred survives at least 90% and in many cases 100%. The bottom line is that it can last a very, very long time, if not forever.

Many of my patients coming to Rinnova ask me about rejuvenation using dermabrasion and facial peels for face, neck and décolleté’.

These “lunchtime peels” with glycolic acid, salicylic acid and Jessner solution have been used since 1980’s to reduce wrinkles and increase protein production in the skin. They are well tolerated and effective in removing superficial lesions on the skin surface. Performing repeated peels and dermabrasion produces a significant positive response for lentigines, fine wrinkles, inflammatory acne and hyperpigmentation. A topical home regiment performed by the patient is critical to optimizing the outcome of the office procedures.

We have many lasers in the office that also provide skin rejuvenation and even ablative lasers to eliminate deep wrinkles, acne scars, active acne and hyperpigmentation. These are very effective in patients that need a bit more than just dermabrasion and chemical peels. The ablative lasers are extremely effective but have a downtime of approximately 2 to 5 days. The results after using these lasers, last a very long time.

To be effective dermabrasion and mild peels usually require a series of 5-12 treatments. Treatment sessions generally last approximately 30-40 minutes for the face and 20 minutes for the neck. Initially, treatments are weekly or biweekly for several treatments, followed by monthly to biannual for maintenance, depending on the patient.

All patients regardless of skin color and type will benefit from the noninvasive procedures such dermabrasion, light chemical peels and laser rejuvenation treatments and see spectacular results.

A patient said to me “I lost a thousand pounds and gained a thousand pounds”. This illustrates how difficult it is to lose weight. At our facility we can help with an effective and practical diet program.

Our program is not drastic and is meant for long-term weight loss and lifestyle change. Being at or close to ideal weight is not only healthy, but will make you look and feel wonderful. Weight loss has to do with calories and the class of foods you eat which are converted to fat. As we evolved over time, our bodies have learned to store energy in the form of fat. During times of the foods shortage fat could be broken down to provide needed energy. In today’s world, the problem arises when the body stores fat in the absence of a food shortage. Read the rest of this entry »