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A CBS news affiliate in Indiana presented a cosmetic surgery news feature recently, in which they interviewed Dr. Mark Hamilton, a facial plastic surgeon in Indianapolis.  Hamilton revealed some interesting information about the status of ArteFill dermal filler in American markets and the effectiveness of the drug overall.

One year ago, Hamilton had skepticism about the safety of ArteFill. His complaints were concerning the inconsistency of the drug.  ArteFill is made of cow collagen and small “micro-spheres” made of plastic.  He says the spheres were noticeably irregular and often contained loose particles.  For fear of an adverse reaction, he did not recommend it to any of his patients.

Now in 2008, Hamilton basically says that an Americanized version of ArteFill is here and the problems of a year ago are history.  The new type is uniform and the number of loose particles have been greatly reduced.  He now administers the drug in his practice regularly.

Given that ArteFill has a longer lasting effect than most dermal fillers (sometimes as long as 5 years), and the safety profile is similar to others, it should rest high on the list of considerations for Seattle and Maple Valley area patients interested permanent fillers.

Dr. Stacy Cosmetic now has Elevess, the filler recently brought to market by Artes Medical, who also makes Artefill.

Artefill is the first and only injectable filler designed to last at least five years. It is used primarily for the nasolabial folds, or “smile lines.”

Elevess is a new hyaluronic acid filler, similar to Restylane and Juvederm. Elevess has lidocaine included in the product to make the injection process more comfortable.