A technology that stands the test of time

Sponsored by Lasering

Considering the advent of technology in aesthetic plastic surgery over the past 30 years, none has been more significant than the carbon dioxide laser, introduced in 1990, for full field ablative facial resurfacing. While the downtime can be significant, patients tend to be quite satisfied because of the extended duration of benefit. 

However, full resurfacing comes with higher risks and greater morbidity. So, the introduction of the fractional concept in 2004 allowed many manufacturers to produce technology that allowed physicians to carry out less invasive procedures, without compromising results. 

When adding a technology to your practice, the primary consideration should be fulfilling the needs of your patient population. Being that I practice on the West Coast, I choose technology that allows me to achieve long-term results in a single treatment for patients with significant solar elastosis and rhytides due to significant sun exposure. Long-term means sustained results of a particular condition lasting at least one year (and five years before needing a repeat of the same procedure).  

When it comes to the use of technology in a primarily surgical practice, I specifically wanted a device that would not only fundamentally change, but also maintain, the collagen makeup of the dermis. 

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Comparing various types of resurfacing equipment, and knowing patients seek out my practice for long-term results, I chose the MiXto laser from Lasering because I wanted a technology that works consistently and more importantly aligns with my goals of outcome longevity. The characteristics of the MiXto more than met my standards.

When it comes to resurfacing, the MiXto’s continuous wave (CW) laser, with the proprietary Chopped CW pulsing mode, allows for significant thermal stimulation of dermal fibroblasts. Medical research has demonstrated there is a direct relationship between degree of dermal heat deposition and aesthetic improvement, i.e., more heat, better cosmetic results. With MiXto, the risk of post-op adverse events from greater thermal deposition is mitigated via a patented mathematical scanner algorithm, which provides the longest time possible between  adjacent spots per given area of treated tissue. 

With the ability to perform a large variety of procedures, the MiXto laser is very versatile, offering treatments tailored to each patient’s available downtime and desired results – from very mild, minimally invasive lunchtime treatments (a.k.a. Buff & Shine), all the way to very aggressive procedures that take 10, 15 or even 20 years off their appearance in one session.

While a thorough MiXto treatment may take longer than other faster technologies, the results speak for themselves. Just like a good facelift, which takes longer than some other procedures and produces optimal duration of effect, a properly performed MiXto treatment produces high patient satisfaction. 

I have been using this laser for the past ten years and its versatility, combined with our continued use, make it one of the best technology investments for my surgical practice.

About the Author

James Newman, MD, FACS

Dr. Newman is a board certified facial plastic surgeon in private practice in the heart of Silicon Valley.  After serving ten years as Stanford University faculty, private practice has allowed him to customize approaches to facial rejuvenation by adding minimally invasive surgery along with technology advances such as the MiXto laser. Dr. Newman shares his expertise with a worldwide audience at PremierPlasticSurgery.com.