Sponsored by MTF Biologics
There is science to suggest that extracellular matrix Renuva, from MTF Biologics (Edison, N.J.), is a safe, effective, off-the-shelf alternative to autologous fat transfer for replacing age-related
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Paul Verhoeve, MD Internal Medicine Specialist El Cajon, CA |
small volume fat loss in the face, hands and body.
In the most recent study published January 2020 in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open, researchers reported this allograft adipose matrix is a safe, allogeneic, extracellular matrix that is adipogenic, noninflammatory and promotes angiogenesis.
Renuva is not a filler. This ready-to-use treatment has the same growth factors, protein and collagen found in one’s own fat. Once injected, Renuva is replaced by the body’s fat and lasts as long as a person’s fat would normally last.
Paul Verhoeve, MD, an internal medicine specialist with a cosmetic practice in El Cajon, Calif., added Renuva to his services about a year and a half ago, after training with Beverly Hills plastic and reconstructive surgeon Leif Rogers, MD. “It is an amazing tool,” he expressed.
“I use grassroots methods via my website and email blasts to let patients know that I’m offering a treatment that is regulated by the FDA as a Human Cells, Tissues and Cellular and Tissue-Based Product (HCT/P). Renuva’s results improve with time and studies have shown it lasts six months or more," Dr. Verhoeve shared.1
“You have to educate patients that Renuva is a matrix that contains collagen,” Dr. Verhoeve noted. “Blood vessels and fat cells form within the matrix, which restores volume over a three-month period. It takes about that long before patients see the true results that will last.”
Renuva is fairly easy for experienced injectors to administer, and it doesn’t require the staff needed to process fat, according to Dr. Verhoeve.
While Renuva is priced as a premium treatment, Dr. Verhoeve tells patients that because of the treatment’s longevity, in his experience, they may actually save money in the long run.
Dr. Verhoeve uses Renuva in patients of all ages to treat nasolabial folds, the temporal area, cheeks and marionette lines. He also uses it in cellulite reduction and to treat small skin divots, like those that can appear around aging breast implants.
However, Renuva is not the optimal choice for older patients with too much skin laxity or patients that need large amounts of volume replaced.
“As with any treatment, you have to know the anatomy. You always want to withdraw the syringe plunger to make sure that you are not in a blood vessel,” he said. “You just have to be careful where and how you inject it. You should not inject Renuva in the lips or tear troughs.”
Renuva has been shown to be safe. But as with any treatment, there is the risk of allergic reaction or complications.
Reference:
1. MTF Biologics data on file.
