Aesthetica promises intimate, practical and timely cosmetic education from a mix of the specialty's masters and rising stars

The Aesthetica Super Symposium returns to Las Vegas March 1-3 at the Paris Hotel for a weekend that offers a host of hot topics and pertinent surgical and nonsurgical aesthetic – and practice management – topics designed to maximize attendees' time in the city and away from their practices. As ASPS President Jeffrey E. Janis, MD, puts it, it is an "all-you-can-eat education buffet."

"It's atypical in that it's designed in a novel and innovative way – not only in terms of content but in terms of flow," he says. "For members who want to do a deep dive in the breast, body or face areas, they have that opportunity, but also for members who want do it all – you get to customize your own schedule."

The "matrix design," as Dr. Janis puts it, takes a cue from the "design your own program" format also featured at Plastic Surgery The Meeting. For the fourth annual offering of the popular super symposium, attendees can choose content with a focus on complications, dueling perspectives, practice management, nonsurgical facial rejuvenation techniques and procedures.

"We're all excited to be returning to the entertaining city of Las Vegas, the site of the original Aesthetica," says ASPS President-elect Alan Matarasso, MD. "And we return not only with an outstanding educational program, but with world-class instructors to boot."

Led by nationally and internationally renowned co-chairs Amy Alderman, MD, Dennis Hammond, MD, and James Zins, MD, as well as an all-star roster of surgeons, Aesthetica 2018 promises to go in-depth on a variety of vital topics that are currently drawing attention in plastic surgery. These include a Master Class on plastic surgery for men (registration for Aesthetica also includes the on-demand recording of "Attracting Male Patients" – Module 1 of the "PSEN University: Aesthetic Surgery For Men" webinar series), a discussion of transgender facial surgery by Douglas Ousterhout, MD, DDS – and updates on BIA-ALCL and buttock augmentation.

The opening Dueling Perspectives session on "Maximizing Longevity and Minimizing Early Recurrence in Facelift Surgery" features a slate of renowned plastic surgeons, including Sam Hamra, MD, Bahman Guyuron, MD, Dr. Zins and Dr. Ousterhout.

The entirety of the Complications, Dueling Perspectives and Practice Management tracks that kick off Aesthetica are designed to feature a mix of seasoned professionals and rising stars in the specialty to offer a well-rounded aesthetic-focused educational program.

Check out the complete list of Aesthetica faculty.

Innovation at center stage

On Friday, an entire "Innovations" track will concentrate on key interest areas and participant interaction. Dr. Janis will moderate panels that cover pain management and the opioid epidemic, as well as physician wellness and burnout. On the wellness front, Dr. Hammond and Dr. Alderman will deliver presentations that look at maximizing personal time, and analyzing wellness and burnout statistics.

Dr. Guyuron will share his top tips in rhinoplasty from more than 40 years of experience, and the Aesthetica Bowl also returns to pit Team Surgical against Team Non-Surgical as each competes for the Aesthetica Bowl Trophy.

A highlight of the Innovations programming track will be the "3 Minute Drill," in which 10 faculty members present their own useful tips in three minutes or less – insights designed to make life easier for any plastic surgeon.

Scientific updates: BBL and ALCL

With the growing focus on issues related to gluteal fat-grafting, significant insight on the topic will be provided throughout the meeting beginning Thursday with a panel moderated by Scot Glasberg, MD. The panel includes an update from the multisociety task force charged with looking into the procedure's safety issues by Peter Rubin, MD; key components in evaluation, technique and post-op care from Michele Shermak, MD; recontouring without fat grafting by Onelio Garcia, MD; and strategies to maximize safety and outcomes by Jeffrey Gusenoff, MD.

Aesthetica 2018 will examine important issues relating to breast implant-related anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). A dueling perspectives panel on Saturday, moderated by Dr. Hammond, features a presentation by Dr. Glasberg; diagnosis and treatment options by Maurice Nahabedian, MD; biofilms as an etiology for BIA-ALCL by Terence Myckatyn, MD; and the role that particulates play in ALCL development by Dr. Hammond.

A meeting like no other

Experts from throughout the specialty will provide insight on massive weight-loss patients, breast reduction, implant choices, gynecomastia strategies, male plastic surgery, facelift complications, abdominoplasty, periorbital complications and much more.

Saturday will feature a track devoted entirely to nonsurgical facial rejuevantion, kicking off with a panel led by Steven Cohen, MD, on lasers, peels and injectables, and featuring presentations from Leslie Baumann, MD, on cosmeceuticals for skin again; Shilpi Kheterpal, MD, on abalative and non-ablative lasers; Dr. Zins on phenol croton oil peels; and Dr. Cohen on injectable soft-tissue replacement.

Following that, Keith Jeffords, MD, will moderate a panel on minimally invasive and noninvasive techniques that includes presentations from Kaveh Alizadeh, MD, on same-day facial rejuvenation without downtime; Dr. Kheterpal on platelet-rich plasma and microneedling, as well as Dr. Jeffords on hair restoration.

Dr. Janis notes that packing all this information into three days is a response to members requesting a meeting that would minimize not only travel and time away from family, but also the time spent away from practice.

"When we listened to membership five years ago, that's what they said they wanted," he says. "We had separate meetings at the time – dueling perspectives, regenerative medicine, complications and TIPS. This simplifies everything to the point of being a 'one-stop shop' with three tracks, three days and one registration fee."

Attendees will receive the session recordings free of charge four to six weeks following the symposium via the Plastic Surgery Education Network – so there is no need to worry if one session you want to attend interferes with another.

"If you feel in Las Vegas as though there are too many items on the buffet to choose from, the video capture of the meeting will allow you to review either what you attended to pick-up some more details or nuance, or to check-out the different presentations that you might have missed," Dr. Janis says.

Those who register for the ASPS Plastic Surgery Coding Workshop at Planet Hollywood (see information below) may wish to register for the one-day practice management sessions at a reduced cost. For detailed information on the program content, hotel discounts and much more, visit plasticsurgery.org/Aesthetica.

Allergan is a Platinum Level supporter of Aesthetica. Additional Gold Level support is provided by MTF, while Red Spot Interactive and Tax Savings Professionals are each providing Silver Level support.

Coding Workshop to complement Aesthetica

Surgeons aren't the only ones invited to Las Vegas at the beginning of March – you can bring your staff, too, for the ASPS Plastic Surgery Coding Workshop to be held March 2-3 at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas.

The workshop combines the knowledge of ASPS members, medical directors, veteran professional coders and the Society's Coding and Payment Committee. The course focuses on broad issues of practice management, reimbursement and case-based instruction of new coding standards.

Registrants of the coding workshop will be able to take part in Aesthetica's practice management sessions at a reduced cost. Information on the coding workshop can be found at plasticsurgery.org/CodingVegas.

In addition, the online Coding Basics: Modifiers course on the Plastic Surgery Education Network (PSEN) will be available at no charge to registrants of the Las Vegas Coding Workshop.