TIPS Meeting Showcases Emerging Technologies in Plastic Surgery
Stem Cell Advances, Future of Breast Implants Discussed in San Francisco, June 17-19

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Will breast implants become obsolete? Will stem cell therapies soon play a major role in how breasts are reconstructed after mastectomy, how wounds and wrinkles are treated and how we age? These are just a few of the topics that will be discussed at the Technology Innovation in Plastic Surgery (TIPS) conference, June 17-19, in San Francisco. TIPS is hosted by The Plastic Surgery Foundation (The PSF), the educational and research arm of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

TIPS, held at The Palace Hotel, will bring together more than 250 doctors, industry leaders, researchers and investors in the field of plastic surgery to discuss the pros, cons, safety, and effectiveness of emerging technologies, products, and procedures in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery in an unbiased format.

"TIPS is the only forum where physicians and industry can come together to determine which new products or techniques work and which ones don't," said Geoffrey Gurtner, MD, TIPS course director, Stanford University School of Medicine, California. "We will discuss the next generation of technology to improve patient outcomes and results."

Topics presented at TIPS include (but are not limited to):

• Fat and stem cells to treat wrinkles and restore volume
• Non-invasive body contouring
• Skin resurfacing and tightening
• Injectable fillers, topical agents, tissue regeneration for facial rejuvenation
• Fat grafting for breast augmentation and the future of breast implants
• Cell based therapies/tissue engineering to treat wounds

The TIPS meeting is especially timely, as the plastic surgery industry is poised for continued growth. More than 13.1 million cosmetic surgery and 5.3 million reconstructive procedures were performed last year, according to ASPS statistics. Cosmetic procedures are up 5 percent since 2009 and 77 percent since 2000. Reconstructive procedures are up 2 percent since 2009. More than 10.1 billion was spent on cosmetic surgery in 2010.

"There's growing patient demand for innovative procedures and we do not want patients to be disappointed by new, lack-luster, technologies," said ASPS Vice President of Education Gregory Evans, MD, a TIPS course co-director, University of California, Irvine, Orange, California. "This will be an opportunity for plastic surgeons to critique products and challenge industry, as well as provide direct feedback on what patients are requesting from the front line. This sort of exchange will help foster the next big item in the plastic surgery market."

The TIPS exhibit hall will showcase 30 leading companies, featuring products such as breast implants, injectable fillers, lasers, wound care therapies and more. Exibitors will include companies such as Allergan Inc. (Irvine, Calif.), Mentor (Santa Barbara, Calif.), Kythera (Calabasas, Calif.) and LifeCell (Branchburg, N.J.).

For more information on TIPS or for a full listing of speakers and topics, visit www.psurgtips.com.

Journalists can register to attend TIPS or arrange interviews with presenters by contacting ASPS Public Relations at 847-228-9900, media@plasticsurgery.org, or in San Francisco, June 17-19, at (847) 997-6061. Onsite media registration will be open Friday, June 17 and Saturday, June 18, from 7:00am - 6:00pm PST. TIPS will NOT be open to the media on Sunday, June 19.