Even in This Economy, Consumers Invest in Aesthetic Procedures With Long Lasting Results

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ –– Physicians say consumers are more willing to invest in longer lasting aesthetic treatments, possibly due to the current economic climate. A recent online survey of 160 U.S. dermatology, plastic surgery and aesthetic practices revealed consumers see the value of a longer term solution and in turn will spend more money upfront than they did three years ago. In fact 64 percent of survey respondents acknowledged a shift in consumer behavior over the last several years.

“We have seen a tremendous uptick in the number of patients pursuing less invasive rejuvenation procedures over the past few years but patients are being more careful about what treatments they undertake,” commented Park Avenue Plastic Surgeon, Z. Paul Lorenc, MD, FACS. “Unlike what we saw in 2008, today more patients see value in spending more for something that delivers the results they want for a longer period of time. With consumer confidence in the U.S. as low as it is, this survey points to a real trend among patients making smart decisions when it comes to fighting the signs of aging.”

The survey also found that an overwhelming 93.8 percent of practices find patients are gravitating towards treatments that will offer them a more natural look over a more “done” appearance as featured by many reality stars and celebrities. While 8 out of 10 of the practices acknowledged that consumers continue to price shop, high patient satisfaction is still the number one driver of patient retention (67.7 percent). This ranked higher than offering the best price which less than 1 and 4 respondents rated as the key driver of patient retention in their practices.

The study was conducted by Suneva Medical, a medical technology company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing novel, differentiated aesthetic products for the dermatology, plastic and cosmetic surgery markets. The Company’s long-lasting injectable product is marketed as Artefill® in the U.S. to correct facial wrinkles.

According to the 2010 ASAPS Cosmetic Surgery Statistics, almost 9.5 million cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed in the United States last year. Women had nearly 8.6 million cosmetic procedures (92 percent of total) and men had more than 750,000 procedures (8 percent of total). Overall, the number of surgical procedures increased by almost 9 percent and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures decreased 9 percent from 2010.

About Suneva Medical

Suneva Medical, Inc. is a medical technology company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing novel, differentiated aesthetic products for the dermatology, plastic and cosmetic surgery markets. The Company’s long-lasting injectable product is marketed as Artefill® in the U.S. and Bellafill™ in Canada to correct facial wrinkles. For more information visit www.sunevamedical.com/old or Artefill.com.

Important Safety Information

Bellafill®
Bellafill® is indicated for the correction of nasolabial folds and moderate to severe, atrophic, distensible facial acne scars on the cheek in patients over the age of 21 years. Patients who have had a positive reaction to the Bellafill® Skin Test, have a history of severe allergies, have known bovine collagen allergies, are allergic to lidocaine, have bleeding disorders or are prone to thick scar formation and/or excessive scarring should not receive Bellafill®. The safety of Bellafill® for use during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or in patients under 21 has not been established. You may experience temporary swelling, redness, pain, bruising, lumps/bumps, itching, and discoloration at the treatment site. These side effects are usually transient and typically resolve within 1–7 days. You may experience lumps/bumps/papules that may occur more than one month after injection and that may persist. Less common side effects include rash and itching more than 48 hours after treatment, persistent swelling or redness, lumps/bumps, acne, and increased sensitivity at treatment sites. Infrequently, granulomas may occur and may be treated by your licensed physician provider. Be sure to call your licensed provider immediately if you notice any unusual skin reactions around the treatment area. Based on the 5-year Post-Approval Study on nasolabial folds with 1,008 patients, long-term safety of Bellafill® for up to 5 years has been established.

PUREGRAFT
This product is certified as a medical device in the European Union under the Medical Device Directive 93/42/EEC by SGS CE0120, exclusively for the indication of autologous fat transfer. Other non-medical uses ascribed to this device such as aesthetic body contouring are not within the scope of CE certification, and users should be aware product performance and/or safety has not been evaluated by SGS for those purposes.

Suneva Medical HD PRP
REGULATORY STATUS: FDA-cleared 510(k) Class II medical device. Healeon HD PRP is designed to be used for the safe and rapid preparation of autologous platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) from a small sample of peripheral blood at the patient point of care. The PRP is mixed with autograft and/orallograft bone prior to application to a bony defect for improving handling characteristics. 510(k) number: BK170136

Silhouette Instalift
Silhouette lnstaLift® is indicated for use in mid-face suspension surgery to temporarily fixate the cheek sub-dermis in an elevated position.

IMPORTANT SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
The Silhouette InstaLift device should not be used in patients with any known allergy or foreign body sensitivities to plastic/ biomaterial or in situations where internal fixation is otherwise contraindicated, (e.g. infection.) The device should also not be used in patients appearing to have very thin soft tissue of the face in which the implant may be visible or palpable.

Like all procedures of this type there is a possibility of adverse events, although not everybody experiences them. These adverse events include but are not limited to infection, minimal acute inflammatory tissue reaction, pain (which may be temporary or persistent in nature), swelling and edema, transient hematoma or bruising and transient rippling or dimple formation. For further safety or product information, please consult your physician.

For more safety information, please consult with your physician and the patient labeling that can be found by visiting our website www.bellafill.com.
Toll-free call (U.S. & Canada): 844-Bellafill (844-235-5234).
Local calls: 858-550-9999. International calls: ++ 858-550-9999.