Download Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in Asians

Book Review
Aesthetic Surgery Journal
2016, Vol 36(8) NP269–NP270
© 2016 The American Society for
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc.
Reprints and permission:
[email protected]
DOI: 10.1093/asj/sjv249
www.aestheticsurgeryjournal.com
Lee L.Q. Pu, Yu-Ray Chen, Qing-Feng Li, Woffles Wu,
Dae-Hwan Park, Susumu Takayanagi, Fu-Chan Wei, eds.
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in Asians: Principles and Techniques.
Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, 2015.
ISBN-13: 978-1482240870, ISBN-10: 1482240874. $450.00.
Reviewed by: Clyde H. Ishii, MD, FACS
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in Asians: Principles and
Techniques is the culmination of a monumental effort by
well-known experts in the field, Dr Lee L.Q. Pu and his six
coeditors. The magnitude of this undertaking is astounding
since it involves 90 contributors from multiple Asian countries. This beautiful two-volume set is very timely since the
popularity of aesthetic plastic surgery in Asia is skyrocketing with no limit in sight. The two volumes consist of 74
chapters under 10 major sections and also include four
chapters on breast reconstruction. In Asia, breast reconstruction is usually considered cosmetic in nature. The
set also includes three DVDs and a complimentary eBook
version.
STRENGTHS
The quality of writing and editing is excellent. This by itself
is a testament to Dr Pu and his coeditors since many of the
authors come from countries where English is not their first
language. Many chapters include remarks on pertinent differences between Asian and Caucasian anatomy. High
quality artwork and images run throughout the book along
with clear tables and algorithms. Each chapter ends with a
bulleted list titled “Pearls for Success.”
In an age when information is instantly accessible by
digital media, and with Asia awakening to the popularity of
aesthetic plastic surgery, it might seem daunting to try and
capture the essence of Asian aesthetic surgery in a book
form. Previous books on this subject have been more
limited in scope, with many chapters written by only a
handful of authors. This book nicely covers all of the pertinent aesthetic procedures in Asians. There is an interesting
chapter on “Scar Management for Asian Cosmetic Surgery
Patients,” which includes a summary of available treatments and a discussion of anatomic regions which are at
higher risk for heavy scarring. Since skin hyperpigmentation is more problematic in Asians and other darker complected races, it is appropriate that this book includes
a chapter on this topic. The chapter nicely reviews the differential diagnoses of various epidermal and dermalpigmented lesions but would be more complete if it also
included a paragraph or two on the use of a Wood’s lamp
as a diagnostic tool for pigmented skin lesions. Although
most Western plastic surgeons don’t treat acne on a regular
basis, “Treatment for Acne and Acne Scars” provides an excellent discussion of the pathophysiology and treatment of
these troublesome entities. Liquid silicone is still available
in Asia as a soft tissue filler and its use is discussed along
with others fillers for facial rejuvenation. Other chapters
reflect similar differences between Asia and the West regarding the popularity of various techniques. For instance,
thread-lifting was prevalent for a period of time in the
United States but has now fallen in popularity. The chapter
on “Facial Rejuvenation with Thread Lift” will have a wider
Dr Ishii is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery, John A. Burns
School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Corresponding Author:
Dr Clyde H. Ishii, 1329 Lusitana Street, Suite 304, Honolulu, HI 96813,
USA.
E-mail: [email protected]
Aesthetic Surgery Journal 36(8)
NP270
audience in Asia. Another stark difference in practice
between Asia and the United States is the use of acellular
dermal matrices (ADM). The chapter “Breast Reconstruction
with Implant” makes no mention of ADM, even for patients
with recurrent severe capsular contractures or patients with
prior radiation. Perhaps ADM is not widely used in Asia at
the present time, but this is likely to change in the next
decade or so.
WEAKNESSES
As expected, there is some overlap among various chapters.
For instance, a chapter titled “Total Facial Rejuvenation with
Microautologous Fat Transplantation” follows “Fat Grafting
for Facial Contouring.” In a similar vein, “Botulinum Toxin A
Injections for Facial Rejuvenation and Shaping” is followed
by “Botulinum Toxin A Injections for Facial Contouring.”
Many chapters have excellent discussions of complications
and their management, while other chapters are either
devoid of such discussions or mention complications only in
a cursory manner. As an example, Asian surgeons commonly
use alloplastic materials for dorsal nasal augmentation, while
Western surgeons shy away from using such materials in the
nose because of their known associated complications
(implant deviation, palpability, infection, extrusion, capsular
contractures, etc.). The chapter “Alloplastic Implants for
Rhinoplasty” would be more complete if the above complications were properly addressed.
DVDs as a complimentary learning tool are very popular,
especially in surgery books which are procedure-oriented.
The DVDs in this book set contain a number of very good
videos. Unfortunately, only seventeen of the sixty procedureoriented chapters have associated videos. The complimentary eBook version is a very nice addition since it allows the
reader to not only access the book’s contents online but
also offline via a smartphone or tablet.
SUMMARY
As far as I am aware, this book represents the most comprehensive treatment of this subject matter to date. I thoroughly enjoyed going through each chapter because the flow
was smooth, and the material was presented in a very clear
manner. For an undertaking of this magnitude, I congratulate Dr Pu and his coeditors for a job well done. They have
succeeded in capturing the essence of aesthetic plastic
surgery in Asians today. I highly recommend this work to
plastic surgeons of all levels who are interested in aesthetic
surgery as it applies to Asians.
RATING: 4.5 OF 5
To purchase: https://www.crcpress.com/Aesthetic-PlasticSurgery-in-Asians-Principles-and-Techniques-Two-Volume/
Pu-Chen-Li-Wu-Park-Takayanagi-Wei/9781482240870.
Disclosures
Dr Ishii is an unpaid member of the Kybella (Allergan, Irvine,
CA) faculty.
Funding
The author received no financial support for the research,
authorship, and publication of this article.