Rejuvenate Your Look with Renuvion

Suffering from skin laxity? Dr. James Koehler, MD, and his team at Eastern Shore Cosmetic Surgery can help.

By Jessica Goolsby

It’s often said the opportunity to grow old is a gift, but the inevitable effects of aging (i.e. skin laxity and sagging) are the unfortunate accompaniments we often wish we could return. Despite our best efforts and skin care routines, the hard truth is that none of us are immune to the passing of time – though we can alter its physical effects.

For those looking to pull a Cher (that’s a classic “If I Could Turn Back Time” reference for you), Dr. James Koehler, MD, of Eastern Shore Cosmetic Surgery is prepped with a brand new procedure to help reverse the aging process and tighten things up a bit. Debuted at the practice roughly three months ago, Renuvion is a minimally invasive surgical procedure offering a safe way for men and women of any age with skin laxity that is mild to moderate in severity to tighten the skin. The product has been FDA approved since 2012 for coagulation and ablation and is now becoming a leader in the field of cosmetic surgery for minimally invasive skin tightening.  

“I see many patients who wish to have skin tightened in the neck, arms, abdomen, and inner thighs that do not want invasive surgery,” Dr. Koehler explains. “I was having to turn these patients away because aside from making large incisions, I had no way to tighten the skin effectively. But now we can offer patients who have mild to moderate skin laxity a minimally invasive way to tighten the skin,” he says, noting that surgery is still the best option for those with more severe laxity. 

So how does it work? “Several small incisions five millimeters in length are made,” Dr. Koehler begins. “Next, a liposuction cannula is used to create space for the Renuvion probe. It is often used in combination with liposuction, which can remove fat, but does nothing to tighten the skin. With Renuvion we can combine the treatments to address the fat as well as tighten the skin. The Renuvion probe is then inserted and the Helium plasma energized with radiofrequency is used to tighten the skin.” Renuvion is typically one treatment and is usually performed under anesthesia. The length of procedure time will vary depending on the size of the area to be treated, he says.

Dr. Koehler says that an initial consult is required to explain the procedure and determine a patient’s candidacy. During the visit, the potential patient’s health history is reviewed, and the determination is made as to whether certain medications should be paused prior to surgery in preparation for the procedure. “Recovery will vary depending on how many areas are treated, but typically one week of recovery is normal,” Dr. Koehler says. “Bruising varies from person to person, as we have seen minimal to no bruising in some, as well as patients who have bruising for a couple of weeks.” Dr. Koehler says swelling subsides within a few weeks, and final results will be seen in three to six months, which he says is the typical length of time for new collagen to form.  “We’ve seen impressive results in neck laxity, upper arm laxity, inner thigh laxity, and abdominal skin laxity,” he says.

There are those for whom Renuvion is not the best option, however. “Patients with significant skin laxity would still require surgery,” Dr. Koehler notes. “They could do Renuvion but would have to be realistic in how much tightening could be achieved. Some patients would still require a tummy tuck, facelift, thigh lift, or arm reduction.”

As a proponent of patient satisfaction, Dr. Koehler adds, “I love to offer new technology, but only technology that proves to do what it claims. Before purchasing the Renuvion system, I had been looking at several products that do minimally invasive skin tightening. I was most impressed with this system, especially after talking to colleagues that had the system already. One colleague of mine that I spoke with told me that it was the best technology he had invested in for all his years in practice. He was excited because both he and the patients were pleased with the results. I have found my experience to be the same and I am very glad that we added this technology to our practice,” Dr. Koehler says. “We are really excited to offer this to our patients.” 

For more information or to schedule a consultation, call Eastern Shore Cosmetic Surgery at (251) 929-7850.

Eastern Shore Cosmetic Surgery | 7541 Cipriano Court | Fairhope, AL  | 251.929. 7850