| CPC A61F 2/0059 (2013.01) [A61B 17/3468 (2013.01); A61B 2017/06176 (2013.01); A61F 2220/0016 (2013.01)] | 16 Claims |
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1. A method comprising:
(a) forming pilot holes at respective insertion points on a first anatomical side of a patient, the respective insertion points comprising:
a first cheek insertion point located about 1.5 cm along a submalar contour line of the patient from a nasolabial fold line of the patient;
a plurality of additional cheek insertion points spaced about 1 cm from each other along the submalar contour line, the additional cheek insertion points including a second cheek insertion point located about 1 cm along the submalar contour line from the first cheek insertion point; and
a gonial angle insertion point located about 2 cm superior to a gonial angle of the patient;
(b) inserting a first cannula into a first pilot hole at the first cheek insertion point, the first cannula having an L-shaped distal end, the first cannula containing a first multidirectional barbed polydioxanone (PDO) thread, the first cannula oriented at an angle of about 90 degrees with respect to a skin surface of the patient;
(c) advancing the first cannula about 3 mm to about 5 mm into the first pilot hole while maintaining the angle of the first cannula at about 90 degrees with respect to the skin surface of the patient;
(d) reducing the angle of the first cannula to about 10 degrees with respect to the skin surface of the patient;
(e) advancing the first cannula about 1 cm while maintaining the angle of the first cannula at about 10 degrees with respect to the skin surface of the patient so as to advance the first cannula into one or more deep cheek fat pads;
(f) reducing the angle of the first cannula to about 0 degrees with respect to the skin surface of the patient;
(g) advancing, while maintaining the angle of the first cannula at about 0 degrees with respect to the skin surface of the patient, the first cannula along a cheek insertion vector to an end point that represents a levator labii superioris alaeque nasi of the patient, whereby the cheek insertion vector extends in an inferior-to-superior direction through the one or more deep cheek fat pads;
(h) removing the first cannula from the first cheek insertion point;
(i) cutting an exposed portion of the first multidirectional barbed PDO thread;
(j) repeating steps (b) through (h) for each of the additional cheek insertion points using a respective multidirectional barbed PDO thread;
(k) inserting a second cannula into a gonial angle pilot hole at the gonial angle insertion point, the second cannula containing a second PDO thread, the second cannula oriented at an angle of about 90 degrees with respect to the skin surface of the patient;
(l) advancing the second cannula about 2 mm to about 3 mm into the gonial angle pilot hole while maintaining the angle of the second cannula at about 90 degrees with respect to the skin surface of the patient;
(m) reducing the angle of the second cannula to about 0 degrees with respect to the skin surface of the patient;
(n) advancing the second cannula along a first gonial angle vector while maintaining the angle of the second cannula at about 0 degrees with respect to the skin surface of the patient, the first gonial angle vector beginning at the gonial angle insertion point and ending at a hairline of the patient along a first line, the first line passing about 1 cm from a tragus of the patient, whereby the first gonial angle vector extends in an inferior-to-superior insertion direction;
(o) removing the second cannula from the gonial angle insertion point;
(p) cutting an exposed portion of the second PDO thread;
(q) inserting the second cannula into the gonial angle pilot hole at the gonial angle insertion point, the second cannula containing a third PDO thread, the second cannula oriented at the angle of about 90 degrees with respect to the skin surface of the patient;
(r) advancing the second cannula about 2 mm to about 3 mm into the gonial angle pilot hole while maintaining the angle of the second cannula at about 90 degrees with respect to the skin surface of the patient;
(s) reducing the angle of the second cannula to about 0 degrees with respect to the skin surface of the patient;
(t) advancing the second cannula along a second gonial angle vector while maintaining the angle of the second cannula at about 0 degrees with respect to the skin surface of the patient, the second gonial angle vector beginning at the gonial angle insertion point and ending at a hairline of the patient along a second line that is medial to the first line, the second line passing about 3 cm lateral to a lateral canthus of the patient along a horizontal line that passes through the lateral canthus, the second gonial angle vector extends in the inferior-to-superior insertion direction;
(u) removing the second cannula from the gonial angle insertion point; and
(v) cutting an exposed portion of the third PDO thread.
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