Aesthetics reports on the highlights of the Laboratories VIVACY live anatomy and injectables masterclass in Lyon, France
On November 15 and 16, French injectable manufacturer Laboratories VIVACY invited 40 UK aesthetic practitioners to the Faculty of Medicine in Lyon for two days of learning. The masterclass included live anatomy dissections and injections for delegates to enhance their understanding of the facial arteries, and to help avoid complications when performing aesthetic procedures.
Delegates arrived by plane throughout the day before the masterclass, and enjoyed a delicious three-course meal at the Marriott Hotel Cité Internationale hotel while networking with other practitioners and making new connections.
The following morning, delegates travelled to the Faculty of Medicine where a theory session took place. Discussions on clinical cases and danger zones were presented, focusing on each individual part of the face, as well as a variety of cadaver images and videos to highlight these areas to delegates before the live dissections.
Plastic surgeon Dr Fabien Boucher discussed the mid-face and tear troughs, reinforcing how they both work in synergy with each other, and clarifying the crucial areas to avoid when injecting.
Plastic surgeon Dr Sophie Converset presented on lips and the perioral area. She noted that there were eight points to sculpt the lips, including the vermillion border to the commissures and the ideal lip ratio, and also highlighted the arteries in the lip to avoid. Dr Converset then moved on to exploring the lower face and neck area, reinforcing that practitioners should explain the Ricketts Line to patients during consultations.
The final presentation was with plastic surgeon Professor Ali Mojallal, focusing on the nose and nasolabial folds. As well as noting the anatomy and facial arteries in these two areas, he also mentioned that a new study had been released with STYLAGE fillers being used in the nose to help with functional disorders.
After a short break, delegates were asked to put on hair nets, gloves, aprons, face masks and shoe protectors before entering the dissection room. Cadavers were already present with a sheet placed over their heads except for one, which had half of its face already dissected to show delegates the different anatomical layers and arteries.
Delegates were then split into six groups and spent one hour dissecting the mid-face and tear trough area, with the opportunity to inject STYLAGE fillers and try different techniques with the oversight of the surgeons. After a lunch break, new protective clothing was put on, and the delegates dissected and injected the nose, nasolabial folds, lips and lower face.
Many delegates had not completed live dissections before or attended similar courses, so the training was a fantastic learning experience and generated brilliant feedback. For the evening, delegates had an exclusive boat tour, dinner and drinks along the river, enabling more networking opportunities and debriefing from the day.
The following day, delegates were invited to watch three live injectable demonstrations. The first two were performed by Dr Converset, focusing first on the temples, cheeks and chin, before the nose, jawline and chin were injected. A presentation on STYLAGE dermal fillers, its IPN-like technology and viscoelastic properties were then discussed by scientific communications officer, Pauline Dadre. The final injectable demonstration was performed by aesthetic practitioner Dr Tatiana Lapa, who treated the glabellar and lateral parts of the face using the STYLAGE range. In the presentations, both Dr Converset and Dr Lapa described their injection technique for the treated area, reasons for choosing specific products, needle or cannula preference and which anatomical planes they were injecting into.
The two-day masterclass concluded with delegate certificates and photos. Country manager for VIVACY UK Camille Nadal said following the event, “Education is at the heart of everything we do at VIVACY. We pride ourselves in ensuring our practitioners not only have the best quality products, but also the right skillset to deliver safe and optimum results for their patients. Bringing everyone together for our Cadaver Masterclass in Lyon highlights this and strengthens the family-like bond we are known for at VIVACY with our practitioners. Thank you to everyone who joined us for making the trip so wonderful.”
VIVACY hopes to invite more delegates to its live anatomy and injectable masterclasses throughout 2023.
