With the recent surge in COVID-19 cases placing additional strain and concern on the community, Miami Cosmetic Surgery (MCS) organizers have made the proactive decision to reschedule MCS 2022 to May 4-7 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The safety and comfort of delegates, faculty, and exhibitors is the top priority, and as such, organizers felt this was the best decision. Visit the MCS website to learn more.
A return to May re-establishes MCS’s early-year position and its over-arching theme, ‘First Look.’ To keep things fresh, MCS will deliver a highly anticipated mixture of didactic learning experiences, exposure to emerging technologies and techniques, more global influence, and a heavy dose of the refreshingly creative programming that has become synonymous with MCS.
Despite this being only the third iteration of MCS, the meeting has already solidified a firm reputation for strong and innovative programming, resulting in many attendees and faculty considering it an ‘event’ rather than just another conference.
Facial plastic surgeon Steven Dayan, MD (Chicago, Ill.), and plastic surgeon Renato Saltz, MD (Park City, Utah), serve as MCS’s co-chairs. Both are committed to crafting the most unique and impactful event possible.
Dr. Saltz, who was co-chair of the Vegas Cosmetic Surgery (VCS) conference for more than ten years, before it was acquired by Informa PLC (London, U.K.), explained that MCS is a natural outgrowth of VCS. “VCS has
been successful for many years, but the feeling was that due to geographical location, it wasn’t attracting many from South America or Europe,” he said.
Brazilian by birth, Dr. Saltz understands South American culture and preferences for travel and conventions. “I am not surprised that aesthetic conferences in Miami are some of the most well-attended and successful meetings in aesthetic medicine. The potential is clear. Location, climate and market demand prompted the creation of MCS.”
Jason Pozner, MD, medical director of Sanctuary Medical Center (Boca Raton, Fla.), is the returning Director of Plastic Surgery for MCS 2022. “This is a great meeting for drawing a worldwide cadre of attendees. Miami is a fun town and an ideally located hub. Many from Central and South America, as well as Europe, find it convenient to attend.
“The weather is great considering much of the Northern hemisphere is cold in May,” he continued. “We will revisit a lot of what has happened in recent months, as well as put the latest and greatest out into the forefront, with some new technology rollouts.”
According to dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon Suneel Chilukuri, MD, medical director of Refresh Dermatology and MCS faculty member (Houston, Texas), “It is a no-holds-barred event for more than just learning. In its brief history, MCS has established itself as bringing together true innovators in both surgical and non-surgical aesthetic medicine and specialty markets such as regenerative medicine in a unique way.
“There is strong industry support but it is the innovators, which drives things here,” Dr. Chilukuri continued. “Rather than simply promoting the same well-known research physicians usually found on the podium, meeting organizers utilize real physicians – with active clinical practices pioneering the way with these technologies – to share their experience. The wellness side of the equation is brought to the forefront as well and is part of what makes MCS stand out.”
When originally asked to lead MCS, according to Dr. Dayan, all he wanted was latitude to do new things, to invite industry innovators with creative and provocative, yet innovative content. “Informa gave that to us, we are running with it and it is taking off. As we progress, I think MCS will establish itself as one of the largest meetings in the world.
“MCS is inclusive so everyone can participate,” he continued. “The word ‘surgery’ is in our title, but we embrace the nonsurgical, where much innovation is emerging. We look for abstracts that merge exciting, unconventional thinking with solid science.
“We offer quality education but with a progressive, creative edge that enlightens our perspectives,” Dr. Dayan added. “Human interest is encouraged; for example, we have the Power Couples session, the Passion Project event and Roots and Wings, where seasoned physicians known for expertise in a specific area of aesthetics share how major events shaped who they are and what they have achieved. “These are delivered in tandem with up-and-coming physicians who report on the origin of the same procedure. We get unscripted stories about stressors, obstacles and push-back that we all go through but don’t talk about,” Dr. Dayan shared.
“In that spirit, we give emerging talent a chance to shine outside of the traditional pathways and put the spotlight on them,” Dr. Saltz added. “You need to publish, have connections, start under someone’s wing, and also get very lucky before you get podium time. MCS recognizes that much can be lost that way, so we want to be different. Great concepts and techniques or new technology – we want you to present it if it is new and has solid supporting evidence.”
There will definitely be much that is new and different, including the Pre-show Day featuring the Injectables Live! with Cadaver Lab Course, a two-part program marrying cadaver dissection with injection demonstrations for a comprehensive and practical experience that will help un- ravel the mysteries of complex facial anatomy.
An anatomy expert will lay the groundwork in Part One, with Part Two delivering an interactive learning experience featuring world-class injectors treating live patients for up-close observation and the opportunity for 
small-group, hands-on learning with the cadaver anatomist.
Among some of the other intriguing offerings described by Dr. Dayan, “the ‘Red Hot & Spicy’ session will cover topics and controversies others may shy away from. In addition, ‘Things I do that I Haven’t Published but You Should Know About’ is exactly what it sounds like. “Also, we have ‘Wine & Tell,’ a speed-networking session where we bring doctors and other industry professionals together to meet quickly and cross-pollinate ideas in a round-robin, table-to-table style event,” he said. “We are always open to adding creative elements and trying something new... It is how creativity works; you can’t be afraid to try new things and adapt.”
One example is the Maverick Awards that was introduced in 2020 to celebrate the most progressive, innovative scientific presentations and content. This program has been overwhelmingly popular, and for 2022 previous Maverick win- ners have been invited to give a Masterclass presentation. These Maverick Masterclasses will be predominately focused on live or video demonstrations of either surgical or nonsurgical procedures and will incorporate the much-loved Fireside Chats that were introduced at MCS 2021. “During these one-on-one talks we sit down with the speaker after their presentations and ask
the questions the audience wants to know. We take the presenter deeper into their research, thoughts and practices,” Dr. Dayan shared.
Vincent McGinniss, DO, a facial plastic sur- geon in Findlay, Ohio, fondly remembers the intimacy, warmth and fun of the ‘fireside chats’. “Veteran physicians would delve deeper with presenters post-lecture to tease out profound details. It is part of the deeper and more personal connection between the presenting faculty and attendees throughout, something you don’t get anywhere else,” he shared.
“MCS is more interactive and intimate. The variety of programs inject fun and excitement into the mix, and the overall effect truly distinguishes MCS from others,” Dr. McGinniss added.
Nominated as a Rising Star at MCS 2020, Dr. McGinniss started as an attendee. In 2021 he was invited to join the MCS faculty, where he earned an MCS Maverick Award, in 2022 he will participate in the Maverick Master- class sessions. “When I first came to MCS, I really liked the unique concept of the Maverick award, where those in attendance choose what the best lectures were. It was an honor to actually win one, giving me another opportunity to give a Masterclass lecture this time around, followed by a fireside chat. But as cool as it is to be involved, I just love the concept and how it generates excitement and engagement, crafting continuity from each MCS meeting to the next,” he expressed.
“When we come to these conferences, we are looking for some technique or original approach that we can bring back to our practices and actually use,” Dr. McGinniss continued. “This does more than that; it is uncommonly well-rounded with multiple perspectives. MCS presents us with information and ideas that can build us up in many ways, making us generally better at what we do.”
Other notable sessions include the ‘World Cup of Aesthetics’ Panel, which will feature a global panel of aesthetic experts – surgeons
and non-surgeons examining and discussing cases, results, complications and treatment protocols in their regions of the world; ‘Realistic Expectations: The Boundaries of Non- surgical vs. Surgical Options’ in which a panel of surgeons, dermatologists and advanced providers will weigh in on specific patient cases and how they would tackle the cosmetic issue(s) at hand; an injectables complications panel where faculty will share the complica- tions and challenges they’ve personally experienced in practice, what they learned, how they overcame it, as well as the invaluable tips and takeaways to avoid or correct common complications; and the ‘Diversity in Aesthetics’ Panel where faculty will explore this aspect of our industry, putting it under a microscope to reveal where gaps still remain in engaging, understanding and treating a rich mix of consumers.
“There is no shortage of conferences where you can gain basic education on how to manage your practice,” noted Mark Tager, MD, CEO of ChangeWell, Inc. (San Diego, Calif.), and Director of the Practice Management Track at MCS.
“MCS provides a hands-on and interactive ex perience. In addition to learning about process improvement, social media, marketing and sales, attendees will be able to participate in the large group networking of Wine & Tell, or break into small groups to go through simulations, create videos, or listen as we help them grow their practice.”
“Last year in the practice management track, we did something quite profound, the gravitas of which can only be felt live,” he stated. “We held a session on ‘meaning, purpose and passion’ in which four ‘power couples’ talked about the challenges they face in life and work. There were moments when we all held our breath. This did so well in 2021 that we are putting it on a big stage in 2022.”
Doris Day, MD, a dermatologist in New York City, N.Y., was part of the power couples segment with her husband, Michael Ghalili, DDS, a cosmetic dentist.
Dr. Day shared that “The human element of what we do and who we are often gets lost in the focus on the clinical. However, the philosophies and approaches of experienced aesthetic physicians can be just as important, or more so, than the mechanical ‘how to’ can be. Faculty can speak to all levels of the experience.”
“We’ll definitely be tackling the issue of overall wellness and how the concept can improve our practice approach,” Dr. Tager added. “We tend to be good at answering questions about what creams to put on our face or what treatments would be best, but what about nutrition, activity and lifestyle – taking into account the myriad of factors in each individual from genetics and food tolerances to body type and the region in which they live, and more? How can we offer truly effective supplements or nutraceuticals? There are countless topics to explore.
“MCS, now and in the future, will continue to address the evolving philosophy of care through wellness and what it may mean for us,” Dr. Tager continued.
As a part of the returning faculty, Dr. Chilukuri will be presenting an exciting combination technique he has been developing to take aesthetic nonsurgical neck correction to the next level.
“We’ve done incredible things in this industry to rejuvenate and restore the face without
surgery, but we were not quite there with the neck,” he elaborated. “Treatment of the neck is essential for maximizing the full-face result. Our technique brings together several technologies to give us that same level of re- sult in an innovative way. And for patients, it is also consistent, not painful, and the downtime is extremely minimal at one to three days with soreness and perhaps some bruising, but no major restrictions on activity, other than avoiding heavy lifting for five to seven days.”
Also, to be addressed: Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). “It is an issue that has always been there but maybe becoming more prevalent as aesthetic medicine becomes more ac- accessible,” Dr. Pozner said. “There are also various aspects and nuances to BDD which we can all use an eye-opener about.”
Dr. Dayan agreed. “While patient satisfaction is a key endpoint for aesthetic medicine, we all need to be well aware of the increasing prevalence of the morbid and potentially deadly pathology of BDD. It affects 12% to 15% of aesthetic practices. The impact on practices and us personally is a serious concern, so how to diagnose and manage it should be addressed properly.”
“I’ve organized more than 30 conferences and Dr. Dayan has a lot of experience as well,” said Dr. Saltz, “so we know that there are three critical things that bring people to a meeting, outstanding faculty, a solid program and an ideal location.
“But the ‘little things’ need to hit too, so our goal at MCS is to offer an event that allows time to see friends and colleagues, obtain CME credits, and discover a diverse range of innovative products and services. Excellent faculty, an in- innovative program, and a beautiful setting like Miami Beach are a recipe for success!
“Miami Cosmetic Surgery isn’t just a conference; it is a memorable experience that we believe can elevate the industry in unforeseen ways,” Dr. Saltz concluded.
