Celebrating 20 years of practice in Central Pennsylvania
Many things have changed since Dr. de Ramon started practicing in the Harrisburg area in 2000. Professionally, when Dr. de Ramon first began practicing as a solo physician, technology and medicine were at a new intersection. Changes to both surgical and non-surgical options procedures were exploding around the country and Dr. de Ramon was happy to be one of the leaders in new procedures!
Dermal Fillers
In 2000, dermal fillers for volume restoration and wrinkle reduction were made with bovine (cow) material and therefore, patients had to be tested in order to determine if they had a sensitivity to the bovine material. Around the same time, new fillers using hyaluronic acids (HA) were being created and the first to be approved in 2006 was Restylane. HA are produced naturally by the body and therefore a sensitivity test was no longer required. There are now new options to inject a patient’s own fat into areas needing volume which Dr. de Ramon began doing in 2018.
Breast Implants
Another area that has seen many changes is the breast implant options for augmentation or reconstruction. In the early 1990s, there was concern about the impact of silicone breast implants causing systemic disease. These claims were discredited, and in 2006, silicone implants were again available for use. Dr. de Ramon is again able to offer the use of silicone or saline implants with the newest product being the IDEAL breast implant.
Post-Procedure Pain Management
Fortunately for patients and physicians, another area of improvement has been with pain control. Dr. de Ramon was an early adopter of the On-Q pain pump system which was used after a tummy tuck. This option had a pump system that slowly dispensed medication through catheters into the surgical area. Pain control was good, but many patients did not like the catheters and the pump could make a noise as it worked. In 2008, Dr. de Ramon started using Exparel, an injectable medication that was placed intra-operatively to provide pain relief without pumps and catheters.
Liposuction & SmartLipo
In terms of surgical procedures, fat reduction and body contouring has changed significantly. In 2000, patients went to the operating room to have liposuction performed under general anesthesia. Traditional liposuction required the use of considerable force to get through and remove fat cells. This was also a tiring process for the physician. In 2006, Dr. de Ramon began using the SmartLipo system from Cynosure. This allowed him to perform the procedure in his in-office surgical suite under local anesthesia. In addition, the laser which is integrated into the system allowed fat to be dissolved and then removed in a much more gentle process. In 2010, the CoolSculpting system allowed another option for fat removal – freezing of fat! This procedure is completely non-invasive and allows patient to be treated in as little as 1 hour.
Our Commitment to Excellence
Being a part of the Central Pennsylvania community has been an outstanding experience both professionally and personally. Dr. de Ramon raised his twins here and they are proud Cumberland Valley graduates who recently completed their college educations. His family rescued a standard poodle named Ferris and two rescue cats, Midnight and Suda. In 2016, Dr. de Ramon began playing polo at the West Shore Polo Club across from Cumberland Valley High School and participated in the Eagle Foundation Charity Matches.
Dr. de Ramon takes pride in staying abreast of all the latest advances in technology and technique in cosmetic surgery. Our patients, numbering close to 12,000, have been both loyal and supportive over the years, and Dr. de Ramon looks forward to continuing to provide excellent care to all!
