Can SERI Silk Mesh Be Used To Smooth Out My Face?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have a lot of deep saucer-shaped scars and indentations on my face. I recently read about the use of GalaFLEX and would like to know if this product could be used to smooth out the appearance my face. I once had a doctor in California who suggested using sheets of a “derma” product to place between the skin and the underlying tissue to smooth it out.  When I read about GalaFLEX it appears to be the same type of product. Perhaps you can give me your thoughts on it.

SERI Silk Scaffold in Plastic Surgery Dr Barry Eppley IndianapolisA: The concept of an interpositional material between the skin and the underlying fat/SMAS is an interesting one. As of today there are over a dozen allogeneic and synthetic matrixes/scaffolds that are currently available for use. So this concept is not new and Galaflex just represents one of the synthetic options to consider. All of these have been developed primarily to support the lower pole of the breast in breast reconstruction and in treating bottoming out of the breast in aesthetic breast augmentations. Of the synthetic options, the one I would consider is SERI Silk mesh as opposed to Galaflex since it is currently FDA-approved while Galaflex remains under FDA clinical trials.

Moving beyond the materials, the real question is whether placing an interpositional material under the skin would help smooth out the face. That part is unknown since this is not what it has been studied for and I have know of no patients who has been so treated for that facial skin problem with this method. But I guess there is always a first time in the right patient.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana