Houston, TX (PRWEB) March 03, 2014
Last month, the FDA denied approval of new uses for Johnson & Johnson’s blood thinning drug Xarelto. Dr. Mentz, of the Aesthetic Center for Plastic Surgery, will still continue his research on the drug, however. Xarelto was seeking clearance to treat patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) when it was denied. This is the FDA’s third denial of Johnson & Johnson’s request.
Reuters published an article on Feb. 14 about the issue entitled "FDA rejects wider use of Xarelto drug." To read the article, visit http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/14/us-bayer-xarelto-idUSBREA1D0W120140214.
Xarelto has previously received FDA clearance for six uses in the U.S., including reducing the risk of strokes in patients with nonvalvular AF, as a treatment for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism and for reducing the risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs of people who have had hip or knee replacement surgery. The drug was also approved last May in Europe for ACS.
The Aesthetic Center for Plastic Surgery conducted a large study in 2008 that followed liposuction patients through the course of their recoveries. These were patients who had some risk of deep vein thrombosis - blood clotting in the legs - and possible risk of that clot traveling to the lungs causing pulmonary embolus. The experts determined a relative risk for blood clots in these cosmetic procedures. They did a follow-up study utilizing a blood thinner called Lovenox which lowered the risk of blood clots substantially and made these operations far safer. Lovenox is a shot that patients administer to themselves.
Recently, ACPS has conducted another study using Xarelto, which is also a blood thinner but unlike Lovenox, which is a shot, Xarelto is in pill form. This is very convenient for patients who would rather not give themselves a shot and prefer a pill. The medicine works equally as well as Lovenox, which has been determined in follow-up studies. ACPS will present some of this data in April 2014 during the Hot Topics session at The American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery’s annual meeting.
About Dr. Henry Mentz:
Insecurities regarding body image can cause overwhelming stress, anxiety and even pain. When seeking guidance on a decision regarding surgery, finding an expert in aesthetic plastic surgery is essential in order to achieve the look and results desired. Dr. Henry Mentz, a triple board-certified surgeon, has been recognized as one of Houston's leading plastic surgeons and a principal authority on the subject. For more than 20 years, Dr. Mentz has drawn upon his diverse and extensive aesthetic plastic surgery training to constantly perfect and refine surgical procedures and deliver the results his patients expect. He has helped countless patients achieve their aesthetic goals. Over the years, Dr. Mentz has refined and perfected surgical techniques to achieve his primary goal - to give patients a natural and youthful appearance that is minimally detectable. For more information, call 713-799-9999.