Allergan helps with Botox and Juvederm in treatment of child with 'PAA' like premature aging disease

Dec. 11, 2009 - PRLog -- After the last year release of ‘The Curious case of Benjamin Button’ (3 Oscars winner) and this year release of  Amitabh Bachhan's ‘PAA’ (a likely Oscar nominee), the issue of premature aging due to various disorders and plight of such children has generated immense interest all over the world. “It’s a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes. Everything looks the same, feels the same, and even smells the same. You realize what’s changed, is you.” says Brad Pitt as Benjamin Button. This is the story of Aditya Sharma, who was changing differently and faster than his peers in his class, all alone. He is suffering from a rare aging disease, Cutis laxa, means ‘Loose Skin’ and started looking ‘Old’ even while he was in his teens.

This young lad, a budding spin bowler from Chandigarh, would always be an outcast in his class due to his mature looks. His own classmates would call him ‘Sir’ or ‘Uncle’ to tease him. This made him a loner and he would just concentrate on his bowling, day in and day out.  After visiting many hospitals and not getting any relief of his disorder, Aditya finally came to Fortis Hospital Mohali to meet Dr K M Kapoor, Senior Consultant, Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery. Dr Kapoor, after detailed examination and study of records and family history, diagnosed him to be suffering from a rare disorder, Cutis laxa. As there is no permanent cure for this disease, the only possible treatment was to reverse the age related changes on his face.

Hence a face and neck lift surgery was performed on him by Dr K M Kapoor at Fortis Hospital, Mohali, to make him look young again. Generally face and neck lift surgery (Rhytidectomy) is done at 55 years or above age to give lift to the sagging skin caused by aging.

Aditya became the youngest person in India to undergo a Face and neck lift surgery at the age of 17 years besides getting Botox injections and facial fillers treatment to reverse the aging changes on face. After surgery, his prominent nasolabial lines or laugh lines were treated with Juvederm filler injection and Botox injection was given for Chin ‘Dents’ and ‘crow’s feet’ lines. The Juvederm and Botox treatment was expensive for Aditya’s family to afford but it was sponsored free by its manufacturer, Allergan, after coming to know of his story.  
Cutis laxa (CL), or elastolysis, is a rare, inherited or acquired connective tissue disorder in which the skin becomes inelastic and hangs loosely in folds. Cutis laxa (elastolysis) is characterized by degenerative changes in the elastic fibers resulting in loose, pendulous skin. The skin is sagging, redundant, and stretchable, with reduced elastic recoil. The loose skin is particularly obvious on the face, and children with the disorder look sad or mournful.The autosomal dominant form of cutis laxa (elastolysis) has a benign course; primarily, skin involvement is present, with few, if any systemic complications, and a normal life expectancy.The primary and most obvious symptom of these diseases, is caused by underlying defects in connective tissue structure, which also cause more serious internal problems in vocal cords, bones, cartilage, blood vessels, bladder, kidney, digestive system, and lungs.
Plastic surgical procedures can be aesthetically and psychologically beneficial in children with congenital cutis laxa, and can be recommended without overt fear of wound disruption, or poor scarring.  Unlike patients with other disorders of the connective tissue, those with cutis laxa heal well. Repeated face lift and facial volume replacement seem to be an important way to manage patients with cutis laxa.

Aditya’s parents are happy now that he does not have to deal with mental trauma due to his aging disorder. Now he is back to his first love, Cricket with full vigor and focus to emulate feats of his favorite cricket player, Ishant Sharma. Next in the pipeline for him is Autologous Stem cell injection in the face for volume replacement in next stage with the expected help of an overseas support group.