Once a prospective patient has come to the confident conclusion that FAMI is indeed the best possible option for their unique needs, they will begin preparing themselves for the actual procedure. Although the implementation of FAMI lasts no more than three hours, the time necessary to adequately prepare a patient requires a bit more.

The following chapters will take a potential FAMI candidate through this process, step-by-step, from the selection of a qualified surgeon to what actions should be taken in the months, weeks and days before their arrival in the operating room.

While some of these measures have been mentioned in earlier chapters, it is imperative that they be reviewed and strictly followed, as each will help prepare a patient’s mind and body to successfully accept the adult stem cell grafts and encourage the healing process.

Just as Dr. Amar and his team have made every effort to prepare themselves for a successful procedure, through intensive study and experience, a patient must also make the effort to arrive in the operating room confident and ready.

As outlined in Section 4, a patient’s ability to physically and emotionally prepare their body for the injection of cellular grafts is as critical to their acceptance and the success of the procedure as the skills and abilities of the surgeon. The impact of a patient’s physical well-being and the risk of somatization – the physical manifestation of emotional pressure – cannot be stressed enough when preparing for any surgical procedure, but especially one involving the type of grafts used in FAMI.

The pages that follow will outline each step involved in the process, however, Dr. Amar and his team knows well that no publication will answer each and every question a prospective patient has. Should you complete this section with doubts or questions about how best to prepare for FAMI, please do not hesitate to direct any queries to Dr. Amar’s qualified and informed team.

Selecting the Right Surgeon for FAMI
The first step along the way is the challenge of finding a surgeon with the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to carry out the FAMI procedure with confidence. Although the quickest route to determining whether a surgeon has the adequate experience needed to successfully see a FAMI procedure through from beginning to end is to ask whether they have personally trained alongside Dr. Roger Amar and has been taught the intricacies of the process and tools necessary, it is not the only question that should be asked. Fig.48.

Below, Dr. Amar and his team have compiled a list of helpful questions every FAMI candidate should ask a prospective surgeon or dermatologic surgeon before making a final decision about who should perform their procedure. Inevitably, the answers to these questions will lead back to those surgeons and dermatologists who have trained directly under Dr. Amar, during any one or many of his courses, given across the world. However, Dr. Amar is quick to point out that simply showing up to a course will do little to help ensure your surgeon is qualified to complete the procedure.

1. Does he or she have the medical and anatomical knowledge and experience to support the FAMI procedure?
Although it has been repeated several times in previous chapters, it cannot be mentioned enough that the ability for a surgeon to successfully implement FAMI depends on their firm grasp of the facial anatomy. Without this knowledge and the hands-on experience to support it, they will be unable to navigate the complex, multi-layer network of nerves, vessels, bone and muscle that come together to create the facial structure. Furthermore, a successful FAMI practitioner should have recent, direct experience with facial anatomy, including interaction with naturally preserved specimens, which have only recently allowed the inspection and analysis of facial muscles in their organic form. Without this knowledge and recent experience, a medical professional will be unable to successfully implement the FAMI procedure.

2. Does he or she understand the role of anatomical knowledge and experience in the success of FAMI?
Just because a surgeon or dermatologist possesses the necessary anatomical knowledge and experience needed to perform a FAMI procedure does not mean they understand how that information impacts the transfer and acceptance of adult stem cells. In addition to study and experience, a FAMI-ready professional must have worked alongside Dr. Amar to fully understand how this knowledge supports each step of the procedure, especially the placement of the extracted and purified cells, as well as the design and implementation of Dr. Amar’s custom cannulae. Fig.49.

3. Does he or she have the real-world experience to be able to guarantee the success of the FAMI procedure?
In addition to a knowledge and understanding of the complexities of the facial anatomy, FAMI requires that those performing the procedure have a familiarity with both the surgical area as well as the tools used. In addition to the experience garnered during training sessions and courses with Dr. Amar, it is preferable that a practitioner of FAMI offers real-world experience with successful patients to display that familiarity needed to ensure success.

4. Does he or she have the necessary experience with the proprietary tools designed to perform the FAMI procedure?
Developed over a decade of research and experimentation, the proprietary cannulae used in FAMI are as important to the successful implementation of the procedure as knowledge of facial anatomy. Moulded to suit the needs of a single muscle area or bone surface, each of the 13 cannulae has been created with a very specific task. Understanding these tasks and the development of these tools and how each is used to service the needs of a particular area of the facial structure is an exceptionally important part of a successful FAMI doctor. This knowledge and experience comes only from an extended period of training under Dr. Amar, as well as real-world practice. Without both, it is unlikely that a surgeon would be able to offer the necessary familiarity to correctly use the FAMI cannulae.

5. Does he or she have the ability to answer each and every question you may have about the FAMI procedure, from start to finish?
A key component of the FAMI process is making sure that a patient enters the operating room absolutely confident in the decision they have made. This confidence comes from a deep understanding of the procedure and all of the risks and benefits involved. While a basic understanding of the process can be gleaned from personal research, a successful FAMI practitioner must be ready to fill in the gaps, answering each and every question a patient may have about the procedure. This quick and confident ability to answer must also extend beyond the actual day of surgery, soothing any worries a patient may have about after-effects, proper behaviour and care for the cellular grafts. Further, the confidence and comfort that comes with a complete understanding will aid the healing process and encourage the acceptance of the cellular grafts, as it will reduce stress and the risk of somatization. Only after these questions have been adequately answered should a candidate proceed on their path towards FAMI. For the time being, the only surgeons and dermatologists that should be trusted with such a responsibility are those that have trained directly under Dr. Roger Amar, and more often than not, candidates should seek out Dr. Amar himself.

Or visit:   The Amar Clinic website: Stem cells FAMI rejuvenation