A combination of medical expertise and emerging technology is being used by Dr Ed Robinson to rethink how cosmetic procedures are delivered, with ultrasound, nerve-block techniques and AI now forming part of his clinic’s approach to patient care.
Dr Ed Robinson, founder of Dr Ed Robinson Aesthetics, is introducing the systematic use of regional nerve blocks alongside ultrasound, while also incorporating AI into the organisation and administration of his clinic.
The aim is to make selected procedures more comfortable, reduce reliance on assumptions and give practitioners greater information about a patient’s individual anatomy before and during treatment.
Building on his background in NHS anaesthesia and his training in anatomy, Dr Ed is applying established medical principles more systematically within an aesthetic setting.
Dr Ed said: “A cosmetic procedure is still a medical procedure, and patients shouldn’t be expected to put up with unnecessary pain or uncertainty because their treatment is elective.
“My background in anaesthesia taught me to think very carefully about pain management, while ultrasound allows me to see what’s happening beneath the skin rather than relying on assumptions.”
Regional nerve blocks can be used during selected facial procedures to make treatment significantly more comfortable without unnecessarily swelling or distorting the area being treated.
Rather than repeatedly injecting local anaesthetic throughout a treatment area, the technique involves placing a carefully calculated amount close to a sensory nerve to temporarily numb the wider area.
Dr Ed said: “Nerve blocks are not new. They’re well established in medicine, dentistry and anaesthesia.
“What I want to challenge is the idea that discomfort is something patients have to accept during aesthetic treatment. Where appropriate, we can use medical techniques to make the experience much more comfortable.”
Dr Ed is also integrating ultrasound into assessment, treatment planning, injections and complication management.
It can help Dr Ed visualise muscles, blood vessels, tissue layers and existing filler before treatment, as well as assess complications or help make filler dissolving more targeted.
He said: “Everybody’s anatomy is slightly different.
“Ultrasound gives us another layer of information so we can make more informed decisions before we treat.”
Ultrasound can be used to assess the masseter muscle before Botox treatment, map anatomy ahead of filler procedures and investigate problems following previous injectable treatments.
It can also help make filler dissolving more targeted by identifying where existing product is located before treatment takes place.
Dr Ed said: “Innovation in aesthetics shouldn’t be about using something because it’s new.
“It should be about whether it can genuinely improve the patient experience, precision or outcome. That’s the standard we’re trying to establish. We’re currently using AI to support clinic notes and help with clinic organisation, but in time I’m sure we will be able to expand to treatment decisions and procedures too.”
The approach follows Dr Ed Robinson Aesthetics’ recent first CQC assessment, in which the clinic received an overall Good rating.
Inspectors recognised the clinic’s governance and culture of continuous improvement, finding that it used emerging evidence and developments within the sector to improve treatment and patient outcomes.
