The question that began the program
In 1997, aesthetic surgeon William H. Avery, MD, began working with materials specialists after meeting patients who wanted a permanent, deliberately made alternative and could not find anyone willing to plan one properly. The early team treated the question as both clinical and human: what would a durable replacement pathway need to provide in daily life?
A dedicated program
The first dedicated program opened in Philadelphia in 1999. Early work established coordinated evaluation, a standardized steel platform and a practice model that kept surgical planning, surface design and follow-up in one record.
From program to institute
AREOLA was formally organized in 2005 as a multidisciplinary specialty center. Materials laboratory, nursing, patient navigation, clinical design and research functions grew alongside surgery rather than being added as unrelated services.
A national network
Expansion followed the clinical model: shared standards first, new centers second. By 2025, nine centers operated within one planning, quality, education and plate-registration infrastructure.
The work now
In 2026, AREOLA completed its 50,000th procedure and opened an expanded Philadelphia National Center. The institution’s next chapter centers on long-term outcomes, responsible magnetic-system development, access support and the education of future specialty teams.
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