If you are a healthy person who exercises regularly and eats right, but just can't seem to get rid of that extra fat - liposuction may be an option for you!  Despite your attempts to lose what is commonly referred to as the "bulge", "muffin top" or "love handles" many people struggle with getting rid of localized fat deposits; even with diet and exercise.  Metabolism, heredity, and other factors can cause small bulges that just won't go away.  Some of the most common areas liposuction may be used to reduce localized fat deposits are: thighs, hips and buttocks, abdomen and waist, upper arms, back, inner knee, neck, and chest area in men.

 

In some cases, liposuction is performed alone, and other times it is used in conjunction with other plastic surgery procedures such as a facelift or abdominoplasty.  Liposuction cannot remove excess skin, so patients with poor skin elasticity may need skin tightening with a tummy tuck, thigh lift, or arm lift that is done at the same time to achieve optimum results. 

Liposuction or lipoplasty slims and reshapes specific areas of the body by removing excess fat deposits, which improves the body contours and proportions.  Patients that make good candidates should be healthy, both in body and mind, have slightly above-average weight, and have concentrated areas of fat that do not respond to diet and exercise.  Liposuction will only remove fat, not cellulite; it is not a weight loss technique.

 

The liposuction procedure is performed using a suction device attached to a small stainless steel instrument called a cannula.  Through small incisions, the cannula is inserted into fatty areas between skin and muscle where it removes tunnels of excess fat with minimal scarring and usually quick recovery times; the length of the procedure will vary with the amount of fat needing removed.  The tumescent technique is most commonly used with injected fluid used to minimize blood loss.  Lasers and ultrasonic devices have claimed to yield better results or tighter skin, but controlled studies have shown no differences in results with the methods used. 

 

Liposuction is one of the most requested cosmetic procedures by both men and women.  

 

Non surgical methods have claimed to reduce fat, but to date the amount of fat they reduce is minimal, and not always successful, despite the costs.

 

Dr. Van Raalte states that lipoplasty can benefit both men and women.  Some of the most frequent target areas for men are: chest, love handles or flanks, and the abdomen.  The "six pack" can sometimes be etched or "sculpted". 

 

Women frequently choose thighs, flanks, abdomen, and neck. Women who have had children may have an abdominoplasty and combine liposuction of other areas at the same time. 

 

One of the newest techniques and most popular in our patients over 40 is to reuse the fat.  We "recycle" or "go green" by using the fat as a filler to fill wrinkles and loss of volume in the cheeks, marionette lines and lips. 

 

At a consultation we carefully describe the risks, the possible outcomes and do an evaluation and examination to determine if liposuction is appropriate for you. 

 

Call Christina for more information at 322-8877.

She is happy to answer all of your questions

and help you schedule a free consultation.

 

Please mention this newsletter for your free consultation.