Services & Treatments

Liposuction

Liposuction is the country's most frequently performed cosmetic surgery procedure, and it owes much of its popularity to our natural quest for a smooth, contoured shape. It can be a wonderful, permanent solution for many men and women who, after dieting and exercise, fail to the see sufficient improvement in certain areas of the body.

Liposuction is a safe and effective treatment for unwanted fat. New instruments, anesthesia, and surgical techniques have enabled physicians to bring liposuction into the 21st century as an extremely safe and reliable treatment for unwanted fat. Beautiful new contours can be created by skilled surgeons in less than 3 hours as an outpatient procedure. Patients often resume normal activities within one week of their surgery!

Safe, Effective, and Permanent

Tumescent liposuction was developed by dermatologists in the late 1980s, and has revolutionized the field of liposuction surgery. It is performed as an outpatient procedure in our state-of-the-art procedure rooms under local anesthesia. It is important to note that general or intravenous anesthesia is not needed with liposuction as performed by our physicians, dramatically improving the safety profile of this remarkable procedure. Our physicians use precise treatments to remove carefully selected areas of fat. This new technique, often referred to as "liposculpture", allows physicians to safely and effectively remove a precise amount of fat from almost any part of the body. It can permanently eliminate problem areas such as "saddle bags" or "love handles". Other commonly treated areas include the abdomen, upper arms, outer and inner thighs, knees, neck, breasts, waistline, and buttocks.

Before liposuction

After liposuction

Before the Procedure

Your doctor will spend time during the consultation visit evaluating your health, anatomy, and shape. A thorough review of treatment options and the rationale for the treatment plan will be discussed. Laboratory tests will be done to ensure you are in good health. Pre- and post-operative antibiotics are given for infection control, and products containing aspirin are discontinued at least two weeks prior to surgery. Vitamin E must also be discontinued.

The Procedure

During the first part of the procedure, diluted saline anesthetic solution is placed under the skin with small, gentle, blunt instruments. In addition to anesthesia, this solution contains a medication to virtually eliminate blood loss. There is minimal pain and swelling because anesthesia is administered directly to the site. This is referred to as "tumescent anesthesia", and it numbs the area while allowing greater removal of fat cells. The local anesthesia phase of surgery usually lasts 20-40 minutes, and is associated with only minimal discomfort. An oral medication to sedate and relax the patient is used in nearly all patients.

Several small (1/4") incisions are then made in the skin, through which the surgeon inserts a little tube or cannula, attached to a suction device for removing the fat. Your surgeon then carefully sculpts and removes fat to produce a new, contoured shape. The entire procedure usually takes less than 3 hours. The skill and artistry of the surgeon is one of the main determinants of the final result from liposuction. Careful patient selection also plays a role, but it is the surgeon's hands and aesthetic sense that ultimately determines the new shape after fat removal. Our team of nurses and physicians is one of the finest in the country, and has worked together to perform hundreds of successful liposuction cases. This team concept is an important element of a successful liposuction practice, and the staff at SkinCare Physicians is dedicated to providing the highest quality care to all of our patients.

After the Procedure

You will be asked to continue the antibiotics you began before surgery. Pain is minimal, as is post-operative discomfort. Many patients feel fine within 24-36 hours after the procedure and post-operative recovery takes as little as three to four days. Patients must wear a compression garment, similar to a tight girdle, for one week following the procedure, and then eight to ten hours a day for the next three to four weeks to enhance healing. This helps the skin to assume its new, sculpted shape. Patients are able to resume normal physical activity in seven to ten days after the procedure.

Liposculpture is not a substitute for good eating habits and regular exercise. But when the technique is performed by world-renowned specialists, such as those at our facility, patients can expect to achieve a slimmer, more desirable, healthful appearance.

This novel technique is one of the greatest advances in the field of cosmetic surgery in the past 25 years. Our physicians have lectured on liposuction throughout the United States, and have been distinguished guest teaching faculty at some of the world's pre-eminent liposuction training courses for physicians. Their level of skill and knowledge is unparalleled, and physicians from around the world look to our surgeons to teach them the art of liposuction and liposculpture.