Body Contouring (Liposuction)
Over the past two decades body liposuction (also known as lipo-contouring, lipoplasty and lipo-sculpting or body sculpturing) has become the most common and popular cosmetic operation performed in the United States. In selected cases, the addition of laser-assisted liposuction such as SmartlipoTM increases the number of patients who can benefit from liposuction.
Seattle & Bellevue’s Expert Liposuction Surgeons
Performing liposuction with state of the art technology since 1998, Dr. Zemplenyi our cosmetic surgeon has achieved fantastic results. Using the newest techniques of laser assisted liposculpting “Smartlipo MPXTM“, in addition to precise lipocontouring, tightening of overlaying skin can be achvieved.
What is Liposuction?
Liposuction is a technique for removal of fatty deposits through very small skin incisions. Liposuction is especially effective for removal of localized, genetically predetermined, fatty deposits that are particularly resistant to dieting and exercise. Liposuction techniques yield quicker and more predictable results than serial injections of various fat dissolving substances known as mesotherapy.
Liposuction for Men and Women
In women, the most common areas for liposuction (lipocontouring, fat removal) are the abdomen, hips and the lower extremities. In men common areas are the “love handles”, the abdomen, and the breasts (gynecomastia — reduction of the male breast). In women, liposuction may also be used to reduce breast volume, thus avoiding long incisions, but unlike a breast lift or breast reduction this approach does not relocate the nipple/areolar complex into a higher position.
Is Liposuction an Alternative to Exercise and Weight Loss?
Fat cells extracted by liposuction are permanently removed and do not appear to recur in most patients. However, a stable weight must be maintained following the surgery because weight gain will cause enlargement (increase in volume) of the remaining fat cells elsewhere. Liposuction is definitely not an alternative to weight loss or exercise.
Pre-Liposuction/Body Contouring Consultation During your consultation for liposuction, Dr. Zemplenyi will address your cosmetic concerns and will discuss whether liposuction may be the right solution for you. He feels it’s extremely important for you to understand realistic goals, expectations and risks of liposuction so that you are empowered to make an informed decision about a custom tailored procedure that best fits your individual needs. Liposuction is best employed as a body contouring technique as opposed to a weight-loss procedure.
Who is a Good Candidate for Liposuction?
The best candidates for liposuction are those people in good health with localized deposits of fat. Liposuction also results in contraction of the overlying skin envelope but this effect is not fully predictable. The addition of dual wave length (Smartlipo MPXTM) increases the amount of skin and soft tissue contracture. Thus, some thinner patients with loose skin and not much fatty tissue can achieve pleasing contracture of the overlying skin. However, with excessive loose skin the contraction is not likely to be enough and an excision of additional skin or skin/fat layer is required. An abdominoplasty (“tummy-tuck” or “mini tummy-tuck”) may be combined with liposuction in selected patients and may be necessary to achieve the desired contour and skin tightening.
Liposuction Surgery & Anesthesia
Our goal is to perform all surgeries safely without pain or recollection of the procedure and with the least amount of discomfort or anesthetic side-effects. With patients’ comfort and safety paramount, complete monitoring is performed for all patients undergoing any anesthetic. Since all levels of anesthesia are available in our state-licensed and Medicare-certified surgical center we are able to tailor the technique to patients’ needs and preferences.
Modified Tumescent Lipoplasty
Since training in liposuction in 1987 and as a result of his large amount of experience over the years with this procedure, Dr. Zemplenyi prefers lipoplasty (liposuction) using a modified tumescent technique along with power-assisted liposuction, usually administered under sedation anesthesia (twilight sleep) for ultimate patient comfort.
Liposuction can be performed solely under local anesthesia, with mild sedation, or under general anesthesia administered by our board certified anesthesiologists.
The tumescent technique provides enough numbing for the area so that liposuction can be performed solely under local anesthesia with mild sedation achieved with oral sedative medications. However, at the Bel-Red Center for Aesthetic Cosmetic Plastic Surgery we find that most patients, if given a choice, prefer to undergo sedation (twilight sleep) anesthesia especially when several body areas are to be contoured. In this manner, patients are very comfortable during the operation and have no recollection of the procedure. Yet, at completion of surgery patients are comfortable and ready for discharge home, usually within one hour. They must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Because our outpatient surgical facility is certified at the highest level possible, our patients may choose the anesthetic technique that is the safest and most comfortable for them.
We are also able to offer our patients the Smart-Lipo triplex ™the most advanced laser skin tightening technique currently available. We do this at no extra cost to the patient. This technology allows us to tighten the skin in the area of liposuction surgery. We find this to be the most important for the inner things, upper arms and lower abdomen.
Tumescent Liposuction: A Prudent Approach
Using a prudent approach, Dr. Zemplenyi limits the amount of fat extracted in one session. Our lipoplasty technique consists of infiltration of a large volume of very dilute local anesthetic solution into the areas to be contoured. The fatty layer thus becomes inflated and firm (tumescent). The solution contains lidocaine to provide numbing and epinephrine to constrict blood vessels. With this technique of liposuction, minimal bleeding and bruising are usually encountered. Special oscillating, metal suction tubes (cannulas) of various sizes are inserted into the fatty layer through small skin incisions placed to be hidden once healing occurs. The cannulas, attached to a vacuum pump, remove fat as they are passed back and forth into the fatty tissues. The fatty layer becomes very noticeably reduced in volume and multiple small tunnels are formed. SmartlipoTM delivered through a special fiber is used to heat up the overlying skin and to produce increased tissue contracture. With liposuction the overlying skin contracts and contours over the remaining fatty layer by collapse and contraction of the tunnels created in the fatty layer. An improved body contour with a normal look and feel of skin is achieved, although minor amounts of skin rippling may persist. A compressive garment is applied at the end of the procedure.
After Your Lipoplasty/Body Lipocontouring
Following liposuction patients are encouraged to walk the night of surgery with most patients able to return to work within two to four days and resume some exercise in about two weeks. In order to promote contouring of the sculpted areas, patients wear a compressive garment continuously during the first one to two weeks and then at night for the subsequent two weeks. The small incisions are closed with absorbable sutures and drainage of fluid from these incisions usually ceases in about two days. The amount of discomfort is moderate depending on the areas that have been contoured. Many patients take some of the prescribed narcotic medications for the first several days while others resort to Tylenol or anti-inflammatory medications such as Ibuprofen. Patients are seen for a check-up in about one week. Massage, ultrasound and smoothing of the suctioned areas with rollers may be helpful in some patients. The final cosmetic result is not achieved for three to four months until resolution of small areas of swelling and of residual contour irregularities.
