For more than 40 years, people looking to remove excess fat have turned to liposuction to aid in their efforts. However, through many advances in both technology and technique, today’s liposuction bears little resemblance to that performed in its early days.
The idea of liposuction for some people, can conjure visions of a surgery performed under general anesthesia with large cannulas and lots of bleeding and risk – a procedure marred by irregularities and a long recovery time. Today, however, many advances have made liposuction a safe procedure with little postoperative downtime – a more successful and cost-effective option for patients looking to reshape specific areas and/or remove the stubborn fat that just won’t respond to diet and exercise.
I have performed liposuction for more than 20 years, first using the tumescent technique under local anesthesia. In 2007 I became one of the first surgeons in the country to incorporate laser technology with SmartLipo into my practice. SmartLipo is involves using a small laser fiber to melt fat and make removal easier, in addition to creating skin tightening by heating up the undersurface of the skin and stimulating collagen production. Tumescent anesthesia is an anesthetic solution of saline to which is added Lidocaine for numbing and epinephrine which constricts blood vesels and prevents bleeding, making blood loss very minimal.
In 2015 I incorporated the latest Vaser technology into my liposuction practice. Vaser is a probe that delivers high frequency ultrasound energy. Instead of burning fat as the laser does, the Vaser vibrates fat and fibrous tissue apart, essentially emulsifying the fat and making it easier to remove with small liposuction cannulas. I use the PAL (power assisted liposuction) device which aids in fat removal. The combination of Vaser and PAL with tumescent anesthesia provides for safe removal of fat, skin tightening and very little blood loss. I also traveled to Bogota, Colombia to study with Alfredo Hoyos, M.D., the creator of Vaser High Definition Liposuction. This allows me to eliminate fat from around muscle groups, which makes muscles look more defined and creates a sculpted, athletic appearance. This procedure can be used on many areas of the body – including abdomen, back, flanks, arms and legs – and produces results in just one procedure.
An extremely effective treatment for normal fat reduction, VaserLipo has also been extremely effective in treating Lipedema – a chronically progressive condition that occurs mostly in women and is characterized by disproportionate growth and distribution of abnormal fat. Lipedema is a fat storage disease that is often mistaken for obesity, even by medical professionals who are not educated about this disease. Patients suffer pain and bruising in involved areas, and often experience shaming even from medical providers who are not familiar with Lipedema. Vaser Liposuction has been very effective in removing the fibrous fat of Lipedema and creating skin contraction, providing both functional and cosmetic improvement for these patients.
Over the last two years, I’ve helped more than 200 patients achieve their desired look through VaserLipo. And many of those patients have reported that the results are life-changing.
Whether’ it’s stubborn belly fat, cankles or the fat resulting from Lipedema, VaserLipo can not only permanently remove fat, but also create muscle definition. To determine if VaserLipo is the right treatment for you, please call our office to schedule a complimentary consultation.
