Body Procedures At a Glance
Sometimes, our bodies just do not respond to diet and exercise the way we want them to. Cosmetic plastic surgery procedures can reshape many areas by removing excess fat and skin and toning muscle. Below are some of the procedures we perform for body contouring.
Abdominoplasty ("Tummy Tuck")
Abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure that helps to flatten and shape the abdomen and waist by removing excess fat and skin and tightening muscles. The best candidates are in good physical condition with pockets of fat or loose skin that haven't responded well to diet and exercise. Abd ominoplasty can also be useful for women with stretched skin and muscles from pregnancy, although results from the procedure will diminish if they continue to bear children.
The procedure takes approximately two to five hours and can be performed with general anesthesia. Recovery time ranges from two weeks to a few months, but with a balanced diet and regular exercise, results are long-lasting. Abdominoplasty will likely leave a permanent scar stretching between the hips, although it should be low enough for even a bikini to conceal it.
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Liposuction (Lipoplasty/Suction Lipectomy)
One of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures, liposuction sculpts the body by removing undesirable fat from areas of the body such as the abdomen, waist, hips, buttocks, thighs, knees, chin, cheeks, neck and upper arms that have not responded to diet and exercise. Local anesthesia or general anesthesia may be used and can last anywhere from one to five hours depending on the amount of fat being removed.
 There are several different methods surgeons use when performing liposuction, including tumescent liposuction, the super-wet technique, and ultrasound-assisted liposuction (UAL). In all types, a tiny incision is made in as inconspicuous a place as possible. A cannula (small tube) is inserted and moved back-and-forth beneath the skin, breaking up the fat layer and suctioning it out. Tumescent liposuction and super-wet liposuction use fluid injection, which facilitates fat removal, reduces blood loss, provides anesthesia during and after surgery, and helps to reduce the amount of bruising after surgery. UAL liquefies fat with ultrasonic energy and is highly precise.
Risks are uncommon when the procedure is performed by a qualified surgeon, but may include infection, delays in healing, fat clots or blood clots, shock, fluid accumulation that must be drained, burns, perforation injury, lidocaine toxicity, and unfavorable drug or anesthesia reactions.
After surgery, drainage tubes, compression garments and antibiotics may be needed to facilitate the healing process. Patients are encouraged to walk as soon as they are able and many return to work within a few days, although strenuous activity should be avoided for about a month. Results are visible immediately, though improvement may continue as swelling subsides during the first three months. Scars are small and inconspicuous. Other irregularities in appearance are possible, such as asymmetric or "baggy" skin, numbness and pigmentation changes.
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Body Lift
The body lift is performed to remove loose, excess skin from the torso and upper legs. It offers an improvement in appearance for patients who have lost significant amounts of weight due to childbearing, diet, exercise or bariatric surgery. The procedure is often combined with others such as breast lifts and arm lifts to retain a proper body proportion.
Post Bariatric Reconstruction
Bariatric or gastric bypass surgery can be highly successful in helping morbidly obese patients lose weight. After the procedure, patients are often able to enjoy not only significant weight loss but also greater mobility, relief of symptoms and a lower risk of weight-related disease – not to mention a boost in self-confidence. One unfortunate result is that the stretched and inelastic skin hangs loose over the slimmer body.
Post-bariatric plastic surgery combines reconstructive and cosmetic techniques to tighten, lift and contour sagging areas for a more attractive appearance. The patient may choose to treat the arms, breasts, abdomen, buttocks, thighs, neck, face or other areas.
Procedures include:
- Arm Lift (Brachioplasty)
- Breast Lift
- Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)
- Buttock Lift
- Thigh Lift
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