Smartlipo – Tightening of the Treated Skin

One of the basic principles of liposuction is that after fat is removed, you need less skin. In other words, skin must shrink down due to less fat underneath it after surgery. A good result is often very dependent on that happening. And how well it happens has a lot to do with the natural elasticity, or lack thereof, in one’s skin over the treated area. How the skin shrinks and adapts after liposuction surgery is one of the most variable factors in the whole procedure…and the plastic surgeon historically has little to no control over it. (although how much fat is removed is under the surgeon’s control)

Being able to help or improve how the skin shrinks after liposuction is one of the most appealing factors to me about Smartlipo. While liposuction has a long history of working fairly well, skin shrinkage and adaptation can be unpredictable. The heat generated from the melting of the fat by the laser’s energy, and the heat temporarily retained by the liquefied lipids, definitely has a favorable effect on causing dermal collagen contraction of the skin. Evidence is now being to appear that supports this potential laser lipolysis contention.

In a  randomized, blinded study reported at the recent American Society of Laser Medicine annual meeting, Barry DiBernardo, M.D., Medical Director of New Jersey Plastic Surgery, compared Smartlipo MPX workstation against traditional liposuction for its ability to improve skin elasticity and tighten tissue.  A total of 10 women received a single treatment with liposuction on one side of the abdomen and the dual-wavelength Smartlipo MPX on the other.  Skin shrinkage was evaluated through photographic imaging and measurements using an elasticity device.  These measurements were taken before surgery and at one and three months after liposuction surgery.

At one and three months, skin treated with Smartlipo MPX demonstrated a statistically significant change in skin shrinkage than skin treated with liposuction only, Dr. DiBernardo reported. Of the nine patients that were fully evaluated, eight, or 89%, had an average of 54% greater shrinkage at three months on the Smartlipo MPX side than the liposuction side.  The study also showed a statistically significant difference in skin tightening. At three months, the average improvement in skin tightening was 62% with Smartlipo MPX compared with a 5% improvement on the side treated with traditional liposuction.

This is the first study that I have seen that supports the benefits of the heat generated by Smartlipo treatments. During the procedure, one can feel the tremendous heat on the outside of the skin as the treatment progresses. Temperatures up to 42 degrees Celsius are created which understandably has an effect on the collagen structure of the skin. Traditional liposuction may traumatize the skin but really has no beneficial influence on how the skin will shrink and adapt other than scar contracture.

Since 2004, The Patients Advantage is fast becoming the largest matchmaker of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world and is recognized as a leading information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery – matching over 10,000 people with plastic surgeons…AND IT’S ABSOLUTELY FREE!

Shedding Pounds, Shedding Skin: Plastic Surgery After Weight Loss

If you’re a fan of the television show The Biggest Loser you will have noticed an interesting property of human skin. When we pack on the pounds, our skin stretches to accommodate the extra load. But when we lose weight, our skin doesn’t bounce back in the other direction quite so readily. Ironically, the more successful a weight loss patient is, the more likely excess skin becomes a real issue. Unless the person is very young and has excellent skin tone, they may be headed for plastic surgery to complete their journey back from obesity.

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Can Swine Flu Affect Cosmetic Surgery Patients In Post-Op?

With all the news circulating about new and ever-growing health concerns, such as the latest epidemic, Swine Flu, making sure that patients maintain their health after surgery is more important than ever. But the question that most plastic surgery patients are asking is, “Can it happen to me?”

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Face Lift Improves the Appearance of the Cheeks and Neck

Many people are familiar with the term ‘face lift’ and know that the designed result is to produce a more youthful appearance, but few people really know what is exactly involved in this type of plastic surgery procedure. Contrary to popular belief, a face lift does not improve the entire face – the eyes and forehead remain unaffected by the procedure, but a surgery can dramatically improve the appearance of both the cheeks and the neck taking years off of the appearance of the face…click here to view the rest of the post.

Understanding your Options for Cosmetic Surgery Anesthesia

If you have decided to take control of your appearance through cosmetic surgery, you are probably looking forward to the procedure with excitement. However, it’s important to remember that plastic surgery is as serious as any other surgery that requires anesthesia. Understand your anesthesia options with cosmetic surgery before you agree on a treatment protocol.

Why Use Anesthesia During Cosmetic Surgery?

In general terms, anesthesia is a medication that reduces the patient’s awareness, discomfort and defensive physical responses during a surgical procedure. These mechanisms give the patient and surgeon an optimal experience during surgery. Patients become physically and mentally unaware of the surgical procedure. Surgeons enter a controlled and more effective operating environment.

Depending on your medical history and the surgical procedure, your doctor may recommend local, regional or general anesthesia. In addition to anesthesia, sedation may be an option to enhance the amnesia effect.

Types of Cosmetic Surgery Anesthesia

Surgeons use local anesthesia for straightforward cosmetic procedures that are under three hours in length. If you have ever had a dental filling or root canal, you have probably had local anesthesia.

The local anesthetic can be topical or injectable, around the surgical site. It acts quickly and makes the skin and tissue feel numb, cold or tingly. As it lasts for only about an hour, additional doses may be necessary during surgery. Many cosmetic surgeons prefer to administer local anesthesia themselves, instead of using an anesthesiologist.

For certain facial plastic surgery procedures, your surgeon may recommend regional anesthesia, also called a regional block or nerve block. This technique consists of a carefully administered injection, directly into a nerve cluster that controls a specific area of the body. When used alone, this type of cosmetic surgery anesthesia reduces pain at the surgical site. However, it will not cause you to become drowsy or unaware of the procedure.

To enhance your comfort and the effect of local or regional anesthesia, the surgeon may suggest an intravenous, oral or gas sedative. Sedation causes you to become very sleepy or temporarily unconscious during the cosmetic surgery procedure. Knowing you will be unable to feel sensations or remember the surgery can induce relaxation and relieve stress. Sedatives usually wear off quickly and don’t incite the post-operative nausea and vomiting that may occur with general anesthesia.

General Anesthesia in Cosmetic Plastic Surgery

As always, the approach to anesthesia during cosmetic surgery should be a joint decision between you and the doctor. Many complex procedures, such as a face lift or breast lift, are performed under general anesthesia. In this case, an anesthesiologist administers the anesthesia.

Depending on the approach, general anesthesia is administered through inhaled gas, intravenous liquid or both at the same time. The medication will make you unconscious and unable to feel or remember anything about the surgery.

While it sounds like the ideal way to have surgery, general anesthesia carries some risk factors. Your cosmetic surgeon and anesthesiologist will work with you to evaluate the risks and develop your personal surgical protocol. The anesthesiologist is present during the operation, monitoring your vital signs and adjusting the dosage as necessary.

Recovery from Anesthesia After Cosmetic Surgery

Some patients may experience side effects from the anesthesia after surgery. General anesthesia has more pronounced side effects. Feeling cold, shivering, crying or becoming emotional, feeling nauseous or vomiting are possible side effects. You should allow plenty of time to stay in the recovery room after surgery, until your surgeon and anesthesiologist release you.

Since 2004, The Patients Advantage is fast becoming the largest matchmaker of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world and is recognized as a leading information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery – matching over 10,000 people with plastic surgeons.

Men Kicking Their Insecurities One Procedure at a Time

When it comes to male breast reduction, men are kicking their physical embarrassment and insecurities one surgical procedure at a time.

And not surprisingly, the procedure has grown equally popular nationwide– as recent statistics from the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery show that American men underwent 20,280 male breast reduction procedures in 2007, thus making it the 4th popular procedure available for this particular demographic.

Additionally, statistics from the UK now show a 44% increase in male breast reductions between 2007 and 2008, as the procedure has received a tremendous amount of media attention following commentary on former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s enlarged male breasts.

But as the numbers seem to indicate, male breast reduction procedures are here to stay.  And for good reason—as the procedure has done more in the area of reducing insecurities and embarrassment that accompany gynecomastia (or enlarged male breasts) than any other procedure to date.

In terms of surgery, male breast reduction is actually quite straightforward.  The patient will first be given general anesthesia or intravenous sedation, so they are perfectly comfortable and do not experience any pain. Following that, a surgeon will make a small incision at the base of the areola and remove the unwanted fat and glandular tissue in the breast with ultrasonic liposuction.

This process of removing fat and tissue takes approximately one to two hours, depending on the amount of breast tissue to be removed; then closes the tiny, un-noticeable incisions with dissolvable stitches. The patient usually awakens rapidly from surgery and leaves the facility within one hour.

Postoperatively, a male breast reduction patient experiences little pain.  They will need to wear a snug-fitting compression vest for 1 to 3 weeks. The patient may shower the day after surgery, perform light activities, drive and return  to work when they feel comfortable, usually within a week after surgery. They may begin exercise within 7-10 days.

Considering the straightforward nature of gynecomastia surgery, the quick and painless recovery as well as the natural appearance of the breasts afterwards, it’s no wonder why men increasingly are opting to have the condition surgically reversed, rather than suffer from the embarrassment and distress that often comes from markedly enlarged breasts.

Since 2004, The Patients Advantage is fast becoming the largest matchmaker of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world and is recognized as a leading information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery – matching over 10,000 people with plastic surgeons.

DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction Following Mastectomy – Why the Hype and Finding a DIEP Flap Surgeon

If you are a woman facing mastectomy you have a decision to make: do you want breast reconstruction? If the answer is “yes”, plastic surgery holds the key. Although reconstruction cannot replace the breast(s) you were born with or allow you to breastfeed, it can restore your natural silhouette and make you feel “whole” again following mastectomy.

Depending on your health, breast reconstruction can be performed immediately after your mastectomy surgery so you can wake up with new breasts already in place. While the cosmetic results with immediate reconstruction are generally superior, breast reconstruction can also be performed at a later time once the cancer treatment has been completed (“delayed reconstruction”).

The DIEP procedure is today’s gold standard in mastectomy reconstruction. Advances in breast reconstruction have made it possible to use excess skin and fat from the abdomen (rather like the tissue removed during a tummy tuck) to construct a new breast without the need for implants or the sacrifice of abdominal muscle. This procedure, known as the Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator (DIEP) flap, is a sophisticated modification of an existing procedure known as the TRAM (Transverse Rectus Abdominus Myocutaneous) flap.

TRAM flap surgery is a common breast reconstruction technique that requires the rectus abdominus (sit-up) muscle to be sacrificed and relocated to the upper abdomen. Unfortunately, this technique can be associated with significant post-operative pain, prolonged recovery, loss of abdominal muscle strength (up to 20%), abdominal bulging (or “pooching”), and even abdominal hernia.

DIEP flap surgery is similar to TRAM flap surgery but spares the rectus abdominus muscle. SKIN AND FAT ONLY are removed from the abdomen, transplanted to the chest and connected using microsurgery to create the new breast. NO MUSCLE is sacrificed. As the sit-up muscle is left behind in its natural place many of the above complications are avoided and the patient essentially receives a tummy tuck at the same time as the breast reconstruction. There also tends to be far less pain following the DIEP procedure, and a quicker recovery time.

Knowing the significant advantages of the DIEP flap it is easy to understand the reason for all the hype, especially for active individuals who don’t want to sacrifice the strength of their abdomen. A breast that has been reconstructed with fat and skin will also look and feel more natural than an implant reconstruction and will last longer. Unlike an implant, the reconstructed breast also ages like a natural breast.

As with all types of breast reconstruction however, 2 or 3 procedures performed a few months apart are often required to complete the reconstruction process and to obtain the best cosmetic result. Unfortunately, due to the complexity of the DIEP procedure very few centers in the US perform the surgery so many patients will have to travel for the procedure. The good news is that many of these specialist centers will accommodate out-of-state and even international patients.

Click here to learn if a breast center or plastic surgeon near you offers this advanced form of microsurgical breast reconstruction. 

Currently there are only about 40 plastic surgeons in the US that routinely perform the DIEP flap procedure. Before choosing a plastic surgeon ensure that he/she is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and has extensive experience with the procedure. Ask about the success rate of the procedure in their hands (most specialists boast a flap survival rate of at least 97%) and how many DIEP flaps they have performed.

Insurance companies are federally mandated to pay for the cost of breast reconstruction. Unfortunately, some patients will still face difficulties in gaining access to a DIEP flap surgeon and the procedure. Here again it pays to seek out plastic surgeons who specialize in the procedure as typically insurance specialists are available to help patients with insurance issues.

Since 2004, The Patients Advantage is fast becoming the largest matchmaker of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world and is recognized as a leading information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery – matching over 10,000 people with plastic surgeons.