Excess Body Fat Treatments

Liposuction

About Liposuction in Sacramento Valley & the San Francisco Bay Area

Facial and body sculpture by liposuction is the most common cosmetic surgery worldwide because it is like a dream come true. Genetically inherited, localized accumulations of fat are often impossible to eliminate by exercise or dieting. They can now be removed by liposuction, never to plague you again. Our center combines the new SmartLipo laser and tumescent techniques for the best results and optimal safety. Our techniques, performed with local anesthesia, are by far the safest forms of liposuction. Safety is maximized by extensive pre-operative patient education; providing the safest form of anesthesia; delivering state-of-the-art surgical techniques, and extensive post-operative education, translating into the most optimal and rapid post-operative course. Our Physicians and staff are committed to helping you achieve your goals of self-improvement. We want you to achieve the best possible aesthetic outcome while we maintain the gold standards for safety and effectiveness.

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Video Testimonials

Gail’s Liposuction

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Ignacio’s Liposuction

Benefits of Liposuction

Reduce unwanted fat bulges from the abdomen, hips, thighs, knees, love handles, face, chin and neck
The tumescent technique is considered the gold standard for safety in liposuction
The SmartLipo Laser allows more skin tightening and fat extraction with less side effects
Usually minimal sore muscle-type tenderness after the procedure
Fast healing (most patients are back to work in two days)
Minimal risk
Female breast reduction
Male breast reduction
Fat transfer commonly performed

Best Alternative to Liposuction

Exercise, Diet, Medication for Weight Loss, or Gastric Bypass Surgery.

How Does it Work?

Liposuction is a procedure that improves the body’s contour by removing excess fat located between the skin and muscle. The basic concept of liposuction is surprisingly simple. A small stainless steel tube, called a cannula, is connected to a suction pump. The removal of fat is accomplished as the cannula creates tiny tunnels through the fat, which collapse, resulting in an improved body contour. Fat cells that are removed by liposuction do not generally grow back. As long as the patient does not gain excessive weight, the new, more pleasing silhouette is long lasting. SmartLipo is the 21st Century improvement to liposuction. The laser melts the fat, allowing more fat to be removed. The heating effect of the laser safely tightens the overlying skin for a better result than traditional liposuction.

Tumescent Technique:

Today, this local anesthesia approach is widely recognized as the safest form of liposuction in the world, with virtually no serious complications. The tumescent technique was developed by dermatologic surgeons in the late 1980’s and has become the standard for safety. A very diluted lidocaine solution is infused into the fatty tissue which becomes tumescent (swollen or firm) allowing the surgeon to extract it easily, with minimal blood loss. Previously, general anesthesia was performed resulting in more vasodilation of blood vessels and the possibility of loss of blood during the procedure.

SmartLipo Approach

The SmartLipo laser improves the preparation process for the removal of fat cells. Since the cells are instantly liquefied by the laser, the size of instrument required to remove the fat is significantly smaller than traditional liposuction. The SmartLipo laser allows for a very small incision and overall a less invasive procedure.

The laser also causes tightening of collagen just under the skin surface. This leads to tightening of the overlying skin, not just fat removal as with traditional liposuction.

Liposuction Cannulas

The instrument used during liposuction is called a cannula. Our physicians only use small microcannulas during the liposuction procedure. The advantages of these smaller suction tubes are that the fat is removed slowly and gradually allowing for a much more even and flat surface to the overlying skin. The smaller instruments do not create the pain that the larger instruments do, allowing Our Physicians to perform the procedure with the patient completely awake. Many patients choose to be sedated lightly to avoid any unpleasant pressure sensations. Many surgeons use large-bore suction cannulas which extract fat more quickly, resulting in a greater likelihood of hills and valleys of the overlying skin. Such large instruments inflict considerable pain, requiring patients to undergo the risks of general anesthesia.

Avoidance of Stitches:

Our Physicians make small incisions in the skin through which he suctions fat with microcannulas. After the suction procedure, most incisions are left open to promote drainage of any blood-tinged fluid. This minimizes fluid accumulation, swelling and bruising after the procedure. The open drainage system does require patients to wear absorbent dressings for a few days after the procedure to prevent staining of one’s clothes. Most surgeons use large cannulas requiring longer incisions in the skin, which then need to be stitched up. Closing these larger wounds results in fluid retention, excessive swelling, bruising, and larger scars after the procedure.

Who is a Candidate?

Almost anyone with unwanted fatty deposits can consider liposuction. Our physicians will consider the patient’s medical history and physical exam prior to making any recommendations.

What can I Expect?

Liposuction improves the silhouette of the body and face and allows one to achieve a thinner appearance. Areas most commonly treated are the following:

Body Liposuction: lower and upper abdomen, hips, waist, outer thighs, inner thighs, anterior thighs, knees, buttocks, arms, and back.
Facial Liposuction: double chin area.
Fat Transplantation (Micro-lipo-transfer): Corrects both facial and body imperfections.
Results may vary.

Safety & Side Effects

Safety is of paramount importance and today, the tumescent technique is the world-wide gold standard for safety in liposuction. Notably, this local anesthesia approach completely eliminates the dangers of general anesthesia. It should be recognized that virtually all deaths associated with liposuction have been associated with the use of general anesthesia. The safe tumescent approach uses a large volume of very dilute anesthetic solution which is infused into the fatty tissue, resulting in a tumescent (swollen or firm) and numb surgical zone, allowing us to perform the procedure under local anesthesia. Intravenous anesthesia is often provided by a certified anesthetist to avoid any feelings of pressure discomfort. In this way, we are able to avoid the risks inherent when liposuction is combined with general anesthesia.

Our state-of-the-art SmartLipo laser device contains a built-in SmartSense thermister to regulate temperature and prevent overheating during fat melting and skin tightening. Many other laser-lipo devices do not have this safety feature which needlessly increased the risk of a skin burn to those other procedures. Now with constant internal temperature monitoring, our patients have maximum safety and maximum benefit from their Smartlipo laser fat reduction procedure.

Liposuction Recovery Time

Fast post-operative recovery is achieved with our technique through a number of different principles. The microcannulas that we use require only small incisions which allow for drainage of any blood-tinged fluid after the procedure minimizing swelling and bruising. By limiting these side effects, patients have much less discomfort, allowing them to return to normal activity in short order. Smoother results can be achieved with the use of elastic compression garments which should be worn under the patients’ own clothes for at least one to two weeks following the procedure.

The use of the SmartLipo laser system also helps reduce post operative bruising.

Does it Hurt?

The majority of our patients take only acetaminophen (Tylenol) or non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (Motrin, Advil, Ibuprofen) after their procedure, rather than narcotics which are routinely required after the general anesthetic approach. Reduced pain is typical with this local anesthetic, tumescent technique. Further, the avoidance of anesthetic gases virtually eliminates the side effects of nausea after the procedure. Lastly, the local anesthetic provides for a sustained anesthetic effect for approximately 18 hours after the procedure, allowing patients to return to their routine activity in short order. In fact, most of our patients return to work 48 hours after their procedure.

Before Treatment Instructions

Avoidance of blood thinners such as aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen, Alleve, Motrin is suggested for two weeks prior to the procedure.

After Treament Instructions

Compression garments are worn under clothes for a few weeks. Our physicians leaves most incisions open to promote drainage. Closing incisions with stitches requires extended use of elastic compression garments to enhance the absorption of the blood-tinged fluids that are trapped under the skin after liposuction. Though closing incisions with stitches has the advantage of avoiding the extra-hassle of wearing absorbent pads under the garment, the elastic compression garments are worn for a much longer time when the incisions are closed with stitches than if the incisions are kept open. We are able to cut in half the time required to wear elastic compression garments simply by maximizing drainage through tiny incisions that are left unstitched.