Undesirable, unsightly body bulges are commonplace in America, even in circles where proper dieting and exercise are followed. It is the reason why liposuction has become one of the most popular cosmetic procedures performed today. For the profiperly selected candidates, substantial improvement in body contour can be accomplished in expert hands. Our board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Eric Okamoto, can reduce pockets of excess fat in a variety of areas and help you recontour your body with beautiful results.
Liposuction can be very effective when performed for reasonable candidates by an experienced plastic surgeon. This treatment is typically performed on an outpatient basis, and often takes about two hours or less to complete, depending on the size, number, and location of the areas being treated. Because it is a relatively simple concept of vacuuming extra fat with a set of long, thin tubes called cannulas, a wide range of physicians and surgeons offer liposuction services. Simply said, this is an easy procedure to perform, but a difficult one to do well and safely. There can be no doubt that results are closely related to experience. When liposuction is performed for the right patients in a correct manner, complications can be minimized. As with many surgical procedures, the list of things that can go wrong is lengthy and needs to be discussed directly with each patient, but the most common is unreasonable expectations for less ideal candidates.
Once you come in for your initial consultation with Dr. Okamoto, he will talk with you about your needs and goals and explain all risks and benefits of the procedure to you in detail. If he determines that you are a good candidate for liposuction, Dr. Okamoto will create a customized treatment plan designed to provide you with the best possible results.
Multiple techniques are available. The most common involves mechanical removal of the fat with a suction device after a specially prepared solution is injected into the fatty deposits. However, there are some methods that apply ultrasound or laser assistance. Regardless of the methodology applied, the most important factor for obtaining natural and satisfactory results is the surgeon’s experience with the chosen tools.
As stated previously, the risks of liposuction are generally much lower when the procedure is performed by an experienced plastic surgeon. The proper credentials and certifications from official organizations (i.e. the American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Aesthetic Society®) often signify that your surgeon has extensive plastic surgery training and a track record of satisfied patients. We highly recommend you choose a board-certified plastic surgeon for your liposuction surgery to further reduce the risk of complications or unsatisfactory results.
Those who choose to have liposuction to slim down an area in your body should understand how liposuction relates to body weight. When an individual gains or loses weight, his/her fat cell population remains unchanged. This is counter-intuitive because most of us would presume that weight gain would be associated with more fat cells and weight loss with less fat cells. But this is not what happens. Instead, gaining weight means that somewhere in your body certain fat cells enlarge, and the opposite occurs with weight loss—in either case, the number of fat cells remain the same. Liposuction permanently removes fat cells from a treatment zone. For the rest of your life, a diminished number of fat cells will exist in the treated area. As long as your weight remains relatively stable and your fat cells stay about the same size, your improved body contour could last indefinitely.
For patients who may not need or desire a full liposuction procedure to achieve their goals, there is a non-surgical alternative available at our practice that may be an ideal option. CoolSculpting® is an innovative treatment that can help patients reduce excess fat in targeted areas without requiring needles, anesthesia, or surgical incisions. This procedure works by freezing the excess fat cells in the treatment area, which are then filtered out gradually through the body’s own metabolic processes. CoolSculpting® can be performed on a variety of body areas, including the love handles, abdomen, lower back, and other common “trouble” spots.