Abdominal and Extremity Contouring
Abdominoplasty — This cosmetic procedure is performed to remove excess skin and fat from the abdomen and also tighten the abdominal wall muscles. Abdominal contouring is best performed on men and women who are relatively good physical shape, but have loose abdominal skin and/or excess fat that does not diminish with diet and exercise.
The surgery is most often performed by making a horizontal incision within or just above the pubic area. The more skin to be removed, the larger the incision. The surgeon will tighten the underlying muscle by pulling them together and stitching them in place. If excess skin remains, it will be trimmed away. Typically any skin that contains stretch marks will be removed, within reason. A second incision near the navel may be necessary on those individuals with large amounts of loose skin. Through this incision, any excess skin above the navel is separated from the deeper tissues to be pulled downward and removed.
There are other options available to individuals who don’t need the traditional abdominoplasty. If the individual’s concern is with the abdominal area below the navel, a "mini" abdominoplasty might be a better procedure. There is only the short horizontal incision, and no navel incision. Liposuction alone can also be performed on those individuals with good skin elasticity and muscle tone. This method will only remove excess fat and not tighten abdominal muscles
To view pre and post stages of abdominoplasty click here.*
*The wounds shown here are intended for medical purposes and are graphic in nature.
Liposuction — This procedure is designed to remove unwanted fat from specific areas of the body, including the abdomen, hips, buttocks, thighs, knees, upper arms, chin, cheeks and neck. Liposuction is done on both men and women, with the best candidates being individuals within their normal weight range, those who have firm, elastic skin, and are physically healthy.
Depending on the area of the body being targeted, a small incision will be made where a narrow cannula can be inserted to vacuum the fat layer beneath the skin. The cannula is pulled in and out through the fat layer to aid in breaking up the fat cells, and then suctioning them out. During the procedure, fluid is removed along with the fat. Patients receiving liposuction will be given intravenous fluids both during and after surgery to prevent complications.
Liposuction has been refined over the years, and advancements have yielded several technique variations. One variation involves using a fluid injection containing a salt solution, a local anesthetic, and epinephrine, which is injected into the fatty areas before the fat is removed. This technique allows the fat to be removed more easily, to limit the amount of blood loss, and provides anesthesia both during and after surgery. A second variation is called the tumescent technique. Liposuction of this type is done by injecting large amounts of fluid (sometimes up to three times the amount of fat to be removed) into the target area. The technique received its name for the swollen and firm or "tumesced" state of the fatty tissues once they are injected with the solution. The super-wet technique is similar to the tumescent technique, but traditionally the same amount of fluid is injected into the area as fat is to be removed. Ultrasound-Assisted Lipoplasty (UAL) is a form of liposuction performed using a special cannula that produces ultrasonic energy. As the energy passes through the fat, the walls of the cells explode and the fat is then liquefied. The fat is then removed by the traditional technique. This is commonly used to reduce male breast (gynecomastia). Additionally it is used in classic liposuction procedures to decrease bruising, improve recovery time and clinical results.
To view pre and post stages of operative liposuction click here.*
To view pre and post stages of liposuction of trochanteric region click here.*
*The wounds shown here are intended for medical purposes and are graphic in nature.