Tummy tucks are used to remove excess skin from the abdomen to give a flatter, more toned appearance. Skin around the stomach can be stretched out from pregnancy or weight gain and, in most cases, can’t be restored to its original tautness without surgery. If your belly protrudes significantly when you relax your abdominal muscles, a tummy tuck may be able to help. Likewise, if you have a small amount of excess skin just above your pubis line, you may benefit from a mini-tummy tuck.

Liposuction is another popular body contouring procedure. Like tummy tuck surgery, liposuction is often used to smooth and flatten the abdomen. However, liposuction isn’t limited to the stomach—it can also be used on the neck, upper arms, breasts, hips, back, thighs, buttocks and knees. Advanced liposuction technologies—such as laser assisted liposuction or ultrasound assisted liposuction—allows doctors to actually shape the fat beneath the skin to create natural looking contours, which is why liposuction is often called “fat sculpting.”

Depending on your situation, you may be able to achieve results from a tummy tuck, liposuction or a combination of both. For more information, contact a local plastic surgeon to discuss your options. Dr. William P. Aiello, a Newport Beach liposuction doctor, offers free consultations in person or online. Simply call to schedule an appointment or attach photos of the areas you’d like treated and email them to info@oceanplasticsurgery.com.

This procedure is designed to help patients remove stubborn pockets of fat in various areas of the body, such as the upper arms, abdomen, hips, lower back, and thighs. In Baskett’s case, she wants to get rid of the last few inches around her midsection and inner thighs. With the advancements in liposuction surgery, patients may anticipate better-contoured results and more pleasant recovery. It is important for patients to understand that this procedures is not a replacement for natural weight loss methods, rather as a way to help sculpt the body when other means have not provided successful.

If you are in search of an experienced liposuction surgeon in the Beverly Hills area, Stuart A. Linder, M.D., F.A.C.S. may be of assistance. You may learn more regarding this surgery by browsing his website www.drlinder.com.

This story raises an interesting question. Why didn’t Mr. Capatenscu simply get the surgery before? Could liposuction have saved his life?

In spite of the great strides that liposuction technology has made in the past decades, it’s unlikely that surgical fat removal could have helped this man. Contrary to popular belief, morbidly obese individuals aren’t typically considered good liposuction candidates for cosmetic or medical reasons. From a cosmetic standpoint, liposuction fails to address other issues, such as loose skin. Even if a liposuction were performed in conjunction with a tummy tuck, the amount of fat being removed would likely be dangerous to the patient, as a large amount of blood would be lost and general anesthesia tends to be riskier for the obese. In practice, liposuction is better suited to individuals looking to shed targeted pockets of fat (often left over after significant weight loss from diet and exercise).

As for the medical benefits of liposuction, they appear to be limited. Mostly because liposuction doesn’t address the lifestyle or metabolic issues that led to the weight gain in the first place. As for the effects that obesity has on various organs—such as the heart, liver and skeletal muscle—a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that liposuction does “not significantly improve obesity-associated metabolic abnormalities.” However, Mr. Capatenscu was scheduled to have stomach reduction surgery, which would have helped him lose weight.

The bottom-line is that liposuction, though highly effective in detailed body sculpting, is far from being a panacea for cosmetic and medical issues.

Early liposuction techniques amounted to little more than an incision and a thin-like straw to suction fat out (called a cannula). The problem, however, is that fat isn’t a liquid – it’s solid and it’s attached to tissue walls. So in order to dislodge the fat, a certain amount of brute force had to be employed, which typically left patients looking (and feeling) as if they had just been beat up – bruises, swelling, and enough pain to keep them out of commission for weeks, even months.

The prevailing solution to this issue is pre-treatment of the fat cells using ultrasound, lasers or a fluid solution. This works to gently break down the fat so it can be more easily removed without damaging the surrounding tissue. After an advanced liposuction procedure, patients feel more like they’ve had a rigorous workout, rather than a brutal beating, and they can usually return to work in just a few days.

Cosmetic issues on the surface proved another vexing issue for the liposuction procedures of yore. Drastic reduction of bulk in areas such as the abdomen or thighs often left dimples and unevenness on the skin, not to mention scars from the incisions used to suction the fat out. Using the modern technologies discussed above, surgeons can now use smaller instruments that can be inserted through incisions so tiny that they don’t even need stitches. Plus, lasers can be used to tighten and smooth the skin to create a more natural look.

In essence, technology has transformed liposuction from a painful surgery to a safer, more effective outpatient procedure. Many patients even undergo tummy tuck surgery concurrently to liposuction for svelte results. But the ability to walk in, walk out, and get back to your life has undoubtedly helped liposuction become one of the most common cosmetic surgery procedures, especially in bikini culture areas such as Miami, Honolulu and Orange County. Liposuction has come a long ways in the past few decades—and it’s bound to get better and better.

Typically, tummy tuck surgery and liposuction are requested in order to achieve a more contoured midsection. While liposuction may be performed on several areas of the body, a tummy tuck is specifically performed on the stomach area. A qualified and experienced plastic surgeon can carefully sculpt the body with these surgeries. Tummy tuck surgery tightens the abdominal muscles and trims away hanging skin in the abdomen. Liposuction can remove fat deposits from the chin/neck, upper arms, lower back, abdomen, and thighs. When performed together, these body contouring procedures can help to provide patients with optimal results. By removing excess fat, risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol can be greatly reduced.

If you are in the Buffalo or Erie County areas, you may contact Todd B. Koch, M.D. of Amherst Cosmetic Surgery Center & LeMedi Spa. Dr. Koch is an experienced Buffalo tummy tuck and liposuction specialist who can help you regain a healthy body shape.

Those who would like to get on a healthy path to weight loss may not always succeed with natural means, such as exercise and dieting. In these circumstances, surgical alternatives may be considered, including liposuction / liposculpting. Stubborn pockets of fat can be removed with this body contouring procedure in order to help a patient jumpstart a new, healthy lifestyle. At Belfiore Preventative Medicine & Aesthetics in New York City, Michael Belfiore, M.D. can perform liposuction and provide patients with resources for weight management. Losing weight is not just for vanity, it is for your healthy and livelihood.

If you ready to take the first step toward a healthier you, then feel free to contact the practice of Dr. Belfiore for further information. You may learn more regarding body contouring procedures and weight loss options by browsing his website.

1. Forgo board certification from the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) after switching over from another specialty, such as gynecology, radiology or internal medicine.
2. Set up your office to perform operations onsite, rather than using an accredited surgical facility.
3. Plaster advertisements all over bikini-culture areas such as Las Vegas, Miami and Orange County. (“Liposuction Over Your Lunch Break” might be a good attention-getter.)
4. Consult briefly with patients but have your assistants perform the actual surgery.
5. Administer local “sedation” rather than staffing an anesthesiologist to save on costs and circumvent the need for accreditation.

Okay, enough with the scare tactics. The above is an obviously extreme example of how bargain bin liposuction clinics (and doctors) may make money. But it’s not uncommon for cosmetic surgeons to employ one or more of these cost-cutting measures in order to profit while offering cheap liposuction.

Most of the shortcuts have to do with skirting certifications and qualifications. This has the direct effect of increasing the risks of surgery. In a worst case scenario, unsafe operating conditions can lead to infections, complications, and even death, as evidenced by the case of Lourdes Trinidad, a 47-year old woman who died after visiting a Tijuana liposuction clinic. But the more likely outcome is simply poor results – dimpling skin, uneven fat removal, and excessively painful swelling and scarring.

Because of the inclination of so many discount liposuction clinics to cut corners, it’s important for you as a patient to verify their qualifications. If board certification is important to you, verify that the doctor is board certified by the ABPS, and that their facility is accredited by the American Association for the Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF) for their onsite operating room. Next, schedule multiple pre-operation consultations, during which you should ask to see actual before and after photos from previous patients.

Most qualified plastic surgeons will be forthcoming with this information without requiring you to ask. For example, Ocean Plastic Surgery Center, an Orange County tummy tuck and liposuction practice, begins every patient relationship with a free consultation. You can see before and after photos and read about their doctor’s qualifications on their website before you visit. These practices help patients verify that they are visiting a qualified and reputable facility

But what exactly is adipose tissue and why is it important?

According to StemSource, adipose tissue is a recognized source of stem cells and other cells that are critical to healing and repairing vital organs and other damaged tissues. At a StemSource Cell Bank, adipose-derived stem and regenerative cells (ADRC) are released from the liposuctioned fat and are cryogenically frozen for future use.

While approved applications of adipose-derived stem and regenerative cells are still under development, the practice of storing tissue for future use is well-established. Patients have long stored their own blood for use in surgeries (autologous donations), which helps reduce the risks of blood type mismatches, exposure to infectious diseases and allergic reactions. Likewise, plastic surgeons are gravitating towards performing reconstructive and cosmetic surgery using tissue from the patient’s own body. For example, many plastic surgeons prefer to use a patient’s own fat for breast augmentation, rather than a silicone or saline implant, as it obviates the need to introduce foreign or synthetic materials into the body.

Medical experts expect that adipose-derived stem and regenerative cells will be used in procedures that can help treat liver disease, stroke, spinal cord injury, muscle disorders, kidney damage, urinary incontinence, lung injury, joint diseases, diabetes, and spine injuries. Banks like StemSource are collecting and storing adipose tissue now because it is widely believed that as our bodies age, the number and function of naturally occurring stem cells decreases.

Currently, only patients who already intend to undergo cosmetic liposuction are candidates for stem cell storage. Although the StemSource Cell Bank operated by BioLife Cell Bank is located in Dallas, it serves the entire United States. As such, when patients have a procedure performed in San Francisco, liposuction clinics can then have the adipose tissue safely transported to the BioLife Cell Bank for permanent storage.

SmartLipo and other laser-assisted liposuction procedures are now widely regarded as the most effective method for removing large volumes of fat. The incisions are smaller—oftentimes they are so small that stitches aren’t even required. But with the advent of new laser liposuction techniques, cosmetic surgeons can now remove fat from the body without any incisions at all. ZERONA™, a low level laser therapy (LLLT) fat removal treatment, works similarly to SmartLipo, in that the laser pulses break up fat cells within the body without physically touching them. However, ZERONA™ can do so from outside of the skin. The fat cells are broken down and metabolized through the natural detoxification process. With no incisions being made, there’s no anesthesia required, and patients can literally walk in on their lunch break and walk out in as little as an hour. Over multiple sessions, ZERONA™ doctors attest that patients can lose about three to five inches off their waist, thighs, and other areas.

While the best body contouring procedure for each patient is determined on a case-by-case basis, it’s clear that conventional liposuction looks to be a thing of the past. Laser-assisted liposuction is just one of the ways that cosmetic enhancement is becoming less invasive and more effective every day.

As previously stated, liposuction cost is determined by a number of factors. Expected time and difficulty of the procedure is a sizable contributor. Size of the patient and number of areas to treat are also considered in this portion of the cost. Depending on pre-surgical weight, liposuction on two body areas could theoretically cost less on one patient who weighs less than a heavier patient having the same procedure on only one area of the body. Scalable factors such as these are the predominant reason why its so difficult for surgeons to divulge “hard and fast” numbers on cost. Because there is such diversity in patient types, there also is with cost.

Surgeon’s experience, location and facility type are at least slightly more static factors in the cost equation for liposuction. Plastic surgeons with extensive expertise, proven results and those who are in high demand will typically charge more. Likewise for surgeons who are board certified over those who are not. Surgery performed in private facilities are typically less expensive than when performed in a hospital, unless the surgeon is located in a high rent/cost building or practices in higher cost-of-living areas, or the patient opts to stay in a private post-operative recovery facility. Another factor to consider, especially for medical tourism patients is the location to where one is traveling. Even though liposuction would already be more on the costly side in areas like Los Angeles and New York, liposuction costs in Hawaii are even more, due to the cost associated with supplies shipping, travel and accommodations that are almost always absorbed by the patient.

As you review our handy general pricing guide, below, we leave you with the caveats that its important for patients to know where every dollar spent is going. Ask your provider if the proposed estimated cost includes items like the anesthesiologist’s fee, and operating room fee. Also know that quoted prices on a telephone or email inquiry are typically inaccurate with regards to your specific case and are simply offered as a rough estimate, at best. Upon an in-person consultation, be sure to obtain a written and itemized estimate of the cost, so you know where your money is going.

Liposuction Pricing table, courtesy of Liposuction.com