Liposuction Archives - Southwest Michigan Plastic and Hand Surgery

Not Just For Women

Plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures are no longer considered just for women anymore. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ annual statistics, male cosmetic surgery has shot up by 28% since 2000.

Southwest Michigan Plastic and Hand Surgery has also seen an increase in male patients, and we are proud to have office environments where men can feel relaxed and welcomed.

Although men are more apt now than ever before to seek out a plastic surgeon, their reasons for doing so differ from women’s. Most commonly, men are looking for techniques to address their physique. Liposuction is one of the most popular procedures to address ‘love handles’ or ‘beer bellies’. Also popular is male breast reduction which eliminates gynecomastia (enlarged male breasts, ‘man boobs’), especially after a significant weight loss. Other common cosmetic procedures for men include rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, and facelift.

Noninvasive procedures are also growing in popularity for men. This includes injectables like wrinkle smoother Botox, volume fillers like Volbella & Juvederm, and the double chin reducer, Kybella. Our aesthetician has also seen an increase in male patients. Men are asking for laser hair removal, chemical peels, and skin healing laser sessions.

If you, or a guy you know, is considering plastic surgery or other cosmetic procedures and would like to know more, there is a lot of information readily available. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is a great place to start to gain facts about all of the surgical and noninvasive procedures available. Real Self is another information-packed site where you can ask questions to plastic surgeons, view before/after photos, and learn about other people’s experiences. And, of course, we are always available to answer questions and set you up with a consultation with Dr. Elluru to learn more about what a specific cosmetic procedure can do for you.

Body Sculpting for Swimsuit Season

We’ve all seen these ads: beautiful, slim models wearing gorgeous, expensive swimsuits. The catalogs come in the mail; the TV weight-loss ads push swimsuit-clad women touting their amazing results; and women’s magazines, lined up in the candy aisle at the grocery check-out, are chock-a-block with stunning women in bikinis. Inside, we realize that these are hyped up images geared to motivate us to buy: the magazine, the swimsuit, the weight-loss program. But most women also feel a twinge of self-doubt looking at these photos. Perfection is not just offered—the subliminal message is clear: if you don’t have a body like this, you aren’t attractive. I think that’s a shame, as I’ve been working with thousands of men and women all over Michigan for many years, and not a single one of them were unattractive. Sure, they had features they wanted to change, but that was to make them happier with their appearance—not to make them supermodels. There isn’t a surgical procedure that I can perform to change your body into that of the Photoshopped images in the magazines, but there are several that we can think about that will improve your appearance a great deal. Here are some of them.

A Mommy Makeover is a combination procedure that includes a tummy tuck, a breast enhancement procedure, and liposuction. The goal is to help a mom “recover her figure after she has finished bearing her children. It’s also a great procedure for any woman with torso concerns, even if she never had children but has had weight loss/gains and/or has some body sagging due to aging. Depending on the woman, the breast enhancement might be a breast augmentation with or without a breast lift or, for women with overly large breasts, the breast portion of the procedure could be a breast reduction to bring the breasts more in alignment with the rest of her body.

Although a Tummy Tuck is part of a Mommy Makeover, it can be performed alone, too. It sculpts the tummy by surgically reconnecting the muscle (called the abdominus rectus) that runs down the middle of the abdomen. After that, the tummy tissues are pulled down like a window shade to a tighter position and sutured. You even get a new belly button! My Michigan Tummy Tuck patients are ecstatic with their results, because a Tummy Tuck really gets rid of that bulge that is so tough to reduce with diet and exercise, especially after having babies. Also, if you have stretch marks, all or at least most of them can be removed with a Tummy Tuck. Next to liposuction, it’s one of the most popular body sculpting procedures that I do here in my Michigan plastic surgery practice.

Liposuction is also part of a Mommy Makeover and is often part of a Tummy Tuck because either due to pregnancies, weight gain/loss cycles and/or aging, spots of exercise-resistant fat often remain even after a Tummy Tuck. Liposuction can get rid of those little pockets of fat. While it’s not a weight loss method per se, liposuction will definitely make you look like you’ve lost weight. Because I only need a few tiny incisions to insert the liposuction wand (called a cannula), recovery is usually rapid for liposuction patients. It’s great for the tummy, love handles, thighs (inner or outer), back fat and even the area above the knees.
If you’re concerned about the appearance of your body and you’d like some improvement before this year’s swimsuit season begins, call 269-329-0655 and make an appointment either at my Battle Creek or Portage plastic surgery office. If you’re reading this after office hours, click this link to complete an online appointment request form.

Inner Thigh Liposuction

Is Inner Thigh Liposuction Effective?

Liposuction to remove excess fat on the inner thighs is an excellent solution for patients who wish to have a space between the thighs, both for appearance and to eliminate rubbing of the thighs, which can be uncomfortable. My Southwest Michigan patients undergoing inner thigh liposuction often decide to also treat the inner knee area to ensure that the results are well proportioned and natural looking, although this is optional and something we’d discuss during your private consultation.

Am I a Good Candidate for Inner Thigh Liposuction?

If you are a healthy adult with concerns about excess fat between the thighs, either because you don’t like the appearance of it or because you experience painful chafing and rubbing between your thighs, this procedure may be right for you.

Having said that, there is a caveat: When I assess whether or not inner thigh liposuction is appropriate for my patient, there are several things I evaluate:

The amount of fat my patient wishes to have removed
The quality of my patient’s skin. If the inner thigh skin lacks elasticity, it’s possible that liposuction will result in loose, wrinkled skin, a look that nobody wants, right?
My patient’s weight history. It’s important that long-term stable weight—at least six months—has been accomplished.

Alternatives To Inner Thigh Liposuction

An inner thigh lift is an alternative to simple inner thigh liposuctions in older patients or those with a great deal of loose skin between the thighs due to weight loss. This procedure accomplishes two things: it removes the excess skin in the area as well as the fat to create a more natural and satisfactory appearance.

How is Inner Thigh Liposuction Performed?

As with other procedures as my Southwest Michigan plastic surgery practice, inner thigh liposuctions is performed under general anesthesia to insure my patient’s comfort. I work only with board certified anesthesiologists to assure the highest level of safety, and work with the same team that has assisted me for the past 15 years.

After marking the area to be treated with a special marking pen, tiny incisions are made in the inner thighs. A sterile solution is injected into these incisions to make fat removal easier. Using a trocar connected to a liposuction machine, fat is removed until there is a satisfactory contour. The thighs are then put into a special compression garment to aid in healing and my patient is discharged to home recovery.

What is the Recovery for Inner Thigh Liposuction?

Although you’ll experience discomfort in your thighs for a few days and will have some numbness, bruising and swelling, recovery from inner thigh liposuctions is pretty uneventful. Walking is the best exercise and the least stressful while you’re recovering.

If you have concerns about the fat between your upper thighs, contact one of my two plastic surgery locations for a consultation to discuss all the alternatives. You can phone us at 269-743-3290 or complete this online consultation request form.

Limits and Satisfaction Rates of Liposuction

What Are the Limits of Liposuction?

Contrary to what you might think, liposuction is not a weight-loss method. You will weigh less after liposuctions, but you’ll get your best results if you are at—or near-normal weight. Furthermore, there are safety limits to the amount of fat that can be removed in one procedure, i.e., usually about 5 liters, which weighs about 10 lbs.

How Satisfied Are Patients After Liposuction?

According to several studies, 4 out of 5 patients are very satisfied with their appearance after recovering from liposuction. It stands to reason that having liposuction as a body sculpting method, your clothes will fit better, you’ll have a more balanced appearance and, consequently, you’ll feel happier and more self confident.

One challenge to liposuctions satisfaction is the issue of skin quality. For patients who have lost a great deal of weight and, as a result, have hanging, loose skin, liposuction must be combined with skin excision for the best outcome. Otherwise, after the fat is removed, the skin sags more than before the procedure. In fact, that’s often the difference between a patient who is advised to have a tummy tuck versus a patient who needs just liposuction in the tummy area. If you have youthful, taut skin, your skin will “shrink” to fit your new, post-liposuction contours. This is something we’d discuss at your exam during consultation.

How Is Liposuction Performed?

Liposuction is performed under general anesthesia in an accredited same-day surgery center near my Battle Creek and Portage plastic surgery offices. After marking the areas to be treated, I’ll make small incisions that allow the cannula to be inserted once I’ve injected tumescent fluid. After the appropriate amount of fat has been suctioned out, I’ll put steri-strips on the incisions, place you in a compressive dressing that will aid in healing, and you’ll leave the recovery room with a friend or family member to drive you home. Recovery is usually just a few days, during which you’ll feel sore, and will notice bruising and swelling in the treated area(s). We’ll see you in the office routinely to be sure things are healing well. For the complete details of the procedure, visit my liposuction’s page.

Liposuction Basics

Liposuction is a surgical procedure that removes fat in certain areas using suction connected to a hollow tube (called a cannula) inserted under the skin through very small incisions.

Liposuction is also called lipoplasty, liposculpture, lipectomy or just lipo.

How Many Types of Liposuction Are There?

Tumescent liposuction is the “traditional” liposuction. After a local anesthetic is injected into the area(s) to be treated, a sterile solution is injected into the fatty tissue before fat is removed. This solution contains epinephrine to minimize bleeding/bruising, and Lidocaine, an anesthetic.
Ultrasound-Assisted liposuction, sometimes called UAL, uses ultrasonic waves to liquefy the fat, making it easier to remove.
Laser liposuction uses low-energy heat waves to liquefy the fat. It’s most often marketed under a brand name, such as SmartLipo® or CoolLipo®.

What Are the Most Common Areas for Liposuction?

In theory, you can undergo liposuction anywhere on your body but its most popular spots are the tummy, thighs, buttocks, back of the arms, calves, back, neck and chin. It’s the most common cosmetic procedure in the US, and has been for a number of years because the results are immediate and because the fat cells in the treated area(s) are permanently removed.

What Are the Benefits of Liposuction?

Both men and women in Southwest Michigan visit my practice to have liposuction as a means to treat stubborn fat. We all know that, with diet and exercise, one can lose weight and fat. However, due to genetics, we sometimes “store” fat in areas that resist these attempts to lose it. For example, perhaps you tend to store fat in your thighs, while your friend tends to store fat in her tummy. This is genetically based, making it more difficult to get rid of that fat with diet and exercise. A benefit of liposuction is the permanent removal of fat cells in those challenging areas.
Another benefit of liposuction is the ability to “balance” your body contours for a more pleasing appearance. Some of my Southwest Michigan liposuction patients have very large thighs compared to their upper torso, making it difficult to find clothing that fits both the bottom and top. Liposuction eliminates this problem by removing fat to create a more balanced figure.
Liposuction can treat lipomas, which are non-cancerous fatty tumors that appear in certain areas of the body, particularly the chest and back.
Liposuction is an excellent treatment for men with excessive fat in the breasts, often called non-flattering names like Man Boobs, Moobs, etc.
Liposuction results are permanent because the removed fat cells are gone forever.
Liposuction tends to influence better dietary and exercise habits, as the results of liposuction must be maintained.
After swelling has gone down, results are immediate.