Body Contouring: Surgery of the Body

A FIT AND WELL-PROPORTIONED BODY IS OFTEN CONSIDERED A SYMBOL OF HEALTH AND VITALITY. But despite good health and a reasonable level of fitness, some individuals may still have a body with disproportionate contours due to localized fat deposits. These areas may be due to heredity or family traits rather than lack of weight control or fitness. If you are bothered by excess fat deposits, located anywhere on your face or body, that do not respond to diet or exercise, liposuction may be right for you.

Liposuction
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 Liposuction is a procedure that can help sculpt the body by removing unwanted fat from specific areas, including the abdomen, hips, buttocks, thighs, knees, upper arms, chin, cheeks and neck. Liposuction can be used to slim the hips and thighs, flatten the abdomen, shape the claves and ankles or eliminate double chin.

Liposuction (also called lipoplasty, suction-assisted lipectomy, or Tumescent Liposuction or Ultrasound liposuction) is a surgical procedure designed to improve body shape and proportion by removing fat deposits that are resistant to both diet and exercise. Liposuction can restore balance to bodies that are physically fit, but out of proportion in a few areas. 
It is most commonly recommended for men and women of normal weight who simply can not improve their body contour. The procedure can produce excellent results for people who have deposits of excess fat that make certain areas of the body appear disproportionately large.

There are many ways to do liposuction, for example liposuction can be accomplished painlessly either totally by local anesthesia or with general anesthesia. In the realm of liposuction, maximum speed and maximum volume of aspirate are not criteria for excellence. Ultimately, excellence is measured in terms of patient happiness which is a function of safety, patient comfort, finesse, and quality of results. The important distinction between liposuction surgeons who are board certified is the liposuction technique that they use. The surgeon's specialty is not as important as the surgeon's technique, experience and attitude toward safety. Although liposuction is not a treatment for obesity, it can permanently alter body proportion and is sometimes the only way to eliminate fat deposits that do not respond to diet and exercise.

Candidate areas for liposuction:

• Cheeks, chin and neck

• Upper arms

• Breast or chest area

•  Back

• Abdomen and waist

• Hips and buttocks

• Thighs

• Inner knee Calves and ankles

Liposuction can be performed on several areas of the body at the same time or be done in conjunction with other cosmetic procedures. Liposuction can't serve as a substitute for dieting and exercise. It can't effectively treat cellulite either.

How is liposuction performed?
To perform liposuction, one or more small incisions are made near the area to be suctioned. Whenever possible, incisions are placed within natural folds or contour lines of the skin. The fatty areas are injected with fluid containing lidocaine and epinephrine. This anesthetizes the area to be treated and minimizes blood loss. Dr. Graham then places a slim, hollow tube called a cannula through the incision so that its tip penetrates the underlying fat. The cannula is then connected by flexible tubing to a suction pump. Dr. Graham then moves the cannula back and forth through the fat, which is vacuumed into the tube. Several variations to the basic liposuction technique have been introduced. The fat-removal technique that best meets your needs depends on a number of individual factors that Dr. Graham will discuss with you.

Surgery of the Abdomen (Tummy Tuck)
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Abdominoplasty, known more commonly as a "tummy tuck," is a major surgical procedure to remove excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdominal and to tighten the muscles of the abdomen wall. Abdominoplasty is designed to firm and smooth the abdomen. The procedure can dramatically reduce the appearance of a protruding abdomen. But bear in mind, it does produce a permanent scar, which, depending on the extent of the original problem and the surgery required to correct it, can extend from hip to hip.

If you're considering abdominoplasty, this webpage will give you a basic understanding of the procedure but it can't answer all of your questions, since a lot depends on the individual patient and the surgeon. Please ask Dr. Graham about anything you don't understand.

The best candidates for abdominoplasty are men or women who are in relatively good shape but are have loose abdominal skin and/or a significant amount of abdominal fat that won't respond to diet or exercise. The surgery is particularly helpful to women who, through multiple pregnancies, have stretched their abdominal muscles and skin beyond the point where they can return to normal. Loss of skin elasticity in older patients, which frequently occurs with slight obesity, can also be improved.

Patients who intend to lose a lot of weight should postpone the surgery. Also, women who plan future pregnancies should wait, as vertical muscles in the abdomen that are tightened during surgery can separate again during pregnancy. If you have scarring from previous abdominal surgery, your doctor may recommend against abdominoplasty or may caution you that scars could be unusually prominent.

Abdominoplasty can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence, but it won't necessarily change your looks to match your ideal, or cause other people to treat you differently. Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with your surgeon.

A personal consultation is the first step for every patient considering abdominoplasty. During this meeting, Dr. Graham will assess your physical and emotional health and discuss your specific cosmetic goals for the surgery.

When examining your abdomen, Dr. Graham will evaluate:

·         The quality of your abdominal skin

·         The location of any existing scars

·         The amount and location of any excess fat 

·         The status of underlying muscles  

Abdominoplasty procedure

Generally, a horizontal incision is placed just within or above the pubic area. The length of the incision, depends largely on the amount of skin to be removed. For women, Dr. Graham keep the incision within swimsuit lines. Working through the incision, Dr. Graham may tighten the underlying muscles by pulling them together and stitching them in place. Any excess skin from the lower abdomen is trimmed away. Skin that contains stretch marks may be removed as well.  

All surgery carries some uncertainty and risk. Thousands of abdominoplasty surgeries are performed successfully each year. When done by a qualified plastic surgeon who is trained in body contouring, the results are generally quite positive. Nevertheless, there are always risks associated with surgery and specific complications associated with this procedure.

Post-operative complications such as infection and blood clots are rare, but can occur. Infection can be treated with drainage and antibiotics, but will prolong your hospital stay. You can minimize the risk of blood clots by moving around as soon after the surgery as possible.

Poor healing, which results in conspicuous scars, may necessitate a second operation. Smokers should be advised to stop, as smoking may increase the risk of complications and delay healing.

You can reduce your risk of complications by closely following Dr. Graham's instructions before and after the surgery, especially with regard to when and how you should resume physical activity.