Aesthetic Medicine

Posts Tagged ‘liposuction’

The Duchess of Windsor once said, ‘You can never be too rich or too thin.’ Many Americans are fixated with the thought of being thin, since more than half of American adults are overweight and of that number, about one-quarter are obese. The media offers us a concept about body image that many of us cannot relate to.

We all know that losing weight can prevent heart diseases, stroke type II diabetes, high cholesterol, angina, certain cancers, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and back pain. The thinner we are the longer is our reasonably healthy life expectancy. By understanding the many factors that contribute to weight gain such as genetics, psychological components cultural issues, physical activity and individual metabolism, we can individualize a diet plan. Most patients are amazed at how much healthy food they can eat and still lose weight! A successful diet plan is focused on the health benefits but the cosmetic results are amazing.

A great tool to evaluate our weight is the Body Mass Index (BMI) and the higher the BMI the greater the health risks. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute state that weight loss medications are useful for individuals with a BMI greater than 30 with no risk factors and a BMI greater than 27 for those with risk factors. Calculate your BMI now! Most patients do not have to reach their ideal BMI since it is not always realistic or desirable. Some medications may have side effects so all patients interested in weight loss should talk to Dr. Gerard Cappiello about the benefits and risks of these medications.

At Rinnova, diet programs are available with or without medication and with or without liposuction. Each patient get a complete history and physical examination, electrocardiogram and blood work The patient is then seen in the office weekly for their medication, monitoring, BMI evaluation, urine analysis and appropriate vitamins. When patient has reached a healthy weight and is happy the way he or she looks we begin to calculate the amount of calories needed to maintain the weight. The Rinnova plan has been proven and successful. Come and join the hundreds of patients that have lost the weight and kept it off.

The medical press has stated that the BMI (body mass index), which is used to calculate risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, death rate and a myriad of other medical problems may not be the most accurate predictor.

A more accurate predictor may be the waist and hip circumference. In both women and men, a waist greater than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men, may be associated with a 3 times increase of heart disease. Having a big waist may raise the death rate even in men and women that are not overweight. In fact, having large hips and a small waist reduces the risk of heart disease.

The problem appears to be visceral fat. This type of fat surrounds our organs such as intestines or liver. The menopause, hormones, pregnancy and overeating may stimulate the subcutaneous fat. A good diet will greatly reduce visceral fat and subcutaneous fat and therefore reduce chronic diseases and premature death. Genetics alone determines who has more fat cells in the hips or in the waist. Hundreds of abdominal crunches daily will not give anyone a flat tummy. Read the rest of this entry »

Here are my 2010 top 10 predictions in the world of Aesthetic Medicine

1. Dysport will become a strong competitor to Botox. Dysport, a new entry into the world of botulinum toxin, was launched in the spring of 2009 and has begun to see increased demand as market awareness grows.

2. Non-invasive body contouring and laser assisted rejuvenation will continue to grow in popularity.

3. Face lifts will continue to drop in demand while liquid face-lifts will grow in popularity, especially with the younger market (40 -54 year olds).

4. Fat transfer, specifically for natural breast enhancement, will become sought after by women who were previously uncomfortable with implants.

5. Laser Lipolysis will continue to be one of the most in-demand medical aesthetic procedures due to its minimal downtime and great results. Read the rest of this entry »

Fat can be a fountain of youth. We have looked with disgust at the fat that is removed when we do liposuction but it is this fat that can remove our wrinkles and improve the way we look. Science now tells us that the fat we throw away is really is the key to reverse aging. As we age, wrinkles appear on our face. The wrinkles can be identified as frown lines, crow’s feet, sagging jowls and crepetations on the skin. Wrinkles appear when we lose fat under the skin which is exactly what happens as we age.

Artificial fillers are not the only products available to remove wrinkles and frown lines because now we have our own fat that we can be shifted to any location we want. Fat is naturally rich in stem cells that make it the ideal filler. This “liquid gold” can be used to make us look younger without artificial fillers. We can harvest as much fat as we need to fight the effects of aging.

The fat cells are easily harvested with a small liposuction canula under local anesthesia. In order to give the fat a greater survival, more stem cell are obtained from a patients own blood and mixed with the fat. The fat cells are now ready to be reinjected directly under then skin to add volume to the face, restore the oval look, reduce jowling, and iron out the wrinkles to off set the signs of aging.

Fat is already being used to permanently augment the breast or the buttock. I even use the fat to rejuvenate the hands. Transferred fat is also used to increase breast cleavage, rejuvenate and plump the vulva, mons and increase the volume of the vagina for greater sensitivity. The fat is even used to increase the length and girth if the penis.

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Liposuction gained popularity when my mentor and teacher, Dr Jeffrey Kline, introduced the formula for what can rightly be called the Kline solution. Dr Kline demystified the use of tumescent anesthesia and allowed the cosmetic surgeon to perform liposuction safely, effectively, with minimal risk, blood loss, while allowing for a quick recovery. The technique called for small cannulas and excellent results were routinely obtained for almost all parts of the body.

Since that time, many new instruments came on the scene to try and improve the liposuction procedure. In the case of vaser liposuction, tumescent fluid is injected into the body area being treated and instead of using a cannula to disrupt the fat, vaser liposuction uses ultrasound high frequency vibration to break fat cells apart. Laser assisted liposuction (LAL) simply uses laser energy to liquefy the fat which then has to be removed with a cannula. Smart Lipo made by Cynosure, offers all the benefits of a high quality laser lipolysis system and the benefit of experience in the market. CoolLipo, like other laser lipo systems, uses laser wavelengths to dissolve fat and firm up the skin. CoolLipo is best for small areas and can also be used to tighten the shin. Read the rest of this entry »

Men are increasingly opting for cosmetic procedures so as to look and feel younger. A male patient of mine who had liposuction of the chin, jowls and lower face, said to me that he did it because he didn’t want to look angry or sad. Liposuction in men has tripled over the past five years. More men also use liquid face lifts (dermal fillers) and Thermage.

In our office we use the safest form of anesthesia – local tumescent anesthesia. When tumescent liposuction is done correctly (not excessively), it is a very safe procedure. For example, there have been no reported deaths associated with tumescent liposuction. The dilute epinephrine contained in the tumescent anesthetic solution profoundly shrinks capillaries and thus virtually eliminates surgical blood loss. The xylocaine used as a local anesthetic provides a painless procedure and virtually a painless postoperative course. The tumescent technique permits the use of microcannulas which in turn yields smoother cosmetic results. Traditional liposuction cannulas (stainless steel tubes) have a relatively large diameter and remove fat rather quickly. However, with the use of large cannulas (diameter greater than 3 millimeters) there is an increased risk of irregularities and depressions in the skin. Microcannulas with a diameter less than 3 millimeters, allow fat to be removed in a smoother and more uniform fashion. I use only micro cannulas which have been shown to provide the most appealing cosmetic result and a virtually painless procedure as well as postoperative course. Read the rest of this entry »

I have been asked by many of my patients to explain the use of tumescent anesthesia and performing cosmetic procedures such as liposuction, liposuction with fat transfer as well as Dermolipectomy (technique for performing what is commonly called a tummy tuck).

Many patients believe that cosmetic procedures must be done under general anesthesia and in the hospital or surgical center. The fact is that tumescent anesthesia is the preferred method of performing all these procedures. The use of this relatively new technique allows the patient not only to be awake and interact with the physician but also minimizes bruising, swelling, postoperative pain and most importantly blood loss.

Tumescent anesthesia is technique for delivery of local anesthesia that maximizes safety by using pharmacokinetic principles to achieve extensive regional anesthesia of skin and subcutaneous tissue. The subcutaneous infiltration of a large volume of very dilute lidocaine and epinephrine causes the targeted tissue to become swollen and firm, or tumescent, and permits procedures to be performed on patients without subjecting them to the inherent risks of local anesthesia and blood loss.

In the tumescent technique, areas of excess fat are injected with a large amount of anesthetic liquid before liposuction is performed. The warmed tumescent liquid — a dilute solution containing lidocaine, epinephrine and normal saline, is injected into the area to be treated. As the liquid enters the fat, it becomes swollen, firm and blanched. The liquid causes the compartments of fat to become swollen and firm or “tumesced.” The expanded fat compartments allow the liposuction cannula to travel smoothly and safely beneath the skin as the fat is removed. The shrunken blood vessels as well as the nerves are never traumatized. Read the rest of this entry »