Body
Body Sculpting
- No Stitch Liposuction
Tumescent Liposuction Surgery
The cosmetic surgery profession is one that continually introduces new
techniques and new types of anesthesia. Because cosmetic surgery is elective
surgery, it is my firm belief that the patient should have the benefit of
the latest improvements.
My staff shares my commitment to providing the highest quality care, and we
feel confident that you will find a trip to our office an enlightening
experience. I am dedicated to helping you achieve your goals for
self-improvement.
Your consultation will be personal and private, or you may bring your
spouse, relative or other special friend if you wish. I look forward to
meeting you.
Liposuction and Body Sculpture
Body sculpture by liposuction is literally a dream come true. Localized
accumulations of fat,
which are often inherited and frequently prove impossible to eliminate by
exercise or dieting can now be removed permanently by liposuction surgery,
never to plague you again.
About Fat
Body fat of an adult tends to increase gradually over the years. After the
age of 30, an individual tends to add fat according to genetically
predetermined patterns. Additionally, changes in hormonal status contribute
to localized fat accumulation in certain regions of the body.
This fat distribution is often resistant to exercising and dieting. An
example of genetically predetermined fat distribution which is resistant to
dieting and exercise is the fat that appears on the abdomen and hips of a
woman after pregnancy.
For many people who have inherited accumulations of fat, liposuction is
the only realistic means of significantly changing the body's silhouette. In
effect, liposuction is equivalent to being able to focus the effects of
dieting to specific areas of the body.
What is Liposuction?
The concept of liposuction is surprisingly simple. Liposuction is a surgical
technique that improves the body's contour by removing excess fat from fatty
deposits located between the skin and muscle.
Liposuction involves the use of a small stainless steel tube, called a
cannula (from the Latin word for reed, tube, cane). The cannula is connected
to suction pump and inserted through small skin incisions. The removal of
fat is accomplished as the suction cannula creates tiny tunnels through out
the fatty layers. These tiny tunnels collapse resulting in an improved body
contour after surgery.
Areas Treated By Liposuction
The most frequently treated areas in women are the abdomen, hips, thighs,
knees, calves, ankles, and beneath the chin. In men, who comprise about 25%
to 30% of our patients, the most commonly treated areas include the love
handles, the abdomen, breasts and the neck and chin area.
Permanence Of Results
Fat cells that are removed by liposuction do not grow back. As long as the
patient does not gain excessive amounts of weight, the new, more pleasing
silhouette is permanent.
A woman who always tends to put weight on her
thighs and knees, will find that after liposuction, these areas are less
likely than other areas to accumulate fat when she gains weight. In fact a
number of our patients have had liposuction and have subsequently gained
weight.
The areas originally treated by liposuction have maintained their
new desirable silhouette, whereas areas not treated by liposuction have been
the sites of new deposits of fat.
Who Is A Good Candidate For Liposuction?
The best candidates for liposuction are in good health and have realistic
expectations of liposuction. There is no definite age limit, or weight limit
for patients who are "good candidates" for liposuction. Most of our patients
have localized accumulations of fat.
However, some of our happiest patients
have been individuals who are somewhat obese. It is important to emphasize
that liposuction is not a treatment for general obesity. Liposuction surgery
is not effective as a last resort for people who are unable to maintain a
reasonable weight by dieting. However, an overweight person whose weight has
been stable for many years and has certain problem areas of fat may be an
excellent candidate for liposuction.
What Is A Successful Liposuction Surgery?
A liposuction surgery is a success when the patient is happy with the
results. The surgeon's goal is to achieve an optimal aesthetically appealing
result rather than to maximize the amount of fat removed. The cosmetic
success of liposuction relies on removing inches rather than pounds. For
example, removing an amount of fat equivalent to a half-pound of butter from
each outer thigh of a woman's saddlebag area or from a man's love handle
areas would result in dramatic change in silhouette, but would not
significantly change the persons weight.
Development Of The Tumescent Technique
Although liposuction is a relatively new form of cosmetic surgery, there
have been several recent improvements in the technique. One of the most
significant improvements has been the introduction of the Tumescent
Technique, developed by Dr. Jeffrey A. Klein, M.D. in 1985, that permits
liposuction totally by local anesthesia instead of general anesthesia.
This technique is now considered the safest form of liposuction for
removing very large amounts of fat because there is virtually no blood loss.
Not only has the Tumescent Technique proven to be safer than the standard
technique using epidural, spinal or general anesthesia but it also has
proven to be less painful, has minimized post operative recovery time, and
has produced optimal cosmetic results.
The Tumescent Technique was first presented by Dr. Klein in 1986 at the
Second World Congress of Liposuction Surgery in Philadelphia. His article
that first described the technique appeared in the American Journal of
Cosmetic surgery in 1987. Klein has been Dr. Baker's mentor.
Dr. Denise Baker and Dr. Jeffrey Klein
Liposuction
Totally By Local Anesthesia
The word tumescent means "swollen" and "fiffi1". The Tumescent Technique uses large volumes of a dilute solution
of lidocaine, (a local anesthetic), in combination with the vasoconstrictive
drug epinephrine, which temporarily shrinks capillaries.
Local anesthesia used in the Tumescent
Technique for liposuction is so effective that patients no longer need
epidural, intravenous sedatives, narcotic analgesics, or general anesthesia. Patients can also be treated who have previously had liposuction
with general anesthesia. Virtually every one of these patients has found the
Tumescent Technique to be less painful, to provide better results and to
result in more rapid healing and recovery.
Virtually No Blood Loss
As a result of the widespread capillary constriction caused by the
epinephrine in the anesthetic solution, there is minimal bleeding during and
after surgery. This is a major improvement in the liposuction technique
compared to older methods that simply use epidural and/or general
anesthesia.
Dr. Klein recently completed a study of "large volume" liposuction (1,500
ml to 3,400 ml or 1.5 quarts to nearly 1 gallon) of fat removed using the
Tumescent Technique. None of these patients required a blood transfusion. In
fact, the average patient lost approximately three teaspoons (15 ml) of
blood.
The Tumescent Technique is so effective at minimizing blood loss that
the majority of patient with large volume liposuction lose less blood during
the surgery than they do at the time of their routine pre-operative
laboratory studies.
When Are Blood Transfusions Necessary?
Because of the minimal blood loss associated with the Tumescent Technique,
there is no need for blood transfusions. Recently, a number of surgeons who
use general, epidural and spinal anesthesia have begun to use a form of the
Tumescent Technique together with general anesthesia. Although these
patients still must endure the risks and unpleasant side effects of general
anesthesia, they do have the benefits of less blood loss associated with the
Tumescent Technique.
Risks Of General Anesthesia
The drugs that are used to produce general anesthesia are potentially more
dangerous compared to those used for local anesthesia. It is estimated that
fatal complications associated with general anesthesia occur somewhere in
the neighborhood between 1 in every 2,500 patients to 1 in every 10,000
patients.
The severe complications associated with general anesthesia are
eliminated as serious risk factors just by not using these medications. It
is well recognized that local anesthesia is considerably safer than general
anesthesia.
Is An Anesthesiologist Necessary?
Anesthesiologists are specially trained
to use the potentially dangerous anesthetic drugs. Even with this expert
training, dangers of general anesthesia persist. The safest approach is
simply to avoid using these drugs altogether. An anesthesiologist is not
necessary when epidural, spinal anesthesia or general anesthetic drugs are
not used and local anesthesia is the only anesthetic.
Safety First
Surgical complications in liposuction are quite rare. The greatest risk with
liposuction is respiratory arrest as a result of either an allergic
reaction, mechanical malfunction, human error or an unhealthy individual
associated with general anesthesia. Thus, from the perspective of safety,
being able to take care of a medical emergency, such as a cardio-pulmonary
arrest, is of primary importance.
Ideally, your surgeon and the surgeon's assistants should be trained and
experienced in Advanced Cardiac Life Support ACLS. They should be equipped
and able to diagnose and treat all true emergencies immediately.
Dr.
Baker and her nursing staff are trained in Advance Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).
Furthermore, Dr. 8aker had several years of experience working as an
emergency room physician. Dr. Baker's nurses have had previous Intensive
Care Unit experience and special training in cardiac monitoring.
With the Tumescent Technique, our patients have never required
hospitalization, blood transfusions, nor have there been any infections or
other serious complications.
It is Dr. Baker's philosophy that the safest approach is to avoid the most
dangerous drugs, while at the same time being well prepared and trained to
take care of any potential emergency.
Tumescent Technique Is Less Painful Than
General Anesthesia
Some patients have had liposuction by another surgeon using general
anesthesia prior to having liposuction by Dr. Baker using exclusively the
Tumescent Technique. Virtually every one of these patients has said that
liposuction by the Tumescent Technique is a dramatically less painful
experience than with general anesthesia.
With the Tumescent Technique infiltrating the local anesthesia is
associated with minimal discomfort. Once the area has been completely
numbed, surgery in the area is essentially painless. In addition, because
the local anesthesia persists in the treated area for more than 12-24 hours,
there is no pain immediately after the surgery.
Risks Of Any Surgery
As with any surgical procedure, liposuction is associated with certain
common side-effects such as bruising, swelling and temporary numbness.
Although irregularities of the skin are possible following liposuction, this
side-effect is minimized by the Tumescent Technique.
When larger cannulas are used patients have a greater risk of developing
an irregularity of the skin. Since using micro cannulas, noticeable
irregularities are very rare.
Because of the slow resolution of post surgical swelling, the ultimate
results following liposuction usually require 12 to 16 weeks to become fully
apparent. Nevertheless, patients can usually see dramatic improvements
within two to four weeks after surgery.
Although the results of liposuction are often quite spectacular, it is
not realistic to expect perfection. Liposuction of the thighs, while
improving the silhouette, does not necessarily eliminate the subtle
"puckering" of the skin that is often referred to as "cellulite."
Liposuction with the Tumescent Technique does reduce the degree of cellulite
but it is unlikely to eliminate it.
As judged by current world-wide experience, liposuction is amazingly
safe. To the best of my knowledge, there has never been any reported serious
complication using the Tumescent Technique for liposuction totally by local
anesthesia.
Rare problems that can potentially occur with any surgical procedure include
infections, bleeding and nerve injury. The Tumescent Technique minimizes
these risks.
Decreased Risks Of Infection With
Tumescent Technique
Infections are extremely rare, regardless of whether or not the anesthetic
technique is that of
general anesthesia or local anesthesia.
Although there have been reports in
the medical literature of patients who have had serious infections following
liposuction surgery, to the best of our knowledge, there has never been any
patients who have had an infection following liposuction totally by local
anesthesia using the Tumescent Technique. Lidocaine, the local anesthetic
that is used for the Tumescent technique, kills bacteria.
With the Tumescent
Technique the areas that are being treated surgically are exactly the areas
that will receive the local anesthetic that kills bacteria.
Better And Smoother Results
The large volumes of dilute local anesthetics infiltrated into the fatty
tissue causes the tissue to become swollen and firm, or tumescent. The
"Tumescent Technique" magnifies the fatty area that is to be treated by
liposuction. If there is an area that has not been completely treated, this
is more easily detected because the area is swollen and enlarged. Thus the
risk of post-surgical irregularities and unevenness is minimized.
With the Tumescent Technique very small cannulas are used. This permits a
more delicate and gentle approach to liposuction. The liposuction cannulas
which have been specifically designed for the Tumescent Technique are 2.5
and 3.1 mm in diameter. These micro cannulas require a minimal amount of
force in order to advance them into the fatty tissue.
As a result, this surgery is much more gentle and the surgeon can control
the direction and position of the cannula with much more accuracy. The
ultimate result is a greatly reduced risk of approaching too close to the
undersurface of the skin and causing irregularities.
Are The Scars Visible?
Because the Tumescent Technique uses very small cannulas, only tiny
incisions are required. The incisions are so small that no stitches are
used. The wounds heal by themselves and virtually disappear with time.
How Is The Skin Affected?
The degree of skin change after liposuction is the same as one would expect
if it were possible to lose an equal amount of fat in these localized areas
simply by dieting. Because the small cannulas simply make small tunnels
through the fat, there remain multiple connections between the skin and the
underlying tissue.
These fibrous connections contract with the healing process and maintain
the skin in its natural position. After liposuction by the Tumescent
Technique, one does not have to worry about excessive folds of skin in the
areas treated by liposuction. This effect is so dramatic that many patients
who previously would have required a surgical excision of skin, called a
tummy tuck, can now have excellent results simply by having liposuction.
Decreased Bruising
There is dramatically less bruising using local anesthesia for liposuction
as compared to epidural or general anesthesia. There are two reasons for
this significant decrease in bruising. First, because there is so little
bleeding with the Tumescent Technique, there is almost no blood that remains
beneath the skin after surgery to cause bruising.
The second reason for decreased bruising is that with the Tumescent
Technique there is a considerable amount of post-operative drainage of the
anesthetic solution which is slightly blood tinged. Because the incision
sites are so small and do not require stitches, these wounds are slightly
open for two or three days after the surgery and permit most of the residual
anesthetic solution and blood to drain out. This minimizes bruising and
swelling and accelerates the rate of healing.
Immediate Post-Operative Recovery
After liposuction by general anesthesia, patients must be observed in a
recovery room until it can be determined that they have not lost too much
blood, and that the post-operative nausea and vomiting are not profound.
With the Tumescent Technique, there is virtually no blood loss and with
local anesthesia there is rarely any nausea.
Because it does take additional time to inject the local anesthesia with
liposuction by the Tumescent Technique the patient does remain on the
surgical table longer than with liposuction by general anesthesia. However,
because the recovery time is so short, the total amount of time that the
patient is in the surgical facility is much shorter with the Tumescent
Technique than with general anesthesia. After completion of liposuction by
the Tumescent Technique, patients are discharged home in about 30 minutes.
Quick Return To Normal Activities
By not using stitches to close incision sites, there is acceleration in the
rate of healing. Open incision sites permit drainage of the slightly blood
tinged anesthetic solution. This has had a dramatic effect in minimizing
bruising. Most patients now notice that bruising is almost entirely absent
one week after surgery.
Because the Tumescent Technique eliminated bleeding and because the
residual anesthetic solution drains out so quickly, there is less
inflammation and the healing process is significantly accelerated. Firmness
however may remain for several weeks or more.
Because of the significant decrease in swelling and decrease in inflammation
and pain after the surgery, patients are able to return to normal physical
activities very soon after surgery.
There is no limitation to physical activity other than what common sense
would dictate. Some patients are able to return to jogging, golf, light
aerobic exercise within a day or two after surgery. Some patients do find
the soreness after surgery more significant than others, but on the average,
most patients are quite surprised at how quickly they are able to return to
normal activity.
Prior to Surgery
One week post liposuction surgery
"THANKS TO YOUR LIPOSUCTION SURGERY, I WAS ABLE TO GO TO THE BEACH IN MY
BIKINI FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE HIGH SCHOOL." JEAN D.
Which Specialists Do Liposuction?
Liposuction was developed and originally performed by gynecologists using
specific types of suction gynecology cannulas. These cannulas have been
modified and refined to the precision instruments we use today.
Liposuction is a type of surgery that is appropriately
performed by surgeons from
several different specialties. The specialists now who most commonly
perform liposuction are cosmetic surgeons, dermatologists, gynecologic
surgeons, and plastic surgeons.
Some plastic surgeons and dermatologists are taught liposuction in their
residency programs. For most surgeons however, liposuction training occurs
after residency (post doctoral training).
Before Treatment / 1 day Post Liposuction Procedure
Before Treatment / 1 day Post Liposuction Procedure
"After working out everyday and running 5 miles three
times a week, I couldn't shed my love handles. Your liposuction made
the difference ..... I haven't looked this good since boot camp" Sempter FL,
Rod F. Age 60
Why don't other surgeons use the Tumescent
Technique?
From the surgeon's point of view, it takes much less time to
do the surgery when epidural and/or general anesthesia is used. This is
probably one of the most significant factors in determining which technique
the surgeon will use.
There are other factors involved as well, however almost all
gynecologic and dermatologic surgeons who perform liposuction use local
anesthesia by the Tumescent Technique. Most American cosmetic and plastic
surgeons use epidural, spinal, or general anesthesia. Currently, there is an
increasing trend toward the use of the Tumescent Technique by all
specialties.
Before Liposuction Surgery / 3 weeks post Liposuction Surgery
Before Liposuction Surgery / 2 weeks post Liposuction Surgery
Before Liposuction & 1 day post Liposuction Surgery
(Male Breast Reduction) -
Gynecomastia
Gynecomastia is a medical term that comes from the
Greek words for "women-like breasts." Though this oddly named condition is
rarely talked about, it's actually quite common. Gynecomastia affects
an estimated 40 to 60 percent of men.
It may affect only one breast or both. Though certain drugs
and medical problems have been linked with male breast overdevelopment,
there is no known cause in the vast majority of cases.
For men who feel self-conscious about their appearance, breast-reduction
surgery can help. The procedure removes fat and or glandular tissue from the
breasts, and in extreme cases removes excess skin, resulting in a chest that
is flatter, firmer, and better contoured.
Through Tumescent (no-stitch) Liposuction, your gynecomastia surgery can be
done with local anesthesia while you are awake and your recovery time can be
as little as 3 days.
Tumescent
Liposuction
The updated office based surgical
technique that improves the body’s contour by removing excess fat. Our
Tumescent Technique permits liposuction totally by local anesthesia. No
intravenous, epidural, spinal or general anesthesia is needed!
This
technique is considered the safest form of liposuction for removing small to
large amounts of fat between the skin and the muscle because there is
virtually no blood loss.
Not only has this technique proven safer than the
standard techniques, but it also has proven to be much less painful, has
minimized postoperative recovery time, and has produced optimal cosmetic
results.
Our patients normally return to work within 3 days and enjoy an
optimal cosmetic result.
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