Maintaining a healthy diet and getting regular exercise are the two most important things you can do to achieve a toned, fit body. But for many people, diet and exercise alone aren't enough to attain their desired figure. If you have stubborn areas of fat that have been resistant to your fitness efforts, liposuction might be a good option to help you put the finishing touches on your efforts.
Dr. Jay Orringer offers a variety of liposuction options to help you achieve your aesthetic goals. You can learn about these options and receive an individualized recommendation for your treatment plan by speaking with Dr. Orringer in person. Please contact our Beverly Hills office to schedule a consultation.
What Areas Can Liposuction Treat?
Liposuction is one of the most versatile body contouring procedures and can be used on a wide variety of regions of the body where you experience excess fat. Dr. Orringer can perform liposuction to potentially improve the appearance of your:
- Abdomen
- Flanks ("love handles" and "muffin tops")
- Back
- Chest (including as part of a male breast reduction procedure)
- Face, neck, and jowls
- Thighs
- Buttocks
- Hips
- Arms
- Calves and ankles
During your initial consultation, Dr. Orringer will perform a thorough evaluation to determine whether you're a good liposuction candidate. This will be determined by a number of factors including the location and degree of excess fat, skin tone, and your expectations. Some body contouring procedures require not only fat reduction, but excess skin removal as well.
Physical Attributes of a Good Liposuction Candidate
Optimal candidates for liposuction should:
- Be at or near their ideal weight
- Have good skin tone and elasticity
- Have one or more stubborn regions of fat that haven't responded to fitness efforts
- Lead a generally active lifestyle and eat a healthy diet
In addition, you should be in good overall health and have realistic expectations for the outcome of your procedure. Keep in mind that failure to meet all of the above criteria doesn't rule you out as a liposuction candidate. However, it may potentially limit your results or increase your risk of complications.
While fat reduction is achieved, the potential trade-offs of the appearance of excess skin and worsening of cellulite-like deformity must be weighed. Dr. Orringer will perform a thorough evaluation during your initial consultation and make an individualized recommendation based on your specific circumstances.
Your Liposuction Options
During your procedure, Dr. Orringer will remove targeted areas of fat using a thin metal tube called a canula. He will design an individualized treatment plan that will help you potentially achieve a more aesthetic body contour.
Dr. Orringer performs several different liposuction techniques. The difference between these options primarily relates to the way your fat cells are broken up prior to removal. Depending on your unique concerns and goals, he may recommend:
- Tumescent liposuction
- Power-assisted liposuction
- Ultrasound- assisted liposuction
Individuals with reduced skin tone after pregnancies or weight fluctuation may do best when liposuction of the abdominal wall is combined with skin removal and muscle tightening (a tummy tuck or mini tummy tuck).
Power-Assisted Liposuction (PAL)
Power-assisted liposuction is a technique that uses a special cannula with a tip that vibrates rapidly in order to assist in the breaking up of fat cells. It is typically performed in conjunction with traditional tumescent liposuction, which uses an anesthesia and adrenaline infused saline solution to loosen your fat cells.
The small, precise motions achieved using a vibrating cannula potentially allow Dr. Orringer to target certain regions which are difficult to treat using traditional liposuction alone, such as the male breasts (during gynecomastia surgery) or the flanks.
Dr. Orringer can use PAL to treat a wide range of areas on your body, including the:
- Back
- Abdomen
- Upper arms
- Chest
- Thighs
- Buttocks
- Calves and ankles
Liposuction Is Not a Tool for Weight Loss
It is important to understand that liposuction is a body contouring procedure intended to provide additional sculpting benefits to a person who is ideally generally fit. It is not a tool for weight loss. If your primary goal is to lose a substantial amount of weight, then liposuction is not the right option for you. Liposuction is ideally aimed at improving areas of localized excess fat -- not weight reduction.
Before undergoing liposuction, you should ideally have implemented a program of good diet and exercise so that you can help to optimize your results.
Tumescent Liposuction
Tumescent liposuction is currently the most commonly performed type of liposuction in the United States. It is a technique that is considered safer than traditional liposuction because it uses a dilute epinephrine solution to lessen blood loss.
As there is typically less bleeding, there may be less bruising and a faster recovery. Following the body sculpting, Dr. Orringer usually places a long-acting local anesthetic that diminishes pain for up to three days, at which point healing is taking place.
Liposuction FAQs
How Long Can Patients Enjoy Their Liposuction Results?
Fat cells removed with liposuction are gone permanently, so results are considered long-term. However, liposuction does not prevent a person from gaining weight in the future. A significant fluctuation in weight will cause additional fat to be stored in other (untreated) areas of the body, which may make the contours less aesthetic. In addition, the remaining fat cells can grow at the treated sites. Therefore, Dr. Orringer recommends that patients maintain a stable weight, to the extent possible, after their surgery.
What Is the Difference Between Liposuction and Tummy Tuck?
Both liposuction and tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) are body contouring procedures that can help to reshape the midsection, but they do so in different ways. Whereas liposuction is concerned with localized fat, tummy tuck also addresses loose skin and lax muscles of the abdominal wall. Since stretched skin and muscle separation (which is common after pregnancy or weight loss) cannot be eliminated with diet and exercise, a skin removal and muscle tightening procedure like tummy tuck is often done. Dr. Orringer usually combines liposuction with tummy tuck, performing a lipoabdominoplasty. This typically addresses the excess skin, lax muscles, and localized fat. A variety of options will be discussed during your consultation with Dr. Orringer.
How Does Liposuction Compare to Newer Fat Reduction Procedures Like CoolSculpting?
Some facilities have introduced trendy fat removal procedures like CoolSculpting as a less invasive way to kill excess fat cells. However, liposuction continues to typically offer the most dramatic results, as it can directly eliminate more fat cells at one procedure. For minor deformities, limited procedures may achieve satisfactory results. However, for more extensive fat deposits, liposuction may provide a more pleasing outcome.
Why Choose Dr. Orringer?
Dr. Orringer is a dual board-certified plastic surgeon with more than 25 years of experience performing liposuction and body-contouring procedures for patients in the Beverly Hills and Los Angeles areas. He strives to deliver the highly individualized care you deserve and will personally be involved in every aspect of your treatment from your initial plastic surgery consultation through your post-operative care.
During your consultation, Dr. Orringer will carefully listen to your concerns and goals in order to arrive at an individualized treatment plan that attempts to address your unique needs. He will spend the time that is necessary to explain your options in detail so that you can make an educated and comfortable decision regarding your procedure.
Please call 310-273-1663 to contact Dr. Jay Orringer at The Renaissance Medical Center for Aesthetic Surgery, Inc. to schedule your liposuction consultation today. We serve patients in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Hollywood, California, nationally, and internationally.
