Liposuction
Most men and women seek a fit and well-proportioned body. Dr. Mills sees patients everyday in consultation
that complain that some areas of their body are just resistant to change, even with the strictest of diet and exercise programs. As an option to sculpt these
areas and remove excess fat, Dr. Mills offers lipoplasty or liposuction. Liposuction is not a weight loss program; in fact, there is a maximum amount of fat
(5000 cc) that can safely be removed in one procedure. However, liposuction is an ideal solution to treat those “problem” areas that are disproportionate to
the rest of the body. Liposuction is most effective for men and women of normal weight who simply want to improve their body contour. Dr. Mills can use liposuction
to slim the hips and thighs, flatten the abdomen, sculpt the chin and shape the calves, lovehandles, back, ankles, knees and upper arms. Most patients who
have this surgery feel more confident in the way that they look and how their newly-sculpted body fits into clothing.
Dr. Mills uses several different liposuction techniques or combinations thereof to achieve optimal results. Dr. Mills always uses the tumescent technique, in which the fat is pre-injected with a sterile salt-water solution containing small amounts of adrenaline and local anesthetic. In addition, he may recommend suction assisted lipectomy (SAL), ultrasonic-assisted lipectomy (UAL) or power-assisted lipectomy (PAL), depending on your specific needs and fibrousness of the area to be treated. SAL involves making a tiny incision or incisions near the treatment area. Wherever possible, Dr. Mills places the incisions within natural folds or contour lines to hide them. Dr. Mills places a slim, hollow tube called a cannula through the incision, so that its tip penetrates the underlying fat. By contouring with one or multiple cannulas, Dr. Mills vacuums the fat into a suction pump. He pays close attention to the measurements, the 3-D contours and fat removed to achieve optimal symmetry.
 VASER® Lipo People come in all different shapes and sizes. Every body type has areas that are predisposed to fat storage and, even with rigorous diet and exercise, those unwanted bulges often persist. Patented VASER® technology and the advanced VASER Lipo technique now offer a safe alternative for ridding yourself of those stubborn fat deposits to provide you a smooth new shape with fast recovery. What is VASER Lipo? Is it different than traditional liposuction? VASER Lipo is a minimally invasive procedure that precisely and efficiently removes unwanted body fat. An alternative to the harsh techniques of traditional liposuction, VASER Lipo uses state-of-the-art ultrasound technology designed to gently reshape your body. What distinguishes the VASER Lipo procedure is its ability to differentiate targeted fat from other important tissues – such as nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue. Innovative VASER technology breaks up fat while conserving these other important tissues. Only the VASER Lipo procedure uses the proprietary VASER System to first liquefy fat and then remove it from the body to promote smooth results and rapid healing with only low to minimal pain. What happens during VASER Lipo? First, the area to be reshaped is filled with a special saline solution that helps numb the site and shrink the blood vessels (to minimize blood loss and reduce bruising). This solution wets and fills the area to be treated, making it easier to break up fatty tissue with the VASER Lipo System’s ultrasound energy. Then a small probe transmits sound energy (similar to that used for cataract removal from the eye) to fragment fatty tissue on contact while leaving other important tissues largely intact. Finally, the liquefied fat is removed through a gentle suction process designed to minimize damage to surrounding tissues. Is VASER Lipo right for me? If you are frustrated by the resistance of certain body areas to diet and exercise, VASER Lipo can provide a solution. If you are healthy and seeking a fast, low-pain solution for losing stubborn fat deposits, the Lipo procedure could be your answer. Patients who say they would have never considered liposuction are now finding the VASER Lipo procedure is a minimally invasive option for the achievement of their body reshaping goals. Although there are limits to the amount of fat that can be removed, your doctor can assist you with your decision about potential areas for contouring, anticipated results, and the recovery process. |
UAL has gained much popularity in recent years because it aids in skin contraction. This form of liposuction contracts from underneath the skin and works very much like a laser on the facial skin. This technique involves a two-step process that uses the energy from sound waves to liquefy the fat prior to suctioning. As such, Dr. Mills is able to more effectively extract the fatty tissue from an area. Dr. Mills uses PAL to treat very fibrous or scarred areas, such as the back, flanks and above the belly button. Dr. Mills is adept at using this new technology and has seen a more even result in fibrous areas.
Typically two weeks prior to surgery, you will meet with our pre-operative coordinator to review all of your pre-operative instructions and make sure that you complete all the necessary laboratory tests and health screenings. Dr. Mills will likely have you donate 1 - 2 units of your blood to a blood bank for use during your surgery. The use of your own blood during surgery will aid in your recovery and enable you to ‘bounce back” more quickly. If you are a smoker, Dr. Mills will recommend that you quit smoking at least 2 weeks prior to surgery and not to resume for at least 2 weeks after your surgery. Additionally, there are certain medications, herbs and potions that your pre-operative coordinator will ask you to cease taking from several weeks prior to your surgery to several weeks after your surgery. Your pre-operative appointment will also be a time for you to ask any final questions, so that you are fully prepared for surgery and your recovery period.
Upon admission to the facility, you will spend about an hour with a nurse who will prepare you for surgery. Your surgical and recovery time will vary, depending on the number of areas to be treated. During your surgery, you will have a team of people caring for you. Dr. Mills’ team includes a nurse anesthetist, registered nurse and surgical technician. Dr. Mills has been working with most of these staff members for many years and some since close to the beginning of his practice. You will need a responsible adult to accompany you to our facility and be available via phone, so that we can alert them of your discharge time. Additionally, you will need someone to stay with you for the first 24 hours after your surgery.
After your surgery, you will wear a tight surgical garment that will help “set” your new body shape. This garment can be removed for short periods of time in your first post-operative week for showering, but should be worn at all other time for 4 – 6 weeks. Dr. Mills will advise if and when you can switch to a lighter garment, such a bike pants. It is important that you wear the surgical garment as advised because it provides the necessary support for the skin and tissue to re-drape the newly contoured line. Further, it is important that you keep all post-operative areas free of creases and wrinkles throughout the healing period to achieve the smoothest skin contour possible. Dr. Mills will advise you not to sit upright, especially if you have had liposuction to your stomach. He recommends standing or lying down to decrease the risk of any unnecessary creases from forming.
Dr. Mills will advise that you return for a follow-up visits at 5 days, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months post-operatively. You will likely have some bruising to she surgical areas, but these should completely fade within the first couple of weeks. Dr. Mills advises that you keep your surgical area out of the sun for at least 8 weeks to avoid permanent bruising and discoloration. Additionally, you might note a slight weight gain in the first few days and even weeks after surgery. This is most likely due to fluid replacement, retention and swelling and should subside in the first couple of months.
Within several days after surgery, you should be able to go back to your normal routine. You can start walking and do light work-outs within 2 weeks from your surgery. Dr. Mills will advise you on when you can resume more strenuous work-outs. You can expect to return to work after about one week.
Most patients see a noticeable difference in their body shape after about 2 weeks. As the swelling subsides, you will continue to see more definition and change. Generally, patients see their final results after about 3 months. One development in medical research that Dr. Mills participates in conjunction with liposuction is stem cell banking. Stem cells are present in adipose or fat tissue and can be extracted during your liposuction procedure. Medical researchers anticipate that stem cell research will likely yield future treatments in key areas of medicine, possibly enabling doctors to cure some diseases, injuries and the effects of aging.
Dr. Mills looks forward to meeting you in consultation to develop a surgical plan that best suits your needs. He will let you know which technique best suits your particular case based upon your goals, medical history and skin texture and turgor. In the meantime, please feel free to email our patient coordinator through our contact us page with any specific questions that you might have about liposuction.
Dr. Mills is confident that he can provide you with the new body you have looking for and you will be excited about the way you look.
Liposuction Post-Operative Information
You can expect:
- To drive after 3 – 5 days (after all pain medication has been discontinued).
- To resume normal activities after several days.
- To resume light aerobic activity after 2 weeks.
- To see bruising for the first month.
- To experience mild to moderate pain.
- To wear a compression garment for 4 – 6 weeks.
- To visit our office post-operatively at 5 days, 2 weeks, and 1, 3 and 6 months and 1 year post-operatively.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does liposuction help with Cellulite?
Does liposuction tend to redistribute your weight to other areas of your body?
Will I hurt after surgery?
How much time do I need off of work?
Does liposuction help with Cellulite?
No
Does liposuction tend to redistribute your weight to other areas of your body?
This is true if you gain weight after surgery. You will tend to gain weight in areas other than the areas treated by liposuction. As such, we encourage our patients to continue to diet and exercise after the surgery. Remember, liposuction not a method of weight loss, but more a solution to treat your “problem areas(s).”
Since patients have different tolerance levels, we have seen varied post-operative pain levels. Some patients have said that liposuction felt sore like the aftermath of an intense work-out. Some patients have commented that recovery was very painful.
How much time do I need off of work?
This will depend on your type of work. If you have a desk job, you will only need about 5 days off. You will need to take as much as a month off if your job has more strenuous physical requirements.
