Most men and women seek a fit and
well-proportioned body. Dr.
Mills see 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.
• Learn about The Arm Liposuction Procedure in 3D
• Learn about The Neck Liposuction Procedure in 3D
• Learn about The Thigh Liposuction Procedure in 3D
• Learn about The Tummy Liposuction Procedure in 3D
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.
When you schedule your surgery with Dr. Mills,
you will have the option of banking the stem cells
from the fat tissue removed during your surgery.
Currently, we work with a stem cell bank that
will process and store your stem cells for a fee.
When and if you need stem cell therapy, you will
have immediate access to your own healthy stem
cells. If you are interested in learning more
about these medical discoveries, Dr. Mills can
provide you with further literature at your consultation.
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 |
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You can expect: |
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To drive after 3 – 5 days (after all
pain medication has been discontinued). |
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To resume normal activities after several
days. |
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To resume light aerobic activity after 2
weeks. |
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To see bruising for the first month. |
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To experience mild to moderate pain. |
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To wear a compression garment for 4 –
6 weeks. |
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To visit our office post-operatively at
5 days, 2 weeks, and 1, 3 and 6 months and
1 year post-operatively. |
| Does liposuction
help with Cellulite? |
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| No |
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| Does liposuction tend
to redistribute your weight to other areas
of your body? |
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| 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).” |
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| Will I hurt after surgery? |
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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. |
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| How much time do I need
off of work? |
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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. |
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