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Is Liposuction Painful?

by Dr. Osman on February 19, 2012

Liposuction Injection AnesthesiaPain associated with liposuction is a major concern for some people considering it. That’s understandable, of course. No one wants to be in pain. Fortunately, there is often very little discomfort with modern liposuction techniques.

In discussing pain associated with liposuction, there are two aspects to consider. The first is pain during the procedure, and the second is pain during liposuction recovery.

During liposuction, pain is non-existent with general anesthesia. However, there are many reasons to avoid general anesthesia with safety being the most important. Fortunately, even under local anesthesia, liposuction can be painless.

Under local anesthesia, there is a little discomfort during the earliest phases of numbing when the anesthetic is first introduced, but that is it. Patients tolerate this very well. Certain areas, like the neck and chin, have zero pain. Even larger areas, like the abdomen, can be painless.

After liposuction, recovery is much easier if local anesthesia was used. That’s because the effects of local anesthesia wear off slowly over about 18 hours, so there is good pain control for 1.5 days. Most patients don’t need anything more than Extra Strength Tylenol to manage their pain.

If general anesthesia is used, there may be a more painful recovery requiring prescription pain medications, and there can also be effects from the general anesthesia including nausea and vomiting.

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Using Liposuction To Get The Ideal Waist To Hip Ratio

by Dr. Osman on February 11, 2012

Ideal waist to hip ratioStudies show that the ideal waist to hip ratio for a woman is 0.7. That is, the distance around the waist is 70% smaller than the distance around the hips.

Multiple factors determine each person’s waist to hip ratio including the structure of the skeleton, muscle mass, and pockets of fat. Liposuction can be used to sculpt unwanted pockets of fat from both the waist and the hip to bring them to a ratio closer to the ideal of 0.7.

On the waist, fat usually accumulates toward the back, but it can gather on the sides, too. Excess fat in the hips usually collects diffusely over the outer area of the hip.

Waist hips after

After

Waist hips before

Before

I have found that some women gain fat mostly in their mid-section and don’t get much elsewhere. These women tend to have relatively trim thighs and arms. For this body type, liposuction around the entire waist is particularly helpful.

For most women, however, fat gathers in certain pockets. These are the bra rolls on the back, the hips, the inner and outer thighs, the abdomen, and the upper arms. When one of the these pockets is disproportionate to the others, liposuction can help bring the body back into balance.

Liposuction is not the best choice for sculpting the waist and hips when the abnormal proportions of these areas are not due to unwanted pockets of fat. People who have lost a large amount of weight may have excess skin causing the disproportion.  For them, surgery to remove the excess skin may be the only option.

Some people have narrow hips and a wider rib cage causing the less than ideal ratio. There are rumors that the singer, Cher, had her lowest rib removed to make her waist smaller.  skin causing the disproportion. For them, surgery to remove the excess skin may be the only option.

However, for many women, liposuction of the waist and hips is a great procedure that helps them achieve an hourglass shape. Like liposuction in other areas, lipo of the waist and hips can be performed under local anesthesia with minimal risk and recovery.

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Facial Aging: How the face ages

February 5, 2012

By understanding how the face ages, it is easier to choose the best treatments for rejuvenation.  There are three fundamental processes that occur in facial aging: 1. volumetric change 2. skin damage 3. dynamic wrinkling Volumetric Changes with Age Volumetric change refers to changes in the overall fullness of our face.  The underlying support provided [...]

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Can Botox treat hot flashes?

January 31, 2012

Hot flashes are the most common symptom of menopause.  A recent study published in Dermatologic Surgery in November 2011 found that Dysport, a medicine very similar to Botox, did reduce the intensity, frequency, and sweating associated with hot flashes in women.  We already know that Botox treats excessive underarm sweating. In the study, 30 menopausal [...]

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Should you lose weight before getting liposuction?

January 29, 2012

A lot of people I see in consultation who are interested in getting liposuction are in the process of losing a few pounds and wonder if they should lose their weight prior to getting liposuction. Usually, these people hover around a relatively steady weight, but, like many of us, fluctuate by a few pounds here [...]

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Non-Invasive Liposuction

January 21, 2012

We all want the benefits of liposuction but would be happy to live without the risk or recovery that goes along with an invasive procedure. That leaves us wondering, “Is there non-invasive liposuction?” It’s a perfectly valid question! If there is a way to effectively remove fat without surgery, then why not? The key in that [...]

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Does LipoSonix Work?

January 2, 2012

LipoSonix is a body shaping liposuction alternative that uses high-intensity focused ultrasound energy to disrupt fat tissue and provide a non-invasive way to decrease fat. LipoSonix Results The company behind LipoSonix performed a study comparing patients treated with LipoSonix to patients treated with a sham device.  The treated group got a 1 cm greater decrease [...]

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How Much Does Liposuction Cost?

December 29, 2011

One of the most common questions someone interested in body shaping has is how much does liposuction cost. The obvious cost of liposuction is the combination of the surgeon’s fee, the anesthesiologist’s fee, the facility fee, and the charges for extras such as garments.  A less obvious cost, but one that is equally important, is [...]

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Rejuvenation of the Chest

September 5, 2011

Most people initially focus their rejuvenation efforts on their face, but the chest should not be overlooked.  It, too, is an area that can show signs of aging. Fortunately, there are many techniques to make it look younger and better.Chest wrinkles can be improved with Sculptra.  Sculptra is a product that stimulates collagen production when [...]

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Botox competitor, Xeomin, coming to Los Angeles

August 9, 2011

Move over Botox and Dysport!  A third player is coming to town. Xeomin, another botulinum toxin, just got FDA approval for the treatment of wrinkles.  Approval was based on two clinical trials in the U.S. involving 547 healthy adults.  Xeomin is already approved and used in Europe for the treatment of wrinkles. Xeomin should be [...]

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