Tumescent Anesthesia Micro-Liposuction

Tumescent Anesthesia

This technique is now considered the safest form of micro-liposuction because it allows the removal of large amounts of fat with virtually no blood loss. The tumescent technique has also proven to be less painful, minimizes post operative recovery time, and produces optimal cosmetic results. The tumescent technique uses large volumes of a dilute solution of lidocaine, a local anesthetic, in combination with epinephrine, which temporarily shrinks capillaries, the tiniest of blood vessels. The local anesthetic used for liposuction is so effective that patients no longer need intravenous (IV) sedation, narcotic analgesics, or general anesthesia. Of the numerous patients who previously had liposuction under general anesthesia and then had tumescent anesthesia Micro-liposuction, 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.

	Abdominal Micro-Liposuction with SmartLipo	Abdominoplasty (“Tummy Tuck”)
Procedure	v     No general anesthesia v     Minimally invasive procedure performed under local anesthesia only v     Using adits and micro-cannulas (size of a thermometer or less) large amounts of fat are debulked v     Area is then smoothed over with the SmartLipo laser	v     Uses general anesthesia or IV sedation v     Invasive surgery requiring stitches, drains v     Months of wearing a girdle
Complications & side effects	v     No risk of general anesthesia v     Bruising and soreness v     Pain is about 3-4 out of 10; very easily controlled with medication v     Minimal to no blood loss. v     Extremely low infection rate v     No scars or freckle scar only	v     Risk of anesthesia v     Potentially severe complications requiring hospitalization v     Potentially moderate blood loss requiring blood transfusion v     Moderate to severe pain requiring prescription pain medication v     Potentially visible scars
Recovery	v     Can return to work in 24 hours v     Exercise within the first week	v     Requires weeks off work v     Months before normal exercise is resumed
Results	v     Dramatic improvement with no cosmetically unsatisfactory scars v     Skin is tightened by the thermal effects of the laser	v     Dramatic improvement but with potentially visible scars

  

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. Add to this the cauterizing effects of the SmartLipo laser and this becomes a major improvement in the liposuction technique compared to older methods that simply used general or regional anesthesia.

A recently completed study of large volume liposuction of 112 patients, each of whom had between 1,500 and 3,400 ml (1.5 quarts to almost 1 gallon) of fat removed using the Tumescent Technique and none required a blood transfusion. In fact, the average patient lost approximately 15 ml (three teaspoons) of blood. The Tumescent Technique is so effective at minimizing blood loss that the majority of patients with large volume liposuction lose less blood during the surgery than they do at the time of their routine pre-operative blood studies.

Decreased Risks of Infection with the Tumescent Technique

Infections are extremely rare whether or not the 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 my knowledge, there has never been any patients who have had an infection following Micro-liposuction totally by local anesthesia using the Tumescent Technique. Lidocaine, the local anesthetic that is used for the Tumescent Technique, kills bacteria.  So the Micro-liposuctioned treated areas receive the local anesthetic that kills bacteria and infection is extremely rare!

Micro-Liposuction

Using extremely thin micro-cannulas (about the thickness of straw or thermometer), we debulk the larger globules of fat from the areas of concern.  These micro-cannulas are inserted through tiny holes no bigger than a grain of rice; these tiny holes are so small they do not even require any stitches. The micro-cannulas require a minimal amount of force in order to advance them into the fatty tissue so this surgery is much more gentle. This allows the doctor to control the direction and position of the cannula with much more accuracy. The ultimate result is a greatly reduced risk of inadvertently approaching too close to the undersurface of the skin and unintentionally causing irregularities.

SmartLipo

Afterwards the SmartLipo laser fiber is inserted through the same holes to completely melt the remaining top layers of fat closest to the skin. This really smooths out the area.  Most importantly the heat from the laser cauterizes blood vessels so you have less bruising and healing time and the skin is tightened! The end results are incredible!

Spider Vein and Varicose Vein Therapy Los Angeles, Liposuction Los Angeles - www.medrehab.com

LipoSculpting with Micro-Liposuction and SmartLipo

Body sculpting is essentially a dream come true. Everyone has localized areas of accumulated fat, often inherited or genetic, that no matter what you do they can not eliminate them by diet and exercise. But this fat can be permanently removed by Micro-liposuction and or SmartLipo.

Fat Distribution In The Body

The body fat of an adult tends to increase gradually over the years and by the age of 30 an individual adds fat according to a genetically predetermined pattern. This fat distribution is often resistant to diet and exercise.  An example is the fat that appears on the abdomen and hips after pregnancy.

Men often get a large belly and love handles while women often notice a lower abdominal bulge and a general increase in tummy flab. Both men and women notice more fat desposits under the neck and jowls as well as loose skin.

With Micro-liposuction you can restore your waist and smooth abdominal bulges so that the stomach is flatter. Combined with treatment of the love handles the results can be dramatic with the body not only looking slimmer, but younger and better contoured. SmartLipo afterwards tightens the skin so this can significantly change the way your clothes fit or the way you look in a bathing suit.

Permanent Fat Loss

The fat that is removed will NEVER come back. You do not produce more fat cells as an adult so the new silhouette is permanent. When a patient who has undergone micro-liposuction and SmartLipo gains weight, the areas originally treated maintain their new desirable silhouette, whereas areas not treated show new deposits of fat.  This is why we have a FREE maintenance program designed to help you stay looking great.

The goal is to achieve an aesthetically appealing silhouette rather than to maximize the amount of fat removed. The cosmetic success relies on removing inches not pounds. For example, removing a fat equivalent to half a pound of butter from each outer thigh of a woman's saddlebag area would result in a dramatic change in silhouette, but not a significant change to the persons' weight.  Overall you can expect a minimum of 50% improvement and most patients get 75-80% improvement.

Quick Return to Normal Activities

By avoiding stitches to close incision sites, there is a marked acceleration in the rate of healing. Patients are now noticing that bruising is almost entirely absent one week after surgery. Because the Tumescent Technique allows the residual anesthetic solution to drain out very quickly, it not only eliminates bruising, but also lessens inflammation. By using this technique, the healing process is significantly accelerated.

Because of the significant decrease in swelling, and decrease in inflammation and pain after surgery, patients are able to return to normal physical activities very soon afterwards. 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.

There are several reasons for this significant rapid recovery and decreased in bruising.

1. There is so little bleeding with the Tumescent Technique that there is almost no blood remaining beneath the skin to cause bruising.

2. The advits (insertion points) are so small that they do not require stitches which allows them to remain slightly open for two to three days permitting most of the residual anesthetic solution and blood to drain out which helps to minimize the bruising and swelling and therefore accelerates the rate of healing.

3. Lastly, with the SmartLipo laser you have decreased bleeding, bruising and tighter skin.
Spider Vein and Varicose Vein Therapy Los Angeles - www.medrehab.com