Smart Lipo: What You Need to Know

Whether caused by heredity, lifestyle choices or aging, the accumulation of stubborn pockets of fat on your body is a natural, albeit unfortunate, part of life. While thousands of diets and workout regimens have emerged for the sole purpose of slimming down these persistent problem areas, we know now that spot-reduction through exercise alone is futile. You can eat right, be in great shape, and still, trouble spots linger. As a result, many turn to liposuction as a way of ridding fat from these regions for good.

Each year, thousands of people choose to undergo liposuction as a way of extracting fat from areas that have proved resistant to diet and exercise. In fact, liposuction has consistently ranked as one of the top five surgical procedures performed each year for both women and men since 2000, and it’s easy to see why. Liposuction offers an effective and lasting solution for specifically targeting unshakeable fat from one or multiple areas on the body, literally suctioning the problem out of the body for good. However, even as one of the most popular body-contouring procedures, many are still hesitant to undergo surgical liposuction due to the higher risks associated with going under the knife.

Smartlipo is an innovative and minimally-invasive approach to liposuction in which laser-assisted technology is utilized to strategically target and melt away fat within your body. Because Smartlipo only requires local anesthesia to numb your specific treatment areas, you can achieve the same benefits of traditional liposuction with fewer risks, less downtime for recovery and little to no visible scarring from the procedure. At Newport Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Associates, we offer Smartlipo as a safer and more precise alternative to traditional liposuction so you can shed any unwanted fat deposits and redefine your natural contours without general anesthesia.

Smartlipo Candidates

As with traditional liposuction procedures, the best candidates for Smartlipo are individuals who are at or within a reasonable range of their goal weight, are in good overall health and have maintained a stable weight for at least a year. Smartlipo, like traditional liposuction, is not a treatment for significant weight loss, nor is it a substitute for a healthy diet and exercise. While up to eight pounds can be removed from the body during the procedure, it is most effective at eliminating smaller, localized trouble areas on the body to achieve a firmer and more toned silhouette.

Common treatment areas for Smartlipo include:

• Face and neck
• Breasts
• Arms
• Abdomen and “love handles”
• Hips
• Thighs
• Buttock

Smartlipo is a completely customizable procedure, with many patients choosing to treat multiple areas simultaneously or even pair traditional liposuction surgery with Smartlipo, depending on the size of the treatment area and the desired results for the procedure. Dr. Seify can help you determine if Smartlipo is right for you according to your aesthetic goals during your initial consultation. Most patients are able to successfully address their problem areas in just one Smartlipo treatment.

Procedure Details

In traditional liposuction, a thin, hollow probe known as a cannula is inserted into the treatment areas through tiny incisions in the skin. The cannula is moved in a vigorous back and forth motion to manually dislodge and loosen fat in the area, which is then removed from the body using a suction device or a large syringe. The surgery typically lasts about one to two hours and requires general anesthesia, meaning you are not awake for the treatment.

The Smartlipo procedure distinguishes itself by utilizing an even smaller, less invasive probe to penetrate deep layers of fat beneath the skin. This cannula contains a single low-energy laser fiber to strategically target and destroy fat cells with laser precision. This unique technology uses energy to directly heat and melt your fat from within, making it considerably less invasive on the body than manual techniques. A tumescent wetting solution is injected into the treatment area to aid the fat removal process and discourage negative side effects. Dr. Seify also utilizes a power-assisted liposuction technique, or PAL, that gently breaks up the fat and allows for more precise extraction. The liquified fat is easier to vacuum out of the region, and the heat actually limits the amount of fluids lost during the procedure through coagulation. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and uses only local anesthesia to numb the affected areas.

Smartlipo also has the added benefit of tightening and firming the skin around your treatment areas that traditional liposuction cannot offer. The laser energy stimulates collagen production in deeper layers of the skin by initiating a wound-healing reaction, so you won’t have to worry about loose, hanging skin once the fat has been removed.

Smartlipo Recovery

The Smartlipo method is associated with significantly less recovery time than traditional liposuction, as well as less discomfort, bruising and swelling following the procedure. The laser-assisted technique used in Smartlipo limits negative side effects, as surrounding tissues are unaffected by the intervening laser, and its gentle approach to eliminating fat cells requires less downtime for the body to fully heal.

After the procedure, you may experience some mild soreness, bruising and swelling surrounding the treatment area, but you should be able to return to work or your normal activities within a few days. Depending on the size and location of your treatment, you may be required to wear a compression garment for several weeks to aid your recovery. In a few short weeks, you should be able to resume strenuous physical activity with your new leaner body.

Results

The results of Smartlipo can be seen instantly, but treated areas will continue to improve in appearance over the next three to six months as the trouble spots heal and skin continues to tighten. Your newly defined, contoured figure will last for many years to come, as new fat cells will not develop in these areas once they have been vanquished. However, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and stable weight following the procedure is of the utmost importance. Weight fluctuations can cause remaining fat cells to expand and may alter the appearance of your firm new figure.

Spot-reduction doesn’t have to be impossible. If stubborn problem areas are standing in the way of your ideal figure, Smartlipo can help achieve the body of your dreams with less downtime and fewer risks to stress over. Call us today at 949-333-0305 to schedule your free consultation, and see how Smartlipo can resculpt your life.