Keys to a Long-term Success in Liposuction

After liposuction, patient needs to have a realistic expectation to have a long-term succesful outcome.  There are 4 key elements to have a succesful outcome after liposuction:

1)Exercise - Exercising after liposuction is very important, especially after the initial surgery.  We encourage our patient to start exercising 2 to 4 weeks after their surgery.

2)Proper Diet - It is very important to eat a healthy diet consisting of fruits, vegetables and fish.  We recommend avoiding fatty food, drinking sodas, and eating excessively.  We recommend consulting with a nutritionist if one is having difficulty having a proper healthy diet.

3)Positive Lifestyle Changes

4)Succesful Body Contouring - It is important to choose the right surgeon who would perform your procedure.  Unfortunately, cosmetic surgery is unregulated here in the United States, and we recommend choosing a plastic surgeon who is trained in liposculpture surgery to perform your procedure.

Before & After Photos of VASER Liposuction (6 weeks after surgery) performed by Emmanuel De La Cruz MD, PLLC.

A clinical study conducted by Dr. Rohrich revealed that:

• "Among the 57 percent of patients who did not gain weight, 35 percent report exercising more postoperatively (compared with only 10 percent in the weight gain group, p = 0.002) and 50 percent report eating a healthier diet (22 percent in the weight gain group report eating a healthier diet, p = 0.002). "
• In the weight gain group, 67 percent report no change in their diet regimen and only 17 percent thought their productivity increased (compared with 25 percent among the no weight gain group, p = 0.002). Successful body contouring surgery requires a patient to embrace positive lifestyle habits. "

Thus, the long-term success of a liposuction procedure is dependent on having a healthy proper diet and exercise.  One can still gain weight after your liposuction procedure if one does not exercise and eat a healthy diet.

Reference: Rohrich, et al. The key to long-term success in liposuction: a guide for plastic surgeons and patients. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2004 Dec;114(7):1945-52; discussion 1953.

Emmanuel De La Cruz MD, PLLC

Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon

Houston, Texas

Reducing Risk of Contour/Skin Irregularities after Liposuction

Patients with poor skin elasticity should be forewarned about the risk for contour irregularities and suboptimal skin contraction. Similarly, pre-existing cellulite, indentations and scars may be present and will not be corrected with liposuction.  

How to Prevent Skin Contour Irregularities after Liposuction

• Intraoperatively, use of micro-cannulae and careful use of the criss-cross technique of liposuction are recommended to prevent waviness
• Using the VASER Liposuction machine may reduce the risk for contour irregularities

Using a smaller cannulae produces less skin contour irregularity as compared to a larger liposuction cannulae.

Before & After Correction of Skin Contour Irregularities.  Patient previously had traditional liposuction from another plastic surgeon and she developed skin contour irregularity.  Dr. De La Cruz performed the VASER liposuction of the thighs with fat transfer to correct the contour irregularity.

Before & After Correction of Skin Contour Irregularities (Frontal View).  Patient previously had traditional liposuction from another plastic surgeon and she developed skin contour irregularity.  Dr. De La Cruz performed the VASER liposuction of the thighs with fat transfer to correct the contour irregularity.

Emmanuel De La Cruz MD, PLLC

Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon

VASER Liposuction may Improve Diabetes in Overweight patients

It has been of significant interest whether liposuction may have an effect on diabetes in overweight patients.  A prospective study was recently performed showing that VASER liposuction may have a potential beneficial effect on diabetes.

• Overweight male patients aged 37.15 ± 9.60 years (6 with diabetes type 2, 11 without comorbidities) and 10 age-matched healthy lean controls were enrolled in the study.
• Using Vibration Amplification of Sound Energy at Resonance System (VASER Liposuction), ultrasound assisted liposuction was applied onto the deep layers of abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue. The mean volume supranatant fat was 2208 ± 562 ml.
• Fasting blood was collected on the day of liposuction, within 1 to 2 months and more than 6 months after surgery.
• Both treatment groups (diabetic and nondiabetic patients) experienced similar postsurgical weight reduction with concomitant lowering of body mass index value at 1 to 2 months follow-up, which was sustained after 6 months from surgery.
• Improvement in insulin sensitivity at 1 to 2 months follow-up was observed (p = .017 and p = .002, for diabetics and nondiabetics, respectively) and this change persisted over the next 4 months.

VASER Liposuction (Before and After 6 months of Surgery) performed by Dr. Emmanuel De La Cruz

4D VASER Liposuction performed by Dr. Emmanuel De La Cruz, Houston Plastic Surgeon

With this study, VASER liposuction of the abdomen may have beneficial effects in overweight diabetic and non-diabetic males by improving their insulin sensitivity.

Reference:

Gibas-Dorna, et al. The Effect of VASER Abdominal Liposuction on Metabolic Profile in Overweight Males. Am J Mens Health. 2016 Oct 18. pii: 1557988316674841.

Brazilian Butt Lift | Fat Transfer to Buttock in Houston, Texas

From an evolutionary standpoint, an hourglass figure with a narrow waist and full buttocks is associated with female reproductive potential and has been considered an aesthetic ideal across cultures.  A round, well-projected buttock indicates fertility and youth in a woman and is considered aesthetically pleasing.  With the popularity of several celebrities' derriere such as those of Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce and Sofia Vergara, the plastic surgery procedure called Brazilian Butt Lift has become more popular among women.

What is the Brazilian Butt Lift?

• This plastic surgery procedure involves liposuction and the transfer of fat into the buttock.
• The 4 D VASER Hi-Definition liposcuplture incorporates the transfer of fat into the buttock as part of the procedure.  Not only one will have an athletic figure, the buttock is also enhanced to produce a more aesthetically pleasing body.
• The fat is harvested using the Coleman technique, and the fat is then transferred into the buttock to produce a more rounded and more voluptuous buttock.

Figure1:  Before & After Photos of 4 D VASER Hi-Definition Liposuction with Brazilian Butt Lift (6 DAYS after Surgery.)  Procedure performed by Dr. Emmanuel De La Cruz in Houston, TX.

Figure 2:  Before & After photos of Brazilian Butt Lift  (24 HOURS after Surgery.)  Procedure performed by Dr. Emmanuel De La Cruz in Houston, TX.

Emmanuel De La Cruz MD, PLLC

Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon

Houston, TX | The Woodlands, TX

SMART Liposuction vs Traditional Liposuction

Comparison of SmartLipo versus Traditional Liposuction

• A prospective randomized clinical study showed that there's no clinical difference between the traditional liposuction versus laser-assisted liposuction using the SmartLipo machine.

•  There's less pain, lower lipocrits, higher triglycerides, and DNA cellular membrane traces were detected in the laser-assisted lipoplasty sides as compared to the traditional liposuction.

• Higher concentrations of free-fatty acids after laser-assisted lipoplasty was found.  It's recommended that this should alert us to any possible hepatic and renal toxicity.

References:

Pradeo, et al. A prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial comparing laser-assisted lipoplasty with suction-assisted lipoplasty. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2006 Sep 15;118(4):1032-45.