Liposuction

Oftenly, we are bothered by stubborn fat accumulation in our body that refuses to go away with exercise or diet. Believe me, we get it. It happens to most of us! Luckily, liposuction or liposculpture can be the solution.     

  • Length of Surgery: 1-3 hours (depends on the number of treatment areas)
  • Anesthesia: General
  • Outpatient vs Inpatient: Outpatient (Ambulatory)
  • Recovery Time: 5-7 days 
  • Ancillary Procedures: Abdominoplasty,  Gluteal Augmentation with Fat Transfer, Armlift, Thighlift

Dr. Couto is a certified plastic surgeon by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He is a Cleveland Clinic trained plastic surgeon, and may be the only plastic surgeon in the Caribbean to have completed an American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon (ASAPS) endorsed subspecialty training in Aesthetic Surgery and Medicine.

During his training, Dr. Couto had the privilege to have mentors, such as Jeffrey M. Kenkel, a top leader in the field of liposuction and body contouring, and Dr. Michael Lee, one of the describers of the S.A.F.E® Lipo, a liposuction technique used world-wide by Dr. Couto and  top leaders of this field.

Liposuction  is a procedure that utilizes suction to remove excess fat in troubled areas of the body and improve its contour. Some patients are interested in treating a specific area, while others prefer a global treatment of the body. The most common treated areas are the abdomen, hips, and thighs. However, liposuction can be helpful in other areas, such as the neck, back, and breasts. Although liposuction can be performed as an isolated technique, it is typically used in conjunction with a skin tightening devices such as J-Plasma/Renuvion or other procedures such as abdominoplasty (“tummy tuck”), breast reduction and/or lift, arm lift, and buttock augmentation with fat transfer or brazilian butt lift (BBL).

Dr. Couto uses the S.A.F.E® Lipo process, which is an advanced liposuction and liposculpture technique that can be used artistically to define the natural curves of the body for an attractive silhouette. Originally, liposuction was based on the idea of ​​only removing excess fat from certain areas, but nowadays we not only remove the fat, but we can also transfer it to other areas of the body where volume is needed (eg. buttock, breasts, face). This ability to remove and redistribute fat from the body makes it easier for us to create an aesthetic figure.

 

The consultation is divided into five parts: 

1) Health and Medical History Evaluation

A comprehensive evaluation of the patient’s health and medical history is performed. During this part of the consultation, we focus on identifying any potential risk factors for the surgery. Fortunately, most of these can be easily modified with lifestyle changes. Although this procedure is short and relatively low risk, our patient’s health and safety will always be our main priority. We like to set the patient for success, not for failure; therefore, modifying any potential risks is essential. 

2) Learning Patient’s  Surgical Goals

Dr. Couto has a deep discussion with the patient to learn what are the areas of concern and goals. Listening to our patient’s interest is crucial, since it is our priority to determine if we can meet their expectations. 

3) Physical Exam 

A  focused physical exam of the areas of interest is performed. In this part of the consultation, we evaluate the amount of fat accumulation and degree of skin laxity present,  to determine if the patient is a candidate for a isolated liposuction or if additional procedures are required to address excess skin: skin tightening energy treatment (eg. J plasma/Renuvion) or  skin removal procedures (eg. abdominoplasty, arm lift, thigh lift, etc).

4) Recommendations & Surgical Plan

Following the physical exam, Dr. Couto develops a personalized surgical plan aimed to meet the patient’s expectations,  achieve optimal aesthetic results, and maximize patient safety.  During this time, Dr. Couto discusses with the patient the indicated surgical techniques and explains in detail everything pertaining to the procedure and its recovery.

5) Pricing and Scheduling Information

Once the evaluation has been completed, our team will provide an individualized quote that is tailored to the procedure discussed during the consultation and also discuss the steps involved to book the procedure with us.

People with toned skin and good elasticity usually respond better to this treatment compared to patients with excess skin. In addition to liposuction, patients with excess skin laxity typically would most likely benefit from skin resection procedures (eg abdominoplasty, armlift, thighlift) or skin tightening technology (J Plasma/Renuvion). Liposuction is not a weight loss method. Therefore, patients should be close to their ideal weight, and it is crucial that they maintain an active and healthy life after the procedure to continue with the improved results. Dr. Couto will help you understand what you can realistically expect from liposuction during your consultation and also, if necessary, refer you to a specialist that would provide an effective weight loss plan.

On the day of your surgery, Dr. Couto will draw markings on the patient’s body. These markings are used as a guide to determine the areas to be contoured. Once in the operating room, the anesthesiologist will administer medications to make you comfortable during the procedure. Liposuction is performed through small, hidden incisions. Intra-operatively, local anesthesia with other medications are infiltrated on the targeted areas to reduce bleeding, bruising, and inflammation. Then, a liposuction cannula is inserted through the incisions to suction the excess subcutaneous fat. Dr. Couto uses the S.A.F.E® Lipo process, which is an advanced liposuction and liposculpture technique that not only focuses on removing the excess fat, but also redistributing the fat from your body to artistically define the natural curves of the body for an attractive silhouette.

After completing the liposuction or liposculpture, we commonly tighten the skin using an energy device called JPlasma or Renuvion. Using the same skin incision used for the liposuction, we introduce a cannula that produces skin retraction and tightening through the use of thermal energy. The goal of this procedure is to prevent or minimize skin laxity following liposuction.

it is important to minimize skin laxity  we commonly perform  combined with energy based skin tightening treatments, such as JPlasma/ Renuvion. This

After completing the procedure, patients are placed on a compression garment that minimizes swelling and helps further contour the body.

Liposuction and liposculpture are commonly

Several weeks before the procedure, a preoperative appointment will be scheduled. During this appointment, we will once again discuss the surgical plan and clarify any questions involving the surgery. Furthermore, we thoroughly review the preoperative/postoperative instructions and the medication regimen with the patient. 

We always emphasize to our patients that all vitamins and herbal supplements (eg. Fish oil, Garlic or Tumeric pills, Ginko Biloba) should be stopped at least 3 weeks before surgery, as this might increase risk of bleeding. Furthermore, we remind our patients that smoking, vaping or using any nicotine products can increase can affect your recovery. There are numerous scientific studies demonstrating that the use of nicotine (e.g cigarettes, vaping, chewing, etc) affects a person’s capacity for healing, and thus increases risk of complications. During the initial consultation, Dr. Couto will ask the patient to stop smoking at least 4 weeks before the operation to reduce the risk of complications. Lastly,  nutrition is crucial for an effective healing and recovery. Therefore, we recommend to our patients to optimize their protein intake after any surgical procedure. This could be easily achieved with supplemental protein shakes.

We will provide a detailed postoperative protocol to ensure that the patient has a comfortable and quick recovery. Following surgery, the patient will be placed in a specialized compression garment that helps minimize swelling and maintain the body contoured. Swelling and bruising are to be expected and they can be noticeable for several weeks. In order to minimize the swelling and inflammation, we have our patients undergo lymphatic drainage massages.

It is common to feel soreness and sensitivity around the surgical site; however, this is easily controlled with an individualized post-operative pain medication protocol provided by Dr. Couto.

Recovery from liposuction is usually quick and straightforward and we normally recommend our patients to take 7-10 days of work (less if working from home). The same day after surgery, Dr. Couto always instructs the patient to have a couple of walking laps around the house or neighborhood. Patients can resume their aerobic exercises (e.g. running, spinning, biking) 2 weeks after surgery and resume full activities 4 weeks after surgery. It may take 3 months for the swelling to completely subside and see the final results.

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