Tumescent Liposuction vs. Smartlipo™ - Which is Better?
Spring has arrived in Philadelphia – finally – and if you're like most people you've already been digging through your closet looking for those warmer weather shirts and shorts. But when you button those buttons and zipper those zippers, you may have noticed that the winter days stuck indoors have taken a toll on your physique.
It's time to take charge and remove this excess fat so you can look and feel great this summer. But with so many cosmetic options available today, how do you know what's best for you? More and more of our patients have heard about Smartlipo™, a laser lipolysis treatment that many surgeons claim is the Next Big Thing in liposuction. But how does Smartlipo really hold up to the many positive claims about it?
For many people, Smartlipo may be one of those treatments that over-promises and under-delivers. The first thing to understand about Smartlipo is that it is not technically a liposuction procedure – it's what's known in the medical field as "lipolysis." This means that the treatment ruptures fat cells, but leaves them to be absorbed by your body instead of being suctioned out. Your body has only a limited ability to absorb this fat, so Smartlipo cannot be used for larger treatment areas.
But you might be thinking that it's a nice alternative to liposuction for smaller, subtle sculpting. In fact, that's one of the main advantages claimed by the manufacturer. The trouble is that for many people, the results can be too subtle to notice – who wants the time and expense of a procedure that has mixed results?
Dr. Abbott remains a firm believer in the benefits of tumescent liposuction for his Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware patients. He has years of experience successfully performing this procedure and has seen firsthand the often amazing results his patients are able to achieve – a slimmer silhouette and even improved skin tone.
To learn more about how Smartlipo and other "innovations" compare to proven tumescent liposuction methods, request a Free Liposuction Consultation with Philadelphia liposuction surgeon Dr. Abbott.
"Scarless" Breast Reduction Using Tumescent Liposuction
If you're living with uncomfortably large breasts, you've probably spent some time looking into breast reduction cosmetic surgery in Philadelphia. Some women lose interest in the procedure when they find out that in many cases, extensive incisions are necessary to reduce and reshape the breast, meaning that the breasts are left with scars.
But a large number of women who could benefit from breast reduction are turning to a less invasive procedure that uses liposuction to remove excess breast tissue and requires fewer incisions. Only local anesthesia is required for this breast reduction technique, which leaves practically no scarring for most patients. The liposuction device is inserted through very tiny incisions located on the outer and lower edges of the breasts where scars are barely noticeable. This mild scarring is much more attractive than the scars following traditional breast reduction, which uses large anchor-shaped incisions that run around the areola and down to the lower crease of the breast.
Removing excess breast tissue decreases both volume and weight. Lighter breasts naturally sit at a more elevated position, so the procedure achieves some lifting effect as well. Another advantage is a more comfortable and shorter recovery period - typically 1 to 2 days for most patients.
Another important consideration is breast functionality. For some traditional breast reduction patients, nipple sensitivity and the ability to breastfeed is diminished or lost completely. But breast reduction using liposuction causes only minimal trauma – with most nerves and milk ducts contained within the breast are undisturbed during surgery.
Dr. Abbott is a trusted liposuction surgeon in Pennsylvania with experience performing breast reduction and body sculpting. Request a Free Consultation to discuss how you can achieve breast reduction through liposuction, or call our office at 610-436-8808 to schedule your appointment.
