Dr. LeRoy Answers Common Questions about Liposuction in the 2011 Winter Edition of Men’s Book
Dr. John LeRoy answers common questions about traditional liposuction as well as Band Aid Liposuction in the Men’s Book.
Dr. John LeRoy answers common questions about traditional liposuction as well as Band Aid Liposuction in the Men’s Book.
Plastic surgery has come a long way during my nineteen years as a plastic surgeon. When I first opened my Atlanta practice back in 1992, plastic surgery patients were much quieter about the procedures they pursued. No one wanted to be connected with the negative social stigmas that people associated with plastic surgery patients. Betty White’s comment that we discussed in a previous blog about how plastic surgery makes people unrecognizable is a perfect example. What was once seemingly reserved for the stars of Hollywood is the ticket people now use to look like their favorite stars. I’ve found, however, that patients are most satisfied with plastic surgery results when they choose procedures based on their own concerns and aesthetics rather than someone else’s.
Like your mom always warned you growing up, fads and trends are forever changing. Due to the permanent nature of plastic surgery results, it’s important to have the right perspective when pursuing plastic surgery instead of conforming to trends. With the right perspective, patients can conduct the research necessary to find the appropriate procedure for their needs as well as the right plastic surgeon to perform the procedure.
Research is a very important part of plastic surgery. You can hear all about botched cosmetic surgery and cosmetic surgery gone too far just by watching the news, so rather than telling you what could happen with an unqualified plastic surgeon, I try to teach my readers how to prevent it. Board certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery is of upmost importance when you’re looking for a plastic surgeon. Once you’ve determined that the prospective surgeon is board certified, then you should spend some time looking into the procedures he or she regularly performs, closely inspecting plastic surgery before and after photos of the procedures that interest you. Then, it’s important to schedule consultations with a couple of surgeons to get to know them a little better and determine whom you feel most comfortable with.
I perform a variety of cosmetic face, body and breast procedures like facelift, tummy tuck, liposuction, breast augmentation, and breast reduction. However, I do not perform the recently popular Pippa Butt Lift. Even if I performed cosmetic surgery of the buttocks, I do not encourage my patients to follow such trends. While you may be satisfied with trend surgery results for a time, once the next trend comes along patients are usually left unsatisfied. I also try to teach my patients that there are times when less is more with plastic surgery, which is why I created my original Band Aid Facelift in 1997. The Band Aid Facelift is a “mini” facelift procedure that can be performed in my office using only gentle numbing. Since then I’ve extended my menu of Band Aid Procedures to include Blepharoplasty, Brow Lift, Tummy Tuck, Liposuction, and now even Laser Skin Resurfacing.
Next time you hear about plastic surgery trends and what your favorite Hollywood stars are doing, I encourage you to think realistically about what would make you happy in the long run and research to avoid plastic surgery regrets. To learn more about procedures I perform, visit my website. Be sure to connect with me on Facebook and Twitter for plastic surgery news and updates.
Q.) A tummy tuck seems like a pretty comprehensive procedure. How can it possibly be minimally invasive?
A.) Yes, a traditional tummy tuck is a significant procedure, which is why I refined the comparable “mini” version for those patients who could benefit from a tummy tuck, but don’t necessarily need the full procedure. I use a different technique with the Band Aid version, only targeting the areas that need the most attention. This technique requires a shorter incision, and can therefore be performed in-office with local anesthesia.
Q.) What are the main differences in the Band Aid Tummy Tuck and the traditional tummy tuck?
A.) The incision for the Band Aid Tummy Tuck is significantly smaller than the incision required with the traditional procedure. Instead of excising fat and skin across the entire tummy, I focus solely on those areas that need attention. The most significant difference, though, is the shorter recovery time associated with the Band Aid Tummy Tuck.
Liposuction is a procedure that eliminates areas of excess, stubborn fat—meaning even with diet and exercise, and the best intentions, these isolated fat pockets don’t seem to budge. Liposuction can remove up to ten pounds of fat, but keep in mind that it is no substitute for a proper diet and regular exercise. It’s designed for people who eat healthfully and exercise, but need that extra push to achieve their goals. What about patients who only need a little push?
I enjoy this clientele because they are exactly who I had in mind developing Band Aid Liposuction. After years and years of trying, slimming down as best they could, candidates for Band Aid Liposuction still see these small, yet noticeable fat pockets that they cannot seem to decrease. While someone else may look at them and think they look great, they’re troubled by the excess fat.
Like many of my other Band Aid procedures, I can perform Band Aid Liposuction under local anesthesia right in my office. While larger areas with excess nerve endings cannot be treated with only local anesthesia, areas with small amounts of excess fat like the abdomen, under the chin, behind elbows, hips, “saddle bags” (outer thighs), and knees can be treated fairly quick in-office, with very little recovery time. Seeing the thrilled look on my patients’ faces is what drives me to continually refine these traditional procedures into minimally invasive, Band Aid procedures.
Cosmetic surgery is an ever-growing industry. Despite the nation’s economic state over the last couple of years, plastic surgery procedures continue to remain a highly requested service. Many consumers, weary of over-spending their hard-earned dollars have become much more cognizant of the elective things they decide to purchase. In an effort to dispel some of the rumors surrounding the cost of plastic surgery, Dr. John LeRoy would like to explain the components included in the tabulation of surgery cost.
Generally, most plastic surgeons calculate the cost of each respective procedure based upon the following: doctor’s fees, surgical suite/ hospital fees, anesthesiologist fees, and material cost for post-operative aids (i.e.-compression garments, specialized dressings, etc.) For ease of illustration, we’ll use liposuction (body contouring) as a procedure example. A doctor’s fees’ would include the time he/she invests in performing the procedure (this value will fluctuate based on a surgeon’s experience), the complexity of areas receiving the treatment (i.e. – liposuction of the legs, abdomen, knees, or hips), and the type of tissue to be removed (excess fat is much harder to extract from fibrous tissue than more supple adipose tissues.)
Each medical facility sets their own “rent” if you will to cover the cost of their insurance and supplies. Most plastic surgeons are not able to perform cosmetic surgery procedures on-site, and must instead use more readily equipped hospital areas. Fortunately, Dr. John LeRoy’s practice has the advantage of being outfitted to perform an array of in-office procedures (Band Aid procedures).
Dr. LeRoy’s Band Aid Procedures also offer the advantage of requiring only gentle numbing; therefore reducing the costs typically associated with general anesthesia. It is important to remember however, that not all cosmetic procedures and not all surgeons hold the experience to safely perform this type of procedure with local anesthesia. Most plastic surgery procedures involving the breast and body (i.e.- breast augmentation, breast reduction, or tummy tuck (abdominioplasty)are recommended only with general anesthesia. Similar to doctor fees, anesthesiologist fees are contingent upon several varying factors including: time required for the procedure(s), amount of areas to be numbed, and the existence of outlying health concerns that could complicate administering/ maintaining drugs to keep the patient unconscious.
Material costs, again, vary depending upon the cosmetic procedure. Liposuction requires several different mechanical aids including specialized lasers or vibration instruments to loosen fat, cannulas (metal tubes) of varying diameter to suction fat, and injected fluids to reduce swelling and bleeding. Additionally, cosmetic body procedures like liposuction require patients to wear a compression garment to control post-operative swelling and/ or bruising for a time following their surgery.
As you can see, the cost of plastic surgery is highly dependent upon the requirements of the specific patient. It’s imperative for anyone considering plastic surgery to first have a cosmetic consultation with their prospective surgeon to limit the risk of surgical complication or fluctuation in estimated procedure cost. To learn more about the cost of Atlanta liposuction, breast augmentation cost, or facelift cost visit Dr. LeRoy’s website and blog.