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mini tummy tuck atlanta

How do I Get Rid of Loose Skin and Excess Fat Before Swimsuit Season?

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If the thought of a beach vacation makes you want to shriek, not out of excitement but out of fear about having to dawn your swim suit, you’re not alone. In a recent poll on Dr. LeRoy’s Facebook page, 60% of respondents said that if they could change any one thing to prepare for warm weather dressing it would be addressing excess fat. 40% of the respondents polled said they would want to eliminate loose skin.Dr. John LeRoy Tummy Tuck Consultation Atlanta

Dr. LeRoy has several options available for patients seeking body contouring assistance, several of which may be performed in-office with minimal downtime. For those patients with very small, isolated areas of excess fat on the body, Dr. LeRoy offers Band Aid Liposuction. Completed simply with gentle-numbing, this mini lipo procedure is designed to effectively eliminate those trouble spots that just won’t respond to regular exercise and a healthy diet.

For patients with larger areas of excess fat, traditional liposuction may be required. Detailed in our blog on surgical vs. non-surgical body contouring, liposuction only requires tiny incisions into which a thin hollow cannula may be inserted to target the area(s) of concern. Most liposuction patients are able to return to their normal activities within a few days.

To achieve tighter skin on the body, Dr. LeRoy often recommends Band Aid Tummy tuck or traditional abdominoplasty procedures. Depending on the extent of sagging, traditional tummy tuck may be needed to retighten underlying muscles further contributing to the appearance of loose skin. For facial skin rejuvenation results you can see before spring break, Band Aid Laser Skin Resurfacing can help minimize mild to moderate signs of aging without the downtime of surgery.

For additional information on the body contouring and facial rejuvenation options available to fit your cosmetic needs, contact our office today. You can also connect with us on Twitter and Google+ to have your voice count in our next cosmetic poll!

Lipo and Tummy Tuck: What’s the Difference?

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While a tummy that looks like a bowl full of jelly is a jolly thought when it comes to Santa, areas of fat and loose skin contributing to the appearance of a soft middle is typically unpleasant to the rest of us.    Many cosmetic surgery patients turn to Dr. John LeRoy’s body contouring procedures like tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) and liposuction to reshape their mid sections and restore a more youthful physique; however, most patient don’t understand that unwanted fat and loose skin and muscle of the abdomen cannot be alleviated the same way for everyone.tummy tuck liposuction atlanta

Though not a replacement for a healthy diet and regular exercise, liposuction can remove isolated areas of excess subcutaneous fat.  Using small incision(s) (typically less than .5″ wide) a hollow metal tube known as a cannula is inserted to retrieve and remove deposits of fat trapped underneath the skin of the abdomen and flanks.  To facilitate fat removal during tumescent liposuction, Dr. LeRoy injects tumescent fluid (a custom solution of local anesthetic and saline) to minimize pain and bleeding.

To address sagging skin from age, weight fluctuation, or pregnancy, Dr. LeRoy often recommends tummy tuck surgery to patients.  Similar to the technique of a facelift, Dr. LeRoy excises the loose skin and retightens the underlying muscles to restore a smoother, flatter abdominal appearance.  Where liposuction is designed to address fat, tummy tuck is used to target muscle and skin.  If the situation warrants, Dr. LeRoy may recommend that the procedures be performed in combination.  This is often the case in younger women seeking to alleviate both excess fat and unwanted skin during mommy makeover surgery.

With over 20 years performing plastic surgery in Atlanta, Dr. LeRoy always tells patients that body contouring is not the same for everyone, “Just as everyone has their own natural shape, the body contouring procedures used to restore that shape will be unique for each patient,” says LeRoy.

It’s therefore vital that you seek the guidance of an experienced, board certified plastic surgeon if you’re contemplating a body sculpting procedure to ensure your unique needs are met.  In some instances, mini versions of these body contouring procedures like Band Aid Liposuction or mini tummy tuck, may be used to remedy very small amounts of excess skin and fat.

To schedule a plastic surgery consultation with Dr. LeRoy, contact his office.  To learn more about the cosmetic body procedures he offers, you can also connect with Dr. LeRoy on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Trim the Fat without the Trauma: Options for Reducing Body Contouring Scars

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Body contouring procedures like liposuction and tummy tuck surgery can produce dramatic results for patients looking to restore a more youthful, streamlined silhouette after weight loss, pregnancy, or small amounts of fat retention because of aging.  While proportionate curves can make you feel and look better, the scars from plastic surgery are not as enticing.  While these procedures do necessitate incisions, there are steps that can be taken to reduce the severity of body contouring scars.

The sizes of scars are most closely determined by the length of incision required for your procedure.  Based on the location and extent of your cosmetic concerns, Atlanta cosmetic and plastic surgeon, Dr. John LeRoy, will suggest either the traditional or “mini” Band Aid version of a procedure.  Traditional abdominoplasty or tummy tuck is performed using an incision the width of the abdomen, which is easily hidden under  the panty line to remedy larger amounts of excess abdominal skin and fat.  Additionally, a full tummy tuck is often required when muscles must be retightened after pregnancy during mommy makeover surgery.  Band Aid tummy tuck uses a narrower incision to reduce small, isolated abdominal fat.

Both traditional and Band Aid Liposuction require only tiny incisions so that the thin metal tube, known as a cannula, can access and suction the unwanted fat from beneath the skin.  If the area of excess fat is small enough, Band Aid Liposuction may be performed in-office using gentle numbing (local anesthesia).

Patients can reduce the severity of plastic surgery scars by following their surgeons prescribed aftercare instructions.  Depending on your skin type and whether or not you have a tendency of scarring easily, Dr. LeRoy may recommend post-surgery treatments such as topical, silicone-based ointments like scarguard® to apply while your incisions heal to lessen the appearance of scars.  Treatments such as massage may be used post liposuction to help break up scar tissue.  If more noticeable scarring occurs, patients may then research laser skin treatments to reduce scar pigmentation and projection.

Being an informed patient is one of the best ways to prevent plastic surgery complications like excess scarring.  For more news and information concerning plastic surgery from Dr. LeRoy, be sure to connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, and Google +.

Band Aid Tummy Tuck: Minimally Invasive Abdominoplasty

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Every plastic surgeon knows that cosmetic surgery techniques vary because every patient’s body requires something different.  For instance, plastic surgeons aim to strategically hide incisions so that scars do not show after surgery, and what may appear hidden on one patient may not work for another.  Take liposuction patients as an example.  One liposuction patient may need more fat removed from an area like their abdomen, while a different patient may need more refining of their hips or flanks. These differences are why I’ve refined what I call my Band Aid procedures.

So far, I’ve developed minimally invasive techniques for Band Aid Liposuction, Band Aid Facelift, Band Aid Blepharoplasty, Band Aid Brow Lift, and Band Aid Tummy Tuck for those patients whose cosmetic concerns only require less invasive, “mini” procedure.

Similar to the traditional tummy tuck, the Band Aid Tummy Tuck can eliminate excess, stretched abdominal skin resulting from pregnancy or weight loss.  The only difference from the traditional procedure is that Band Aid Tummy Tuck patients should be of a healthy body weight and only have a tiny amount of excess abdominal tissue. Like all of my Band Aid procedures, I perform the Band Aid Tummy Tuck right in my office with gentle numbing using local anesthesia.

Sometimes, I combine the Band Aid Tummy Tuck with Band Aid Liposuction if my patient also has a small amount of excess fat they would like to have removed.  It’s important to understand that when I say a little excess tissue or a little excess fat, I mean just that.  Band Aid body shaping procedures are only effective for people who are already at a healthy body weight.

Although the Band Aid Tummy Tuck is a “mini” version of the traditional tummy tuck, it still produces noticeable results with significantly less recovery time.  Perfect for those mothers who just can’t eliminate excess abdominal skin with exercise, the Band Aid Tummy Tuck can also help provide a “mini” Mommy Makeover.  Mommy Makeover Surgery usually includes a combination of liposuction, tummy tuck, and a breast procedure (depending on the patient’s needs).

For more information on the plastic surgery procedures that I perform, visit my website and continue to read my blog for plastic surgery news.  I hope you’ll connect with me on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about my Band Aid procedures, along with other plastic surgery techniques and share with me what you’re interested in learning.