Vaser Liposelection®- A major Advance in Body Contouring

There are a multitude of reasons women dislike something about their bodies but, unwanted fatty bulges are definitely in the top two. I can’t say I ever met a woman, personally or professionally, who appreciates their tummy bulge, “muffin tops”, “saddle bags”, or double chin. Whether it is hormonal, genetic, post-partum, or diet induced, at some point a woman realizes that certain bulges are not going away, regardless of severe weight loss or excessive exercise. I call these areas “hormonal fat” because these are inherited and grow in response to changes in female hormones and rarely regress. Body fat does not come and go; the cells you accumulate from birth through adolescence enlarge and shrink with fluctuations in hormones and weight. The only way to truly lose fat is to have it removed.

Body contouring through fat removal has evolved from brutal and disfiguring scraping under the skin under general anesthesia with months of recovery to our current techniques using fluid infusion, local anesthetic, 3mm cannulas, and a day or two of downtime in most cases. I have performed liposuction of one type or another since 1986, when one of my trainers in ENT and Facial Plastic Surgery took me to a course directed by one of the pioneers of the procedure from France, Dr. Claude Ilouz. In 1991, the tumescent technique was developed, infusing the tissue with fluid to soften the tissue, numbing medicine for anesthesia, and epinephrine to shrink blood vessels. Liposuction moved from the operating room to the office, blood loss was minimized, results got much smoother and recovery much faster. That seemed to be good enough but there were some limitations on how thin the overlying skin could be sculpted and how well it would contract and redrape.

Original ultrasonic assisted liposuction (UAL) was developed to “melt” the fat before removal but it used too high a frequency of energy and caused burns and other heat related complications. In 2000, Vaser Liposelection® was tested as a third generation ultrasound technology which refined all aspects of UAL including the amount of fluid infused, the frequency and method of transmitting the energy, and the size and strength of the suction cannulas. The results showed near complete elimination of adverse events and better overall results compared to prior methods. I discovered Vaser when I was training several physicians in the Tampa area who all advertised a type of “laser lipo” but admitted they used it for marketing, but abandoned the laser and were using Vaser to get the work done. I can’t imagine sticking a six figure device in the corner but I met three who did. In our opinions we felt the laser was slow and posed risks virtually impossible with the lower vibrational energy of the Vaser device. It is called “Liposelection” because the vibrational energy of the sound waves interacts with the fat cells to cause them to explode but has no harmful effect on blood vessels or the connective tissue bands we hope to contract with healing. Although laser companies claim “fat specific frequencies” it doesn’t mean that anything else the laser passes through won’t be injured.

After 23 years experience, I feel I have finally found the most ideal way to maximize the results of liposuction with the most precise, safest, and cost effective method I have been exposed to, by using the Vaser system. In my practice all liposuction is done in my office procedure room which happens to be at Spago Day Spa, Salon, and Medispa. In 23 years of office surgery I have had only 2 delayed local infections and one facelift related bleeding complication, both of which resolved with routine care. Yes, working with awake patients takes more time, but the tenderness needed to keep patients comfortable also means I do things less traumatically and get faster healing. There is no anesthetic recovery, no IV, and only oral medicine, topical, and local anesthetic, and a relaxing pre-operative massage is required to do any cosmetic procedure safely and nearly painlessly. People think liposuction is so violent based on what they see on TV but I’ve never had a patient who wasn’t amazed at how uneventful it can be.

Briefly, here’s how I do it. The consult is free and I evaluate the areas to be treated, the condition of the skin and texture of the fat, your expectations, and look for any medical contraindications. With local anesthetic only, very few patients fail to qualify medically and I’ve had several great results in patients over 70 with NO medical or surgical emergencies in 23 years. My most common reason to reject someone is too much fat for a safe office procedure; I don’t do large volume reduction, or the need for tummy tuck. If you lay flat and your tummy spreads out and goes flat, it will be flat without excess hanging skin after the procedure. Patients abstain from medications that thin the blood and have a light breakfast so the oral medicine doesn’t upset their stomach. A mild combination of anti-anxiety and pain medicine is given by mouth an hour long facial or massage is provided while the staff and I prep the room. The photos and markings are followed my numbing cream and a sterile prep, repeated throughout the case as needed. Small 4mm incisions are made after local anesthesia, fluid is instilled, the Vaser is used until uniform melting is achieved, then the liquefied fat is removed meticulously until maximal thinning, smoothing or shaping is acheived. Dissolving stitches are used and a compression garment is placed.

Patients are advised they may leak excess fluid for a day, take 3 days of preventive antibiotic and return to normal activity as tolerated the next day. It takes 8-12 weeks for complete healing but your improved shape is seen in 3-4 days. Cold laser treatments to milk out the swelling are included at 3 and 6 weeks.

All inclusive costs range from $2000-$7500 depending on the number of areas treated. Credit cards and Care Credit are also accepted. Call today, (941) 505-0888 to schedule your procedure today.