In any plastic surgery procedure, excellent results come from excellent technique. Liposuction is no exception, and when performed by Dr. Lowenstein in Santa Barbara, careful attention to detail enhances nuance maneuvers honed by years of experience to produce optimal liposuction outcomes.
Careful consideration of incision placement is used to balance aesthetic hiding of scars with optimal access to the fatty areas of concern. Careful choice of cannulas, the instruments used to remove the fat, are made with consideration of volume of fat, width of the area to be treated, and tightness of the overlying tissue.
Careful crosshatch technique is utilized to minimize the chance for pitting and irregularities. Crosshatch technique refers to the direction with which the cannulas are introduced to the fatty area, and the use of multiple cannulas introduced at approximately 90 degree angles allows Dr. Lowenstein to create a smooth liposuction contour and avoid peaks and valleys following your liposuction procedure. Additionally, treatment of fat in both deep and superficial planes adds to the likelihood that your liposuction will completely address the area that concerns you.
One of the key factors in achieving an optimal result in liposuction is so often overlooked. Selection of the appropriate liposuction patient sets the stage for a great result, and unfortunately many surgeons do not take this step seriously enough. Often a plastic surgeon will meet a patient for the first time who comes in with predetermined notions that they want liposuction. While they may or may not be a great liposuction candidate, the surgeon is often talked into treating the patient with what he or she wants, because it’s easier than trying to educate the patient on the options that may be best for him or her.
Dr. Lowenstein’s emphasis on patient education benefits both patient and surgeon, allowing you to understand why liposuction may or may not be the right thing for you. It also produces a much higher likelihood for patient satisfaction and is one of the reasons Dr. Lowenstein’s patients remain so pleased.
Key things that you can expect to discuss during your consult are the contour of the area of treatment, the volume of fat in that area, and the condition of the overlying skin. Less invasive measures, such as CoolSculpting, may be suggested if this is more appropriate for contouring defined areas of fat. Alternatively, if skin laxity and skin excess are a problem, Dr. Lowenstein will discuss measures to improve this rather than liposuction alone, as this is one of the most frequent mistakes made by inexperienced surgeons resulting in pitting, contour irregularities, and dissatisfaction.
In the world of liposuction, there are many companies promoting the new next big thing. Several times each year, Dr. Lowenstein is approached by companies trying to convince him to use their new technology or new packaging for liposuction machines. Smartlipo, laser lipo, ultrasonic liposuction, lipo sculpture- all seem to follow a curve of immediate popularity and excitement built around marketing, and then a falling off in usage as patient outcomes are examined over the long term.
At the highest levels of plastic surgery education and discussion forums, such as the National Meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the consensus remains that the technique of the surgeon is the single most dependable predictor of a great liposuction outcome.
Dr. Lowenstein spends a good deal of his time examining and considering new techniques and technology in all aspects of plastic surgery. It is because of this that he has been asked to advise medical technology companies at the highest levels of leading medical organizations such as Mentor of Johnson and Johnson. It remains Dr. Lowenstein’s feeling that a technology needs to provide a real advantage to the patient and surgeon in order to be appropriately adopted, and it is because of this that Dr. Lowenstein avoids much of the hype and marketing associated with many liposuction modalities.
One technology that Dr. Lowenstein has evaluated favorably and had great results with is CoolSculpting, and more information about CoolSculpting can be found here. This noninvasive modality may be an alternative to liposuction in some patients, and has passed Dr. Lowenstein’s rigorous evaluation and has produced hundreds of happy patients.
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