Abdominal and Waistline Shaping With Smartlipo (Laser Liposuction)

Liposuction of the abdomen (stomach) is the most common fat area treated for both men and women in plastic surgery. This is due to the fact that the abdomen is the largest surface area on the body that is biologically fat favorable. Many people fight, unsuccessfully, fat accumulation in this trunk area.

The abdomen, however, is not just a flat surface. It is a curved surface that blends into the side of the waistline and into the back. To get the best results with liposuction fat reduction, it must be treated with a 270 degree treatment approach. This means that liposuction treatment must be carried back along the waistline into the flank and sometimes into the mid-back area. Such an approach leads to a more narrow looking trunk and waistline area.

For the abdominal area in particular, I find that Smartlipo (laser liposuction) is better than traditional fat suction removal. First, it has become clear that there is less pain after surgery with the laser. It may that melting is less traumatic than mechanical disruption. Or it could be be the effect of the heat on the nerve endings causing more profound temporary numbness. Similarly, there is also less bruising after surgery from the heat which seals any open blood vessels. While there is less bruising, the same can not be said for swelling. Swelling is just as significant as with traditional liposuction and may be even a little more in the first few weeks after surgery.

While many can debate whether Smartlipo produces superior fat removal, my experience will not contest that in the abdominal and waistline areas. I have consistentty observed better results and happier patients. My explanation would be the more thorough process that one undergoes in the operating room. Smartlipo is a two-phase extraction procedure that does take more time. The area is first treated with the laser and then aspirated. Thus, the treated area gets treated twice by two different methods. There is also the benefit of the several month process where fat that is not extracted will atrophy and shrink secondary to the collateral damage of the heating process.

Lastly, Smartlipo does tighten skin and this is most evident in the abdominal area. But it is not the amount of skin tightening that patients envision. It will not avoid a tummy tuck nor deal with tightening inches of loose skin. The effect is most evident by the decreased mobility of the skin surface as one runs their hand over it. It can also be appreciated when one bends over and the abdominal skin has less laxity and hang.

Dr Barry Eppley is a board-certified premiere plastic surgeon in Indianapolis, Indiana where he practices at his Ology Spa locations at Clarian North Medical Center in Carmel Indiana and at Clarian West Medical Center in Avon Indiana. ( eppleyplasticsurgery.com eppleyplasticsurgery.com ) He writes a daily blog on plastic surgery, spa therapies, and medical skin care at exploreplasticsurgery.com exploreplasticsurgery.com Dr. Eppley can be heard weekly on his radio show, Doc Chat, on WXNT 1430 AM every Saturday afternoon.