A wide range of body contouring techniques are available today and innovations are continually being made.

Liposuction became popular after 1980 and is now one of the top three most common procedures performed nationwide. While the history of liposuction is interesting in and of itself, the technique remains fundamentally unchanged. The process (removing fat through small nicks) also provides an easy way for fat to be harvested for fat grafting. If needed, both procedures may be performed at the same time. The combination of liposuction and lipo-injection is often referred to as liposculpture.

Dermolipectomies are procedures to remove both fat and skin. The abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, is just one example, but it is easily the most common dermolipectomy. Child-bearing and massive weight loss are two predisposing factors since the skin and abdominal wall are stretched out in these cases. When skin is removed, the trade-off is a scar, the length of which is determined by the degree of skin removal.

Dermolipectomies, with or without liposuction, may be performed on the thighs (thighplasty), arms (brachioplasty) and buttocks (gluteoplasty) to address loose, redundant skin. Buttock enhancement may be performed with fat transfers or with gluteal implants.

The Procedure

All of the plastic surgery procedures for the body are performed at the Facial Surgery Center, a state licensed facility. A board certified anesthesiologist administers general anesthesia.