AESTHETICALLY YOURS! By Dr.Ami Dodiya

Hello fitness magazine’s expert Dr Ami Dodia enlightens the readers on Various body-contouring aesthetic surgical procedures to fight fat and loose skin.

Dr Ami Dodia is the Liposuction Surgery Expert & the Proud owner of Dodia Hospital in Surat. She shares her Thought about safe body Contouring surgical Procedures and her knowledge about liposuction surgery, such as what liposuction surgery is, how liposuction surgery works, is it safe, liposuction surgery before & after effects & last but not least, what does the liposuction surgery procedures cost in India.

Let’s get started

All of us want to look and feel our best. But even if you eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly, you might still have problem areas in which no amount of exercise can burn the fat or tighten loose skin.

Men and women in their 20s through 60s come to us with concerns about double chins, love handles, or excess abdominal skin. They eat right and work out regularly, but it is not enough to give them the shape they want to feel confident among friends and colleagues.

Today, patients have options to reduce and smoothen these problem areas. Over the last decade, seeking plastic surgery or nonsurgical solutions has become less taboo for men and women.

Depending on your goal, three Body Contouring Procedures

1. Liposuction
2. Tummy tuck
3. Coolsculpting

It can help you achieve the look you want. All three can deliver fast, long-lasting results if one is willing to maintain a healthy diet and stay active.

1. Liposuction

Liposuction to Target Stubborn Fat. It is a shape-changing procedure that removes fat from a specific site of the body. In specific cases, patients can expect up to 50% to 70% fat removal in a treated area.

We can treat the following areas of the body with liposuction:

• Abdomen
• Arms
• Breasts
• Buttocks
• Chin
• Hips
• Legs
• Neck
• Thighs

We use the SAFE technique: separation, aspiration, and fat equalization. The SAFE technique does not use lasers or heat-based tools, which can damage or scar the surrounding tissue.

Recovery time depends on the type of liposuction you have and whether it is combined with another procedure. When performed by itself, it is typically an outpatient procedure. For small treatment areas like the neck, abdomen and or flanks, most patients can return to work within a few days and resume their normal activities within two weeks.

For larger treatment areas encompassing most of the trunk and extremities, patients may require more time off from work and a longer period to resume normal activities.

Can liposuction help with cellulite?

Many patients ask this question, and most don’t like the answer: Liposuction is not a recommended treatment for cellulite. No treatment has been proven to eliminate cellulite.

Fat and cellulite are not the same things. Fat accumulates under the skin, whereas the dimpled look of cellulite on the skin is caused by excess fat accumulation around the dense fibres that run between the skin and deeper tissues.

Cellulite is extremely common, affecting 80% to 90% of women. It can appear in men, though much less frequently. The buttocks and thighs are the most commonly affected areas. While there’s no specific cause of cellulite, estrogen levels during a woman’s period can make it more noticeable, as can swelling in the affected area.

Consider liposuction if you:

• Have large or multiple areas of excess fat
• Can afford a more prolonged recovery
• Want a one-time procedure (assuming you maintain a healthy weight after surgery.

2. Tummy Tuck

Tummy tucks (abdominoplasty) target loose abdominal skin and diastasis, a condition that happens when the abdominal muscles do not reshape after naturally separating during pregnancy. Diastasis can lead to a rounded appearance of the abdomen and some cases, weak abdominal muscles.

We approach tummy tucks differently for male and female patients. Men tend to have less loose skin and more fat to remove, whereas women have more loose skin and diastasis with some fat to remove. Some patients have a combined tummy tuck-liposuction-diastasis as part of a mommy makeover procedure.

We pull the skin taut across the patient’s abdomen, remove excess skin and fat, repair the diastasis if necessary, and then close the incision. The result is a flatter abdomen and tighter-looking skin.

Recovery time varies depending on the size of the incision and the combination of procedures a patient chooses. Most tummy tucks require an overnight stay with the return to activity and work after two weeks.

One thing to note:

A tummy tuck with liposuction does not address metabolically active fat found inside the abdomen and around the intestines and can cause a rounded belly appearance. This type of fat is more common in men, and surgery cannot help but weight loss.

Consider a tummy tuck if you:

• Have diastasis
• Are bothered by loose skin on your abdomen after pregnancy or substantial weight loss
• Want to take care of excess fat and loose skin in one procedure.

3. Coolsculpting

CoolSculpting is an office-based treatment that targets only fat. Over two to three months, patients can expect a 15% to 20% reduction of fat in the treated area. There is no recovery time involved in CoolSculpting, but it does require a minimum of two treatments over a month. Each treatment can take one to three hours. Most patients see results within three months.

A patient can receive CoolSculpting on the abdomen, back, side (a.k.a. love handles), underarms, thighs, and below the jawline (a.k.a. double chin).

The surgeon will target fat cells and crystallize (freeze) them using CoolSculpting technology.

Over time, the fat cells die, and the body naturally eliminates them. Results can be permanent if patients maintain a healthy lifestyle, including exercise and eating habits.

Consider CoolSculpting if you:

• Have a few small stubborn areas to deal with (such as a double chin or love handles)
• Can’t afford to have a few weeks of downtime
• Don’t mind coming in for multiple sessions over a few months

Non-candidates for shape-changing procedures

To safely undergo a body-contouring procedure, patients must be in good health. Patients with specific health concerns might not be eligible. Some of these issues include:

1. Smoking

Smoking increases the risk of complications during and after the procedure.

2. Heart conditions

Patients with high blood pressure or clotting disorders might be at risk for excessive bleeding or other cardiovascular issues.

3. Uncontrolled Diabetes

Patients with diabetes might heal more slowly and are at increased risk for infection

Patient safety is our primary concern, so please ask questions and be honest with your surgeon about your health. The potential benefits of an elective procedure are not worth risking your safety.