Chicago Body Contouring Surgery

Nothing can age your face more or alter your appearance as much as wrinkles or drooping, sagging skin that can give you a sad, angry and tired appearance. With the help of body contouring surgery, you can revisit the days of your youthful appearance. If you are considering body contouring surgery, there are several cosmetic surgeons in the Chicago area who can assist you with the procedure of your choice.

Types of Procedures

• Tumescent liposuction is also called standard liposuction, liposuction, lipoplasty, liposculpture, liposculption, and suction-assisted lipoplasty. If you have this type of procedure, your surgeon will fill your fat cells with tumescent saline solution and a local anesthetic. Next, the fat is suctioned with long thin rods. The procedure can be performed through a few small incisions, which are hidden within your natural skin creases. The tumescent technique reduces blood loss and alleviates pain. The local anesthesia can be supplemented with intravenous sedation or general anesthesia.

• Ultrasonic liposuction also starts with filling the fat with tumescent saline solution to make the fat stiff. The difference is that the fat is not suctioned, but liquefied with high-frequency ultrasonic energy with a long thin rod that emits ultrasonic waves. The rod is inserted into the fat through a tiny incision and then, the fat is suctioned out.

• Suction-assisted liposuction is the traditional method, where your surgeon removes fat by inserting a small, hollow tube that is connected to a vacuum pressure unit, directing the cannula into areas that are suctioned through tiny incisions.

• Ultrasound-assisted liposuction is where sound waves are transmitted to the tip of the cannula to liquefy fat before it is removed by suction.

• External Ultrasound-assisted liposuction uses external ultrasound waves to alter fat cells. The area is injected with fluid containing local anesthetic to transmit ultrasonic energy and liquefied fat is removed by suction.

• Power-assisted liposuction uses a cannula where a back and forth motion of the tip passes through tissue to suction out fat and fibrous or scarred tissue with reduced effort.

• Vaser-assisted liposuction us intermittent or continuous bursts of ultrasonic energy can be used to break up fat cells which are then removed by suction.

Recovery

Your pain level will vary depending on the procedure that you have done and pain can range from mild to severe, but your surgeon can provide you with prescription medication if necessary. You may experience swelling and bruising and numbness that can last for a few days to a couple of weeks. You will have bandages that need to be changed every day as well as drains and sutures that will need to be removed within the first week. You should wait 2-4 weeks before returning to rigorous exercise.