The SmartLipo™ Procedure

SmartLipo™  Laser Body Sculpting with Laser Lipolysis
As more women and men want to look and feel better about them selves, body contouring and lipo-sculpture continue to grow in popularity, making liposuction the most popular cosmetic surgery performed today. SmartLipo is the first  laser-assisted lipolysis system to offer a revolutionary and minimally invasive procedure for the removal of fat. Using a high-powered laser, SmartLipo™ is a new Laser Body Sculpting procedure with less down time and side effects than traditional liposuction. 

How does the SmartLipo™ procedure work?
First the treament area is anesthesized using a dilute mixture of saline and lidocaine.  A very small cannula, or tube, approximately 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm in diameter containing a laser fiber is then inserted under the skin. The cannula is moved back and forth delivering the laser's energy to the fat cells, causing them to rupture and easily drain away. The laser energy also interacts with the dermis  resulting in collagen stimulation and eventual tightening of the skin. Once adequate energy has been deposited under the skin the melted fat is removed using small liposuction cannulas.  Due to the cannula's small size, SmartLipo™ is a minimally invasive procedure and can be performed under local anesthesia. In addition, the laser causes small blood vessels to coagulate immediately on contact, resulting in less bleeding, swelling and bruising, - and a quicker recovery time than conventional liposuction. Because general anesthesia is unnecessary, the procedure is very safe with only minimal side effects.

Is SmartLipo™ Right for You?
Almost anyone can be a good candidate for SmartLipo™. In general, the ideal candidate: (1) is in good health, exercises regularly, is within 25 lbs. of his or her ideal weight or BMI of 30 or less; (2) has one or more areas of local body fat deposits that have responded poorly to diet and exercise; and (3) is bothered by these fatty areas, and is motivated to get rid of them permanently. Your doctor will review the benefits and risks of SmartLipo™ with you during your consultation visit. He will assess whether you are a good candidate with respect to your medical health, and he will clarify what SmartLipo™ could do for you. Generally, SmartLipo™ might be right for you if:
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• You’ve worked hard to eat right and exercise, yet you still can’t lose those “love handles” or other fat deposits you consider unsightly. – Human fat, or adipose tissue, can be very hard to get rid of through exercise and diet alone. SmartLipo™ can be a relatively simple solution to remove stubborn fat permanently.
• You want a procedure that is FDA approved. – The SmartLipo™ device was approved in November of 2006, and today is one of the fastest-growing, safest procedures in the cosmetic surgery field.
• You don’t want loose skin as a result of the procedure. – Many patients of traditional liposuction find that their skin does not adjust to the reduction of fat deposits. This tendency often results in unattractive “droops.” These patients often require skin lifts that can lead to scars, thus rendering the initial liposuction treatment useless. But by pulling the surrounding skin inward, SmartLipo™ laser technology can reconstruct the layers immediately under the patient’s skin, completely eliminating skin drooping.
• You want something more affordable than traditional liposuction. – The cost of the SmartLipo™ procedure depends on how many areas are being treated and because it is performed in an outpatient setting is less than conventional liposuction. 
• You want permanent results. –Once the fat is removed from a particular area of the body, it will never return. If you gain fat in the future, it will be deposited elsewhere on your body.
• You have only 3-4 days to recover.  Most patients return to work by the fourth post operative day.  Compression garments are then worn for the next three weeks.