As the season for love and giving (and extra weight gain!) approaches, I thought it would be more appropriate to dedicate this week’s column to those of you who may be dreading attending family reunions in light of your appearance. Not that you need much improvement, but perhaps the past year has taken its toll on your body? Or maybe you just want to look your best before facing the whole congregation of loved ones? Whatever the reason, you may be delighted to hear that science offers a great new alternative for looking your best during (and perhaps after?) the season.
In Italy, very few cosmetic surgeons practice the traditional liposuction procedure anymore. The latest craze is the Smartlipo laser machine which I have brought back from Italy for the Belo Medical Group.
What is it exactly? A very tiny canula barely thicker than the head of a pin has a laser light and fiber optic camera attached to its tip. Very tiny incisions are made on the body part’s problem area and the instrument is then inserted. Thru the TV monitor the doctor is able to see where the canula is going and the laser as it passes through melts the stubborn fat to liquefy them. There is also vibration so the fat cells will collapse with less labor for the doctor and trauma on the body of the patient. Once the fat is liquefied it is the patients have the option of having it suctioned out or getting rid of it the natural way in a matter of days. In fact in Italy, more have opted not to have theirs suctioned out. Most Filipinos, I think, will opt to have it suctioned as you are already there and it can all be taken out in one go instead of waiting for a couple of days as with natural elimination.
Traditional liposuction relies on the manual and aggressive handling of the canula to loosen the stored stubborn fat and as the doctor cannot see how much fat has been dislodged. They either stop too soon to avoid unnecessary trauma to the skin tissue or keep going thus risking scarring and loosening/sagging of the skin because too much has been taken out. In my clinic, we have been doing laser-assisted tumescent liposuction for years, which is safer, less-traumatic and produces better results. Belo Smartlipo takes our method a step further. Also using an ND-Yag laser, the procedure works by directly heating the fat cell – causing it to rupture and release all the fatty oily solution it contains.
What are the main advantages of Belo Smartlipo over the traditional method?
1. The incisions are even smaller.
2. Scarring is now very minimal
3. Less bleeding.
4. Better skin contraction.
5. Quicker recovery- the binder garment should only be worn for one week instead of two.
6. Minimal bruising and numbness.
Some older people who were once turned down for traditional liposuction due to their lack of skin firmness and other limitations will now qualify for the reasons stated above.
Great news, isn’t it? So why not look great for the upcoming season starting now?
*For inquiries, e-mail at info@belomed.com or wellbeing@mb.com.ph.
