Liposuction

I am frequently asked about two new less invasive technologies for liposuction and body contouring: Zerona and Zeltiq. I have been following them closely to see if Denver body contouring patients and Denver liposuction patients might benefit. Zerona uses a laser applied to the body surface to reduce fat without incisions or recovery time by leaking fat from fat cells. The treatments are about 45 minutes long and should be done at least twice a week for 4 to 6 weeks. So far, I haven’t seen good scientific information to confirm that the mechanism works or that the results are consistent, long- or short-term. On professional Internet message boards I am seeing comments that indicate little, disappointing, or no results. Some plastic surgeons have returned their machines to the manufacturer. As I understand it, if the fat cell "leaks" the fat, but is not destroyed, the changes in contour will be temporary without changing diet and exercise. Liposuction destroys the fat cell, so less fat accumulates in the treated area creating long-lasting effects. Zeltiq freezes fat by applying the machine to the skin surface, again without incisions. Many of the same issues apply. Will the improvements hold up over time? Will patients feel they got their money's worth? This New York Times article states the issues well. Whether these technologies have value remains to be seen. As people try them, we'll see if they are happy with the results and feel they got their money's worth. We also have to wait for some objective studies done by impartial researchers. I recommend not spending money on treatments that are somewhat unproven. Wait until we have the objective data proving Zerona or Zeltiq to be effective.

Pain-free Denver plastic surgery is within reach.

New technology has made it possible to control postoperative discomfort more effectively. The Pain Pump (anesthetic pump) is a breakthrough technology that has dramatically improved the comfort of my patients during the post-op period. The Pain Pump is a simple device that connects a reservoir of local anesthetic (“novacaine”) to a very fine tubing (catheter) that drips the local anesthetic right into the surgery site to keep it numb for days after surgery. The result is much greater comfort for our patients.

For over 6 years, we’ve been using the Pain Pump routinely in Denver breast augmentation (breast implant surgery) and abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) procedures with great success and safety in over 700 patients. The results have been so excellent that we are submitting our results to plastic surgery journals for publication.

We carefully recorded the number of pain pills used by our patients with Pain Pumps and compared that with the number of pain pills used by our patients without pain pumps. We also asked those same two groups of patients to score the amount of pain they experienced on a scale of 1-10.

The patients with Pain Pumps used half as many pain pills and rated their pain 50% lower than the patients without Pain Pumps!

Using fewer pain pills also means less nausea.

Less pain and nausea mean greater postoperative comfort and faster recovery.

So if you are thinking about breast augmentation or abdominoplasty, come see me for a consultation and find that when it comes to your procedure, no pain can be a big gain.

Post operative pain is one of the biggest concerns of people thinking about undergoing elective plastic surgery.

Mother’s Day seems a good time to discuss one of the most popular requests in my practice: the combination of breast and tummy enhancement procedures known as the Mommy Makeover. In Denver, Mommy Makeover procedures are becoming increasingly popular.

We all celebrate and appreciate the great personal sacrifices made by Moms. For most Moms, the great joy and fulfillment of pregnancy and childbirth can come at the cost of some undesirable physical changes.

The changes to the breasts and tummy can include loss of skin elasticity and loss of shape. The physical changes that persist after pregnancy can mean self-consciousness and diminished self image. Many women tell me they feel so self conscious, they avoid looking in the mirror, do not allow their husbands to see them undressed, and even experience sexual inhibitions.

Commonly women complain of breasts becoming droopy or saggy, and with loss of volume and shape. Denver breast augmentation or breast implant surgery restores volume and shape. For drooping or sagging, breast lift (mastopexy) will improve the shape and position of the breasts. Combining augmentation with breast lift (Augmentation Mastopexy) is common solution to correct the deflation and drooping of the breast after pregnancy and nursing.

Tummy tuck (Abdominoplasty) includes many different techniques customized to the individual and can include different combinations of procedures to repair the muscle of the abdomen, as well as removing excess skin and fat.

Call to schedule a consultation with me,  Dr. Paul Zwiebel, if you (or a “Mommy” dear to your heart) would like to learn more about how we can help to repair some of the body changes left after pregnancy.

Check out this Mommy Makeover's Story on Dr. Zwiebel's website.