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Colorado Plastic Surgery Center
Liposuction and Body Contouring
Dr. Slenkovich performs a full range of procedures that can change the shape of the body by removing or manipulating fat, skin, and muscle.
Procedures include:
Liposuction
Tummy Tuck/Abdominal Tuck
Body Countouring After Massive Weight Loss
Upper Arm Lift
Lower Body Lifts/Thigh Lift
Liposuction
What Does It Do?
Liposuction removes unwanted fat from targeted body areas. It is intended to produce a permanent improvement in the contour and proportion of the treated areas, along with a more flattering figure or physique. Commonly areas for liposuction include the neck (under the chin), male chest/breasts, trunk, abdomen, waist, hips, thighs, inner knees, calves, and ankles. Liposuction may also be used in conjunction with abdominal tucks (abdominoplasty), breast reduction/reconstruction or other procedures. Most patients are near normal weight but are looking for permanent contour changes. Liposuction can also be used on heavier persons.
Are You a Candidate?
If you have excess subcutaneous fat that is resistant to diet and exercise, or if you want to change the contours of your body, you may be a candidate for liposuction.
How Is the Procedure Performed?
Liposuction is usually done on an outpatient basis under sedation or general anesthesia. Small incisions allow the passage of hollow metal cannulas through the fat layers to selectively remove fat deposits. Dr. Slenkovich commonly uses both ultrasonic energy liposuction and traditional liposuction techniques.
What Is Recovery Like?
Generally a compression garment is worn for 1 to 2 weeks, as it helps reduce swelling after liposuction. Once pain and soreness decrease, it is often more comfortable to wear lycra or spandex exercise pants. Initial discomfort is easily controlled with oral medication. Bruising and swelling usually subside in two to four weeks. The final result takes shape over three to six months.
Insurance?
Liposuction is usually considered cosmetic and therefore it is not typically covered by insurance.
Tummy Tuck/Abdominal Tuck
What Does It Do?
A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is intended to result in a smoother, flatter abdomen. It is often recommended when a Body Countouring After Massive Weight Loss patient would benefit from complete removal of an area of fat and skin below the belly button, particularly if there is laxity of the abdominal wall musculature.
Are You a Candidate?
If you have loose or sagging abdominal wall skin, or are unable to tighten your abdominal wall skin with exercise, you may be a candidate for a tummy tuck. For many patients, a tummy tuck with liposuction has the potential for a more dramatic improvement than liposuction alone.
How Is the Procedure Performed?
Abdominal tuck procedures are tailored to each person's anatomy. Surgery is often performed under general anesthesia. Outpatient versus short-stay hospitalization is individualized to each patient's needs. In the majority of cases, a swath of skin with all of it's underlying fat is excised, and additional excision of fat is performed along with contouring of the trunk with liposuction. Laxity of the muscles is carefully addressed with direct suture tightening, creating an internal corset.
What Is Recovery Like?
An abdominal tuck can be one of the more uncomfortable plastic surgery procedures. Because of this, Dr. Slenkovich will usually utilize a pain pump that slowly infuses numbing medicine into the surgery site for the first two days. While this has overall dramatically reduced postoperative pain, abdominal tuck surgery still requires a more time-consuming recovery. You will be encouraged to be moving and walking within one to two days. Light activity is comfortable in 10 to 20 days. Sports will not be comfortable for about six weeks.
Insurance?
A tummy tuck is considered cosmetic and is rarely covered by insurance.
Body Contouring After Massive Weight Loss
What Does It Do?
Body contouring after massive weight loss is directed at removing extra skin after gastric bypass surgery or weight loss of greater than 75-100 pounds.
Are You a Candidate?
If you have loose skin after gastric bypass surgery or massive weight loss, you may be a candidate for body contouring.
How Is the Procedure Performed?
Body contouring may require more than one surgery to reach your goal. It is typically done in stages. Areas of greatest concern are addressed first. Some procedures may be combined with liposuction to gain further contouring of the body. More information about each procedure can be found by selecting these procedures: Tummy Tuck, Lower Body Lifts/Thigh Lift, Breast Lift, Breast Reduction, Male Breast Reduction, Upper Arm Lift, and Liposuction.
What Is Recovery Like?
More information about each procedure can be found by selecting these procedures: Tummy Tuck, Lower Body Lifts/Thigh Lift, Breast Lift, Breast Reduction, Male Breast Reduction, Upper Arm Lift, and Liposuction.
Insurance?
See individual procedures. In general, insurance companies view many of these surgeries as cosmetic.
Upper Arm Lift
What Does It Do?
An upper arm lift, or brachioplasty, aims to provide a tighter, more attractive upper arm.
Are You a Candidate?
If you have redundant, loose skin and subcutaneous tissue of the upper arm, you may be a candidate for an upper arm lift.
How Is the Procedure Performed?
When performed without other procedures, arm lifting can be performed on an outpatient basis under sedation or general anesthesia. Surgery is performed by cutting out a section of skin and fat from under the upper arm.
What Is Recovery Like?
Activity is limited for two weeks, and normal activity is resumed within four weeks. Oral pain medicine controls any mild discomfort, and elastic bandages are typically worn during first week to support the incision areas.
Insurance?
An upper arm lift is considered cosmetic and is rarely covered by insurance.
Lower Body Lifts/ Thigh Lift
What Do They Do?
These lifts are designed to provide tighter, more attractive thigh and buttock skin, improve contours, and decrease irregularities of the skin surface.
Are You a Candidate?
If you have flaccid or sagging skin on your thighs or buttocks as a result of significant weight loss, loss of skin elasticity, aging, or what is commonly called "riding breeches" lipodystrophy), you may be a candidate for a thigh or buttock lift. Often a tummy tuck is done along with these lifts.
How Is the Procedure Performed?
These procedures are performed under general anesthesia on an outpatient basis unless otherwise advised by Dr. Slenkovich. The design of the incisions is tailored to each person' anatomy.
Lifting the inner thighs requires only short incisions extending from the anterior part of the thigh/groin crease around to the buttock crease. Circumferential skin laxity from large weight loss may require an incision on the inner thigh down to the knee. Lateral or anterior thigh lifts can be performed as a separate procedure, if desired.
Lifting the entire thigh and buttock , called a circumferential lower body lift, requires much longer incisions that start in the buttock crease, extend around the groin, up over the sides of the abdomen, over the flank, and across the back. The buttocks can be lifted with upper or lower scars.
What Is Recovery Like?
Bruising and swelling usually subside within a month. Strenuous activities are usually possible in six weeks. Almost all symptoms are gone within four to sixth months.
Insurance?
Lower body lifts and thigh lifts are considered cosmetic and are rarely covered by insurance.
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Dr. Slenkovich is
Board Certified in two
surgical specialties:
Plastic Surgery by The American Board of Plastic Surgery
and
Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery by
The American Board of Otolaryngology
FROM OUR PATIENTS. . .
“You all were great! I felt like you really cared about me and I highly recommend you to my friends.
“I couldn't have found a better office or surgeon that was more professional or caring.
"Thanks so much.”
-K M C
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