Christopher Hamamdjian, DO

Good afternoon "Meandmyeyes" and thank you for your question.

Renuvion is a wonderful tool to assist in skin contraction. After liposuction alone there is some expected skin contraction that will occur throughout the recovery period and the use of VASER can potentially improve this. Similarly to VASER, Renuvion is very much surgeon dependent as it has various settings that can be adjusted to achieve the surgeon's desired effects.

Given your liposuction with VASER treatment occurred over a year ago I would not expect your skin elasticity to drastically imporove. In my practice I work with patients similar to yourself, or even those with even more skin elasticity. There are patients who previously would have required skin excision in addition to their liposuction, that I can now achieve with Renuvion. It is a powerful tool but is importantly dependent on surgeon experience.

Respectfully,
Dr. Chris Hamamdjian

Good afternoon RuAluck and thank you for your question.

When discussing these procedures I find it best discuss them as separate devices.

While there is some overlap in what liposuction and Renuvion are able to treat, liposuction has a greater ability to debulk soft tissue and I find Renuvion has the ability to produce greater skin contraction. That being said a great deal of a surgical result is not only dependent on the equipment used but also on the patient's individual anatomy and surgeons experience using the instruments. Similarly to understanding how to perform liposuction Renuvion relies on a surgeons clinical experience to determine what setting and degree of treatment may be right for you.

My recommendation would be to schedule an in person consult with an Aesthetic Surgeon who can take the time to highlight what option(s) may be best for you.

Respectfully,
Dr. Chris Hamamdjian

Good afternoon Jlaw_303.

Thank you for sharing your story with us, as well as the opportunity to address your concern.

Liposuction is a wonderful procedure. It not only has the ability debulk soft tissue, but truly highlight a persons underlying abdominal wall musculature.

Regarding your recent liposuction, patients will have varying degrees of skin contraction post-operatively. This in part depends upon how much fat is removed, a persons age, the type of liposuction performed, etc... Some liposuction platforms have the ability to enhance skin tightening via the use of various energy devices.

By about 6 months post-liposuction the majority of a patient's skin tightening will have occurred. My suggestion would be to wait 6 months post-procedure before considering additional surgery. At that time if you do not notice an improvement in your skin laxity, Renuvion may very well be an ideal option. It even has the dramatic ability to produce noticeable skin tightening during the procedure. Even more significant skin tightening will occur months out as the device stimulates collagen production.

Wishing you the best in your recovery and thank you again for your quesiton.

Respectfully,
Dr. Chris Hamamdjian

Good afternoon "Mommydaycare".

I hope this message finds you well and thank you for your question.

When discussing abdominal contouring there are multiple factors to consider.

To keep things simple we will discuss three layers to a persons abdomen. The patient's skin, soft tissue and also his/her/their muscle layer. In a traditional tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) some patients require tightening of their abdominal wall muscles due to laxity that has developed over time. This can be due to fluctuations in a person's weight, pregnancy etc. By tightening this layer it can drastically enhance a person's contouring. Furthermore, the addition of liposuction in select patients can address any excess soft tissue but also optimize light reflection and shadowing to highlight a persons abdominal muscles. Much like draping fabric over a bodice, removal of any excess skin is key in accentuating the final result.

All of this being said, Renuvion has the potential to address two of these layers. It has the ability to tighten skin via producing collagen and in addition it can be used as a tool to perform high definition liposculpting. This elevates traditional "debulking" liposuction to an even more impressive outcome.

Renuvion with liposuction may very well address your concerns and produce the outcome you are looking to achieve. To provide a definitive answer regarding your question and address surgical planning my suggestion would be to schedule an in person consultation at your convenience. This would not only allow your surgeon to address your need for abdominal muscle tightening ("muscle plication") via a physical exam but also allow a unique surgical plan to be formed to help you achieve all of your aesthetic goals.

Thank you again for your question and the opportunity to engage with you.

Respectfully,
Dr. Chris Hamamdjian

Good afternoon "alih".

Thank you for the opportunity to address your question. Self care such as exercise is so important for mental and physical well being. In today's busy day and age it is easy for things like this to fall to the wayside. That being said, I would like to commend you on maintaining a regular fitness routine.

As Aesthetic Surgeons we see patients busy lifestyles influencing the evolution of our operations. This could mean quicker recoveries, shorter scars, improved outcomes. Renuvion has the potential to positively influence each of these factors and more.

My short answer would be that based upon your photos you are candidate for the use of this device. I will continue on to say it is important to evaluate your concerns in person as one of the most important factors in a discussing a one's surgical options is the tactile component of a surgeons physical exam.

To provide even more information to your inquiry, the skin is composed of epidermis (the outer layer of skin we see) and dermis (the connective tissue layer that resides just below the epidermis). The dermis provides strength to the skin, in part via collagen. A perfect example of this are "stretch marks" which are areas in a persons skin where the dermis has stretched and hence is attenuated. After the age of 20 we all begin to produce less of this structural protein. Additionally, the skin throughout our body varies by region and upper arm skin is some of the thinnest in the body.

As a surgeon, factors such as these are essential to consider in our surgical planning. Arm lift scars are notoriously some of the least appealing for patients. Because the strength layer to to the upper arm skin, the dermis, is not as robust it makes it prone to widening of scars. There are certainly ways to optimize these incisions, but for some patients less invasive options such as Renuvion can offer a significant improvement in skin quality without the burden of a larger scar and recovery period.

Renuvion actually has the capability assist in creating new collagen, something that an arm lift alone cannot offer.

In addition to having a formal consult with your surgeon I would also like to stress the importance of Renuvion being a tool and like many instruments its success is highly dependent upon a surgeon's clinical expertise.

Thank you again for your inquiry and wishing you the best in achieving all of your aesthetic goals.

Respectfully,
Dr. Chris Hamamdjian