I had Liposuction of abdomen and waist 5 months ago, still have lumpiness, fibrosis and small pockets of fat. I had 12 sessions of lympathic massage, have been very diligent with diet and exercise and am not overweight although my waistline suggests otherwise. Will this resolve itself, or, if not what are my options? Would I have to have another surgery? Could this be repaired by the doctor without a full redo? I am 42, measure 38-28-36.
Answer: Liposuction Revision For Lumps, Fibrosis, Fat Pockets? The short answer is tightening the skin and, in the process, releasing the scar connections between the skin and the underlying fat will significantly improve the appearance of your abdomen.The three terms you used for your existing problems are all the same concept. The lumps are collections of fat held together by scar tissue. The fibrosis is multiple pieces of scar tissue between the top layer of fat and the skin. The fat pockets are more fat and less scar in a given area.Liposuction is a process of pulling out fat from a given area, therefore decreasing the fat volume. It works best in young people with tight skin because the fat is never removed symmetrically, i.e. there is always some bumpiness on the surface of the fat after liposuction. The process of shoving a metal rod into the body and tearing out fat cells and fat particles always leaves scar tissue which is the body's healing process. Young thick tight skin will cover this uneven surface of fat like cardboard and you'll never see the fat, and over time, the tight skin will create a smooth surface on the fat. Older thin wrinkly skin will cover the same uneven fat surface like cheesecloth which will show every bump and crevice. Post weight loss skin and post pregnancy skin, both of which have lost its elasticity will cover a surface like cheesecloth just as old skin will. The newer Vaser, Laser, Cool, Smart, etc. liposuction gizmos increase the smoothness of the bumpy fatty surface, and therefore have some merit, but it is a one and done By that I mean, any attempt to revise any of these destructive techniques will lead to a skin surface resembling the topography of Berlin after being bombed, whereas skin tightening (some form of tummy tuck) can break the scar pattern and allow newly tightened skin to reshape the lumps and bumps. Therefore, if you don't tighten the skin, you'll never get the abdominal surface improvement you are looking for. A well hidden low placed scar beats a partially improved, non-reoperable abdominal surface every time.
Helpful 14 people found this helpful
Answer: Liposuction Revision For Lumps, Fibrosis, Fat Pockets? The short answer is tightening the skin and, in the process, releasing the scar connections between the skin and the underlying fat will significantly improve the appearance of your abdomen.The three terms you used for your existing problems are all the same concept. The lumps are collections of fat held together by scar tissue. The fibrosis is multiple pieces of scar tissue between the top layer of fat and the skin. The fat pockets are more fat and less scar in a given area.Liposuction is a process of pulling out fat from a given area, therefore decreasing the fat volume. It works best in young people with tight skin because the fat is never removed symmetrically, i.e. there is always some bumpiness on the surface of the fat after liposuction. The process of shoving a metal rod into the body and tearing out fat cells and fat particles always leaves scar tissue which is the body's healing process. Young thick tight skin will cover this uneven surface of fat like cardboard and you'll never see the fat, and over time, the tight skin will create a smooth surface on the fat. Older thin wrinkly skin will cover the same uneven fat surface like cheesecloth which will show every bump and crevice. Post weight loss skin and post pregnancy skin, both of which have lost its elasticity will cover a surface like cheesecloth just as old skin will. The newer Vaser, Laser, Cool, Smart, etc. liposuction gizmos increase the smoothness of the bumpy fatty surface, and therefore have some merit, but it is a one and done By that I mean, any attempt to revise any of these destructive techniques will lead to a skin surface resembling the topography of Berlin after being bombed, whereas skin tightening (some form of tummy tuck) can break the scar pattern and allow newly tightened skin to reshape the lumps and bumps. Therefore, if you don't tighten the skin, you'll never get the abdominal surface improvement you are looking for. A well hidden low placed scar beats a partially improved, non-reoperable abdominal surface every time.
Helpful 14 people found this helpful
June 17, 2019
Answer: Vaser-liposuction Thank you for posting your questions. My name is Dr.Javier Soto. I am a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon from Colombia This is a great question, liposuction had been the most popular procedure through time. At this moment there is a different kind of techniques that we can use to improve the appearance of our body, unfortunately, you got fibrosis one of the most common complication after a session of liposuction. it doesn't resolve itself, there is a technique on the market called vaser-liposuction that use a specialized ultrasound technology to break down fat cells by sending out ultrasonic frequency waves, Once the fat cells have been broken down, the cosmetic surgeon is able to remove excess fat through a suction process, it can be performed per sections however I suggest a full 360 liposuction to achieve a good result. Please keep giving us feedback about your process, and I hope my answer comes to help. Javier Soto, MD Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon Cartagena Colombia
Helpful 7 people found this helpful
June 17, 2019
Answer: Vaser-liposuction Thank you for posting your questions. My name is Dr.Javier Soto. I am a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon from Colombia This is a great question, liposuction had been the most popular procedure through time. At this moment there is a different kind of techniques that we can use to improve the appearance of our body, unfortunately, you got fibrosis one of the most common complication after a session of liposuction. it doesn't resolve itself, there is a technique on the market called vaser-liposuction that use a specialized ultrasound technology to break down fat cells by sending out ultrasonic frequency waves, Once the fat cells have been broken down, the cosmetic surgeon is able to remove excess fat through a suction process, it can be performed per sections however I suggest a full 360 liposuction to achieve a good result. Please keep giving us feedback about your process, and I hope my answer comes to help. Javier Soto, MD Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon Cartagena Colombia
Helpful 7 people found this helpful
May 4, 2019
Answer: Hidef liposuction revision in Los Angeles I would begin with Hidef Liposuction Revision which includes lipocavitation, liposculpture, Exilis multi plane tissue tightening, Ultherapy, fibrous release, and fat grafting to correct any unevenness. Best, Dr. KaramanoukianLos Angeles
Helpful 4 people found this helpful
May 4, 2019
Answer: Hidef liposuction revision in Los Angeles I would begin with Hidef Liposuction Revision which includes lipocavitation, liposculpture, Exilis multi plane tissue tightening, Ultherapy, fibrous release, and fat grafting to correct any unevenness. Best, Dr. KaramanoukianLos Angeles
Helpful 4 people found this helpful
May 4, 2019
Answer: Liposuction Revision for Lumps, Fibrosis, Fat Pockets? Thank you for your question! Revision liposuction, especially to the abdomen, is not an uncommon problem patients seem to experience. This is most likely due to the location on the body and seems to be more problematic around the belly button. Part of the reason is due to skin elasticity issues and also due to patient selection. That being said, revision may help the lumps to some extent, but there still is scar tissue present that may prevent a complete resolution of the problem. I have used a selection of cannulas, the instrument used to suction fat, that are great for improving contour irregularities. A basket cannula in combination with redistributing the underlying fat has shown great promise for this population of patient. You can attempt to undergo lymphatic massage, but at some point, it's probably not going to be effective as the tissue continues to heal. It is best to wait up to a year to revise the problematic area as the scar tissue typically softens and allows the surgeon to better break up the scar tissue and improve the irregularity. The lumps may be more fat that needs to be removed or is a result of the belly button "holding up" the tissue above thus resulting in a lump especially around the button. I hope this helps!!
Helpful 14 people found this helpful
May 4, 2019
Answer: Liposuction Revision for Lumps, Fibrosis, Fat Pockets? Thank you for your question! Revision liposuction, especially to the abdomen, is not an uncommon problem patients seem to experience. This is most likely due to the location on the body and seems to be more problematic around the belly button. Part of the reason is due to skin elasticity issues and also due to patient selection. That being said, revision may help the lumps to some extent, but there still is scar tissue present that may prevent a complete resolution of the problem. I have used a selection of cannulas, the instrument used to suction fat, that are great for improving contour irregularities. A basket cannula in combination with redistributing the underlying fat has shown great promise for this population of patient. You can attempt to undergo lymphatic massage, but at some point, it's probably not going to be effective as the tissue continues to heal. It is best to wait up to a year to revise the problematic area as the scar tissue typically softens and allows the surgeon to better break up the scar tissue and improve the irregularity. The lumps may be more fat that needs to be removed or is a result of the belly button "holding up" the tissue above thus resulting in a lump especially around the button. I hope this helps!!
Helpful 14 people found this helpful
August 7, 2020
Answer: Botched Lipocontouring/Liposuction I have see this all too often. Over the years I have seen and treated hundreds of patients from around the world who describe similar experiences with having too aggressive liposuction with resulting bad contour irregularities, scarring, and discoloration of the skin. These are difficult to repair and for most patients only improvements can be made to make the areas look better. I approach each patient individually because each persons circumstance is unique and a treatment plan must be tailored appropriately. Some patients will require just some additional spot liposuction to reduce high spots, others will require fat transfer to fill dents/low spots, others will need a combination of techniques, and in some cases a more aggressive procedure, such as a tummy tuck, may be the best option. Many will require more than one procedure to make significant improvements. For anyone dealing with a botched body contouring procedure, or even considering body contouring for the first time, please do your homework and seek out a board certified plastic surgeon who has experience with these procedures and understands how botched problems can occur. Seek out a surgeon who you are comfortable with and gives you an honest answer, and doesn't try to sell you on hype of the latest gadget or technology because it will give you "much better" results, or is the "easy fix". Fixing "botched" surgery is tedious and not easy, and few surgeons will take on these complicated cases. I hope this was helpful. Good Luck.
Helpful 7 people found this helpful
August 7, 2020
Answer: Botched Lipocontouring/Liposuction I have see this all too often. Over the years I have seen and treated hundreds of patients from around the world who describe similar experiences with having too aggressive liposuction with resulting bad contour irregularities, scarring, and discoloration of the skin. These are difficult to repair and for most patients only improvements can be made to make the areas look better. I approach each patient individually because each persons circumstance is unique and a treatment plan must be tailored appropriately. Some patients will require just some additional spot liposuction to reduce high spots, others will require fat transfer to fill dents/low spots, others will need a combination of techniques, and in some cases a more aggressive procedure, such as a tummy tuck, may be the best option. Many will require more than one procedure to make significant improvements. For anyone dealing with a botched body contouring procedure, or even considering body contouring for the first time, please do your homework and seek out a board certified plastic surgeon who has experience with these procedures and understands how botched problems can occur. Seek out a surgeon who you are comfortable with and gives you an honest answer, and doesn't try to sell you on hype of the latest gadget or technology because it will give you "much better" results, or is the "easy fix". Fixing "botched" surgery is tedious and not easy, and few surgeons will take on these complicated cases. I hope this was helpful. Good Luck.
Helpful 7 people found this helpful