Can love handle lipo be done with a single vertical scar above the “butt crack”? (Photo)

Question

I have gone to several consults and usually their are two incisions at the waist line/upper glute (for love handle lipo). I found a doctor who will do the minimally invasive “butt crack” scar but he charges a double. Is this technique reliable? It seems somewhat new. Also is it insulting to ask the other surgeons if they would preform the lipo this way? I know scars are small and will fade, but I would prefer to have no visible scars if possible.

George Marosan, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and photo. To get the best results, you will need this area addressed from the back and also from the front. The love handles wrap around the sides and will not get a great result from a posterior approach only. That being said, I always use one single poke hole at the top of the butt crack. There's no need for other obvious visible incisions. From the front, the small poke holes are placed low in the pubic area and inside the umbilicus. 
It just shows, that surgeons are creatures of habit and do things the same way for decades, because it "always worked for them" and tell patients that is the only way to do it. Surgical techniques and instrumentation progress and I believe that the surgeons need to keep up with the times.
See a board certified plastic surgeon with extensive experience in advanced body sculpting techniques for an in person consultation/evaluation. Good luck.
See attached web reference. No sign of liposuction poke holes!

Zoran Potparic, MD · Answer

The answer is yes, all of this can be done through small incision above gluteal crease. However, small incisions needed for liposuction in patient like you are well hidden and practically invisible after scar mature. For that reason you should accept two additional incisions above buttock (covered with your current under ware), if need to provide excellent result; shape matters, not small incision/invisible scars. Good luck.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

if you want the best result you will need butt and side incisions plus adding renuvion.  Best, dr. Emer.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear Giving977649,
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. Generally speaking, incisions for liposuction are very small and once they heal they will be almost invisible. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Ramiro Morales, Jr., MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and pictures.  While love handle liposuction could be done via a single middle incision, a much better job can be done via 2 small incisions.  The incisions are so small that it really isn't worth avoiding a second one and possibly decreasing your results.  Be sure to see a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon for your consultation.

Connie Hiers, MD, FACS · Answer

Since the instruments are straight and your body is curved, using an incision above your "butt crack" is not optimal since the lateral sides may not be treated well. I prefer small incisions below each flank on the sides for best access to all the fat.

E. Ronald Finger, MD · Answer

Whether another PS would be insulted if you asked him/her to use the "butt-crack" incision is entirely up to the personality of the PS. I wouldn't be insulted, but I also don't think you can do as good of a job through a single incision. It also would take curved cannulas to go around a curve, so it's according to how far around your love handles go.

I would ask to see photos

Thank you for your question, and good luck.

I would ask to see photos

Thank you for your question, and good luck.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD · Answer

You are being "SOLD!".... Need two tiny incisions to achieve correct and best lipo results for love handles/flanks. NO way to achieve good results with butt incision in my 40 years experience.

Arian Mowlavi, MD, FACS (license on probation) · Answer

Yes, you would benefit from high definition VASER liposuction. You don't have a lot of skin, so renuvion skin tightening would help tighten your skin after liposuction. The Gold Standard for superior liposuction results requires use of the advanced technology of ultrasound assisted VASER liposuction. As an official trainer of VASER liposuction, I perform full body liposuction cases every week. VASER liposuction has been the only modality that has consistently resulted in outstanding liposuction outcomes. VASER liposuction ensures a smooth contour regardless of degree of excess fat by virtue of being able to remove any and all remaining fat comprehensively and uniformly. If skin redundancy is observed, Renuvion technology can be simultaneously applied to tighten your skin to optimize your overall contour outcome. A Skype or FaceTime consultation with a VASER specialist will help you get an accurate recommendation and pricing.

Respectfully,
Arian Mowlavi MD, FACS
Realself 100 Hall of Fame Inductee

Respectfully, 
Arian Mowlavi MD, FACS
Realself 100 Hall of Fame Inductee

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

Liposuction incisions should not be patient’s main concern. Limited incisions means limited access to getting the job done correctly. Just imagine straight instruments and reaching to all the areas. In particular the love handles as it comes around the front it’s going to be limited from a single incision in the central lower back.

Personally I would add a second incision and opt for a better result.

Actually I don’t think I would treat just a love handles because it tends to not give a good results unless the adjacent areas are addressed as well.

I typically view the torso as a single anatomic unit and believe in treating the entire torso or not treating it at all.

There are exceptions but if somebody wants to have a high-quality results then the adjacent areas need to be included and so on and so forth.

Personally I would choose the surgeon only based on results from who had the most number of before and after pictures with the most impressive results.

This in combination with providers who have an absence of justified negative reviews on all the various physician review websites would be my choice.

Best,

Mats Hagstrom MD

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