Can Coolsculpting Help Smooth out the Lumps Formed from Lipo?

Question

hard lumps above and below the belly button making the belly button area feel very shallow and one small area where too much fat was taken out making the area very shallow... please help

Ron Shelton, MD · Answer

usually, indentations after liposuction are treated by fat grafting (fat injections of your fat harvested from distant sites) and elevations are treated by microliposuction to those focal areas to remove more fat. CoolSculpting would be too broad an area of freezing and treat the area of the applicator homogenously rather than focusing on the small elevation one has.

	The information provided in Dr. Shelton's answer is for educational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical advice.  The information provided should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultations with a qualified health professional who may be familiar with your individual medical needs.

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.

	Ideally, you would have a physician examine you to determine if Coolsculpting will achieve your goals.  This may be a good technique to smoothen things out BUT only if the handpiece can succeed with good suction onto the areas needing treatment.

	Best for you to visit an office that performs Coolsculpting and have an in person consultation to get the most precise advice.

	Best wishes.

Raul P. Rodriguez, MD · Answer

In my experience, CoolSculpting cannot effectively smooth out irregularities in scarred (underneath the skin) fatty tissue that remains after liposuction. I have found significant improvement non-surgically by injecting fat-destroying medications into these areas, very precisely, with a procedure called Mesotherapy-- consider it  "Kybella for the body." No anesthesia is required, and you can return to work right after the treatment, saving time and money. 
For for resistant areas, I use VASER Liposuction, which employs ultrasonic energy to emulsify ("melt") the fat trapped in the scarred liposuction area, to make fat removal or smoothing out more effective and even. Tumescent liposuction or microliposuction alone will create more scarring because the trapped irregular fat must be treated more aggressively than virgin fat to get it out. This less traumatic VASER Liposuction is safely performed in the office using mild sedation and local anesthesia. Some patients return to work the next day.
For areas where too much fat was removed or destroyed, fat grafting-- taking a little fat from an area where you do not want it and injecting into the hollowed depressed area(s)-- can smooth out the surface appearance.
These techniques that I have explained can also be used to correct irregularities that sometimes occur with CoolSculpting itself. These techniques require NO expensive and risky general anesthesia.

Michele S. Green, MD · Answer

Coolsculpting is a great tool for reducing a fat bulge in a given area by 25%.  However, it cannot correct an indentation where too much fat was removed from a procedure such as liposuction.  In this case, fat grafting is used to replace the missing fat.  Please consult with a board certified dermatologist with expertise in coolsculpting to learn more about the procedure and the benefits of non-invasive surgery over liposuction.

Michael Law, MD · Answer

In my pratice, we will not perform CoolSculpting on patients who have had body contouring surgery within a year from another practice without a release from their surgeon. What you are describing - divets from too  much fat taken from liposuction is probably best treated with fat grafting and not with CoolSculpting

Can Coolsculpting Help Smooth out the Lumps Formed from Lipo?

Answers (8)

Answer: Coolsculpting cannot be used for treating the small hollows left behind from liposuction

Answer: Coolsculpting cannot be used for treating the small hollows left behind from liposuction

Answer: CoolSculpting following Liposuction

Answer: CoolSculpting following Liposuction

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Can Coolsculpting Help Smooth out the Lumps Formed from Lipo?

Answers (8)

Answer: Coolsculpting cannot be used for treating the small hollows left behind from liposuction

Answer: Coolsculpting cannot be used for treating the small hollows left behind from liposuction

Answer: CoolSculpting following Liposuction

Answer: CoolSculpting following Liposuction

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about CoolSculpting

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.