CoolSculpting vs. Traditional Liposuction
For years, liposuction has been the gold standard in plastic surgery for removing stubborn fat and achieving a sleeker and slimmer physique. CoolSculpting is a relatively new alternative. Dr. DeMars offers liposuction because he believes it is the more effective of the two treatments. Read on to learn more about the two procedures.
About Liposuction
Traditional liposuction is performed with either general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation, making the procedure comfortable and pain-free. During the procedure, Dr. DeMars makes a small incision through which he then inserts a small, thin tube in order to break up the fatty tissue in the area. He then gently suctions the fat from the body. Following surgery, the treated area will be swollen, bruised and sore. Compression garments should be worn to help control these effects and allow your body to heal quicker. Patients can return to their normal schedule within one to two weeks.
About CoolSculpting
CoolSculpting is a minimally invasive procedure that eliminates small pockets of fat by freezing them. A hand-held vacuum applicator is used to draw excess skin and underlying fat between two cooling panels, freezing the fat cells. The frozen fat cells are naturally flushed from the body over the next few weeks. There is no anesthesia involved and patients are completely awake during the procedure. Patients may feel a mild, cool sensation during the treatment. After surgery, patients may experience minor redness, bruising, tingling, numbness or slight discomfort. These effects should dissipate within a few days.
Which Procedure Is Right for Me?
Both liposuction and CoolSculpting have been proven to be effective procedures, however there are very distinct differences between the two. Part of the allure of CoolSculpting is that there is no downtime, and most patients are able to return to their normal routines immediately after surgery, however Dr. DeMars is aware of more overall dissatisfaction with CoolSculpting and therefore does not offer it at his office. While liposuction does come with some downtime (one to two weeks), it can be used on more areas and has more dramatic results than CoolSculpting. Dr. DeMars, a leading plastic surgeon in Portland, has performed liposuction on countless men and women over the years. His patients enjoy the advantages of liposuction, including:
More treatment areas. Both CoolSculpting and liposuction can treat excess fat on the flanks, abdomen and thighs. But liposuction can also treat excess fat on the buttocks, lower legs, back, upper arms, chin and neck.
Better body contours. Liposuction can treat larger areas of fat, while CoolSculpting works best on people who are already slim and have small bulges of fat. For a more dramatic change in body contour, liposuction is the way to go.
More immediate results. The slimming results of liposuction are noticeable right after surgery, and the results will continue to improve over the following months. The effects of CoolSculpting are visible one to three months after the procedure, and around that time most patients generally require a second treatment.
Liposuction can be combined with other body contouring procedures. Patients who also would like to remove excess, drooping skin from body areas such as the abdomen, thighs and arms can combine liposuction with procedures like tummy tuck, thigh lift and arm lift for even more beautiful results and a sleeker figure.
Are you interested in transforming your body with liposuction? Schedule your personal consultation with Dr. DeMars by calling (503) 253-3458.
