Liposuction Followed by a Tummy Tuck

March 15th, 2013

I recently received an email from a Cleveland woman wanting information about liposuction. Her thoughts were to have a tummy tuck first and then have liposuction later to deal with any excess skin. She also wondered if her muscles would be cut during a tummy tuck procedure.

This was my answer to her:
Based upon your desires, I wonder why you don’t do a simple lipo-abdominoplasty in the same procedure? Neither procedure requires the muscles to be cut. A combination lipo-abdominoplasty is what I perform for many of my Cleveland tummy tuck patients. VASER LipoSelection® abdominoplasty is a procedure that thins the “quilt” of the upper abdominal tissue, after which the skin is raised like a regular tummy tuck, and the skin between the belly button and pubis is removed. Then the muscles are tightened with internal sutures (that you can’t feel), meaning we sew them up like a corset. Your muscles don’t need to be cut in order to get them to your pre-baby or pre-weight-loss condition. After the muscles are sutured the tummy “window shade” is closed down to the supra-pubic region and voila! You have a thinner upper abdomen, with a tighter bodice from a tummy tuck and lipo in a single procedure.

If you wish to have that outcome, you don’t have to have VASER LipoSelection® first and then a tummy tuck, as the procedures are easy to do together; I do this all the time at my Cleveland cosmetic plastic surgery practice. If you are a smaller body person and aren’t sure if you need a tummy tuck, then do VASER LipoSelection® first, to see if that’s enough for you.

To your health & beauty,

Dr. Paul Vanek
Board Certified Cleveland area Plastic Surgeon

Tags: cleveland liposuction, Cleveland plastic surgeon, cosmetic surgeon cleveland, tummy tuck cleveland
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Fat Transfer with VASER LipoSelection®

February 28th, 2013

Fat Trans to Hands Example At my Cleveland plastic surgery practice, I frequently use the fat extracted from VASER LipoSelection® to fill various areas of the body where my patients want more fat, such as the back of the hands, the cheeks, under the eyes, in the temples, in the lips, or in the buttocks during a Brazilian Butt Lift. Cleveland area men and women appreciate the ability to re-use their fat once it has been removed from areas where they don’t want it, such as the hips, thighs, back, or belly.

Based upon cell viability studies, which are ongoing, in the area of fat transfer we have found that VASER LipoSelection® at low energy is a terrific method to transfer live fat cells and stem cells. Using the VASER LipoSelection® technique, I then filter the fluid (effluent) to get high concentrations of viable stem and fat cells. Therefore, VASER LipoSelection® is both a fat reduction technique and a fat source to enhance desired areas of the face or body.

I have been very excited by my ability to perform large-volume Brazilian Butt Lifts with high efficiency “take” of the fat. The small incisions and low blood loss, combined with minimal downtime with VASER LipoSelection® are important to my Cleveland VASER LipoSelection® patients who want fat transfer, because we’re able to easily accomplish this in a single operative session.

Think about it: What’s better than making a bigger area smaller and a smaller area bigger?

To your health & beauty,
Dr. Paul Vanek
Board Certified Cleveland Plastic Surgeon, Mentor, OH

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Exercise after VASER LipoSelection® Procedures

February 28th, 2013

image-tummy-tuck Patients often ask me when they can return to the gym or home workouts after VASER LipoSelection®.

I tell my Cleveland plastic surgery patients that walking around three times a day, beginning on the seventh day after their procedure, is the very best exercise. My reasoning is that walking keeps the heart rate below 100 bpm. More than that and swelling can be prolonged. Naturally, both my patient and I want the swelling after VASER LipoSelection® to dissapear as soon as possible.

Along with wearing the compression garments and avoiding too-soon exercise, I also recommend several massage therapy sessions 7-10 days after the VASER LipoSelection® procedure. This helps drain the lymphatic system to dissipate that swelling. For my Cleveland VASER LipoSelection® patients who want more skin tightening, I recommend some VASER Shape treatments within the first three months after surgery.

In terms of returning to work, most of my Cleveland VASER LipoSelection® patients return to work within a day or two after their procedure, assuming they do not have an extremely active job that involves heavy lifting. If you aren’t certain whether returning to work would be contra-indicated, talk to me about it before you go back to work.

To your health and beauty,
Dr. Paul Vanek
Board Certified Cleveland Plastic Surgeon

Tags: Cleveland cosmetic surgeon, Cleveland plastic surgeon, mentor cosmetic surgeon, mentor plastic surgeon, vaser Cleveland, VASER LipoSelection® Cleveland, VASER LipoSelection® mentor, vaser mentor, vaser shape Cleveland, vaser shape mentor
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How Old is “Too Old” for a Tummy Tuck

February 12th, 2013

This question was sent to me by a soon-to-be tummy tuck patient:
Dr. Vanek, I’m 65 years old and have had a double mastectomy. Now that I’m feeling better, I’d like to have a tummy tuck. Am I too old?

Well, my first thought is that it’s a rare Cleveland area man or women who is too old for a tummy tuck. My 89-year-old patient who recently chose to have this done is delighted with the way her pants fit. She still has a lot of life in her and loves her new contours.

Your decision about an abdominoplasty has some mitigation, however, namely because you are a double mastectomy patient. I do have to ask the question as to whether or not you have any contemplation for autologous breast reconstruction. The specimen of your lower abdomen, whether it is utilizing the rectus muscle as a pedicle or a free flap is certainly great tissue to be used as a breast reconstruction using your own tissues. If that is not something that you see as part of your future or that either implants or no reconstruction are satisfactory to you, then I would recommend that you go for it, and know that you are in great company with patients who are pre- and post-menopausal who have enjoyed the body contours for the rest of their life after abdominoplasty!

To your health and beauty,
Dr. Paul Vanek

Tags: Cleveland cosmetic surgeon, Cleveland plastic surgeon, cleveland tummy tuck, mentor cosmetic surgeon, mentor plastic surgeon, mentor tummy tuck
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Breast Augmentation with Fat Transfer

November 26th, 2012

Many women from Mentor and Cleveland who see me for a breast augmentation are surprised when I suggest that they might prefer fat transfer to the breasts over a breast implant. While a breast implant is perfectly fine, fat transfer has some very unique advantages over an implant.

How Sagging Breasts Happen
Hormonal changes from 30’s through the 50’s can decrease breast volume dramatically. With aging comes the loss of skin turgor and weakening of the ligaments that suspend the breast, which results in sagging breasts.

Why Fat Transfer to the Breasts is a Good Alternative to Breast Implants
The solution to breast volume loss using fat transfer allows me to use fat from part(s) of the body where you have too much fat, and plump up the volume of your breasts. While the volume enhancement is not exact like a 300cc breast implant, because the amount of your own fat is not perfectly predictable in how much “take” of the graft you get, the result is all your own tissue.

How Fat Transfer to the Breasts is Performed
The outpatient procedure involves VASER® lipo of the abdomen, flanks or thighs, depending upon your favorite “donor site”–the place you want to decrease. The concentrated, filtered fat and stem cells are injected into the breasts, which have been treated with a BRAVA pre-treatment at home for about 4 weeks prior to your breast augmentation. Equal amounts of fat are instilled on each side. You can resume normal activities in a few days.

Is there a Downside to Fat Transfer to the Breasts?
Autologous fat transfer methods have shown great outcomes but can’t enhance the breast in one operation as much as a gel implant.

When you come for a consultation at my Cleveland area cosmetic plastic surgery office, we’ll discuss all the options to give you fuller breasts.

To your health and beauty,
Dr. Paul Vanek
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Cleveland, Mentor, OH

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Forever Young

November 19th, 2012

Youthfulness is characterized by bright skin and a full face. Think of a small child’s face. Broad Band Light (BBL) technology has now been shown to actually improve skin aging. It functionally rejuvenates the skin and delays skin aging. BBL improves signs of skin aging and delays skin aging. The research from Stanford showed that BBL laser treatments activate the genes involved with youthfulness. It turns off the genes of aging in the areas treated. The skin thus becomes physiologically more like younger skin. The treatment regimen to maximally restore the skin is to be treated 3 sessions a month apart.
The in-office treatment using 4 different wavelenghts of laser light in a single session using topical local (no shots). Your skin will look smoother and your face and neck will feel tighter and more youthful that day. Immune response to the serial treatment improves the skin texture and colors over time as well, as measured by Visia skin analysis.

PS IF you want to look great for Christmas this treatment will get you on that path!

Posted in Facial Rejuvenation, For Men, Laser treatments | No Comments »

What’s Your Time Line?

November 12th, 2012

Contemplating improvements through elective cosmetic surgery carries the fears about subjecting yourself to anesthesia risk to look better. The numbers are very much in your favor. For a patient who has never had anesthesia the risk of a reaction, called malignant hyperthermia, is about 1 in 45,000. If you have no family members who have had anesthesia problems, it usually means you won’t either. If you have had previous surgery under anesthesia (even laughing gas for even wisdom teeth), and are under 70 and a non-smoker your risk is less than 1 in 15 million! If the procedure is under 30 minutes the risks are lower, but the next risk increase doesn’t appreciably go up until 13 hours under general anesthesia. What that means for you is that at 1 or 3 or 6 hours under anesthesia, you still have a very low chance of problems during the surgery. You can have more than one problem addressed at a time, and not worry that it doubles the risk.

PS The anesthesiologists with whom I work are all board certified in Anesthesia.

Posted in Breast Procedures, Facial Rejuvenation, For Men, Laser treatments, Tummy Tuck, VASER | No Comments »

Harvest Season

November 5th, 2012

Fat cell and stem cell transfer is a technology method to re-use your own cells and make them work for you to look great. Using Vaser lipo to slim one area and enhance another takes advantage of the selectivity of ultrasound energy. The fat and stem cells from the lipo area are extracted and concentrated in the OR and can then be placed into different areas of the body for a long acting volume enhancement. Depending upon your goals, I can make your buttocks more shapely, your lips more full, or your face more youthful. Fat transfer sites experience local growth factor and cytokine stimulation giving the facial skin a beautiful, long-lasting glow, and have been shown experimentally to thicken the skin for some years. If you want to look great using your own tissues and with minimal down-time, a fat transfer to the aging face and lips can be performed without general anesthesia. You’ll love the long lasting results!

PS Additionally, you can have the sun damage lasered away if you want!

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Vampire Facelift

October 31st, 2012

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections of the face have been shown to improve fine lines and wrinkles of the face. By harvesting 3 ounces of your blood in an office procedure, I inject the laser separated platelet fraction back into your face. The concentrated platelets injected make your skin and deeper tissues stimulate the building blocks of youthful appearance- fibronectin, glycosaminoglycans, and collagen. The bruising is usually minimal because the platelets help reduce that by their very nature. The best outcome is 3 sessions full face separated by about 6 weeks. There is no chance of a reaction to anything because it is all your own cells. Wrinkling and lip volume are enhanced with each session. The results last about 2 years. The injections can be repeated as often as the patient likes, as you regenerate your platelets every day from your own bone marrow. It doesn’t get hard or make nodules. You can drive yourself to and from the office for the treatment.

PS I promise you won’t develop fangs after this treatment!

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Breast Reduction

October 8th, 2012

Women with overly-large breasts suffer from a myriad of symptoms that make a breast reduction an insurance covered procedure. Back pain, neck pain, shoulder grooving, rashes under the breast, difficulty with clothing choices, bras that don’t fit, difficulty with exercise and weight gain are some of the most common complaints of women with this condition. One of the best upsides for women who need a breast reduction greater than 1000 grams is that it reduces your breast cancer risk by 70%, according to a recent large study from Scandanavia. Most or all of the above symptoms are alleviated almost immediately. Patients tell me that despite the tolerable surgical discomfort, they already know that “the weight of the world is off their back and shoulders!” Some patients wonder if they should lose weight prior to the breast reduction procedure, but they are usually thwarted in those efforts because of the above symptoms. Inevitably after the reduction you will lose weight and feel great about your new look. You’ll move better and clothing choices will improve your whole worldview!

PS A breast reduction at any age is usually an outpatient procedure.

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