Non-Invasive Body Contouring

Conveniently located to serve Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland

You’ve been exercising for so long and you still have those certain areas of fat that won’t disappear. There has to be an easier way! Liposuction at the Columbus, Ohio office of Dr. Bivik Shah might just be the answer for the right candidate. And, it's easy – or at least it's easier than working out for all those years! So, what is liposuction all about? How safe is it? How bad is the pain? How long will it take? We will attempt to answer some of the more general questions here. Specific questions and diagnoses should be obtained only from a personal consultation with Dr. Shah.

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WHY CHOOSE THE COLUMBUS INSTITUTE OF PLASTIC SURGERY FOR YOUR BODY CONTOURING PROCEDURE?

At the Columbus Institute of Plastic Surgery, top plastic surgeon Dr. Shah specializes in both non-surgical and surgical body contouring procedures. As national leaders in body contouring surgery, we combine decades of experience with knowledge of the latest advances to deliver the very best results for their patients.

ARE NON-SURGICAL BODY CONTOURING TREATMENTS FOR ME?

If you’re bothered by stubborn fat on your thighs, stomach, flanks, or arms, but do not want liposuction because of down-time or recovery, then they could for sure be for you. There are many different options; read on to explore them!

COOLSCULPTING AT THE COLUMBUS INSTITUTE OF PLASTIC SURGERY

We are proud to offer CoolSculpting here at CIPS—a procedure that reduces fat non-surgically and non-invasively. No surgery means no:

Knives or scalpels
Scars
Anesthesia
Medication
Surgical risks
Recovery time
Pain

CoolSculpting uses applicators that freeze the fat cells in any given area of the body. The cells die once frozen, and then leave the body through the natural process. After any CoolSculpting treatment, you are able to go straight back to your everyday activities, as there is no recovery involved. And yes, this includes working out. Swelling, soreness, and bruising can occur, but this does not hinder your ability to do anything you could beforehand. Final results take up to 3 months to see. Call us today to schedule a free consultation, or email our CoolSculpting specialist, Lynae at lynae@instituteplasticsurgery.com.

HOW DO OTHER NON-SURGICAL FAT MELTING TREATMENTS LIKE LIPOSONIX, ILIPO, AND VANQUISH WORK?

Technologies like Liposonix, iLipo, and Vanquish use ultrasound, radiofrequency, and laser energy to heat a layer of fat below the skin without excessively heating the skin itself. The goal of the treatment is to heat the fat cells to 42 degrees Celsius until they undergo a natural process called “apoptosis,” in which they shrivel up and die. Following this process, the fatty acid contents of the cells are absorbed by the lymphatic drainage system, processed in the liver, and finally excreted by the gastro-intestinal tract.

Fat reduction from these technologies range from 10%-20% per treatment. It is possible to return to light activities the same day, but swelling, soreness, and bruising can occur. In addition, because heat is used, some small degree of skin tightening can occur, but it is hard to measure.

A disadvantage to these heat-based treatments is that they tend to be more uncomfortable, and can sometimes be painful. Some circumstances may require a narcotic or sedative, which would prevent the patient from driving themselves home. Another thing to keep in mind is that not all patients respond to these treatments in the same way. There are good responders, average responders, and non-responders. A few of the remaining technical challenges for these devices that affect outcomes include:

Their ability to keep fat evenly heated at 42 degrees Celsius for long enough
Keeping the fat heated without burning the skin or causing excessive pain
The modest pace at which these treatments have their effect

HOW DO NON-SURGICAL BODY CONTOURING TREATMENTS COMPARE TO LIPOSUCTION?

Liposuction is easily going to provide the most drastic results. But, if you are a busy person with modest expectations, CoolSculpting would be a great way to reduce fat. Keep in mind, however, that a few sessions may be necessary for the results to be really noticeable, and final results can take up to three months to see. Other non-surgical body contouring devices such as Liposonix, iLipo, and Vanquish also require multiple treatments and a long wait time before a noticeable result appears. The benefit of the non-surgical approach is that there’s no surgery involved, meaning there are no scars and no downtime, but you will have some swelling and soreness after each treatment.

If your provider is honest with you, they should tell you that not all patients respond to these treatments. In these situations, a procedure like liposuction would be the best option. It is impossible to know whether a patient will be a non-responder, though, so it is important to keep in mind that more money may need to be spent for the liposuction after finding that the non-surgical treatment did not work.

In comparison to the non-surgical approach, an area can be treated with liposuction to reduce the fat by 55%-80% on average in just one step. Depending on how much is removed, the procedure can be done under local anesthesia. In this case, you can return to regular home activities in days, light exercise in two weeks, and full contact sports in 4-6 weeks. If you do the math, you will find that liposuction is a much better value than the non-invasive treatments when you stack up costs, steps, and results. For some people, the cons of non-surgical treatments are okay as long as the don’t have to get surgery. For others, results and cost are more important than the fact that they have to undergo surgery.

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