Now that CoolSculpting is a very viable option in the war to conquer the unwanted fat bulge, how does one know which one is the right one for you? In all cases, a consultation with a plastic surgeon will be the only real way to help you determine which procedure is most appropriate. But here are some of the guidelines that Dr. Dean Kane, board certified plastic surgeon of Baltimore uses in advising his patients.
Coolsculpting
Coolsculpting is a non-surgical approach to reduce unwanted fat bulges using a freezing technology. There is little to no downtime, no anesthesia, no needles and no changes to your exercise or work schedules. Coolsculpting is best suited for patients who have smaller areas of fat that need to be reduced. Coolsculpting only thins down the fat bulge up to 20% in one treatment. The applicator heads are either the size of a stick of butter for the smaller head and double the stick of butter (putting the ends to together length wise) for the larger applicator head. In order to treat the entire front of the abdomen, it usually takes 4-6 applicators placed in various positions over the abdomen. To get the love handles or upper back fat this would take another 2 to 4 more treatments.
These treatments will take an hour so patients need to plan to stay a day in the office for the 6 treatment approach. It will take up to 90 days to 6 months to see the final result. Remember, these 6 treatments will reduce the body by 20% of the fat. If you are looking for a 50% or more reduction you will need to do the treatments again a second or third time. This type of approach is called treat to transformation.
Liposuction
Dr. Dean Kane will advise his patients that Coolsculpting will work effectively for those patients who want to use it to motivate themselves to change their lifestyles and begin eating and exercising daily. However, Liposuction maybe the more cost effective approach for those patients who are going to need double the amount of treatments to get their 50% of fat reduced. While patients tend to shy away from surgery, liposuction is actually more effective at getting up to 80% of the fat reduced in one quick surgery. Liposuction often times is the same cost structure, if Coolsculpting needs to be done more than 2 times for each area.
Tummy Tucks
For patients who have the post pregnancy and post weight loss lose abdomen skin that tends to hang over their panty lines, then Dr. Kane recommends tummy tucks as the appropriate approach. Coolsculpting and liposuction will reduce the thickness of the tummy pouches, but will not tighten the lose skin. The apron of skin can only be removed by the tummy tuck procedure. There exceptions to this and often times, Dr. Kane will offer liposuction to those patients who have abdomen thickness, but moderate laxity or moderate lose skin. Often times, Dr. Kane has seen his patients lower abdomen tighten sufficiently from just the liposuction procedure.
Dr. Dean Kane’s Consultation
It is key to have a consultation to determine the best route to take. Dr. Dean Kane will provide all these options to you and then advise what would be most appropriate of the three procedures. You can see the three procedures: Tummy Tucks, liposuction and Coolsculpting before and afters on his website:www.DrDeanKane.com. Dr. Kane’s sees patients in his Baltimore Center for Cosmetic Surgery and Medspa where all his cosmetic surgeries are performed in his fully AAAASF Accredited Operating Room right in the comfort of his beautiful office. For consultations call 410-602-3322 and his warm and caring staff will offer you an appointment within a week of your call.
