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Liposuction
As the Past President of the American Society of Liposuction, Dr. Castillo is a nationally recognized liposuction and body contouring expert. He has helped thousands of patients improve their body shape and their self-confidence.
Liposuction or liposculpture can be used to contour any body type. It is used as a tool for volume reduction in people who are above their normal weight. More often, it is performed for people who are relatively fit but have some problem areas. Removal of fat in specific areas such as the waist, hips and thighs can make one feel much more proportionate and confident in and out of their clothing.
From Peoria to Champaign and Bloomington, liposuction has helped women and men who want to improve areas of excess fat for a slimmer body contour. To learn more about liposuction, request a consultation with Dr. G. D. Castillo or call our office nearest you. We look forward to helping you enhance your look through skilled cosmetic procedures, and encourage you to view liposuction photos in our online photo gallery.
Since the introduction of liposuction at Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Clinic in 1983, the procedure has advanced dramatically both in concept and practice. Today, we may utilize laser incisions that are small enough to heal without scar formation, a liposuction instrument that utilizes ultrasound (sonic energy) laser to dissolve fat, and microcannulas to improve the texture of the skin and cellulite. Liposuction is often combined with other cosmetic surgery procedures such as a tummy tuck or breast enlargement.
The Procedure
Liposuction today utilizes the principle of tumescent infiltration, that is, the injection of relatively large amounts of fluid in the area to be treated. This fluid contains a local anesthetic and epinephrine (a relative of adrenaline). The result of this fluid infiltration is a temporary hardening of the tissue which allows Dr. Castillo to better sculpt the treatment area while minimizing bleeding.
The ideal liposuction patient has bulges that cannot be corrected through diet and exercise, or patients who are unhappy with their body proportions. During the procedure, fat cells are literally sucked out or melted away by an ultrasonic probe or laser to shape and contour various parts of the body. For our patients from Peoria to Bloomington and Champaign, liposuction surgery can be used nearly any place in the body:
- Hips and thighs
- "Love-handle" region
- Abdomen and waist
- Knees
- Arms
- Breast
- Neck
- Buttocks
In addition, men often seek liposuction to correct gynecomastia (enlarged breasts).
Liposuction surgery is suitable for both men and women and age itself is not a determining factor. While the procedure removes fat only and does not remove the overlying skin, excess skin or skin redundancy is usually not a problem since the ultrasound energy allows the fat to be melted away and the skin to be contracted over it. Cellulite in many cases can be improved by the use of special microprobes that separate the skin from the underlying scar tissue that creates the dimples in the skin. Cellulite is also improved in some instances by the use of ultrasound "lipoprobes" that produce significant skin contraction after the fatty tissue is melted down by sonic energy.
After Surgery
Patients find the recovery period following liposuction to be surprisingly short. In most instances, our patients are able to return to work within four days. A special garment must be used in the area treated for three weeks following surgery to assist in the final shaping of the tissue. Larger areas may look bruised at first; however, this bruising will disappear within a few weeks. During the recovery period, you are encouraged to be as active as possible, including going about your usual activities and walking. After the first week, most exercise is permitted, except for jogging and high-impact aerobics. Swimming also can be started one week following liposuction.
To learn more about your body contouring options, request a consultation with Champaign liposuction specialist Dr. Castillo or call our office nearest you. We look forward to helping you enhance your look through skilled cosmetic procedures.
