CynoSure® SmartLipo TriPlex™

Advanced Laser Body Sculpting System

Dr Paul Fondacaro Talks about Laser Liposuction and Skin Tightening Options in the video below:

Laser Body Sculpting Redefined

Now, at Dr. Park Ave., you can take advantage of the most advanced laser lipo system available: the Cynosure® Smartlipo TriPlex™ – giving you faster surgery time, more precise results; and faster recovery times. The Smartlipo TriPlex is the first multiplex triple wavelength laser lipo workstation that’s designed to treat all your body contouring concerns:

Who is a good candidate for SmartLipo? If you are unhappy with the shape of your body and are in good health then you are likely a good candidate for SmartLipo. Age and genetics alter the shapes of our bodies, causing the accumulation that is resistant to diet or exercise. SmartLipo is best suited for that healthy individual who eats right, exercises, and generally lives a healthy lifestyle, but can not seem to lose weight from a trouble area…such as hips, saddle bags, back of the arms…etc…

How much downtime will I have? Immediately after your procedure you will walk out and be able to perform mild activities. Unlike the need for prolonged recovery and possible overnight stay when liposuction is performed with heavy anesthesia, downtime is minimized. SmartLipo significantly reduces tissue trauma and post procedural pain while completely eliminating post-anesthesia recovery. Most patients are able to return to normal desk type work in 1 to 2 days and some patients are able to return to work the same day, depending on the area treated.

Will I be awake or under general anesthesia? This is always the choice of the physician, but with SmartLipo you can be wide awake. With SmartLipo, the liposuction is done in a more advanced, less traumatic manner that requires only local numbing, not heavy anesthesia. This translates into faster recovery and less downtime. By having patients remain awake during the procedure, the physician not only avoids the risks of heavy anesthesia , but the serious complications that can occur from patients being unresponsive during the procedure.

Why doesn’t the SmartLipo procedure need heavy anesthesia? SmartLipo only requires local numbing, this ensures patient safety and improved recovery. In traditional liposuction procedures, heavy anesthesia allows the surgeon to use larger instruments with more aggressive and quick movements, which result i faster overall procedure times. Faster procedure times means more procedures can be performed, but because they are using heavy anesthesia, larger instruments and more aggressive movements, their patients are exposed to greater risks and have longer and more painful recoveries. SmartLipo is done using smaller instruments; patients have more uniformity in their result, less bruising due to the characteristics of the laser, and generally just a better cosmetic results.

Why is tumescent anesthesia typically less painful than a liposuction procedure done under general anesthesia? Pain associated with liposuction procedures can occur at three different stages: during the infiltration of the tumescent solution, during the procedure, and postoperatively. With SmartLipo the infiltration is normally done using small instruments, which cause little tissue damage and little pain. After the tumescent local anesthesia has been thoroughly infiltrated into the fat, the subsequent procedure should be virtually painless. General anesthesia consists of the use of intravenous sedatives and narcotics. These medicines are commonly associated with a high incidence of nausea, vomiting and postoperative chills. General anesthesia allows the surgeon to treat the tissue in an aggressive and damaging fashion, they use larger instrumentation which leads to a painful and prolonged recovery. Since the patient is “out”, the surgeon tends to use a rougher technique, which would not be possible if the patient was awake. With SmartLipo, some physicians even go so far as to have the patient “Stand” mid way thru the procedure to insure the is getting a uniform result. The SmartLipo procedure also uses smaller instrumentation, and the technique is slower and gentler, this again leads to far less pain recovery and a better cosmetic results.

Will SmartLipo help with cellulite or sagging skin? SmartLipo can help with the appearance of cellulite by disrupting the fat cells in the area. The laser also will break the bands of septa causing that “dimpling appearance”. The SmartLipo will also help promote skin tightening through tissue coagulation in the affected area.

Does SmartLipo produce permanent results? YES…In general, all liposuction methods produce permanent results. The fat cells that are removed by liposuction do not grow back. Of course after liposuction, the clock keeps ticking…no procedure can stop the aging process. Advancing age will produce the usual changes in the shape of the body, but the benefits of the SmartLipo procedure will always be apparent.

Will I get fat in weird places after SmartLipo? NO…It is a common false myth that the fat removed by liposuction grows back in other places after the procedure. The number of fat cells your body has was determined by the time you went through puberty. Once you become an adult, your body does not make more fat cells. Some patients do feel as though other areas of their body get bigger after a procedure…the problem is perspective, not physiological change. For example, a woman who has had her upper arms treated may feel that her back has grown fatter after the procedure. The true issue is not that her back is growing fatter, but rather that her arms have gotten smaller by comparison.

What happens if I gain weight after SmartLipo? If you gain weight after SmartLipo, you will gain it proportionally, including in the areas that were treated. It is possible to gain weight again in the treated area, but not to the same extent as prior to the procedure.

How much bruising or swelling will I have? Using Smartlipo causes less tissue trauma and less inflammation, bruising and swelling are also minimized. SmartLipo uses only small punctures and does not use stitches, so patients experience less bruising and swelling than with the traditional liposuction techniques. Some patients will have almost no swelling or bruising while others will be swollen or bruised for about a week. With SmartLipo, the tumescent technique allows for “open drainage” adits (tiny round holes), and by not using stitches, the rate of drainage of anesthetic solution is also accelerated. The laser characteristics of the SmartLipo also play a significant role in this open technique, all of which helps reduces the amount of pain, bruising and swelling for the patient.

How long will it take for the incisions to heal? Adits usually close up within a week, and become completely healed with no scabs within 2 to 4 weeks. During the healing process, the adits resemble round red pimples. The incision sites become less and less visible over 3 to 12 months, often times fading until they are invisible.

How long will it be until I see results? Final results vary from patients and depend on patient age, areas treated, the amount of fat removed, and individual healing speeds. Some patients see immediate results that improve steadily while others have weeks of swelling that keep them at about the same size as they were pre-procedure, even though large amounts of fat have been removed. Young patients tend to heal much quicker and have less discomfort, but final results often take longer because young patients tend to retain fluid longer than older patients. There is no way to accurately predict your healing speed or how quickly you will see results. Most patients will see 80% of their ultimate result within one to three months after their procedure.

How many areas can be treated at one time? The number of areas that can be treated at one time depends on your height and weight. Although individuals do vary, there are some general rules:

- If you are slender or thin, up to 8 areas can be treated in one procedure
- If you are of average height and weight, up to 6 areas can be treated in one procedure.
- If you are heavy, obese or very tall, up to 3 areas can be treated in one procedure.

This is the physician’s decision…safety is ALWAYS the priority.