Reshaping Your Body – What's the Right Option for You?
A leading expert on techniques that reshape the body, fellowship-trained plastic surgeon John Castle, MD, of the UMass Memorial Cosmetic Surgery Center in Worcester, MA, answers your questions about liposuction, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) and other body contouring procedures.
These methods can help change areas of your body that you’re dissatisfied with.
Liposuction reshapes a targeted area of the body through removal of unwanted fat pockets—such as from the thighs, buttocks or abdomen—that are resistant to diet and exercise.
Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, removes excess skin and fat in the abdominal area to create a firmer, smoother abdominal profile. Other body contouring procedures include breast lift surgery, upper arm lifts and thigh and buttocks lifts.
Dr. Castle, how do I know if I’m a good candidate for liposuction or any other body contouring procedure?
Being in overall good health is the number one factor in the success of all these plastic surgery procedures. You should have no major medical problems and be a non-smoker.
The ideal candidate for procedures such as liposuction and tummy tuck is someone who is within 10 to 15 lbs of their ideal weight; patients who are obese aren’t usually considered good candidates. Our typical patient is a woman who has had several children and who wishes to get rid of excess fat and skin in her abdominal region.
At the UMass Memorial Cosmetic Surgery Center, we answer all of your questions about body reshaping and the procedure that might be right for you. Our objective is that you fully understand the advantages of body reshaping, as well as the results you should expect from the procedures.
There are so many different options available to me, how will I know what types of procedures are right for me?
We’ll set up an appointment for an evaluation at the Cosmetic Surgery Center to discuss your expectations and what a reasonable outcome will be. Every body is unique, which makes every outcome different.
We’ll talk over the kinds of improvement we can give you and what you’d like to see for an outcome. It’s important to discuss everything involved, so that you are happy with your surgical result.
After your consultation, we’ll give you some educational brochures to read at home that illustrate the procedures, providing you additional details about what to expect.
In considering liposuction, a tummy tuck or any of the different body contouring procedures, what should I be most aware of?
We find our plastic surgery patients do best when their expectations are reasonable and they’re prepared for the recovery period that follows every procedure.
Typically after your procedure there may be soreness at the site of the surgery and some bruising that lasts about a week. After that, you’ll be allowed to resume light activities for the next two weeks. You’ll also need to wear a compression garment which helps control the swelling that commonly occurs during healing.
It’s very important that you take it easy for the first month, which may mean taking some time off from work, or getting help at home.
What if I’d like to have more than one procedure done at the same time?
While a liposuction procedure is commonly done with a tummy tuck, it’s our safety standard to perform no more than two procedures at one time. That’s because we’ve found that if surgery lasts any longer than four hours, the risk of complications goes up. Instead, we’ll address your other areas of concern in phases, waiting about six months between body contouring procedures.
At the Cosmetic Surgery Center, our number one goal is the safety of all our patients. Our medical facility is a leader in quality and safety and is accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, which gives you the assurance of the highest level of quality, care and safety.
After my surgery and return home, will I come back for follow-up visits?
You can expect to come back to the Cosmetic Surgery Center in one week, two weeks, one month, and then six months so we can monitor how well you are healing and answer any questions or concerns you may have. Our team is dedicated to providing comprehensive care, and we follow your progress very closely. This is a vital part of your overall treatment plan and the philosophy of the UMass Memorial Cosmetic Surgery Center.
For further information, or to make an appointment to discuss any of these procedures with Dr. Castle or one of our other plastic surgeons, please call 508-334-5990, fill out our contact us form or email us at cosmeticsurgery@umassmemorial.org.
These methods can help change areas of your body that you’re dissatisfied with.
Liposuction reshapes a targeted area of the body through removal of unwanted fat pockets—such as from the thighs, buttocks or abdomen—that are resistant to diet and exercise.
Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, removes excess skin and fat in the abdominal area to create a firmer, smoother abdominal profile. Other body contouring procedures include breast lift surgery, upper arm lifts and thigh and buttocks lifts.
Dr. Castle, how do I know if I’m a good candidate for liposuction or any other body contouring procedure?
Being in overall good health is the number one factor in the success of all these plastic surgery procedures. You should have no major medical problems and be a non-smoker.
The ideal candidate for procedures such as liposuction and tummy tuck is someone who is within 10 to 15 lbs of their ideal weight; patients who are obese aren’t usually considered good candidates. Our typical patient is a woman who has had several children and who wishes to get rid of excess fat and skin in her abdominal region.
At the UMass Memorial Cosmetic Surgery Center, we answer all of your questions about body reshaping and the procedure that might be right for you. Our objective is that you fully understand the advantages of body reshaping, as well as the results you should expect from the procedures.
There are so many different options available to me, how will I know what types of procedures are right for me?
We’ll set up an appointment for an evaluation at the Cosmetic Surgery Center to discuss your expectations and what a reasonable outcome will be. Every body is unique, which makes every outcome different.
We’ll talk over the kinds of improvement we can give you and what you’d like to see for an outcome. It’s important to discuss everything involved, so that you are happy with your surgical result.
After your consultation, we’ll give you some educational brochures to read at home that illustrate the procedures, providing you additional details about what to expect.
In considering liposuction, a tummy tuck or any of the different body contouring procedures, what should I be most aware of?
We find our plastic surgery patients do best when their expectations are reasonable and they’re prepared for the recovery period that follows every procedure.
Typically after your procedure there may be soreness at the site of the surgery and some bruising that lasts about a week. After that, you’ll be allowed to resume light activities for the next two weeks. You’ll also need to wear a compression garment which helps control the swelling that commonly occurs during healing.
It’s very important that you take it easy for the first month, which may mean taking some time off from work, or getting help at home.
What if I’d like to have more than one procedure done at the same time?
While a liposuction procedure is commonly done with a tummy tuck, it’s our safety standard to perform no more than two procedures at one time. That’s because we’ve found that if surgery lasts any longer than four hours, the risk of complications goes up. Instead, we’ll address your other areas of concern in phases, waiting about six months between body contouring procedures.
At the Cosmetic Surgery Center, our number one goal is the safety of all our patients. Our medical facility is a leader in quality and safety and is accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, which gives you the assurance of the highest level of quality, care and safety.
After my surgery and return home, will I come back for follow-up visits?
You can expect to come back to the Cosmetic Surgery Center in one week, two weeks, one month, and then six months so we can monitor how well you are healing and answer any questions or concerns you may have. Our team is dedicated to providing comprehensive care, and we follow your progress very closely. This is a vital part of your overall treatment plan and the philosophy of the UMass Memorial Cosmetic Surgery Center.
For further information, or to make an appointment to discuss any of these procedures with Dr. Castle or one of our other plastic surgeons, please call 508-334-5990, fill out our contact us form or email us at cosmeticsurgery@umassmemorial.org.
For more information, please call 508-334-5990.
