Cosmetic Surgery Charleston Dr. Widenhouse Blog

Charleston, South Carolina

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

What is SmartLipo™?

Since Liposuction was first introduced, its techniques, technology, and surgical results have improved greatly. The initial challenges of how to remove fatty tissue quickly and safely without harming other tissue have been approached in different ways, until now, we are lucky to live when most of the previous problems have been solved.

SmartLipo™ is one of the more recent liposuction techniques. It uses a laser – one of the tools that has transformed modern medicine – to make the fat easier to remove. Since fatty tissue is more sensitive to heat than other tissue, the laser warms the fat and melts it without causing any harm.

Skin Improvement Also
An additional benefit is that the laser warmth also stimulates the skin to produce more collagen. Collagen is a fibrous connective tissue found throughout the body and it is abundant in the skin’s middle layer, the dermis. It provides support for the skin, giving it good tone and elasticity. Because of the laser heat, the skin over your treated area will be better able to shrink smoothly over your new contours.

More Treatment Areas
With SmartLipo™, Dr. Widenhouse can treat more body areas than is possible with traditional or tumescent liposuction. Do you have unwanted fat beneath the chin or around the jawline? SmartLipo™ can successfully treat those areas, giving your neck and jaw a cleaner, more youthful line. If you would rather not have a facelift, this would be a good alternative procedure.

You can also have fat removed from the knees and ankles, where a slimmer outline can give your legs more elegance. Even the female mons pubis can be reduced to a more comfortable shape with SmartLipo™.

For more about liposuction in general, please see Questions About Liposuction Surgery.

To learn more about SmartLipo™ and whether it would be a good option for you, please contact us for a personal consultation with Dr. Widenhouse. We serve Charleston, South Carolina and we hope to meet with you soon.

posted by Admin at 6:08 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Silicone vs. Saline Breast Implants

Have you been thinking about having a breast augmentation surgery? That is a big decision and should not be rushed. It involves making a lot of smaller decisions and one of those is whether you want your implants filled with silicone gel or saline solution.

Silicone Implants
Silicone gel resembles fatty tissue. It holds its shape and although you can push and press it into a different shape, it resumes its designed shape immediately. Most people consider silicone gel implants as more natural in their look and feel, more like breast tissue than saline implants.

Silicone breast implants come pre-filled and cannot be adjusted in size once they are placed. They offer further choices in surface type (textured or smooth), shape (round or teardrop-shaped), shell thickness, and other variables.

Between 1992 and 2006, silicone gel implants were restricted by the FDA to breast reconstruction only. That was in response to a media panic about these implants causing connective tissue diseases and various women claimed that their silicone gel implants had leaked and caused Lupus, cancer, or some neurological problem. However, during 14 years of intensive research, no basis was found for such claims.

Silicone is in our bodies anyway, from household products such as dish detergent, laundry detergent, hairspray and hand lotion. It is made from silicon (with no “e”), which is Earth’s second most common element after oxygen and is present in sand, rocks, and crystals. When the FDA re-approved silicone implants in 2006, they were, by that time, improved over previous implants, in that the shells were stronger and the gel more cohesive. In the very unlikely event that an implant shell were to break, the gel would not leak out, and even if it did, you would be safe.

Saline Breast Implants
Saline solution is salt water with the same salinity as other body fluids. It is usually placed in your implants at the time of surgery and if you decide your implants are not quite the right consistency, Dr. Widenhouse can add more saline solution or take some out. There are also pre-filled saline implants.

If a saline breast implant were to fracture, the saline solution would leak out into the body and be absorbed harmlessly. You would also notice immediately that there was a leak, because that breast would shrink down.

There are other considerations also, in the choice between silicone gel or saline breast implants. The best way to make a happy decision is to be well-informed about the relevant issues. Please see Breast Enlargement Options for more details.

If you would like to schedule a confidential consultation with Dr. Widenhouse, please contact our Charleston, South Carolina office today.

posted by Admin at 6:06 PM 0 comments

Monday, August 16, 2010

Breast Health Before and After Surgery

Your breast surgery could be breast augmentation, breast lift, breast reduction, or breast reconstruction. Dr. Widenhouse offers all those procedures and they are all major surgeries. If you are considering whether to have one of them done, your general health and breast health both before and after surgery will be important.

Dr. Brian Widenhouse will give you a thorough physical examination to determine if you are a good breast surgery candidate. He will ask questions, check your medical history, and perhaps ask you to have a mammogram done before your surgery. You would need to be in good general health so that your surgical recovery goes smoothly.

Planning For Your Recovery
Your recovery period will be easier when you are well-informed about your procedure and how to care for yourself afterwards. Before your surgery, Dr. Widenhouse will give you printed instructions for your recovery period and you should follow them exactly. You could also plan ahead:

  • Make sure to fill your prescriptions ahead of time so they are ready at hand when you need them
  • Prepare a comfortable recovery area in your home with pillows, good books, tasty food and drinks, a television program, hobby supplies – whatever you will want while your activities are restricted and you are not feeling a hundred percent yet.
  • Be sure the house is clean and if necessary, arrange for somebody to spend time with you in the first few days.


You will have dressings and a surgical bra over your breasts. There may also be drainage tubes for a day or two. To prevent infection, it will be important to follow Dr. Widenhouse’s instructions as to bathing and dressing changes. You will also want to protect the area so no sutures come loose. For minimum scarring, you need to avoid putting any stress or strain on the incision closures.

If you have been a smoker, Dr. Widenhouse will ask you to stop smoking some time before your breast surgery and to continue avoiding it during your recovery. That is because tobacco constricts blood vessels, which reduces blood flow. You need maximum blood flow so your body can fully heal.

When you are a good candidate for breast surgery and a good recovery patient after it, your prospects of a gratifying result are very high. If you have any questions, please contact us at any time and we will be happy to give you clear answers. For information about where your breast surgery would be performed, please see Our Surgery Center.

To schedule a personal consultation with Dr. Widenhouse, please call or email our Charleston, South Carolina office today.

posted by Admin at 5:58 PM 0 comments

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