Cosmetic Surgery Charleston Dr. Widenhouse Blog

Once you have decided that breast augmentation is right for you, one thing you must consider is the placement of the breast implant. This placement depends on your ultimate aesthetic goals. Are you athletic or just wanting to restore the breasts you had prior to getting pregnant? Dr. Widenhouse offers more than one way of placing your breast implants and will help guide you after speaking with you during your consultation. Breast implants are placed either above or below the pectoralis muscle.

Subpectoral or Submuscular Breast Implant Placement
Submuscular breast implant placement is very common. If you have small breasts, then this is the option best suited for you. Submuscular placement means less chance of capsular contracture and rippling, and does not interfere with mammogram results. However, it requires general anesthetic and there may be more pain, discomfort and swelling, and therefore a more lengthy recovery than placement above the muscle.

Subglandular Breast Implant Placement
Subglandular breast implant placement means implants are placed above the pectoralis muscle, but below the breast tissue. Women who are athletic may look more natural with subglandular placement. There is a shorter recovery period and less pain and swelling than with breast implants placed submuscularly. Intravenous sedation and local anesthetic are both options with this type of breast implant placement. There is more of a risk of capsular contraction, rippling, and may interfere with mammograms.

If you are interested in breast implants and would like to learn more about breast implant placement options in the Charleston, South Carolina area, please contact experienced breast augmentation surgeon Brian G. Widenhouse, M.D. at Port City Plastic Surgery for an initial consultation.

Liposuction has consistently been one of the most popular plastic surgical procedures performed on both men and women year after year. Traditional liposuction has been around and in use for a very long time. It is an invasive surgery that works well for patients who want to sculpt certain areas of their body that diet and exercise cannot touch. Recovery takes a long time due to bleeding, bruising, and swelling.

SmartLipo does the same kind of job that traditional liposuction does, but is much easier on the body. This is a laser-assisted lipolysis and is minimally invasive. Some of the biggest differences between traditional liposuction and SmartLipo include:

• Smaller incision made in the skin using SmartLipo
• SmartLipo’s laser is used to disrupt fat cells causing them to burst and turn into water and protein, whereas traditional liposuction vacuums out the fat from the body
• The handheld laser and cannula of SmartLipo allows for a more precise targeting of the fat in the targeted areas of the body
• Minimal damage and bleeding to the surrounding target area when debris is removed
• Laser coagulates the veins and arteries, which minimizes bruising and leaves skin more firm than in traditional liposuction
• Less time needed for healing with SmartLipo due to the minimally invasive nature of the procedure
  

If you are interested in finding out more about SmartLipo or traditional liposuction and are in the Charleston, South Carolina area, please contact experienced plastic surgeon Brian G. Widenhouse at Port City Plastic Surgery today.

What is SmartLipo™?
SmartLipo is laser-assisted lipolysis, which is liposuction performed using laser energy. It is minimally invasive and literally melts the pockets of fat away. There is less downtime and less discomfort. The heat from SmartLipo can also tighten and tone the skin by producing more collagen.

How does the SmartLipo procedure work?
A small tube, or cannula, containing a laser fiber is inserted into the skin and moved back and forth to deliver the heat energy to the fat cells. The cells rupture and the fat drains away. The laser also allows small blood vessels to coagulate quickly, which means less bleeding, bruising or swelling. Because SmartLipo is minimally invasive, the procedure can be performed under local anesthetic.

Am I a Candidate for SmartLipo?
The ideal candidate for SmartLipo is someone who is in good general health and already exercises regularly, but has stubborn pockets of fat that do not respond to exercise or diet. You should be within 25 pounds of your ideal weight and you must be realistic about expectations. SmartLipo is not a substitute for losing weight through diet and exercise.

If you are interested in finding out more about SmartLipo or liposuction and are in the Charleston, South Carolina area, please contact experienced plastic surgeon Dr. Brian G. Widenhouse at Port City Plastic Surgery today for an initial consultation.