Liposuction in Tampa

At Castellano Cosmetic Surgery Center in Tampa, Florida, our leading cosmetic surgeons use liposuction to sculpt the body and eliminate stubborn fat deposits that are resistant to diet and exercise. For many people, a healthy lifestyle alone isn’t enough to achieve the body shape they really want. This procedure removes fat from specific trouble areas to give you a sleek and smooth contour.

Request a consultation at our award-winning practice to meet with one of our cosmetic surgeons and learn more about your best liposuction options. Everyone at Castellano Cosmetic Surgery Center is devoted to providing a satisfying, comfortable experience and beautiful results.

Liposuction is best for fine-tuning your figure. If you have pockets of fat that do not respond to diet and exercise, this procedure can remove them to create a more streamlined profile. Common areas treated with lipo include the:

• Love Handles: The love handles are notoriously difficult to slim down with diet and exercise. Liposuction can streamline your torso by reducing these bulges, highlighting your waist and hips.
• Upper Arms: The upper arms often carry pads of excess fat, especially in people who have struggled with weight fluctuations. Applying liposuction to this area can help create smoother contours in the arms, accentuate muscle definition and highlight the shoulders.
• Ab Sculpting: Ab sculpting is a term often applied to liposuction of the abdomen. An ab sculpting procedure uses a small cannula to carefully remove fat in the target area to emphasize a hidden six-pack and flatten the stomach.
• Inner Thighs: The inner thighs can carry excess fatty tissue, which may cause them to rub together when walking or running, creating chafing and other skin irritations. When applied to this region, liposuction can provide slimmer thighs and better physical comfort.
• Bra Bulge: The back may store fat that causes a flabby, undefined appearance. In women, this fat can cause bulges around the bra straps. Contouring the back with liposuction can enhance definition of the back and help bras and swim suits fit more comfortably.
• Male Breasts: The male breasts may store unwanted fat or tissue due to gynecomastia, a hormonal imbalance, or simply due to weight fluctuations. Liposuction for men often includes sculpting the chest to a more masculine shape.
• Double Chin: A double chin is often hereditary and can be impossible to get rid of without surgery. Liposuction is one of the most popular solutions for this common aesthetic concern.

If you have a problem spot that is not listed here, you’re not alone. Men and women also have liposuction performed in areas like the ankles, the neck and the knees. Liposuction can improve the appearance of smaller, more focused areas and can also be used for higher volume fat removal. Often, liposuction is performed on several areas of the body at the same time to minimize recovery time and achieve more comprehensive reshaping.

It is important to note that liposuction is not a weight loss alternative. The primary goal is to sculpt and shape particular areas of the body. If you’re already eating right and exercising regularly, yet have a few areas that aren’t slimming down, liposuction can help. It should be used to improve body contour for people with an already toned and healthy body, not as a method to lose excess weight. Liposuction cannot tighten or remove excess skin.

Liposuction and tummy tucks, also called abdominoplasty, are two different body contouring procedures, although they are often combined together. While liposuction removes stubborn fat, a tummy tuck addresses loose or separated abdominal muscles and excess skin in the abdominal area. Thus, if you struggle with both stubborn fat and muscle separation and/or loose skin, a combination tummy tuck with liposuction could be right for you.

CoolSculpting® is a nonsurgical alternative to liposuction and works by using a process called cryolipolysis to freeze and remove targeted fat cells in virtually any area of the body and face. Because it does not require incisions or surgery, CoolSculpting comes with minimal downtime.

Liposuction, on the other hand, is a surgical procedure that requires very small incisions and anesthesia. Thus, the recovery period after liposuction is more extensive than with CoolSculpting. The tradeoff is that liposuction is able to deliver more comprehensive and dramatic results.

At your liposuction consultation, you will have the opportunity to discuss your goals and specific trouble spots in detail. Dr. Castellano or Dr. Giglio will carefully listen to your needs, review your medical history and perform a physical evaluation to help you decide if liposuction could be the best solution for you. During this time, your cosmetic surgeon may also discuss other options such as including a tummy tuck with liposuction, depending on your individual needs.

Dr. Castellano or Dr. Giglio will then create a customized treatment plan based on the information discussed at your consultation to help you best achieve your aesthetic goals.

We will provide you with detailed guidelines on how to prepare for your upcoming liposuction appointment so you know exactly what to expect at every step along the way. As a general guide, below are a few important liposuction prep tips to follow:

• Don’t smoke or drink alcohol for at least two weeks before your procedure.
• Let your cosmetic surgeon know if you currently take any supplements, over-the-counter or prescription medications, as these may need to be adjusted.
• Arrange for someone to drive you to and from your appointment and for some extra help around the house for the first few days after getting liposuction.
• Plan to take around 1 week off work and other daily duties. 
• On the day of your procedure, wear loose-fitting clothing and slip-on shoes.

For liposuction from our Tampa practice, our surgeons use the tumescent liposuction technique. This procedure begins with an injection of tumescent fluid, a saline solution mixed with medications including a local anesthetic, allowing for increased comfort and larger amounts of fat to be easily removed.

Your cosmetic surgeon will then make small incisions near the area where the fat will be removed. Through the incision sites, a slim surgical wand called a cannula will be inserted. The cannula is used to break up and extract fat cells via suction. After your surgeon removes fat from the treatment area, the incisions are closed and dressed. Liposuction is performed as an outpatient procedure at our surgery center, allowing you to return to your normal life as quickly as possible.

It’s important to keep in mind that the recovery process is just as important as the surgery itself when it comes to reaching your appearance goals.

Immediately after your surgery, you can expect one or more of the following:

• Soreness: Any surgery normally results in some degree of physical discomfort. Most people are able to manage any soreness with over-the-counter medication, but your surgeon can prescribe you something stronger if necessary.
• Swelling: The treatment area(s) will likely develop some swelling that should peak over the first few days following your procedure and gradually diminish.
• Bruising: Some temporary bruising may result from liposuction. This should fade over the coming days and weeks.

Your surgeon may ask you to wear a special post-surgical compression garment or bandages following your liposuction procedure. The purpose of the compression garment is to promote optimal blood circulation, reduce swelling and expedite the healing process. Our staff will schedule your first follow-up appointment and provide a detailed list of post-operative instructions.

Liposuction does permanently remove fat cells from the treated area, and your body will not produce new fat cells. However, those remaining fat cells can still become enlarged, and it is also possible to gain weight in other areas not treated with lipo. Thus, it is important to keep up with your healthy eating and exercise habits to maintain long-term liposuction results.