Liposuction St. Louis

Dr. Michele Koo utilizes the latest techniques of Smart Lipo, Laser Lipo, and Ultrasonic Liposuction on all areas of the body. She will be very honest with you as to which procedure is most optimal for your body and skin type. Dr. Koo performs most of her liposuction procedures as an outpatient under general anesthesia, as she feels this is the safest allowing her to achieve the best most aggressive results possible for you.

Dr. Koo is a Member of the Aesthetic Society and a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and adheres to a strict code of ethics to only perform procedures that she feels are effective and will achieve what you are seeking. Liposuction is safe and extremely effective for stubborn pockets of fat that are impossible to lose with diet and exercise.

About The Liposuction Procedure

Liposuction St. Louis Dr. Koo is proud to offer patients her extensive experience and expertise in liposuction, the single most popular cosmetic surgery procedure in the U.S. today. Liposuction sculpts the body by removing undesirable fat that has not responded to diet and exercise from the abdomen, waist, hips, buttocks, thighs, knees, upper arms, chin, cheeks and neck. Liposuction not only offers the opportunity to slim and contour chubby areas of the body; by removing the fat cells, it also ensures that these areas will not accumulate fatty deposits in the future.

Personalized Care

Dr. Koo knows that all patients are different, both in their body shapes and in what they wish to achieve with liposuction. She takes as much time as necessary during every pre-operative consultation to learn what each patient wants to liposuction to do for them, and to decide which technique is best. In this way, every one of her patients enjoys completely customized treatment designed with his or her specific goals in mind.

Liposuction Techniques

The liposuction procedure begins with the injection of a solution composed of saline (salt water), a local anesthetic called lidocaine, and a small amount of adrenaline to decrease bruising and bleeding. This is known as either the tumescent or super-wet technique, depending on the ratio of the fluid to the fatty tissue being removed.

Once this solution has been introduced into the area planned for liposuction treatment, Dr. Koo proceeds with one of two different methods of liposuction currently approved by plastic surgeons: suction-assisted lipectomy (SAL) or ultrasonic-assisted lipectomy (UAL).

In both methods, a tiny incision is made in as inconspicuous a place as possible. In SAL, a cannula (small tube) is inserted and moved back and forth beneath the skin, breaking up the fat layer and suctioning it out. In UAL, ultrasonic energy is used to liquefy the fat before it is suctioned out with a cannula.

The liposuction procedure may last from one to five hours, depending on the amount of fat being removed. The doctor will use either local anesthesia or general anesthesia, again depending on the size of the area(s) being treated as well as several other factors. We will discuss which method is best for you during your pre-operative consultation.

Recovery from Liposuction

After liposuction surgery, drainage tubes, compression garments and antibiotics may be needed to facilitate the healing process. Patients are encouraged to walk as soon as they are able, and many return to work within a few days. Strenuous activity should be avoided for about a month.

Results of Liposuction

Results are visible immediately, and improvement often continues as swelling subsides during the first three months.

Dr. Koo makes sure that scars from the liposuction cannula insertion point are small and inconspicuous.

Risks Associated With Liposuction

Risks are uncommon when the liposuction is performed by a qualified surgeon. Nevertheless, they do occur, and may include the following:

Infection
Delays in healing
Fat clots or blood clots
Shock
Fluid accumulation
Burns
Perforation injury
Lidocaine toxicity
Unfavorable drug or anesthesia reactions

Irregularities in appearance are possible, such as asymmetric or "baggy" skin, numbness and pigmentation changes.

For More Information

For more information about Liposuction, please click here
View before-and-after photos of Dr. Koo's patients who have undergone liposuction

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