Hello to all,
I am Dr. Leslie Masters and I will try to keep up with your conversations and answer any questions as they arise. I have performed both smartlipo and ultrasonic liposuction. My opinion today is that there is a lot of gimic out there and nothing can replace technique or experience. I was one of the first physicians in the country to start using the new Smartlipo and I have done thousands of procedures. Most of them along with the ultrasound. This is what I tell patients today:
What I perform is something called liposculpting. It is sort of a whole new area in cosmetic medicine. Liposculpting is the "umbrella term" and there are alot of tools a surgeon can use in liposculpting--Smartlipo and the ultrasound are two of them. "Smartlipo" is definitely the buzz word out there right now. It is one tool and in my quite experienced opinion not the best one--it is just the one that people hear the most about. (YAY marketing!) Liposculting is very popular in Europe and after being a bit disappointed with the effectiveness of the above modalities I decided a little over a year ago to learn more about what they are doing over seas. I have trained with many experts in liposculting from all over the world. Today my Smartlipo and Ultrasound are both parked. I perform nearly all of my procedures with specialized small canulas that I have to order from Europe. After performing thousands of cases I am more convinced than ever that results depend on experience and technique........not technology. Liposculpting is and art. It removes fat and gently shapes the body with the whole idea being that sure we want this area to be smaller but we also want it to look prettier and to look natural. We don't want a saddle bag gone and a leg that looks like the outer thigh has been "lopped off" (that is a medical term Ha!!)---rather we want a prettier thigh. You have to look at the whole leg and perform a procedure that will will leave you with a natural, nicely shaped thigh.
Liposculpting is different than traditional liposuction in three main ways--1. In liposculpting, the fat is liquified before it is suctioned out--as a opposed to traditional liposuction which is more like a "cheese grater" approach (sorry for the graphic). 2. In liposculpting, it is the specialized tools that allow me to smooth an area, shape an area and make sure that the area being treated blends in nicely with the rest of your body. 3. In liposculpting, it is the technique that is responsible for the majority of the tightening. The tools stimulate the collagen just as the Smartlipo does but this is, in my opinion, is the minor component. It is the "technique" that stimulates the skin to pull in every direction as it heals and I believe I get far superior tightening than I used to. Think of it this way--take a kleenex and pull it from one corner. It does not get taut. Now pull it from several directions and "ta da" it tightens up much better. In liposculpting I stimulate your skin to pull in many directions as it heals resulting in far superior tightening than with collagen stimulation alone--again, in my opinion. Technique not technology is the answer.
I hope this helps and I will try very hard to follow your conversation along and answer any questions that I can.
I hope this
