The miniliposuction:

The interview to the experts from the site “www.dottorbellezza.it”

The miniliposuction is a liposuction in every effect, only conducted on limited body zones. But let us call upon the expert to speak.

Doctor Riccardo Forte, aesthetic doctor who operates in Como and Bologna, explains: “yes, the minilipo is a true liposuction or liposculpture: it is executed only on limited body surfaces. This involves a more limited physical and emotive involvement for the patient – and why not, also economic”. Doctor Alessandra Sassu, aesthetic doctor from Cagliari, echoes him: “the miniliposuction is a surgical operation that consists on the aspiration of fat from the little zones of localized adiposity (abdomen, gluteus, knees, ankles, double chin). It is a treatment that can be executed outpatiently with a local anaesthesia: after the operation the patient can go back home peacefully”.

The ideal patient? “He is the one who presents – doctor Forte continues – a well identified localized adiposity: classical examples are the double chin, the paunch under the navel, the classical small cushion in the inside of the thigh, or more, the ankles, one of the “sore” spots from the aesthetic point of view for many women, who are with a normal weight, but complain few adipose accumulations in these zones often due to the circulatory problems”.

And the costs? Riccardo Forte goes on: “They are definitely lower than a traditional liposuction. The treatment happens in day hospital and it does not foresee neither stays or pre-post operation”.

THE ABDOMINAL MINILIPO

No more paunch, but how an abdominal miniliposuction or a minilipo on the legs happens, maybe to eliminate the so called “culotte de chevat”?

Doctor Alessio Redaelli, aesthetic doctor from Milan, replies: “The operation is executed in “day surgery”, in an operating theatre supplied for any eventuality, and the whole process ends before the day is over. During the treatment an anaesthesia that allows the so called “assisted soothe” is present: the patient is not completely asleep, but only calm down in moments of particular surgical zeal”.

Then you can talk to the assistant doctors. But then?

Doctor Redaelli continues: “Today we talk about tumescent lipoaspiration: the fat, before being aspirated, is soaked of an anaesthetic and antihemorrhagic substance, that it is able to make the adipose cells explode. In this way an easy, superficial and homogenous aspiration is allowed. Then we go on aspirating the fat with particular thin cannulas, avoiding almost always the aspiration with mechanical aspirators, but preferring the manual one with specific syringes suitable for the goal. We are talking about a “liposculpture” (a sculpture of fat) particularly suitable for who wants to remodel a part of his own body, but not totally change it”.

Are there any exams needed before the operation? “yes – Redaelli explains – the one that are necessary for any surgical operation”.

Doctor Forte echoes him: “Before the operation, the surgeon examines the slight blemishes that need to be treated and draws the outline of the area that needs to be modelled with a demographic pen”.

Then, after having sterilized the epidermis on which we need to operate, an infiltration with a special solution containing also some anaesthetic to make it insensible and reduce the possible bleeding is executed. The infiltration has to be abundant (at least as much as it is exported should be infiltrated) and if it is well done it allows to operate in a way absolutely harmless and not traumatic. At this point a quantity of fat sufficient to reduce the small cushion and restore the harmony of the profile is extracted with a very thin cannula through a little incision. This little incision, normally 2-3 mm, is done in hidden zones and it does not leave any visible signs; it is closed with a stitch that it is removed after 6-7 days.

In the case of the abdomen it is always necessary a compression: for this is important a medication, done with a crepe adhesive bandage and with a sheath or tights with strong compression, that contains the swelling and the haematoma that can be formed after the operation; the medication is removed after 7 days”.

Can be the minilipo useful to eliminate stretch marks? “No – Alessio Redaelli replies – the liposuction is notsuitable for stretch marks. Instead, this treatment is perfect for the old cellulite”.

PRECAUTIONS AND PREPARATION

Is there any better time during the year to face at the best this kind of operations? Doctor Alessandra Sassu explains: “As for all the other operations of aesthetic surgery, it is best not to operate during the hottest months (July and August), especially if it a lower limbs’ operations, subjected to edemas (water retention): this is done to avoid that the post operation course extends excessively. But it is not an absolute rule: in fact the surgeon evaluates every single case and takes effect consequently”.

What should be done before the operation? “The pre-surgical phase – Alessandra Sassu explains – foresees that the overweighed patient and with particular evident adipose zones, follows a therapeutic protocol that allows a normalization of the body weight and a maximum reduction in the adipose excesses. For this goal a “protein diet” can be prescribed (particularly efficient in the reduction of localized adiposity) and, if it necessary, ambulatories lipolytic therapies (mesotherapy, cryoelectroforesi) or lipoclasical (oxygen therapy, oxigen ozone therapy, ultra sounded hydrolipoclasia). In fact, the miniliposuction ideally should be considered the last step of a therapeutic scheme, that has to globally correct the silhouette… a true remodelling of the body profiles of the patient”.

So, do we get at the minilipo after a series of localized therapies?

“Yes. It is intuitive that with a normal weight woman, who has only a problem of localized adiposity, it will be perfect to choose to treat the adipose zones with a bloodless medical therapies (lipolytic or lipoclassic) or with a miniliposuction. In the first case, we have to consider long often partial and not very satisfying therapeutic time; in the second case an almost definitive result in short time is secured”:

And the convalescence? Doctor Sassu concludes: “In the post-operation, cycles of manual linfatic drainage, or better, cycles of endermatological therapy (LPG) executed with a medical machinery that has the capability to re-establish the morpho - functional balance of the treated zones and remodel the cutaneous and subcutaneous tissues are suggested”.

THE MINILIPO AND THE FACE

For the liposculpture of the neck the same technique as the traditional minilipo is exactly used. “It is – Riccardo Forte explains – an extremely efficient method if some fat has to be taken away.. I explain myself better. It is not a technique to execute a neck’s lifting, but it is used only to lighten the skin from the “weight” of the fat if necessary present, obtaining a support through the fiberness that it is created for the cicatritation. In the case of a well localized double chin, in presence of a still tonic tissue, the result of a liposculpture is exceptional”. No stay, so no visible scars, without counting the post operation course that it is fast and harmful. Not only. The cost of the operation is extremely contained. And what about the profile of the face?

“As instrument to model the profile – Forte explains – the miniliposuction is not certainly the most efficient, given that along the mandibular edge is rare to find adipose accumulations which treatment can give a profile more than obtaining a “cicatricial retraction” of the soft tissues. Sometimes a minilipo is executed in the neck and in the cheeks also in the course of a facial lifting to thin the strip that need to be treated. But the best indications of the liposculpture are the “true” adiposity“ in presence of elastic and tonic epidermis.