Body

A variety of plastic surgery procedures that improve the overall shape and proportions of the abdomen, hips, buttocks, thighs, legs and arms are called body contouring. At our Phoenix-Scottsdale area plastic surgery facility, a careful and detailed preoperative evaluation is very important to achieve the best possible results. Issues with body appearance can be due to excess fat, poor elasticity of the tissues, and/or excess skin among other causes. Each of these problems needs to be addressed in a different way.

Liposuction

An excellent way to shape the contours of the body by removing excess fat, many women and men choose liposuction. In Scottsdale, we use power-assisted liposuction, which is an innovative device that rapidly oscillates (vibrates back and forth) the metal suction tube (cannula), allowing it to pass through tissues with less trauma. Using this technique, we are able to reduce bleeding, bruising, and postoperative discomfort. For liposuction to be effective, the skin overlying the fat must be fairly elastic, so it can shrink down to accommodate the reduced volume of fat after surgery. In cases where loose skin and excess fat are both an issue, liposuction can be combined with skin tightening surgery such as a breast lift, tummy tuck or arm lift to achieve excellent results.

Tummy Tuck

Also known as abdominoplasty, tummy tuck patients are able to achieve surgical tightening of the abdominal skin while tightening the muscles of the abdominal wall at the same time. Tummy tucks are the only way to properly correct loose, saggy abdominal skin, and stretched abdominal walls (frequently due to pregnancy or significant weight changes). The decision to perform a mini-abdominoplasty versus a full abdominoplasty with internal tightening depends on the anatomy and surgical goals of each patient, and a careful examination with an experienced surgeon is critical to make sure you have the correct type of procedure for your specific anatomy.

Thigh Lift

Thigh lift surgery is a procedure that is designed to tightened and tailor the skin and connective tissue of the upper legs including the inner and posterior thighs. Our surgeons use this surgery in patients who have a large amount of redundant skin and/or fat, and this surgery is often combined with liposuction. Frequently, patients who need this surgery have experienced a large weight loss and have excess skin left over. The degree of skin removal and tailoring is individualized to the needs of each patient. Our surgeons’ preferred approach is to hide the final scar in the groin crease and buttock crease when possible to make it as unnoticeable a scar as possible. In more extreme cases, a larger skin resection may be needed which requires a thin scar running down the inner thigh from the groin to the knee.

Labia Reduction

Women who are unhappy with their vaginal anatomy with regards to physical comfort or appearance should consider labia reduction. Most women are unaware that surgery can be performed to significantly improve symptoms and aesthetics in this anatomical area. We can reduce excess tissue with a relatively straightforward procedure called a labiaplasty, or labia reduction. This involves removing a wedge of excess tissue from the central inner labia (labia minora) to avoid a long scar and maintain a natural appearance and contour of the labia.

Mommy Makeover

A Mommy Makeover is a nickname for a combination of procedures that corrects some of the problems caused to a woman’s body due to childbirth or weight loss. The common areas that are corrected with a Mommy Makeover are the breasts, the abdominal wall and any excess fat that has accumulated around the love-handles, outer chest or thighs. Depending on the patient, a breast augmentation, lift and/or reduction (with or without fat grafting) can be performed on the breasts, while a tummy tuck and liposuction can be done to improve the look of the patient’s torso. Often liposuction of the inner and outer thighs along with other areas may be part of this surgery.

Arm Lift

Arm lift surgery (brachioplasty) is performed to tighten and smooth the appearance of the upper arms. In very mild cases, liposuction works well to improve the appearance of a heavy arm. In more severe cases, where there is loose skin, the excess tissue must be removed surgically in order to properly contour the shape of the arm. The amount of skin removed is based on the appearance of each patient, but generally involves a scar that runs down the inner arm to the elbow. We often combine arm contouring surgery with breast lifts and abdominoplasty surgery in patients that need comprehensive tightening.