There are common areas of the body that many men and women feel frustrated by when it comes to shedding excess fat. “Love handles,” “saddle bags,” “bat wings,” and jowls, among other areas of the body, can be difficult to target through diet and exercise. Even when the traditional route does result in some success, other concerns may arise, such as loose skin that has not bounced back due to a loss in collagen and elasticity. Both surgeons at Clevens Face and Body Specialists perform a highly effective procedure known as SmartLipo that addresses trouble spots, with Dr. Ross Clevens using the technique to refine the face and neck and Dr. Amy Simon (formerly Dr. Ortega) contouring the body.

SmartLipo MPX by Cynosure goes by many names, including SmartLipo Laser Body Sculpting, SmartLipo TriPlex, laser-assisted lipolysis, and laser assisted body contouring. The procedure is the first laser assisted lipolysis system to be approved by the FDA for the safe breakdown of fats. SmartLipo is minimally invasive and offers many benefits over traditional liposuction, including better results, reduced downtime, and less discomfort. Additionally, unlike with other liposuction techniques, SmartLipo’s laser energy works to tighten the skin by coagulating underlying tissues. Firming the skin prevents dimpling and sagging that can occur when fat is removed.

What may be helped?

Ideally, candidates for SmartLipo are healthy and maintain a balanced diet and exercise regularly. Despite their lifestyle, they are unable to lose weight around the abdomen, arms, neck, or other areas. SmartLipo targets many of the most common areas of concern for patients, including those on the face, neck, and body. The procedure reduces fat from the:

• Abdomen
• Love handles
• Thighs
• Arms
• Neck
• Jowls
• Cheeks

SmartLipo is frequently used as an alternative to surgeries such as a facelift and necklift, and may also help to reduce fine lines and improve skin discoloration.

How does SmartLipo work?

SmartLipo technology blends two wavelengths of laser energy to melt unwanted fat deposits and tighten the surrounding tissues through coagulation. A laser fiber is guided by a small cannula and inserted into the targeted area through a small pen-tip-sized incision. Energy is directly delivered to subcutaneous fat cells, resulting in the disruption of the fat cells and destroying them. The fat is then removed with the cannula. The stimulation of collagen production that occurs with the delivery of the laser energy will immediately begin to tighten the skin.

Given the small size of the device, the minimal invasiveness of the delivery of the laser energy, and the gentleness with which the liquefied fat is suctioned out, only local anesthesia is used. The patient remains awake, but will not feel pain. The procedure is very safe and the risk of complication is greatly reduced. Coagulation of the blood vessels during the procedure results in less bleeding, as well as reduced swelling and bruising. SmartLipo is customizable to the needs of the patient. There are up to three wavelength options that may be utilized to maximize the results of the procedure.

SmartLipo Recovery

Due to limited bleeding, swelling, and bruising, healing and recovery following SmartLipo is faster than conventional liposuction. Only one treatment is typically needed to experience long-lasting results. Rather than a 5-7 day recovery period, as is common with liposuction surgery, only 2 days of downtime are needed with SmartLipo. Initial results will be noticeable within 1 week, with continued improvement over 3 to 6 months.

Patients may see some very mild bruising, which should resolve quickly. Most swelling and bruising is gone after about 1 week. In some cases, depending on the treatment site, patients are able to return to work the next day instead of waiting the customary 2 days.