SAFELipo®, EVL™, and Tummy Tuck: An Excellent Combination

When I’m evaluating a candidate for tummy tuck or liposuction here in Shreveport, my focus is always on how I can safely create amazing results for the patient. One of the many things that I do differently from other plastic surgeons is that I take the entire female or male silhouette into account.  How is this so different?  Most plastic surgeons who perform tummy tucks, technically called abdominoplasty, look to flatten out the lower tummy by removing some loose skin and (hopefully) tightening the abdominal muscles a bit.  Some of them will actually perform a bit of liposuction to help narrow the waist or reduce the hips a bit.  The results are pretty so-so and there’s not much abdominal definition or shaping into the back or down into the buttocks or legs.  In contrast, I am performing a circumferential contouring of the entire trunk, buttocks, and thighs.  This means that I’m contouring and shaping the back, waist, hips, buttocks, and thighs all together, all the way around the body, not to mention creating a three dimensional and contoured abdomen with an impeccably recreated belly button and ridiculously low and concealed abdominoplasty scar.  The beautiful belly buttons and easily concealed scars are important to my patients, but even more important are the comprehensive shape changes they get from incorporating their preferences into the surgery.

Some women want a narrower, higher, more muscular, athletic buttock shape to go along with their new waistline.  Other women prefer a somewhat more dramatic, voluptuous, rounded buttock shape to complement their newly tapered waist.  How do we accomplish all of this?  My typical “makeover” procedure is tailored to each individual’s wants and needs, keeping in mind their unique anatomical features.   I’m combining circumferential SAFELipo with an innovative way to augment the buttocks using the patient’s own fat, called Expansion Vibration Lipofilling (EVL). Most people know I developed SAFELipo in order take liposuction to another level of consistency, smoothness, and ability to remove maximal amounts of fat without creating a contour deformity.  What they may not know is that I developed EVL back in 2004 and have improved on it continually so that it is now an automated, efficient, and potentially safer way to fat graft the buttocks.  After SAFELipo and EVL, a three-dimensional abdominoplasty is performed to maximally narrow the waist and flatten the tummy, leaving beautiful contours and outlines of the musculature- and always with a ridiculously low and concealable scar.

A tummy tuck is not just a tummy tuck in my practice.  My tummy tucks dramatically reshape the entire silhouette, always keeping in mind each patient’s personal preferences.  When comparing another surgeon’s “tummy tuck” to my procedure, one has to take into account that I am performing a circumferential procedure that is incorporating many other parts of the body in order to give the desired results.  This approach takes time to be done right, and although it might be somewhat more expensive than a simple “tummy tuck” somewhere else, there is significantly more value for patients using this approach. In this video, my wife, Dr. Holly Wall, and I talk about our unique approach to tummy tuck.

We always get a lot of questions about SAFELipo.  SAFELipo is unique among liposuction techniques because it employs a 3-step process to separate and loosen fat before removing it, followed by equalizing and smoothing the remaining fat for even results. This is especially useful when performed in concert with a tummy tuck because it allows maximal fat reduction without damaging the abdominoplasty flap.  For patients, this means that their results are more dramatic without increasing risks of complications, and without having to undergo another operation later to remove excess fat around the waist and tummy.  This approach leads to a beautiful, three-dimensional abdominal wall that nicely “blends” into a smoother, slimmer waist, back, hips, and buttocks. This is what I mean when I say results that are “cohesive”–when neighboring areas of the body visually complement one another, results appear much more natural.

Combining SAFELipo, EVL, and tummy tuck produces deeper patient satisfaction and possibly improved safety. When tummy tuck surgery is performed without lipo, results are often unsatisfying. Having additional body contouring after the initial surgery means another operation and the risks that go along with it. The safety and efficacy of SAFELipo are well established, even when combined with other procedures. When it comes to my patients’ satisfaction, I really want to give them the results they deserve, ideally from one procedure.

My commitment to superior patient care requires that I offer my patients a path to the best possible results, which to me means results that look harmonious and beautiful from all angles. Often, the best approach involves combining procedures, and tummy tuck, SAFELipo, and EVL of the buttocks are three that I believe go hand-in-hand.