Body
Dr. Short’s Philosophy: Body Contouring Surgery
Dr. Kimberly Short, a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, has extensive training in the field of plastic surgery and body contouring. Dr. Short was able to travel to Europe and learn from the leading surgeons in ultrasonic liposuction development and the early introduction of ultrasound assisted liposuction in Europe (Paris) and the United States. Dr. Short was the first in Indianapolis to use the external and internal ultrasound for liposuction and started the first FDA trial in Indiana at St. Francis Hospital. Dr. Short uses the tumescent technique and ultrasound assisted liposuction technique.
Liposuction terms such as SmartLipo and Laser Liposuction have been gaining popularity from the media, but Dr. Kimberly Short, does not believe either of these techniques offer advantages compared to the ultrasound assisted liposuction technique. Dr. Short’s liposuction technique is a four step technique which includes, tumescent, external and internal ultrasound, and traditional liposuction. Dr. Short believes in the ultrasound assisted liposuction because it gives patients superior results to traditional liposuction alone as well as the less invasive options such as SmartLipo and Laser Liposuction. For patients whom are looking for a non-surgical option to achieve a reduction in localized areas of fullness, Dr. Kimberly Short is able to offer patients mesotherapy or lipolysis treatments. Mesotherapy, Lipolysis or referred to as Lipodissolve is the practice of using microinjections of phosphatdilycholine (PCC) in the mesoderm or middle layer of the skin to remove unwanted fat without surgery or a recovery period.
In performing body contouring procedures, it is Dr. Short’s goal to shape and contour the patients body. With liposuction, Dr. Short advocates a four step liposuction technique employing both the internal and external ultrasound. Dr. Short utilizes a technique referred to as tumescent liposuction. This procedure involves the injection of local anesthetic in solution, which causes a contraction of the blood vessels and significantly decreases blood loss. The local anesthesia, or numbing agent, will provide patients with adequate pain control after surgery as well. The tumescent technique decreases recovery time and, in addition, significantly improves the smoothness of the result and decreases bruising and discomfort after liposuction. With liposuction, Dr. Short is able to achieve a permanent, improvement in contour with reduction of fullness in desired areas emphasizing the feminine silhoutte for several reasons, one being that Dr. Short uses both the internal and external ultrasound-assisted liposuction techniques. The advantage is that the fat is actually melted prior to being suctioned, and therefore larger quantities of fat can be removed without leaving the patient with irregularities. In addition, Dr. Short uses very small cannulas to suction the fat so there is less risk of the patients being uneven or having skin irregularities. Dr. Short’s intention is not to suction as much fat as possible, which only leaves the patient looking unnatural, but to honor the curvature of the female body. The external ultrasound provides better skin contraction and a more “smooth” result and the internal ultrasound assisted liposuction also provides improved skin contraction, decreased skin irregularities, and increased fat removal.
Dr. Short incorporates liposuction for contouring purposes into her tummy tucks or body lift procedures such as a buttock lift or thigh lift as well. With combining liposuction into a body lift procedure, Dr. Short’s liposuction approach is more conservative to ensure adequate blood supply to the tissue. In some patients, for optimal body contouring results, staged ultrasound assisted liposuction to reduce the liposity or fullness to the area followed by the body lift procedure to address the excess skin redunndancy and muscle wall laxity is recommended. This staged approach will increase blood flow to the tissue to reduce the risk of complications related to healing and achieve the desired outcome.
Dr. Short’s Philosophy on Abdominal Rejuvenation
In order to rejuvenate the abdominal area, Dr. Short must first evaluate the area and address your desired outcome, which will lead her to a decision of mesotherapy or lipolysis (lipodissolve) (fat dissolving injections), liposuction to the abdomen only, abdominoplasty procedure only or staged liposuction followed by an abdominoplasty. The technique for abdominal rejuvenation can be approached with several options depending on the degree of abdominal wall laxity following childbirth, stretch marks to the abdomen, abdominal crease attachments, and excess skin laxity. For each option, a recovery period must be considered and addressing the patients goals and expectations is important to her recommendation. The goal of each procedure is the same, to improve the appearance of the abdomen, but the procedures are quite different.
If you are mainly concerned with a “pocket of fat” in the lower abdomen you are probably a better candidate for liposuction. Liposuction to the abdomen will reduce the fatty tissue layer, promote skin contraction for skin in good condition and you will look better in clothes, but it will not improve stretch marks or loose skin. If you’re more concerned about stretch marks, skin laxity, or a fatty (“jelly-like”) appearance of the skin of the abdomen, a “tummy tuck” or an abdominoplasty will be recommeded. A tummy tuck will remove the stretch marks to the skin, tighten the skin envelope and repair the separation of the rectus muscles. Dr. Short will review with you in detail the options that are available and what would be the best treatment for your concerns.
Body contouring and body lift procedures are becoming more popular and performed more often especially with the increase in weight loss procedures. With significant weight loss and childbirth, the laxity of the skin and muscles are stretched and a body contouring procedure address excess, loose, damaged skin is recommended to rejuvenate and re-establish the contours of the body. Dr. Short will place special emphasis on maintaining a feminine contour.
