Liposuction consultation process
This page complements our main page on Vaser liposuction, providing more in-depth information on how we use the consultation process at the Dr. Alex Chambers Clinic to achieve the best possible aesthetic results for our patients. The consultation will help your surgeon better understand your expectations and your body, as well as provide invaluable information needed for you to make a decision about whether Vaser lipo is right for you.
Our consultation process consists of four main components:
- Understanding patient expectations
- Evaluating skin thickness and elasticity
- Measuring the amount of fat to remove
- Taking stock of any muscular asymmetries
Patient expectations
Before undertaking a Vaser lipo procedure, each patient will want to know what can be reasonably achieved. Thus, a key step in the consultation process is discussing the patient’s objectives, and comparing this to results achieved for other patients of similar age, gender, skin type, and body type as your own. We will show you before and after photos of our past procedures, and this will allow you to make the best informed decision about whether a Vaser lipo treatment is right for you.
In addition to reviewing before and after photos of similar patients, your surgeon will examine you and make an evaluation of your suitability for this type of procedure. This examination will include measuring the elasticity of your skin, the amount of fat to remove, muscle tone, and any underlying muscular asymmetries.
Skin thickness and elasticity
When removing fat, it is important to know whether the skin will be sufficiently elastic to smoothly retract with a minimum of wrinkling. Thicker skin is more elastic, and during the consultation in our clinic, the surgeon will make ultrasound measurements of your skin thickness. From this, you will get a good idea of how well your skin will retract after surgery. If the skin in the areas to be treated is too thin, treatments can be proposed to improve its quality prior to undergoing the procedure. These can include a variety of skin therapies such as micro-needling, gold thread rejuvenation, and platelet rich plasma injections.
Fat volume
Your surgeon will also use ultrasound measurements to determine the fat volume to be removed. This is accurately calculated as a function of the fat layer thickness and the surface of the areas to be treated. The total amount of fat to be removed will also depend on the degree of liposuction to be undertaken. High-def Vaser lipo will remove more fat than general body sculpting.
After the surgeon has taken the ultrasound measurements, the fat volume to be removed is calculated using a spreadsheet. This is then used to provide the best price for your liposuction procedure.
Muscular asymmetries
Finally, the ultrasound measurements will also be used to take stock of any underlying muscle mass asymmetries. Most people are stronger on one side of their body than the other, and this information will help the surgeon deliver a more balanced, aesthetic result for you.
