Insights from Chicago’s Leader in Local Anesthesia Liposuction
Dr. John Q. Cook, the founder and director of the Whole Beauty® Institute in Chicago and Winnetka, has performed a variety of liposuction techniques under local anesthesia for many years. Current techniques that we perform under local include classical liposuction, Vaser® liposuction, SmartLipo® and SlimLipo® laser liposuction, SAFElipo, and BodyTite®. Here is what we have learned from the hundreds of happy patients that we have treated with local anesthesia techniques:
1. You don’t have to experience surgery in a state of starvation
In the United States most centers require a prolonged period of fasting before any procedure that requires general anesthesia or IV sedation. This means that the patient begins the procedure in a state of hunger and often low blood sugar. The patients feels awful even before the procedure and this amplifies the effects of the typical anesthesia “hangover.”
With local anesthesia liposuction, you can eat a light meal before your procedure, so you begin your day in a state of comfort.
2. Our patients like the safety of liposuction under local anesthesia
Many of the serious complications that can occur with a procedure such as liposuction are anesthesia related. The safety of modern anesthetic techniques in the United States is a medical triumph, but complications cannot be reduced to zero. Local anesthesia provides a remarkable degree of safety.
3. Patient anxiety is reduced with local anesthetic techniques
At our centers in Winnetka and Chicago, we maximize patient comfort and well-being. We establish a calm mood for our patients from the moment they arrive for surgery. Over the years we have learned that much of the anxiety that surrounds surgery is really related to concern about anesthesia, rather than the surgery itself. The anesthesia-related anxiety is relieved with local anesthesia techniques.
4. Local anesthesia liposuction is not for everyone
We carefully screen our patients to make sure that the local anesthesia experience will be the right choice. Some people are just terrified of any procedure, even going to the dentist. For someone like this IV sedation or a light general anesthetic administered by an expert level anesthesiologist makes sense. For these patients, we carry out surgery at a top level surgical facility near our Chicago office.
5. Local anesthesia liposuction works best in small doses
If a patient has many zones that he or she wants to be treated, it is not practical to treat these in a single session. Under these circumstances, there are two choices. Very often patients will come in for several treatments of local anesthesia liposuction, sometimes separated by just a few days. Another option is to treat all areas at one session but to do so under IV sedation at the surgical facility that we have selected for our patients.
Liposuction Under Local Anesthesia – before and after
5. At the Whole Beauty® Institute, the majority of our liposuction is done under local anesthesia
Word has spread about the success and comfort of local anesthesia liposuction at the Whole Beauty® Institute. Patients select us because of our reputation for artistic judgment, attention to detail, and high-quality results.
7. The fundamental rules of liposuction remain the same regardless of anesthesia technique
Liposuction of any sort is not a substitute for a foundation of good habits of diet and exercise. The purpose of liposuction is not to provide weight loss, but to contour the body into a beautiful shape.
8. Laser Liposuction and BodyTite® can tighten as well as reduce fat
Liposuction on its own will not tighten skin that is extremely loose. We have beautiful techniques of abdominoplasty and other body contour procedures that will take care of this. For patients with milder degrees of looseness laser liposuction techniques such as SlimLipo® and SmartLipo® can provide a deeper tightening. The Whole Beauty® team was the first practice in the Midwest to work with BodyTite®, a technology that provides significant tightening for patients with mild to moderate skin looseness, and we use this frequently in our patients.
Dr. Cook performs BodyTite® on a patient.
9. Experience, Credentials, and Artistic Judgement of the Surgeon are the Keys to Success
The techniques that Dr. Cook uses are the products of 20 years of refinement. Both liposuction and local anesthetic techniques are art forms. No matter how advanced the device, beautiful results occur only in the hands of an experienced plastic surgeon with a highly-developed visual aesthetic.
10. Most Patients are pleasantly surprised by the ease of recovery from local anesthesia liposuction
When we finish the procedure our patients are clear-headed. There is none of the fuzziness that many people experience after general anesthesia. We help the patient into his or her garment, and the patient has a refreshing drink of juice and is escorted by a team member to the person who will drive them home. With many of our techniques, the time necessary for the support garment has been significantly reduced. Most patients return to work and normal light activity very quickly.
Begin your body contour journey with a comprehensive evaluation
The Whole Beauty® Institute practice location in Winnetka
At the Whole Beauty® Institute we offer a comprehensive portfolio of body contour treatments. For the right patient non-invasive fat reduction with the SculpSure® technology can refine your contours with a pair of simple 25-minute treatments. For more powerful treatments we offer local anesthesia liposuction. If patients need the most significant correction, they will benefit from Dr. Cook’s extensive experience with abdominoplasty and other body contour surgeries. At your consultation we will consider your goals, life pattern, and the condition of your body to help you select the technique that will benefit you the most.
To schedule a consultation at our Chicago or Winnetka offices call 312-751-2112.