Cosmetic Surgery, Health and Fitness Information - The Adams Center, Boston, MA

Zerona Advances in Non-Surgical Body Contouring/Liposuction

Recently, there have been several breakthroughs in non-surgical body sculpting, either for cellulite reduction or for fat reduction. One of these is the new Zerona™ system from ERCHONIA®, which was recently cleared by the FDA for use in laser assisted liposuction.

The Zerona Laser Scanner is designed to be used as either an aid during surgical Liposuction, or as a stand-alone non-invasive body contouring method. The system works by utilizing a low frequency laser scanner to help liquefy fatty tissue under the skin, which then gets passed through the body during the detoxification process.

Zerona has shown decent results during clinical testing as a stand-alone procedure. Patients treated with the system averaged a loss of 3-4 inches, with some losing as much as 9 inches, compared to a placebo group that lost only a half an inch. Additionally, testing has shown Zerona to be a very comfortable procedure for patients. Since the system uses a low level laser, no heat is produced, so most patients say they didn’t feel anything.

Treatment takes 40 minutes and needs to be administered three times a week over a two week period for best results.

Unlike other procedures, Zerona allows patients to continue their daily activities without interruptions from surgery, pain, wounds or garments.

Contact me by e-mail, or by calling me at The Adams Center in my Peabody office at 978-531-0550, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog.

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field.

Breakthroughs in Non-Surgical Body Sculpting

Recently, there have been several breakthroughs in non-surgical body sculpting, either for cellulite reduction or for fat reduction. One of these is the new Zerona™ system from ERCHONIA®, which was recently cleared by the FDA for use in laser assisted liposuction.

The Zerona Laser Scanner is designed to be used as either an aid during surgical Liposuction, or as a stand-alone non-invasive body contouring method. The system works by utilizing a low frequency laser scanner to help liquefy fatty tissue under the skin, which then gets passed through the body during the detoxification process.

Zerona has shown decent results during clinical testing as a stand-alone procedure. Patients treated with the system averaged a loss of 3-4 inches, with some losing as much as 9 inches, compared to a placebo group that lost only a half an inch. Additionally, testing has shown Zerona to be a very comfortable procedure for patients. Since the system uses a low level laser, no heat is produced, so most patients say they didn’t feel anything.

Treatment takes 40 minutes and needs to be administered three times a week over a two week period for best results.

Unlike other procedures, Zerona allows patients to continue their daily activities without interruptions from surgery, pain, wounds or garments.

Contact me by e-mail, or by calling me at The Adams Center in my Peabody office at 978-531-0550, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog.

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field.

Can I have multiple procedures done during the same visit?

I’ve received several questions from patients really on whether or not they can have multiple procedures done during the same visit.

The short answer is yes, you can. However, the real limiter is the type of anesthesia selected.

Take liposuction for example. We often do smaller areas of liposuction under a local anesthesia with oral sedation. This method allows us a smaller window of time, so larger procedures aren’t possible. However, we can do larger areas under a general anesthesia. This also allows us to do combinations of surgeries.

A recent patient wanted to have liposuction and breast augmentation done at the same time as part of a “Mommy Makeover.” While we only did those two surgeries for that patient, I’ve had patients choose to have liposuction, breast augmentation with a breast lift, and a blepharoplasty. So there are fewer limitations under general anesthesia.

Having multiple procedures done at the same time is actually a smart choice for most of us. There is usually a shorter overall recovery time, a lower overall cost, and in many cases, we’re finding that combination treatments actually provide better results.

Contact me by e-mail, or by calling me at The Adams Center in my Peabody office at 978-531-0550, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog.

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field.

Combine Liposuction and Tummy Tuck for Better Results

I recently read a great article in the Journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (Heller, Teng, Knoll, Persing) on combining Liposuction with a Tummy Tuck in a procedure called "Lipoabdominoplasty".

The study compared the satisfaction levels, complication rates, and revision rates for patients who had just a Liposuction, patients who had a traditional Tummy Tuck, a modified version of the Tummy Tuck (called a modified low transverse abdominoplasty), and a combination of the modified Tummy Tuck with Liposuction.

The bottom line was that patients who combined the modified Tummy Tuck with Liposuction 1) were significantly happier with the end result, 2) had much lower complication rates, and 3) had far fewer revisions than those who had traditional Abdominoplasty.

This is just one example of how the field of cosmetic surgery is constantly evolving, and learning better ways to enhance patient outcomes, and add to satisfaction levels.

Contact me by e-mail, or by calling me at The Adams Center in my Peabody office at 978-531-0550, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog.

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field.

What's a "Mommy Makeover"?

Q: What is a “Mommy Makeover”?

A: A "Mommy Makeover" is usually considered to be a combination of procedures like tummy tucks, breast augmentation, and breast lifts, and in some cases Liposuction. According to ASPS statistics, “Mommy Makeovers” saw an 11 percent increase from 2005 to 2006 in women ages 20-39, and were among the most popular procedures.

With women giving birth later, trying to juggle motherhood, while managing their careers and busy schedules, cosmetic surgery has become a great solution to returning to pre-pregnancy shape.

Contact me by e-mail, or by calling me at The Adams Center in my Peabody office at 978-531-0550, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog.

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field.

Can I have Liposuction on multiple areas of my body during one visit?

Q: I'm thinking about having liposuction for my upper arms, front and back of armpit area. I'm not extremely overweight, but these areas have not gotten any smaller with exercise, and are out of proportion with the rest of my body. Can this all be done at once?

A: Liposuction is a great way to treat these areas. All of the areas you mention can be operated on in one session. In fact, many of our patients find doing this all at once preferable to minimize recovery time.

Contact me by e-mail, or by calling me at The Adams Center in my Peabody office at 978-531-0550, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog.

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field.

The Truth About Non-Surgical Body Contouring Methods. Do They Work?

I often get questions from patients wanting to know about a non-surgical way to reduce unwanted, localized fat deposits and cellulite. People are sometimes put off by liposuction/body contouring surgery because of cost, downtime, or fear of complications.

Many times, these patients are inquiring about a procedure known as Mesotherapy.

What is Mesotherapy
Mesotherapy is touted as a non-surgical method to remove fat and cellulite deposits. The procedure involves the injection of an unstandardized, and proprietary (to the mesotherapist) “cocktail” of vitamins, herbs, drugs (not necessarily FDA approved for this procedure), amino acids, local anesthetics, and more; into the targeted area.

Mesotherapy injections supposedly work by targeting fat cells, rupturing the cell, thus causing the fat cells to die. The theory is that the fat will then get washed out of your system through your body’s normal waste disposal.

Often times, a series of 10 – 15 injections are the recommended course of treatment. At $500 per injection, the cost is significant, especially for a procedure that may not work.

Does Mesotherapy Work?
The short answer is probably not.

Although Mesotherapy has been in use throughout Europe, and South America for approximately 50 years, there have been no true studies proving that it works. Proponents point to a 1995 UCLA study that showed positive results; however, since the Mesotherapy “cocktail” isn’t standardized, it would be hard to draw any conclusions between that study, and the treatment administered by a particular practitioner.

In some cases, not only does Mesotherapy not work, it can be harmful. A drug called phosphatidylcholine (used to treat liver problems and high blood pressure as well as break down fat deposits on artery walls) is sometimes used in Mesotherapy. Studies conducted in Brazil showed such a high incidence of hepatitis and liver failure in patients treated with a Mesotherapy “cocktail” that included phosphatidylcholine that the drug was subsequently made illegal in that country.

Then What Does Work?
There are also several interesting non-surgical methods that either are available now, or should be available soon.

• Liposonix ® and UltraShape ® are both ultrasound based lipoplasty methods currently being reviewed by the FDA (neither has been approved as of yet). If approved, ultrasound-based lipoplasty (which uses an external ultrasound device to target and destroy fat cells) may offer patients a convenient non-surgical alternative to traditional liposuction.
• Triactive - TriActive uses a combination of massage and diode lasers to smooth and tighten cellulite. 10 – 15 treatments may be needed. Results are long-lasting, but temporary.
• Velasmooth – This FDA approved treatment combines massage with infrared energy and radio frequency (RF) energy. The procedure works by heating skin to increase skin tightening and stimulate collagen while breaking up fat cells. Results are long-lasting, but temporary.
• Accent RF - Accent uses a type of RF energy that heats deeper layers of skin to create better skin tightening and increase fat cell drainage. 6 – 8 treatments are necessary, with results seen in 3 to 6 months. The FDA has approved Accent RF as a non-invasive wrinkle treatment, but not specifically for cellulite removal at this time. Results are long-lasting, but temporary.

As of now, Liposuction remains the only approved, permanent fat reducing method available. We know that liposuction works. It’s safe when performed by a qualified plastic surgeon, there are measurable results to back it up, and the the fat reduction is permanent.

Contact me by e-mail, or by calling me at The Adams Center in my Peabody office at 978-531-0550, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog.

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field.

Does Mesotherapy Work?

Q: I started mesotherapy treatments a few months ago. I have had 4 so far but don't see any significant change. I opted for it instead of liposuction because it was non-surgical, and less expensive. I am a size 8, eat right, excercise and I'm in good health. Does mesotherapy usually work, or is liposuction the only thing that really will?

A: I do not recommend Mesotherapy. The drugs, vitamins, etc. put into the injections may vary, and some are not approved for the mesotherapy procedure. In general, 10 - 15 treatments are often recommended, and at $500 per treatment, the costs are substantial, especially for a treatment that often does not produce results.

Contact me by e-mail, or by calling me at The Adams Center in my Peabody office at 978-531-0550, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog.

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field.

Mommy Makeovers

According to ASPS statistics, so called “Mommy Makeover” procedures like tummy tucks, breast augmentation and breast lifts saw an 11 percent increase from 2005 to 2006 in women ages 20-39, and were among the most popular procedures.

With women giving birth later, trying to juggle motherhood, while managing their careers, and busy schedules, cosmetic surgery has become a great solution to returning to pre-pregnancy shape.

Contact me by e-mail, or by calling me at The Adams Center in my Peabody office at 978-531-0550, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog.

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field.

Is Non-Surgical Liposuction Effective?

While SmartLipo™, and other laser-assisted liposuction procedures are all the rage in the media right now, traditional methods may be the best, according to a recently published study in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal.

Although it was approved by the FDA in 2006, SmartLipo™ is controversial for some experts due to recent data that shows that the procedure is no more effective than traditional liposuction. Additionally, the procedure releases free fatty acids when destroying the fat cells and may present risks to the liver and kidneys.

SmartLipo™ can take longer than traditional liposuction, and be more costly. Balancing all of these factors, SmartLipo™ does not have an advantage over standard liposuction.

Two other non-surgical ultrasound based lipoplasty methods currently under review are Liposonix ® and UltraShape ® (neither has been approved by the FDA as of yet). If approved, ultrasound-based lipoplasty (which uses an external ultrasound device to target and destroy fat cells) may offer patients a convenient non-surgical alternative to traditional liposuction.

Contact me by e-mail, or by calling me at The Adams Center in my Peabody office at 978-531-0550, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog.

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field.