What is Liposuction?
Types of liposuction
Considering Liposuction
Goals of Liposuction
Your Consultation
Choosing A Plastic Surgeon
Preparing for Liposuction
The Cost
After Surgery
What Sets Dr. Weintraub Apart

What is Liposuction?

Liposuction, also known as body contouring or suction-assisted lipectomy, is the surgical removal of localized or regional excess fat. Liposuction is commonly performed in the areas of the neck, arms, breasts (in men this procedure is called “gynecomastia”), upper and lower abdomen, flanks, back, outer thighs (“saddlebags”), inner thighs, buttocks, inner knees, calves and ankles.

Dr. Weintraub does not make incisions in the skin for liposuction. He prefers creating punctate apertures with a very small needle to accommodate the lipo cannula so that there are no visible scars or telltale signs of the liposuction surgery.

There are several different types of liposuction:

Traditional liposuction is the careful removal of volumes of unwanted subcutaneous fat through very small hollow tubes called cannulae. Contrary to popular thought, liposuction is not “vacuum cleaning” fat away, but rather, with each pass of the cannula, a volume of fat is extracted, leaving in its wake many tunnels that look on cross section like Swiss cheese. Because each tunnel represents an extracted volume of fat, the skin with its overlying elasticity collapses onto the underlying fascia, thus creating a slimmer profile.

Tumescent liposuction, or super-wet technique, requires an infusion of saline solution prior to liposuction surgery that is injected into unwanted fatty areas to loosen the fat and minimize bleeding and bruising by constricting the blood vessels.

Laser liposuction, commonly called “Smart Lipo” is not liposuction at all. The laser cannula is basically likened to a violin string with no open hole, but is instead a laser-lit probe. The probe is passed under the skin to melt away the unwanted fat, transforming it into an oil that must then be removed by traditional liposuction. Laser lipo is useful for small areas such as the neck and under the arms, but Dr. Weintraub does not consider it to be effective for large areas as it leaves an enormous amount of oil under the skin that can be predisposed to seroma formation.

Ultrasound-assisted liposuction, or UAL, uses ultrasonic energy to loosen the fat to make it easier to extract.

While liposuction can reshape body contours, it not a treatment for obesity or a substitute for proper diet and exercise. However, after undergoing liposuction, many patients find it easier to be inspired to live a healthier, thinner lifestyle, and continued weight loss and improvement of self-esteem are not uncommon.

Considering Liposuction

There is no specific chronological age that determines when you should have liposuction; the best way to know when it’s right to call for a consultation for liposuction in New York is when you see something that truly bothers you when you look in the mirror. Likewise, there is only one person to have plastic surgery for: you and you alone. It should never be undertaken due to pressure from others.

Goals of Liposuction

No matter how much some people diet and exercise, there are certain areas that they can not effectively reshape. The goal of liposuction is to create pleasing contours, so that the slender and sylvan curves of youth reappear.

Liposuction can effectively remove the unattractive “muffin top” of excess fat that bulges out over the top of a waistband. It can also exchange a pear shape for an hourglass shape by removing unwanted fat from the abdomen and flanks. Liposuction is often done in concert with breast augmentation for the woman who finds herself bottom heavy and too small on top. Similarly, it can be done on the neck and under the chin when performing a Short Scar Facelift or other facial surgery, redefining the jaw line and getting rid of the terribly unwelcome “double chin.” For the woman who finds herself avoiding short-sleeved shirts, liposuction can reduce excess arm fat, as well as the saddlebags of hips and thighs, or chunky knees that can make many people self conscious.

Although women have a propensity to gain weight in the central torso and thighs, men tend to develop a “spare tire” of excess fat around the abdomen and flanks. Certain men also suffer from abnormal development of mammary glands (“gynecomastia”) which produces enlarged breasts. Dr. Weintraub uses cannulae made for specifically for male gynecomastia surgery when performing this procedure.

Patient Results

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Your Consultation

You’ve certainly looked in the mirror many times. However, when you look in the mirror and begin to see things that upset you, that’s when you should schedule a consultation. A consultation will help give you a better understanding of your own issues.

When choosing a surgeon, you should:

Check for board certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (there are many other boards, some legitimate, some not, but there is only one American Board of Plastic Surgery, established in 1931).
Ensure that the physician attends a major hospital in your community, and is in good standing with that hospital.
Confirm that he or she has a fine reputation amongst other medical professionals in your community.
Speak to the surgeon’s patients who have undergone similar procedures.

Remember, this is your surgery, and you are interviewing the doctor as much as he’s interviewing you. Do not hesitate to bring a list of questions with you on your consultation. And remember: a good surgeon is someone who not only has the skill to perform the surgery, but is someone who understands what your specific needs and desires are. A good surgeon should listen, listen, and listen!

Have no fear during your consultation. This is a time to speak, to be heard, to learn, and to develop a trusting relationship. Questions can be answered, and fears allayed. And while Dr. Weintraub is at the cutting edge of his field in terms of technique and medical developments, you will find his office environment to be comforting, personable, and inviting. He and his staff truly care about each and every patient, and take great pride in making themselves available to help with every step of the process.

Preparing for Liposuction

Once you have decided to make this exciting new change, you will need to provide medical clearance from your family physician. You will be given instructions as to how to prepare for the specific surgery you have chosen, and will be given prescriptions to be filled in advance. Garments will be ordered for you by Dr. Weintraub’s office. For those patients who live beyond a 50-mile radius of New York City, Dr. Weintraub advises a two-night post-operative stay at The Mark or The Carlyle Hotel, where his patients are given a special reduced rate, and where he will visit you after your procedure. A private nurse can also be provided.

The Cost

Each patient is individual in his/her own makeup and anatomical configuration. Therefore, in order to give an accurate quote, it is best to schedule a consultation that will allow Dr. Weintraub to appropriately judge what is involved. For those patients who live overseas or outside the New York metropolitan area, photographs can be emailed or sent to the office, and a phone consultation can then take place.

After Surgery

There will always be a short period of minimal swelling and sometimes bruising. You must carefully follow all instructions provided by Dr. Weintraub in order to achieve the best results possible. Mild pain medication, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, and medication to reduce swelling are all begun immediately following surgery.

When you return home from your surgery, you will be wearing a specially contoured garment. Of paramount importance is the fitting and application of appropriately sized compressive garments. Dr. Weintraub’s office will already have assessed the proper size for you, and all garments are custom made. The consistent wearing of these garments is of utmost importance to ensure that the skin over the liposuctioned area adheres snugly and smoothly. Two to three days after surgery, you will be able to shower, as Dr. Weintraub is a firm believer in early showering. He will advise you as to when you can return to your normal lifestyle and exercise routine.

What Sets Dr. Weintraub Apart

Dr. Weintraub has always been blessed with a strong aesthetic sense. He possesses a unique blend of medical science and artwork, as it truly is artwork that he performs on the human form. His attention to detail ensures that he gets the best results possible, and he is meticulous about everything he does, from pre-op to post-op care and beyond.*

He studied medicine at Cornell during a time when core values were emphasized, and it is on these values that he bases his practice. He believes that physicians should be humble and respectful, and should never lose sight that the person they are operating on is exactly that: a person possessing real-life issues and concerns. The chairmen of the department of general surgery at Cornell at the time, Dr. Tom Shires, along with another luminary, Dr. Leon Morgenstern of Cedars-Sinai, taught Dr. Weintraub that “The operating room is a sacred place. It’s a very serious place. Never be cavalier about surgery.”

During his surgical residence training, Dr. Weintraub regularly visited Mexico to donate his time operating on deformed children and adults who couldn’t afford proper healthcare. In less-than-optimal conditions, he learned how to perform surgery with the basics, and received great satisfaction in making profound differences in people’s lives by restoring their faces and bodies. Similarly, when he was Chief Resident at the New York Hospital – Cornell Medical Center, and later when he was Chief Resident at the Reconstructive Unit at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, he found that his compassion for patients, along with his skill and precision as a surgeon, could change lives and bring people joy they never thought possible.

Dr. Weintraub believes that surgery is never a race. The patient is always number one. He keeps in his wallet a piece of paper that is his motto in the operating room: “Always demand what is right, and never accept second best.” He likes to consider himself a “thinking surgeon,” and does not enter the operating room with a mechanical series of steps to execute robotically, but likes to remain alert and ready for whatever intraoperative challenges might spontaneously arise. Although many notable surgeons openly listen to music while performing surgery, Dr. Weintraub does not, preferring the mood of the operating room to remain serious and focused.

Over 60% of Dr. Weintraub’s practice is comprised of complex redos of surgeries performed by other offices. Such procedures always involve difficult issues, since there exist not only the limitations of a patient’s own anatomy, but also the limitations of another surgeon’s aesthetic, and the scar tissue that has developed as a result. Patients seek Dr. Weintraub from all over the world to correct their aesthetic problems. He takes great pride in getting the best results, and always enjoys the challenges of such procedures.

Last, Dr. Weintraub will not hesitate to turn patients away if he feels they are not good candidates for surgery. If a surgery is not in someone’s best interest, he will be the first to say so. However, when a patient is a good candidate, the results produced by Dr. Weintraub can be magical, and he feels that it is an honor to give patients a gift they can enjoy for the rest of their lives.

How To Get Started

Dr. Weintraub and his staff will be happy to discuss a Liposuction with you. Please call our office for a private consultation. We hope you look forward to our warm welcome and the opportunity for us to help you make an educated and confident decision.

Contact our office today to set up your consultation for liposuction.