Category Archives: Liposuction

As the summer starts to heat up, many people making their way to the beautiful Florida beaches for some much needed vacation time. However, all of this fun in the sun can unfortunately cause a lot of negative thoughts and body insecurities to rise to the surface. Many women don’t feel as confident in a bathing suit as they would like, and spend valuable time and energy worrying about their appearance instead of enjoying their vacation time. In the era of body positivity, women can also feel pressured to embrace and celebrate their imperfections when the reality is, it’s perfectly normal to for there to be a few things you wish you could change. Fortunately, the power of modern plastic surgery offers safe and effective options for women looking to make impactful and lasting change when diet and exercise just don’t cut it. One of the most popular body contouring procedures today is liposuction, with over 400,000 procedures done each year and climbing! While there many different types of liposuction advertised, this blog post will discuss one of the safest and most reliable methods while answering the common question, “What is SAFE liposuction?”

Let’s start by breaking down the components of SAFE liposuction. SAFE stands for Separation, Aspiration, and Fat Equalization, which are the three basic steps of this method. During the first step, the fat in the areas being targeted is separated from the surrounding tissue. This is accomplished by introducing a sterile “tumescent” solution into the target areas through tiny incisions. This solution helps break up the fat and also contains lidocaine (a local anesthetic) and epinephrine (a blood vessel constrictor) to reduce bleeding and post-op pain. Next, aspiration is performed through the same small incisions by using long cannulas and suctioning out the unwanted fat. During this process, experienced board-certified plastic surgeons like Dr. Traci Temmen are skilled at not only removing the fat deposits in question, but also bringing out natural curves to sculpt an attractive hourglass silhouette. Once this is complete, the final step is fat equalization. During this step, the remaining thin layer of desired fat is equalized or redistributed to create a smooth, natural look. Once this process is complete, the incisions are closed, leaving behind tiny scars that become virtually invisible over time. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Traci Temmen utilizes the SAFE liposuction technique to ensure beautiful, natural-looking results for her patients with minimal scarring and downtime!

Now that we’ve discussed the mechanics of SAFE liposuction, let’s talk about if you may be a good candidate! In general, good candidates for liposuction are people who are close to their ideal body weight, but with a few stubborn fat deposits that have been resistant to diet and exercise. The areas that are most commonly targeted are the belly, back, and sides, but may also include the thighs, knees, ankles, upper arms, and neck. In addition, good liposuction candidates have good skin quality, meaning that their skin is supple and elastic. Patients with excess loose or sagging skin may benefit more from a procedure that includes skin excision in addition to liposuction, such as a tummy tuck. In addition to these factors, good surgical candidates are non-smokers, have a BMI less than 30, and any medical conditions they have are well-controlled. These criteria help ensure a safe procedure, healthy healing, and a beautiful outcome that the patient is satisfied with.

With swim suit season just around the corner, now is the time to start thinking more seriously about that body-sculpting procedure you’ve been considering! Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Traci Temmen is skilled and experienced at performing liposuction for her patients with consistently stunning results. Patients love seeing their stubborn fat deposits melt away once and for all, and can’t wait to show off their new figure at the pool or in their favorite sundress. To see beautiful examples of real patient transformations, please navigate to the Gallery tab of this website. If you’d like to learn more about if you may be a good candidate for liposuction or any other body-contouring procedure, please call 813-771-6393 to schedule your personal consultation with Dr. Traci Temmen today!

With bikini season on the horizon, many women may be thinking more and more about ways to flatten and tone their midsection. Dieting and exercise can make a big difference for many women, but unfortunately for some, even all of this hard work doesn’t quite get them the body they want. For these women, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Traci Temmen is happy to offer a variety of plastic surgery options to improve the appearance of the abdomen, helping women finally achieve the body of their dreams! This post will discuss two of these options in detail to help prospective patients learn more about if liposuction or tummy tuck is the best option for them.

Liposuction is the most popular plastic surgery in the country, helping countless patients flatten and tone their tummy to get the body they want. While there are many different types of liposuction advertised on the internet, most of them operate by the same basic concept of first infusing a solution that helps break up the fat, and then suctioning out the unwanted fat along with the solution. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Traci Temmen utilizes a technique called tumescent liposuction in her practice. This methodology is the top choice of many plastic surgeons as it is a safe, reliable, and consistently produces a natural looking and attractive result. In this method, a large volume of salt solution that includes local anesthetic (lidocaine) and a drug that constricts blood vessels (epinephrine) is first injected into the areas where fat will be removed. The lidocaine helps to reduce pain when the patient wakes up, the epinephrine decreases bleeding, and the salt solution helps separate the fat from the underlying tissues to facilitate removal. Liposuction is then performed to gently suction out the solution and the broken up fat. After liposuction is complete, Dr. Temmen ensures equal redistribution of the thin layer of natural fat that remains in order to ensure a smooth, flawless result.

In contrast to liposuction which works by suctioning out fat, a tummy tuck also surgically removes excess unwanted tissue and skin. In this procedure, Dr. Temmen starts with liposuction as described above to begin flattening the belly and sculpting the abdomen into an attractive hourglass. Once liposuction is complete, she then performs the “tummy tuck” part of the procedure by making a low horizontal incision on the abdomen under the bikini line. This allows excess sagging tissue and skin to be removed and the remaining tissue to be pulled neatly together to tighten and tone the abdomen. For women who have separation of the abdominal muscles secondary to pregnancy, weight gain, or aging, Dr. Temmen can also surgically pull these muscles back together to further cinch in the waistline. Women are typically very happy with their flattened, toned stomach created through tummy tuck, and are amazed that their resulting scar is shorter than that for a C-section, and easily concealed beneath most underwear or bathing suit bottoms.

Now that we have laid out the basics of these two procedures, let’s discuss the reasons why one might be a better fit over another for a given patient. Liposuction is a great option for women who wish to remove some stubborn fat deposits from their abdomen, but overall are happy with their overall abdominal tone. This means good candidates for liposuction generally don’t have a lot of loose hanging skin on their abdomen that they wish to remove, as that can only be accomplished through a tummy tuck. Women better suited to a tummy tuck may have extra sagging skin and tissue that has been stretched out by past weight gain or pregnancy that can be removed during this procedure. An additional factor some patients may want to consider is scar placement and size. Liposuction is accomplished through tiny laparoscopic incisions that are each only a few millimeters big. Tummy tuck also utilizes these small incisions for the liposuction portion of the procedure, but additionally requires the longer low transverse incision described above. Therefore, liposuction may be a more appealing option for those who really want their scars to be as tiny as possible. That being said, most women are very pleased with their tummy tuck scar since it is so easily hidden beneath standard underwear, and blends very well with the natural skin creases of the lower abdomen.

Liposuction and tummy tuck are both great options for patients to consider for flattening and smoothing their midsection. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Traci Temmen specializes in these procedures and prides herself in creating beautiful results her patients are happy with. To view real life examples of patient transformations, explore the Gallery tab of this website and see the amazing results for yourself! To learn more about if you may be a candidate for one of these life-changing procedures, call 813-771-6393 to book your one-on-one consultation with Traci Temmen, MD today.

Many people aren’t bothered by one particular area of their body, but rather wish that they could trim a little here and there to create an overall slimmer and shapelier physique. Fortunately, one such cosmetic surgery can do just that! Liposuction is a surgical procedure that has become very popular across the United States for providing safe and effective results that can be tailored to each unique patient. There are many different types of liposuction that pop up in the media, including everything from tumescent to ultrasound to laser-assisted. This post will speak briefly about the general process of liposuction as well as dispel some myths about one form of liposuction called “awake” or “no downtime” liposuction that patients may come across in their research.

Liposuction typically consists of two steps. The first step is breaking up the fat to prepare it to be suctioned. This can be accomplished with a chemical solution or another form of energy such as laser or ultrasound. Dr. Traci Temmen utilizes a method called tumescent liposuction where a fluid consisting of a saline solution, a local anesthetic, and a drug that constricts blood vessels is injected into the patient’s tissues. This helps to break up the fat and separate it from the surrounding tissues for later suction as well as reduce pain and bleeding. Liposuction is then performed where a hollow tube called a cannula that is attached to suction is gently maneuvered to loosen and remove the targeted fat deposits. Once the fat has been removed, Dr. Temmen takes care to equally redistribute the thin layer of remaining fat in order to ensure a smooth, natural-looking result. Dr. Temmen’s patients are consistently impressed with their new slim and sculpted physiques after liposuction, and thrilled that it was all accomplished through incisions that are only a quarter to half of an inch long!

Patients exploring different modes of liposuction may come across options that sound very appealing such as “awake” or “no downtime” liposuction. These are often advertised as having less risk due to being done under local anesthesia instead of general, being “less invasive”, and promising a shorter, more comfortable recovery period. Unfortunately, this marketing can sometimes be too good to be true. The way that this type of liposuction is performed is by injecting very large amounts of local anesthetic (lidocaine). This is what allows the patient to stay awake during the procedure but feel minimal discomfort. Unfortunately, high levels of local anesthetic can be toxic to the body. Therefore, this method generally only makes sense when performed on a very small targeted area of the body where not much lidocaine would be needed. However, the vast majority of patients desire a large area of their body (such as the abdomen, back, and sides) to be targeted in order to achieve an all-over slimming effect and sculpt the body into an attractive hourglass shape. In order to achieve this kind of result using awake liposuction techniques, such a large volume of local anesthetic would have to injected that it would be toxic to the patient. Therefore, in these cases the surgery must be divided over multiple days. At this point, it really makes more sense to perform liposuction in one sitting under general anesthesia rather than dragging out the procedure over multiple days. Utilizing general anesthesia safely allows the surgeon to create the best aesthetic result without the increased hassle and possible complications of multiple surgeries. Furthermore, because the main difference between these techniques is the amount of local anesthetic used but the surgical methods are the same, the recovery process for awake liposuction is about the same as for other types of liposuction and does not offer any advantage.

Liposuction is a powerful tool for removing stubborn fat deposits and contouring the body into the shape you desire. In the hands of an experienced and highly skilled board certified plastic surgeon like Dr. Traci Temmen, this technique is very safe and consistently produces beautiful and natural-looking results. To view real examples of past patient transformations, simply explore the Gallery tab of this website. If you are interested in learning more about if you may be a good candidate for liposuction or another cosmetic surgery procedure, please call 813-877-2277 to schedule your one-on-one consultation with Traci Temmen, MD today!

For many people, no matter how many miles they run or calories they cut, some stubborn fat deposits always remain. In particular, many women struggle to eliminate problem areas like “love handles” and “bra bulge” despite their best efforts. Fortunately, there is a safe and effective option for getting rid of these unsightly fat deposits once and for all – liposuction! In recent history, liposuction has steadily gained popularity by giving plastic surgeons the power to melt away fat to sculpt a slimmer, smoother physique. As liposuction has continued to grow, many different varieties have arisen for patients and surgeons to choose from. This post will give a brief overview of liposuction as well as answer a common question posed to board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Traci Temmen, which is, “What kind of liposuction is best?”

Liposuction was first invented in the 1970s, and since then has become the most common cosmetic surgery in America. Dr. Traci Temmen frequently performs liposuction for her patients both on its own and in conjunction with other procedures such as tummy tuck or Brazilian butt lift. When performed alone, liposuction may be used to eliminate problem areas of fat as well as sculpt an attractive hourglass figure. When performed with other procedures, liposuction can work synergistically to further enhance results. For example, a tummy tuck is a procedure that surgically removes fat from the abdomen to flatten the stomach. When combined with the power of liposuction, this procedure not only flattens the abdomen but also creates a natural looking, curvy waistline that has been tailored to match the patient’s anatomy and aesthetic goals. In the case of a Brazilian butt lift, liposuction is performed on the stomach, back and sides to harvest fat that will then be injected into the buttocks. This accomplishes two goals at once by bringing in the waistline and eliminating love handles while also adding extra volume and fullness to the butt.

As you can see, there are numerous applications of liposuction. Likewise, there are many different types that are often advertised, including everything from tickle to high def to ultrasound or laser assisted. These varieties differ in what is injected into the body to facilitate fat removal, as well as the method of preparing the fat to be suctioned (i.e. with IV solution vs ultrasound waves vs laser beam.) Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Traci Temmen utilizes a technique called tumescent liposuction in her practice. In this method, a large volume of fluid is first injected into the areas where fat will be removed. This fluid consists of a salt solution that includes local anesthetic (lidocaine) and a drug that constricts blood vessels (epinephrine). The lidocaine helps to reduce pain, the epinephrine lessens bleeding and bruising, and the salt solution helps break up the fat and separate it from the underlying tissues for easier removal. Liposuction is then performed to gently suction out the solution along with the accompanying fat. Once the fat has been removed, Dr. Temmen takes care to equally redistribute the thin layer of fat that remains in order to ensure a smooth, natural-looking result. This methodology is the top choice of many plastic surgeons as it is a safe, reliable, and consistently produces a natural looking and attractive result. Dr. Temmen’s patients are consistently impressed with their slim and sculpted physiques after liposuction, and are amazed at the tiny size of their surgical scars which become nearly invisible with time.

Liposuction is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures in America for a reason – It can dramatically affect the appearance of the body while perserving patient safety and comfort and minimizing scars and down time. Dr. Temmen is highly skilled and experienced in performing this procedure, and consistently achieves stunning results with her meticulous surgical technique and commitment to perfection. To view real life examples of patient transformations, please navigate to the Gallery tab of this website and see the amazing results for yourself! To learn more about if you may be interested in this transformative procedure, call 813-771-6393 to book your one-on-one consultation with Traci Temmen, MD today.