Body Contouring and Liposuction in Tampa

Liposuction at our Tampa center helps women with all body types achieve the contoured body they truly desire. Many women who have never been pregnant, and exercise regularly, still carry a "pooch" on their tummy. They usually have good quality skin and healthy abdominal muscles. The "pooch" is due to excess fat, which can be removed utilizing Ultrasonic Assisted Liposuction. In Tampa, Dr. Halpern is the leading surgeon for Ultrasonic Assisted Liposuction. In this procedure, ultrasonic waves emanate from the tip of a wand which melts the fat. Fat cells in an adult do not multiply or duplicate (unless you become morbidly obese), so once these fat cells are removed, they tend not to come back.

Liposuction can also help Tampa mothers who have had one or more children. If you have fairly good skin tone, but abdominal muscles with excess tummy fat, you are likely a good candidate for a mini-scar tummy tuck. As with Ultrasonic Assisted Liposuction, our Tampa body contouring expert uses the mini-scar tummy tuck to tighten abdominal muscles and remove excess fat to give you the flat, firm stomach you had before pregnancy. Dr. Halpern is one of the most experienced surgeons in Florida for the mini-scar tummy tuck procedure.

Liposuction can also be combined with a tummy tuck to give you a flatter stomach if your abdominal skin is stretched, loose, or bears stretch marks. In these cases, we can also tighten the skin around the abdominal area.

All liposuction is completed in our Tampa center on an outpatient basis. Dr. Halpern's experience, combined with our state-of-the-art surgical center, create the ultimate experience in plastic and cosmetic surgery.

Below you will find information about other body contouring procedures. For more information about liposuction and tummy tuck, please visit the Liposuction/Tummy Tuck page, or contact our Tampa office today.

Ultrasonic Assisted Liposuction

Available at our Tampa center, liposuction can do wonders for both men and women in many areas, including the waist, hips, buttocks, thighs, neck, upper arm, back, abdomen, ankles, calves, and breasts.

Liposuction is the perfect procedure for anyone with excess subcutaneous fat, which is resistant to diet and exercise, and those who simply want to improve the contours of their body.

At our Tampa center, liposuction is performed on an outpatient basis in the surgical suite/operating room attached to the office of Dr. Halpern. A team of caring professionals work together on every liposuction procedure to ensure optimal safety and aesthetic results. Your team includes the medical doctor, anesthesiologist, operating room and recovery room nurse, the operating room technician, and your surgeon, Dr. Joshua Halpern.

During Ultrasonic Assisted Liposuction, an ultrasonic wand is inserted through a small incision and is passed under the skin. The ultrasonic liposuction wand melts the fat, which is then vacuumed through a small tube.

After the liposuction surgery and post-operative recovery is complete, the patient is released. Post-operative care instructions are discussed with the liposuction patient’s caregiver. It will be necessary for the patient to have support and care for at least the first 48 hours after liposuction surgery.

Upon release, the patient will be dressed in a compression garment. This garment is worn for the first seven days before the sutures are removed. At that time, the patient will be provided with a second-stage compression garment that will be worn for the following three weeks.

Oral medication will be provided for initial discomfort. Light activity can be resumed within seven to 10 days after liposuction, depending on the patient’s individual tolerance level. Exercise and aerobic activity can usually be resumed within three weeks. Dr. Halpern is always available to discuss liposuction at his Tampa office. Please contact us today for a free consultation.

Ultrasonic Assisted Liposuction Success Story February 11, 2004 Dear Dr. Halpern, Today I celebrate my 26th birthday a changed person. A year ago I was an unhappy whirl who thought she was doomed for life to be heavy. This summer at 172 lbs and 5 feet tall, I started a final attempt at loosing weight and achieving a healthy lifestyle. I worked for several months to lose weight by watching my diet and cycling. I achieved losing 23 lbs before my first visit with you in December. Having plastic surgery wasn’t something I ever had considered before. No two and a half months after my surgery, I am a changed person. I didn’t know what the results would be and even though you and your wonderful staff assured me there would be a great change I had no idea it would be this dramatic. Not only am I more than half the clothes size I used to be, but I am more confident and I hate this no fail attitude towards reaching my ultimate goals. I always loved shopping, but man is it fun now. Three weeks after my surgery my best friend and I went shopping. We both cried in the dressing room. I'll never forget that moment. People in my work field who hadn’t seen me in a long time do not recognize me. I wanted to thank you and your staff for a life changing experience. I am extremely grateful for you talent and caring nature. I feel great. I have more energy than I ever have and now at 124 lbs climbing those hills on my bike is fun instead of pure torture. Yours Truly, A very satisfied patient

Working our and you still cannot get rid of those saddlebags? Performing hundreds of sit-ups and you still have a tummy? Ultrasonic assisted liposuction is a relatively new way to improve your figure.

Women and men both are becoming more aware of the need for a healthy lifestyle in order to maintain their fitness and appearance. Yet many people are finding that diet and exercise may not be enough to remove fat deposits that can slowly appear as our bodies age.

Particular problem areas for men are the abdomen and the hips, where the dreaded love handles form. For women, it's a non-stop battle to keep fat from depositing at the hips, thighs, and arms. It sometimes seems that no amount of sit-ups and miles logged on the exercise bike will keep fat from forming in these strategic locations.

That's why Joshua Halpern, M.D., a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, often recommends patients use Ultrasonic Assisted Liposuction, also known as UAL, as a complement to eating well and exercising. Because this technique incorporates the use of ultrasonic waves to "melt" fat, it is gentler to your body. The fat comes out in a liquid form and it also keeps bleeding down to a minimum when compared to the older techniques.

Dr. Halpern's experience in using ultrasonic liposuction allows him to locate and remove fat to improve the patient's contour. The result is an appearance that is proportional, youthful, and fit. The advantages include a quicker recovery and decreased down time. Patients usually are up and walking within one hour after surgery. Many return to work after three to four days.

Ultrasonic Assisted Liposuction can achieve results for a variety of adults, male or female, and a variety of body types and ages. Thighs, calves and "cankles," abdomens, hips, waist, buttocks, back, and upper arms are just some of the areas whose appearances can be altered with the technique recommended by Dr. Halpern.

Dr. Joshua Halpern has a great deal of experience in this type of surgery. He has been invited nationally and internationally to lecture on Ultrasonic Assisted Liposuction. Contact him today.

At our Tampa, Florida, center, Tumescent liposuction is the technique of choice for patients desiring a curvier, sculpted body. Tumescent liposuction, which uses a local anesthetic combined with epinephrine to shrink capillaries, has many advantages over regular liposuction.

The most popular benefit of tumescent liposuction is its ability to minimize post-operative discomfort and recovery time. The minimal pain from tumescent liposuction can usually be relieved by over-the-counter painkillers like Tylenol because the residual local anesthesia lasts for up to 18 hours after surgery.

Tumescent liposuction also significantly reduces bleeding, leaving patients with less bruising and swelling than typical liposuction. By greatly shortening recovery time, patients can return to their active Florida lifestyles. Tumescent liposuction also allows patients to return to work within a few days, wearing an elastic support garment which must be worn a few weeks following surgery.

Most tumescent liposuction patients report an improvement in their body shape within one week. The swelling can take a long period of time, however, and your improvement will become gradually more visible in the months following liposuction surgery. The final results of tumescent liposuction are not visible until six months after the liposuction procedure.
Dr. Halpern is the premier choice for patients seeking liposuction in Tampa, Florida. Tumescent liposuction requires additional expertise, and Dr. Halpern has been performing tumescent liposuction longer than most doctors in Florida. Contact our Tampa plastic surgery practice today to discuss your tumescent liposuction options.

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Tummy Tucks - How they have changed...

Florida residents do everything possible to look good in a bathing suit. Many do hundreds of crunches and abdominal exercises, but still cannot achieve the flat stomach they desire. A simple mini scar tummy tuck can give you the smooth, toned abs that exercise often cannot. A tummy tuck can benefit anyone, and is especially appealing to Florida patients whose stomach muscles are loosened by pregnancy, weight loss, or hereditary effects.

This is a beautiful option for those women who have been pregnant but,t apart from having excess tummy fat and lax tummy muscle, their abdominal skin is in fairly good shape (i.e. it is not too loose or thin).

In a mini scar tummy tuck at our Florida center, the patient first undergoes ultrasonic assisted liposuction to "melt" away the fat. After this has been completed, tummy muscles are tightened through a relatively small incision (typically smaller than a C section scar) in the pubic hair. Unlike a full tummy tuck, skin is not tightened in this procedure.

Dr. Joshua Halpern has one of the longest experiences in performing this type of operation. As with a full tummy tuck this procedure is performed in Dr. Halpern's state-of-the-art surgical suite.

As you can see, tummy tucks (abdominoplasty) have changed. When evaluating a woman's tummy there are three main issues to consider.

1. Quality of the skin – loose, tight, thick, or thin
2. Amount of fat present
3. Tightness of the tummy muscle

When a woman has loose skin, excess tummy fat, and lax tummy muscles, the best procedure is a tummy tuck. Here fat and excess skin are removed and the tummy muscles are tightened. Scars are typically thin.

Many patients are thrilled with the results. I have been told that their self-esteem is higher and they feel sexier in and out of clothes. They enjoy wearing hip huggers with short blouses, two-piece bikinis, and throwing out their large baggy clothes. Patients range in age from their 20s to their 70s. A lot of patients undergo this procedure because the recovery is a lot easier than before. They like their results and they enjoy their improved self-esteem. Contact us today to discuss your options.

Dear Dr. Halpern, I want to share some thoughts with you about my prior anticipation of having a "Tummy Tuck." Just the thought alone frightened me half to death. Sooooo many horror stories from people who have never had this surgery yet felt they needed to enlighten me on mine. The stories should have sent me running the opposite direction had I listened … thank goodness I didn't! It amazes me how people take upon themselves to say things to a person who is about to undergo such an experience when they are passing on the WRONG information. Goes to show you whom ever they were getting their information from simply had the wrong doctor performing their surgery. The experience I had with the actual surgery was unbelievable. I was amazed the morning my surgery was completed, to be able to step down from the operating table and walk to the recovery room. Absolutely inconceivable!!! Believe this or not, I have had not one minute of pain since the surgery…not one second. I have had several surgeries in my 55 years and have ALWAYS experienced some level of pain…have had nothing but a very pleasant experience with the surgery. I am so glad I did not listen to the silly stories from those who have never had it or from those who chose the wrong surgeon! I am not in my third week of recovery. I drove myself to your office for my one-week check-up (I liven in Valrico). I went to church nine days after my surgery…and have not missed a beat from that day forward! IF this is the WORST any of your procedures get…I am good to go for anything you have to offer! Before Closing, I really want to tell you that I have never been treated so SPECIAL by so many in one office in my entire life. From the morning of the surgery to an office visit and even a telephone call…not once have I felt neglected or put off. You have chosen your staff well, although I would not expect less from the BEST! My husband is so impressed with your perfection. Especially how you prepare us for this procedure and are so specific with the after care. He being my caregiver at home after my surgery was a little nervous about how to care for me but had no doubt at any time when, where, and how to administer medication, etc. due to the exact direction given to him in writing. You truly do go beyond the norm. It is hard to believe anyone can say this…but…I look forward to my next surgery!! THANK YOU for making me feel good about myself again.

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