Whether you live in Charlotte or Charlevoix, odds are you have pockets of accumulated fat that is more stubborn than a 2-year-old throwing a tantrum in the cookie aisle of Harris Teeter. No matter what you do — a thousand crunches or submitting to the rice cake diet — the fat just keeps keepin’ on.

Ah, but even fat in places like your lower abdomen is no match for liposuction with Dr. Gear at Providence Plastic Surgery & Skin Center.

How is liposuction performed?

Modern liposuction has come a long way from when it was first introduced in the U.S. in the 1980s. At that time, liposuction was a pretty violent procedure that caused extensive bruising, tissue trauma, and blood loss. Patients needed to be under general anesthesia because the doctor had to move the cannula back and forth quite aggressively to break loose the fat. Bruising could last for months.

Today, liposuction with Dr. Gear is much easier. The procedure is typically performed under sedation or “twilight” anesthesia as an outpatient procedure. He uses the tumescent technique, where a saline solution containing lidocaine is first injected into the target areas to minimize the pain and firm the fat, making it easier to remove. The solution also contains epinephrine to constrict the blood vessels, limiting blood loss and bruising. A cannula is then inserted to suction out the fat and liquid. The cannulas used in modern liposuction are much smaller, so the corresponding incisions needed to access the fat pockets are very small, usually not even requiring stitches to close.

For areas that are more difficult to access, such as bra line fat, Dr. Gear may use ultrasound-assisted liposuction or laser-assisted liposuction to make it easier to remove the fat without moving the cannula.

How long does a liposuction procedure take?

The length of time these procedures take depends on the area or areas being treated. The actual surgery usually takes from 2-3 hours. This varies with the patient.

What areas of my body can I have liposuction?

A better question would be — where can’t I have liposuction? Techniques have become so refined that liposuction can be performed just about anywhere on the body. Dr. Gear performs liposuction for our patients on these areas:

• Abdomen
• Hips
• Flanks
• Buttocks
• Thighs
• Inner knees
• Bra strapline
• Chest
• Jowls
• Calves
• Ankles

Want to bid adieu to some stubborn fat for the New Year? Call us at Providence, (704) 771-1747, to set up a consultation with Dr. Gear for liposuction.