Eterna Medical Day Spa and Laser Center now offers Tumescent Body Sculpturing performed by Dr. Michael Carter AACS,AALS. Read more about Dr. Michael Carter on his website www.sculptrx.com.

WHAT IS TUMESCENT BODY SCULPTURE?

Tumescent Liposculpture , hereafter known as Bodysculpture uses a modified combination treatment solution. This is an advanced technique of permanently removing excess fat deposits in areas that are resistant to diet and exercise. It is called tumescent (which means "to swell") because the physician fills and swells the fatty areas to be removed with large volumes of special solution before the procedure. This solution completely numbs the area due to the effect of local anesthetic, therefore general anesthesia or heavy intravenous sedation is not required. At the same time, a substance called epinephrine constricts the blood vessels, reducing bleeding to negligible amounts. Fatty deposits are then removed using small straw-like tubes called cannulas connected to a large bulb type syringe. It is called body sculpture because the trained physician is able to artistically sculpt the body into a new shape using delicate instruments.

Besides the obvious increased safety of the procedure being performed totally under local anesthesia there are other significant benefits. You can cooperate with the physician by changing position so the areas can be more easily seen and multiple areas can be treated during the same session. Plus the finer instruments that are used in the tumescent body sculpture technique allow the physician to target specific areas with accuracy and control never before possible

IS IT PAINFUL?

There is minimal discomfort during the administration of the anesthetic. Prior to the start of the procedure you are given some oral medication to relax and make you more comfortable. The procedure itself is basically painless and many patients compare it to a deep massage. The anesthetic effect usually lasts about 24 hours.

WHAT IS TUMESCENT ANESTHESIA?

This is the fluid that is injected into the tissues to make it numb before the physician suctions out the fat. The solution is composed of several main ingredients - 1) saline - this makes the fat more liquid and easier to suction, 2) lidocaine - this temporarily numbs the nerves in the fat and skin so that you will not feel pain during suctioning, 3)epinephrine - this constricts blood vessels so that there is minimal blood loss. The tumescent fluid also reduces pain after the procedure because it remains in the body approximately 24 hours.

WHY DON'T ALL DOCTORS USE THE TUMESCENT TECHNIQUE IF IT TRULY IS THE SAFEST & MOST PRECISE?

There are several answers to this question - the answers are generalities and do not necessarily apply to every physician who chooses not to use the tumescent technique.

Tumescent body sculpture takes about twice as long to perform because the physician has to inject the anesthesia slowly so that you remain comfortable and pain free. The physician who chooses to use the tumescent technique sacrifices a little more of his time to ensure that you are having the procedure performed in the safest way possible.

Many physicians are not comfortable performing a procedure on an awake patient. Although there are many skilled physicians in the traditional technique, this new form of body sculpture (and anesthesia) is a newer technique and usually requires extra training.

HOW MUCH FAT CAN BE REMOVED?

Up to 4 liters in one session. This is the same amount as with traditional liposuction.

WHO IS A GOOD CANDIDATE?

People who are generally in good shape, but have localized, resistant areas of fat are ideal for this procedure. It is also common to treat overweight patients. Patients just need to have realistic expectations.

WHAT AREAS CAN BE TREATED?

Almost any area on the body where there is fat. The most common areas for women include the abdomen, waist, thighs, hips, buttocks, neck, arms and knees. In men, the most commonly treated areas include the "love handles", abdomen, breasts, neck and chin.

WILL FAT COME BACK?

Once taken out the fat cells do not grow back. All of the fat cells are never removed with the procedure. Therefore there is the possibility for the ones left behind to expand a little if you gain weight after your procedure.

RISK OF ANY SURGERY

As with any procedure, body sculpture has certain common side effects such as bruising, swelling and temporary numbness. Although irregularities of the skin are possible following the procedure this is minimized with the micro-cannulas used. Because of the slow resolution of post-surgical swelling, the ultimate results following body sculpture surgery may not become fully apparent for 12- 16 weeks, Nevertheless, patients usually see a noticeable improvements within three to four weeks after the procedure.

LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE & BODYSCULPTURE

As with any surgical procedure, body sculpture will cause trauma to the tissues. The trauma will result in inflammation, swelling and bruising. All this causes a buildup of toxins in the tissues which the lymph system will be unable to drain properly. This will become evident by areas of irregularities, indurations and loss of sensation. The use of correct lymphatic drainage devices will stimulate more circulation to the surgical area. This will drain the lymphatic system thereby eliminating the built-up toxins post-operatively and will enhance the healing process by smoothing and tightening the skin.

Along with supportive natural supplements that enhance the body's ability to heal itself, much better results are obtained for an overall superior aesthetic result.

BRAZILIAN BUTTOCK AUGMENTATION

The safe way to enhance the silhouette of your bottom!!

The procedure is relatively simple. Fat is removed from selected areas of your body through liposuction-then that fat is purified and strategically injected into your buttocks. The results are more youthful, fuller and lifted buttocks without implants! Also because we combine this procedure with liposculpture of the full torso there is the added benefit of an overall leaner more curvaceous figure.

Dr. Carter and his team will carefully remove additional fat from several areas on your body-typically from the lower back, bra roll area and stomach. This fat is then purified and the "best" fat cells are collected. Dr. Carter will then inject the fat cells into many different areas and depths of the buttocks to achieve the desired result. After the injected fat cells begin to receive blood supply, there is always a small amount of reabsorption, about 20-30%, but after 3 months what remains will stay permanently!

After your procedure, you will have a brief recovery period. Recovery includes: - No sitting directly on your buttocks for 2weeks- A special garment is worn for 6 weeks to control swelling, And believe it or not, most people can resume working after a few days as long as they do not sit for prolonged periods of time-and at the very least sit on a device that takes pressure off of the implanted area directly. You can resume all normal activities in 2 weeks. You may experience subtle swelling for up to 6-8 weeks but this should not interfere with normal activities. Once the swelling is gone your butt will look and feel completely natural!