Technology makes surgery smart - Liposuction Treatment

Technology makes surgery smart
December 18, 2007
By LIZ WOLGEMUTH
Northwest Herald

Cutting-edge cosmetic procedures most often take place in doctorsÌ offices near the nationÌs coasts Ò New York City, Miami or Los Angeles.

But a minimally invasive, laser-assisted form of liposuction has come to McHenry County, and the market appears to be ready for it.

ÏWeÌve been seeing an increase in cosmetic surgery in general,Ó said Dr. David Turok, a cosmetic surgeon based in Fox River Grove.

Turok, who has additional offices in Naperville and Lincoln Park, uses a procedure called Smart Lipo, or laser lipolysis, which requires only local anesthesia and tiny incisions.

The procedure, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in October 2006 and made available in January, uses a pulsing laser to liquefy fat.

There were more than 302,000 liposuctions performed in the U.S. last year, according to data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The Midwest was home to about 16 percent of them, up from 11 percent in 2005.

Turok has patients traveling from Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin for the procedure.

Smart Lipo requires only local anesthetic, which greatly reduces the risks associated with cosmetic surgery that often requires general anesthesia.

The manufacturer of the Smart Lipo laser system, Westford, Mass.-based Cynosure Inc., claims the procedure Ïgenerally causes less bleeding, swelling and bruising than traditional liposuction, resulting in fewer complications and faster recovery.Ó

ÏItÌs the standard for safe use,Ó Turok said.

Another laser-assisted procedure is set to enter the market soon. Refine 360 bills itself as a Ïluxury laser boutiqueÓ that offers a laser liposuction and skin tightening procedure, and is expected to open in Algonquin Commons by the end of February, said Aimee Faciano, a partner in the Chicago-area chain.

Refine 360 uses a laser to stimulate the fat cells from outside the skin. A package, which runs about $2,000, includes eight one-hour treatments with a certified laser technician, rather than with a surgeon.

The two procedures are different, particularly because Refine 360Ìs treatment is nonsurgical, but both depend on local demand for pricey body sculpting treatments.

SmartLipo procedures cost between $1,700 and $4,500 for each area treated, according to the physician-run site, www.Smartlipo.com.

TurokÌs patients cover a wide range of age groups Ò from people in their 20s to those in their 60s. They also cover a range of income groups.

ÏThere is no typical client,Ó Turok said.

There are, however, standards for eligibility. Turok will perform liposuction only on patients who are within their 20 percent of their ideal weight.

Liposuction is not intended to be a weight-loss technique, Turok said. Rather, itÌs meant to help clients spot and reduce stubborn and disproportionate areas for people who already have tried through diet and exercise.

The negative side effects of cosmetic surgery made headlines in November when Donda West, mother of Chicago-born rapper Kanye West, died after receiving a tummy tuck and breast reduction from a plastic surgeon in Los Angeles.

West, Turok said, should not have been a candidate for the procedures because of her medical history.

Turok said he looked closely at a personÌs health, examined their motivations for treatment, and had turned away those who were too thin.

ÏThis should be something you do for yourself,Ó he said.