Beverly Hills - Plastic Surgery, inc.

Liposuction of the abdomen removes excess deposits of fat under the skin of the abdomen, but does not remove excess skin. A tummy tuck (also called an abdominoplasty) removes excess fat and skin on the abdomen and involves repositioning of the umbilicus (belly button). A plastic surgeon can also repair abdominal muscles that may have been stretched out by pregnancy or weight gain. A mini-tummy tuck just removes excess skin and fat below the umbilicus without repositioning.

The choice of which procedure to have depends on how loose the skin and muscles of your abdomen are. If you have a bit of a “pot belly” or “spare tire” that do not improve with diet and exercise, and if you have skin with good elasticity and few stretch marks, you are probably a good candidate for liposuction. If your stomach hangs out over the top of your pants and your abdominal muscles are distended when you relax them, you probably need a tummy tuck.

Another difference between the two procedures is that the incisions for liposuction are very small and usually can be hidden in a natural skin fold or below your underwear line. Incisions for a tummy tuck can be extensive. Usually, there is an incision under your abdomen that goes from hip to hip. Dr. Chiu places this incision very low, at the fold of your abdomen, so that you can usually hide it with your underwear and even low cut jeans!

Recovery after a full tummy tuck is also longer than after a liposuction procedure. Many patients can recover from liposuction in 4-7 days to return to a desk job. Depending on the extent of surgery, a tummy tuck can take 7-10 days to return to a similar job description. Most of my patients return to full activities, including jogging, weightlifting, aerobics, and sports, in 3-4 weeks after liposuction and in 4-6 weeks after tummy tuck. I always advise my patients on activities and provide specific instructions to optimize their results for the whole year after surgery. Patients following my individualized regimen frequently experience continued improvement with a “shrink-wrapping” effect that drops dress sizes from the patient. Some patients drop as much as 5-6 sizes compared to before surgery!

From Dawn: 

I have worked in the Aesthetics industry for years, been to several clinics and met with many plastic and cosmetic surgeons in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, and there is something to be said about a “kind bedside manner” and humble demeanor. Dr. Gabriel Chiu impresses me on so many levels. He has the experience of a plastic surgeon 20 years his senior, with over 5000 surgeries under his belt, you would never know because he treats every patient with kindness and respect! Dr. Chiu truly cares about each client he sees which is validated each time I speak to his patients about their surgeries. It’s obvious why Dr. Chiu has such a high referral base: because of his genuine eagerness to help give his patients the best experience possible. Although his staff, including myself, are all here to make a patient feel comfortable and cared for, it’s not beneath Dr. Chiu to offer his patients coffee or tea and make it himself instead of delegating the task to one of us! 

From an insider’s perspective, I have chatted with many of Dr. Chiu’s patients who all tell me the same thing…they are so happy with their surgical results and felt extremely comfortable with Dr. Chiu as their plastic surgeon. It’s easy to tell our patients that they are in good hands with Dr. Chiu because I honestly believe it along with the validation that comes through consistent patient feedback! 

There are a few things that I would consider when choosing a Plastic Surgeon: The amount of successful surgeries performed, does he listen to my needs? is he thorough? does he have a good bedside manners? and how I am going to be treated after my surgery? I can speak from experience that Dr. Chiu is one of the most impressive plastic surgeons I have met by far and would definitely choose him as my plastic surgeon for any elective surgery I may have in the future!

I know Botox will get rid of wrinkles, but does it really stop you from sweating too?

Yes, it’s true. A treatment of Botox can stop perspiration of the underarms for 6-8 months!

Almost everyone knows that Botox is without peer in its ability to relax the muscles that cause wrinkles of the forehead and around the eyes, but not everyone knows that it can stop perspiration of the underarms. In much the same way that Botox blocks those muscles’ ability to contract, it prevents the contraction of tiny muscles around sweat glands. Just like turning off the motor of a water pump, it decreases the active secretion of sweat!

Unfortunately, Botox does not work as well for sweaty palms… But I do have patients who notice a decrease amount of perspiration on their forehead!

Here at Beverly Hills plastic Surgery, Inc., Dr. Gabriel Chiu customizes Botox treatments for each individual. After careful active and passive examination of a client’s facial expressions, Dr. Chiu will question them to understand each individual’s desires and needs. Then he will make personalized recommendations accordingly. Finally, Dr. Chiu thoroughly documents each client’s treatment in case they want to change it up a bit at their next Botox injection!

Much has been made about Smartlipo offering better results and faster recovery than other liposuction/liposculpture techniques. For the record, liposuction and liposculpture are essentially the same surgery… one just sounds fancier. Many doctors would say the same about Smartlipo. This has been a topic of much debate, even among plastic surgeons!

Liposuction remains one of the most popular plastic surgeries. In an effort to improve the results, various modalities have been developed to help the surgeon. Smartlipo was introduced to the U.S. in early 2007. It uses a low energy laser on the tip of a long, thin rod to melt excess fat, making it easier to aspirate and remove the emulsified fat from the body with a traditional liposuction cannula. If your surgeon does not use some type of liposuction technique (traditional tumescent or power-assisted), you can potentially reabsorb the fat to be deposited elsewhere on your body. Logistically, Smartlipo should take longer to properly perform, since you have to pass through the liposuction areas twice. So if you are under general anesthesia, you are increasing your surgical risks associated with anesthesia.

Some doctors who use Smartlipo argue that their patients benefit from a skin-tightening effect caused by thermal heating just under the skin. This has not been proven to occur more with Smartlipo than with other, more conventional techniques like standard tumescent, power-assisted, or ultrasound-assisted liposuction. One of the doctors who was paid by the maker of Smartlipo (Cynosure) to participate in its FDA tests even stated that there was no evidence of skin tightening! She tested it on the knees of 15 patients by performing tumescent liposuction on both knees while using Smartlipo on only one side. Comparison of before and after photos  taken months later didn’t show any improvement for the laser treated side.

So it appears that the biggest difference you will see with Smartlipo is a reduction in your checkbook, since it can add up to two thousand dollars to the cost of traditional tumescent liposuction. As with any surgery, the most important thing is to see before and after photos of many different patients so that you can properly judge the skill and technique of your surgeon. Don’t settle for multiple views of the same patient! Also, it is very important to find a plastic surgeon who can develop a rapport with you and gains your trust and confidence. (Remember: there is a difference between a plastic and cosmetic surgeon!)

Finding a caring plastic surgeon who understands your goals will help ensure that you have a good experience, not only with surgery, but with your post-operative care as well!