Body Contouring - Available Procedures - Plastic Surgery Associates of Tidewater

Each person has a unique genetic makeup which determines their basic body proportions. The movie stars it seems were blessed with perfect balance. Not always so. Weight gain and loss, pregnancy and the aging process produce a whole host of changes to your underlying body build. Dieting and exercise can in many instances help and we encourage you to do so where appropriate. However there are many instances when cosmetic surgery is needed to help establish proper proportions. Three procedures in particular can be used independently or in concert to correct imbalances. Liposuction is the most common cosmetic procedure performed in the United States today. Through small, mostly hidden, incisions localized areas of excess fat can be removed from the neck, arms, abdomen, hips, buttocks, thighs, knees, and ankles. This is not a weight loss procedure and generally speaking 5 lbs or less will be removed. However, the precise nature of the operation allows your doctor to sculpt fat away from selected areas to produce dramatic results.
	Localized areas of excess fat create imbalance

	Liposuction helps establish proper body proportion

Abdominoplasty may be required when loose skin and poor muscle position and tone make liposuction of the abdomen ineffective. Weight gain and loss, and especially the effects of pregnancy, stretch out muscles and skin. Even the most vigorous exercise program cannot completely restore abdominal wall tone. Our doctors have experience doing hundreds of "tummy tuck" procedures which restore the abdominal wall integrity and give patients back a youthful figure.

Thigh lift may be required when the skin of the thighs has lost its elasticity. Although more involved than liposuction, this procedure is the best way to get rid of saggy, baggy excess skin.

Breast Enlargement in some cases is an important option to help establish upper and lower body balance. PSAT doctors have extensive experience using the latest techniques, including endoscopy, to insert FDA approved saline implants. Breast Augmentation can help offset large hip/thigh structure when these areas cannot be fully corrected by liposuction.

Combinations of these and other procedures are sometimes required to help achieve proper body balance. Doctors at PSAT will help explain the options so that you can make a well informed decision as to the best choices for you.