Tag Archives: body sculpting


Permalink to New Study Supports VASER® Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction As Ideal Tool for Fat Transfer

New Study Supports VASER® Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction As Ideal Tool for Fat Transfer

- Press Release-

Research Reveals VASER Lipo® Yields Fat as Viable As Conventional Liposuction

LOUISVILLE, CO – According to a recent study conducted at the University of Pittsburgh, human fat harvested by VASER ultrasound-assisted liposuction (Sound Surgical Technologies LLC), is as viable as fat collected by conventional suction assisted liposuction, with nearly 80% volume retention.

The study, led by Dr. J. Peter Rubin, Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, is the first research to establish strong support for VASER Lipo as a collection method of choice for fat transfer procedures.

The study investigated tissue samples of a female subject who underwent lipoplasty of the thighs and flanks. Detailed cellular viability analysis was performed on tissues collected, each having undergone VASER Lipo and suction-assisted liposuction on the body area. The researchers found little or no difference at the cellular level between the treatments, concluding that VASER Lipo is just as effective in yielding viable fat cells as suction-assisted liposuction devices. Results at six weeks showed approximately 80% of the filtered fat survived by volume, regardless of the method of extraction. As a point of comparison, other studies have shown less than 5% of the water-jet assisted liposuction fat survived.

“The highly selective nature of ultrasound energy promotes increased fat viability, making it ideal for fat transfer procedures,” said Mark Schafer, Chief Technology Officer at Sound Surgical Technologies. “We believe this important research will pave the way for widespread adoption of VASER ultrasound-assisted liposuction as the preferred method for fat transfer.”

The study’s findings support recent physician feedback that the VASER Lipo System is the leading technology for fat harvesting and fat transfer procedures, with unrivaled body sculpting capabilities.

About VASER Lipo

The VASER Lipo System features gentle ultrasonic energy that uses sound waves to selectively target unwanted fat.  The FDA-cleared device uses small probes that emit ultrasound energy to gently break apart fatty tissue for easy removal without destroying the fat cells themselves.  This means physicians can immediately remove, harvest and re-inject the fat to contour and augment other parts of the body, including the face, hands, breasts and buttocks.  The VASER Lipo System, one of the most respected body contouring technologies on the market, is the cosmetic enhancement tool of choice among top physicians who have patients who want both of these procedures in one appointment.

About Sound Surgical Technologies

Founded in 1998, Sound Surgical Technologies is a leading manufacturer and distributor of ultrasonic body shaping technologies, including the VASER Lipo which effectively treats all areas of the body and is clinically proven to enhance skin retraction, reduce blood loss, and maintain the viability of fat cells for fat grafting procedures. Physicians report smooth and consistent results with fast patient recovery. The VASER Shape MC1 and MedSculpt Systemsare an ideal complement to VASER Lipo, combining ultrasound and massage therapies to increase lymphatic and venous circulation, minimize postoperative pain and swelling, and temporarily improve the appearance of cellulite. All of the devices are FDA-cleared for use in the U.S. To learn more, visit www.vaser.com.

Dr. Andrew Kaczynski took part in this study and is proud to offer VASER Lipo at Advanced Concepts in Plastic Surgery in Sacramento.


Permalink to Quill Sutures Better Scars

Quill Sutures Better Scars

When considering a plastic surgery procedure, one has to contemplate the potential positive results as well as the negative. Lets face the facts, all plastic surgery incisions are going to have some kind of scaring after they heal. The question is “how do we minimize this?” At Advanced Concepts in Plastic Surgery in Sacramento, we believe an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  This applies to a lot of things in life and plastic surgery is definitely one of them.  Particularly in plastic surgery, this notion applies to scars.

In the past, the only thing that could be done for scars was to try and treat them if they healed badly.  There are many different creams, gels and injections which have been developed for this.  Why not try to prevent the problem from the outset?  The new Quill Self-Retaining System (SRS) suture, (which was developed by a plastic surgeon), is the latest advance in suturing and I have absolutely found that its application in plastic surgery clearly leads to better scars.  The Quill sutures have tiny barbs in them that allow for better closure.  They eliminate the need for knots and tighten up the incision like a zipper and then provide for, “controlled tension,” which means that the incision is closed and held closed in a very controlled way.  This method also makes is less likely that the incision may re-open. I have used them in my plastic surgery practice for breast  augmentation surgery, breast lift, tummy tucks and body lifts with excellent results and better scars than ever before.  The introduction of these Quill sutures a few years ago was actually the first major advancement in suture technology since the 1970′s! This is just another example of using new technology to achieve excellent results at Advanced Concepts in Plastic Surgery.


Permalink to Local Anesthesia, General or Sedation for Plastic Surgery?

Local Anesthesia, General or Sedation for Plastic Surgery?

There seems to be a trend of late, judging by what is out on the Web and in advertising, to promote plastic surgery procedures under local anesthesia…  only… nothing else… stone cold sober.  Nothing to make you feel relaxed, to take the edge off, nothing to soften or eliminate the sights, the sounds,  and other physical and emotional reactions to having a plastic surgery procedure performed on your body.

Now, I do perform some plastic surgery procedures using local anesthesia pretty much every week.  A little scar revision, a facial contour in a small area, or a micro-liposuction on the face.  But most of the plastic surgery I perform at Advanced Concepts in Plastic Surgery in Sacramento are performed with sedation or with a general anesthetic.

First of all what is sedation? Sedation is when the patient has an IV and receives sedation medication through it but remains conscious.  There are several different kinds of drugs that put the patient in a particularly happy place.  This means you’re not completely asleep but you are also not aware of what’s going on, you are very comfortable and breathing without the help of a breathing machine.

So why would you not want to be aware of what is being done to you?  I’ll use myself as an example.  Several years ago I had a wisdom tooth erupt.  I guess I’m a late bloomer. I had it removed under local anesthesia only.  The dentist did a great job as I did not feel any pain.  But it was a very unpleasant experience with all the rasping, grinding and pulling.  In addition to that, my mouth and jaw was very sore from staying open.  So, how do you think I would have felt after two or three more just like that?  So let me state the case.  If I have to do that again, I just don’t want to know about it, and I assume my patients would rather not experience that kind of discomfort during their plastic surgery procedure either.

Where does strict local anesthesia work best?  Local anesthesia works in small areas and in a very limited short plastic surgery procedure.  When do you want sedation?  When doing a longer procedure with larger areas where they may still have feeling in spite of the local anesthesia, like scar tissue or when working under the muscle.  When you have a longer procedure it’s difficult to lay in one position for hours.  The local anesthesia may wear off and need to be freshened or it will become uncomfortable.  My goal for all my patients is to have everything as painless as possible on all levels.  When you do it under strict local anesthesia, there is always some amount of pain involved.

Another issue has to do with the regulations of surgery centers.  In California, if you do plastic surgery with sedation or general anesthetic, the facility has to be licensed by an agency that licenses surgery centers.  Currently there are two main ones AAAHC and AAAASF.  I actually do inspections for the latter.  When you pass inspection for unique standards of organization, cleanliness, accountability, and safety that means that your physical plant has been approved, it also means that you have hospital privileges for the procedure being done.  However if the procedures are under straight local anesthesia, you do not need to meet the strict standards of the physical plant or hygiene and safety accountability.

That certainly doesn’t mean that everyone promoting, “local anesthesia only procedures,” is doing it to avoid regulation of shoddy or dangerous conditions, but… let the buyer beware.

What about general anesthesia for plastic surgery procedures?  Even when using lots of local anesthesia some surgeries are very stimulating to the nervous system.  This is because local anesthesia blocks the pain stimulus but not necessarily pressure, pulling or heat.  One of the worst horror stories I’ve heard about local anesthesia revolve around a patient that had a breast augmentation under local anesthesia, with some sedation, and “woke up” in the middle of the procedure and was told to be still,” because we have to finish.”  They felt and  experienced much more than they wanted to.  Sometimes you need what is called muscle relaxation sedation to do what you need to do, i.e., put in a breast implant or suture up the abdominal muscles.  A light general anesthetic is perfect for a breast augmentation, mommy makeover or total facial rejuvenation such as a facelift because it keeps you perfectly comfortable for those longer procedures and often times actually requires less total medication and sedation.

In summary: straight local anesthesia is great for very small procedures. But IV sedation or   general anesthesia are better solutions for making the patient comfortable for many plastic surgery procedures.  My goal for the patients is a painless plastic surgery, and local anesthesia is not the best way to achieve  that in every case.


Permalink to Vaser Hi Def Liposuction, Top 10 Questions

Vaser Hi Def Liposuction, Top 10 Questions

Vaser Hi Def Liposuction is a plastic surgery procedure that I am proud to offer exclusively in Northern California. I am one of only two doctors trained in this unique body sculpting technique in all of California and I offer this unique hybrid of Vaser liposuction at Advanced Concepts in Plastic Surgery in Sacramento, CA.  There are many questions to be answered.  We will deal with the top 10 questions I get asked.

1. Vaser Hi Def – what is it? It is a completely new plastic surgery procedure.  Using Vaser technology in three dimensions: the chest, the back, the abdomen, arms and legs can be sculpted for the first time.  Despite claims that liposuction proponents have made, this is the first true liposculpture.  With liposuction in the past, the end result was the elimination of lumps and bulges, leaving a flat area where there used to be fat.  Now, with Vaser Hi Def, the true contour of your body can be brought out.  The Vaser probe selectively melts only fat unlike some other energy systems.  By differentially melting the fat in several different layers true sculpting can be achieved.
2. How much does Vaser Hi Def cost? Depending on the areas worked on this plastic surgery procedure costs from $7,000-$20,000.  It is roughly double the cost of regular liposuction.
3. Why is it so expensive?  Vaser Hi Def is expensive because of the very expensive equipment used, the extensive training and experience required to do it properly, and the time involved in the procedure itself, which is roughly twice as long as regular liposuction.  When you see the results it is actually very cost-effective.
4. Who is a candidate for Vaser Hi Def? The best candidates are men and women with a BMI (Body Mass Index) below 30.  This is not procedure for obese people or for people with very loose skin.  You are a candidate if you had six pack abs in the past and would like them back.  You are a candidate if you have spent hours at the gym for years and are making any progress in getting rid of abdominal fat.  You are a candidate if genetics, age and a lack of time are conspiring against you.  You are a candidate if you don’t want to take dangerous fat melting drugs or hormones that risk your health.  You are a candidate if you don’t want to spend all your free time exercising.
5. Will the effects last? The effects of Vaser Hi Def liposuction should last indefinitely assuming you maintain a reasonable weight.
6. What if I gain weight? If you gain weight, the effects should last through a 10 to 15 pound weight gain.  If you gain 30 or 40 pounds or more the effects will not stay and may even cause unsightly bulges.  It’s further motivation to stay in shape.
7. Will it hurt? Vaser Hi Def has some discomfort like any surgical procedure.  You will be given pain pills which will make your comfortable.  After a day or two most people are not taking pain medication.
8. How much time off work? Most people only need to be off work for seven to ten days.  After two to four weeks you can return to mild exercise.  After four weeks you can return to regular exercise.
9. Will any other treatment accomplished the same results? No.  Other treatments such as standard liposuction, Smart Lipo, Thermage, or abdominal etching will not achieve the same result as the three-dimensional process of Vaser Hi Def.
10. Where do I start? You start by making a consultation an appointment with me and have an evaluation and if you’re a candidate we can schedule your surgery.


Permalink to To Drain or Not to Drain That is the Question

To Drain or Not to Drain That is the Question

In plastic surgery, there are a lot of opinions when talking about drains. Whenever I perform a breast augmentation at Advanced Concepts in Plastic Surgery I use drains, then I leave the drains in.  These are little 1/8” plastic tubes with perforations on the side that pull out fluid from inside the space that was created for the breast implants.  They come out to a tiny 1/8” spot on the side of the breast and are generally removed within 2 days.  The little spot where the drain was removed will seal itself in about  24 hours.

Not all plastic surgeons use drains after plastic surgery, so why do I?

Before I began using drains when performing breast augmentation the breasts would tend to swell more.  When there is more swelling, the breasts will be more sore.  It could take a month or more for this swelling to come down and can be quite uncomfortable. Because I see it as part of my job as a plastic surgeon to reduce as much pain as possible, I began experimenting with drains as a way to relieve this swelling after plastic surgery.

Generally 60 to 200 CC’s of fluid will come out over the course of 2 days.  Some of this fluid is actually blood which would have to be reabsorbed if it is not removed.  Blood gathering around the implants can accelerate infection.  Blood also seems to be a factor in capsular contracture.  Patients that developed hematomas are more prone to capsular contracture.  I have never had a patient develop an infection where I have had to remove a breast implant.

So in my opinion drains speed healing, make people more comfortable, and help decrease capsular contracture.  Seems to be worth the inconvenience of having a tiny drain for a day or two. At Advanced Concepts in Plastic Surgery I really try to make all plastic surgery procedures as painless and as comfortable for the patient as possible.


Permalink to Genes vs Jeans

Genes vs Jeans

It may come down to genes. Here at Advanced Concepts in Plastic Surgery in Sacramento we have many plastic surgery solutions for removing unwanted fat, including liposuction, but lets talk a little bit about why women may have fat that they cannot seem to get rid of.  For most women the only thing almost as frustrating as buying a bathing suit is buying a pair of designer jeans.  The main problem is that most jeans are made for people who prefer jeans to be straight and angular.  That works well for the anorexic chain-smoking skeletons that fill fashion magazines. But the problem is that those women represent less than 1% of the population. Genes may have a hand in this.

Normal women have curves.  They also have bulges.  That’s where the problem starts.  Even at normal weights, some women have more bulges than they want.  For many women this is a shape that is heavy in the hips, buttocks and thighs, the typical pear shape.  Why do women accumulate weight in these areas?  Studies have shown that fat in these areas sustains women through breast-feeding and pregnancy.  It is fat specifically that provides energy for breast-feeding. Unfortunately in many cases, after the breast-feeding is over the bulges remain.

Many women have a pear shape even before pregnancy.  This is determined by your genes.  The French who invented liposuction called it genetic fat or diet resistant fat.  That is because this fat is the first to come on and the last to leave.  Women can be thin everywhere else and heavy in the hips and thighs.

Which brings us back to the genes.  With that type of shape, or even with the other difficult shape, the apple [heavy waist, thin legs) designer jeans simply don’t seem to fit in both the waist and thighs.

So what’s a girl to do?  Dieting doesn’t tend to work for genetic fat, neither does exercise.  Other plastic surgery options include Thermage, a non-invasive procedure, which besides shrinking skin can cause a decrease in inches in the waste and hips.  This is an outpatient single treatment that shrinks skin and gets rid of bulges with radio frequency waves.   For the best results, however, the gold standard for fat removal is liposuction.  The gold standard for liposuction is VASER.  An ultrasonic wave is used to melt the fat so it can gently be pulled out.  The results are that the bulges are gone.  So the genes that cause the problem are neutralized and those designer jeans finally fit.


Permalink to Breast Reduction Combined with Vaser Liposuction

Breast Reduction Combined with Vaser Liposuction

Breast Reduction combined with Vaser Liposuction

Some of the happiest patients I have ever had here at Advanced Concepts in Plastic Surgery have been breast reduction patients.  For breast reduction patients it’s as much about feeling better as looking better.  Large breasts can cause severe back neck and shoulder pain as well as deep grooves in the shoulders.  Some of these patients and had large uncomfortable breasts for 10, 20, 30 or 40 years.  That’s a long time to be miserable.

For a standard breast reduction the new nipple position is determined and is marked at a much higher level than it currently is, usually at the level or just above the breast fold.  Additional markings to unfold the breasts are drawn.  In most cases the nipple stays attached to the chest.  The breast is unfolded and the extra tissues are removed.  The breast is then sutured back together in a smaller and higher position.  The new smaller perkier breast is much more comfortable and for the vast majority of patients the back, neck and shoulder pain goes away.

Because most people have breast reduction for functional reasons it is often covered by insurance.  Years ago the insurance companies were much more liberal about who was covered.  But the insurance companies have gotten much cleverer about hanging onto their money.  They have set height and weight restrictions so that many people who are only modestly overweight have to lose considerable amounts of weight to even qualify.  They also have increased the amount that has to be removed up to 500g, about 1 pound.  For many women, who have legitimate complaints of a pound per side, is a lot to remove leading them with minimal breast tissue left.

Other forms of breast reduction included liposuction, periareolar, (only one scar around nipple), or vertical using the lollipop scar.  Individual patients may be better candidates for one or the other of these breast reductions.  Some doctors preferred to do only one type of reduction whereas I am comfortable with several.  If the patient’s breasts are very large and very saggy only the standard anchor scar procedures can take up enough of the excess to get a good result.  For smaller reductions many techniques work very well.

Scars have been a problem in the past.  With the introduction of a new quill barbed sutures which grab a hold tissues better longer scars have become finer and much less likely to stretch out.

Breast reduction surgery changes people’s lives.  Besides making them feel good and look better it can alleviate chronic pain.  I’ve seen two patients who have avoided major back surgery because of this.  I’ve had two other patients who had an incidental breast cancer removed at the very earliest stage, something that never would have happened without surgery.


Permalink to Plastic Surgery with Low Level Laser

Plastic Surgery with Low Level Laser

Low level laser, or cool laser, is one of the new high-tech devices we use at Advanced Concepts in Plastic Surgery in Sacramento.  Although it has been used for years in chiropractic to decrease pain and inflammation, this laser is relatively new to plastic surgery.

How can something that looks like a Star Trek Tricorder, and shines a flashing red light that you can’t feel, actually do anything?  Well it does, and surprisingly well!  Scientists have known for a long time that light is biologically active.  Look at photosynthesis, how light creates energy in plants.  In a similar way, light creates energy in all of us in the cellular energy cycle.

The cool laser has a wavelength of 635 nanometers.  Don’t worry; you’re not supposed to know what that means.  This is a wavelength that is biologically active, that it influences the energy in our bodies.  It penetrates the cells and activates enzymes that increase something called ATP which is the energy currency of our body.  This also increases circulation decreases pain and suppresses inflammation.

On a practical level, every one of my patients is treated post-operative with the cool laser.  It works dramatically to decrease swelling, discomfort, and pain.  The healing time has been cut down in most procedures as well as the amount of pain medicines taken.  It is used for facial surgery, breast enhancement surgery, body contouring, and VASER Hi Def liposuction.


Permalink to Beautiful Backs

Beautiful Backs

Vaser Hi Def Liposuction and what it means for beautiful backs.

For many years in plastic surgery we were forced to ignored the back.  All the attention was on the front side: breast surgery in the text and a lot of liposuction was centered on the front – the mirror body that we see – the beach body.  But, what about the back?

Of course, there was liposuction on the hip area, also called the love handles.  This was done either with a tiny tech or other liposuction.  But what about the back and waste line? Was it ignored?  Actually, it wasn’t ignored.  It was difficult and inconsistent to get good results.  The back has different anatomy.  The skin is the thickest skin in the body.  The fat is fibrous and has lots of blood vessels, making surgery there much more likely to bleed.  In the past attempts to narrow the waste through the back and get rid of the bra line fat were difficult bloody and inconsistent.

The VASER changed that and VASER Hi Def liposculpture, which we offer exclusively at Advanced Concepts in Plastic Surgery of Sacramento, makes the back one of the best areas to do liposuction.  In the past I often had athletic patients in their forties, fifties and sixties who complained of a little excess in the back.  I considered that this was not fixable with the current technology and I didn’t do it.

Now with VASER Hi Def we can clean out the love handles narrow the waist, remove the bra bunching as well as extra fat in the lower armpit. We can recover a beautiful back curve either with or without a Brazilian butt lift.  The back curve is often lost with middle age and VASER Hi Def is the best way to get it back.

By doing all these things and being mindful of the artistic anatomy, we can bring back into the realm of procedures, so that it is possible to provide a circumferential rejuvenation of the torso.


Permalink to Vaser Hi Def Liposculpture… for both of you!

Vaser Hi Def Liposculpture… for both of you!

Since I started  performing body sculpting using Vaser Hi Def liposculpture, at Advanced Concept in Plastic Surgery in Sacramento, CA, I’ve noticed an interesting phenomena. This phenomena is something I hadn’t seen before with traditional liposuction or even Vaser Liposuction. The phenomenon I’m talking about is a sort of a copycat appointment. Okay, that might be making a joke, but really, it is an interesting phenomenon to have performed a Vaser Hi Def procedure on a patient and then a few weeks or months later have that patient’s significant other sitting with me and having a consultation to get the exact same procedure performed!

So what’s going on? I think that the results of Vaser Hi Def Liposuction are so stunning that anyone who’s seen the changes in their partner is more convinced of its effectiveness. To actually see firsthand the amazing differences that Vaser Hi Def Liposuction delivers is far more proof of this new technique’s incredible transformative abilities than any talk show or video could ever present. When someone who has had the same body for many years suddenly has a strikingly different, new, and frankly, more youthful “sexy” body, this is not going to go unnoticed by the significant other who just so happens to see that partner in… well, let’s just say, less attire than most others are privy to.

As the old joke goes: The problem with middle-age is that everything goes to your middle! It’s the rare, exceptional person who—through a combination of genetics, diet, and exercise— manages to avoid this. It is even more rare when both members of a couple can avoid this. If you look at your middle-aged friends you’ll see that most of them are above their college weight and usually both members of the couple are basically in the same shape. Often, this is because persons who share the same household also tend to share the same diet, exercise and other habits. Age too is a factor and is at least a little cruel to all of us at some level.

Diet, exercise and normal liposuction all improve this condition. However, nothing is as dramatic as the changes with Vaser Hi Def “Liposculpture.” Bulges are removed, skin is tightened and muscles are defined. Vaser Hi Def is the gold standard for torso body contouring and sculpting and the more people are witnessing the results for themselves, the more popular it is becoming.

I think it’s great to see couples experiencing the life changing results of this incredible technique and I am proud to be the only Certified Plastic Surgeon in not only the Greater Sacramento Area but in Northern California that is certified to perform Vaser Hi Def Liposuction. It is important to understand that “Vaser Liposuction” and Vaser Hi Def Liposculpture/Liposuction are not the same thing. The first is liposuction using the Vaser tool, the latter is a technique that a surgeon must be specially trained to perform. This is why patients seek me out from as far away as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Reno and Tahoe.

Come in for a consultation and lets discuss what the new sexier you can look like after just a few short hours and the amazing new technique of Vaser Hi Def Liposculpture!

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    Love the Mirror Again! http://conta.cc/shkiPaLove the Mirror Again! Solutions for the Face & Neckevents.r20.constantcontact.comAs the new year begins, you may be wondering what new facial rejuvenation technologies are available to turn back time. Join Dr. Andrew Kaczynski and Dolce Vita Day Spa's registered nurse, Danielle Ward as well as other Muse […]

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Location Info

  • Andrew Kaczynski, MD

  • Advanced Concepts in Plastic Surgery
  • 77 Cadillac Drive
  • Sacramento, CA, 95825
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  • Granite Bay, CA 95746
  • (916) 925-5522