by Kristina Morgan
Smartlipo...Laser Body Sculpting
After years of struggling with her weight and approaching 50, Robin Mancini felt fat, unhealthy and miserable and finally committed to losing the weight and getting healthy. After reaching her goal, she found herself with excess skin and pockets of fat that would not go away even with diet and exercise.
She then heard about Dr. Maria Lopez Baez in Mazatlan who pioneered the use of Smartlipo™ in North America. In fact, Dr. Lopez began working with Smartlipo™ when it was still in FDA trials in the United States. Not only did Dr. Lopez have the expertise after years of Smartlipo™ procedures, she was also a very caring and practical doctor who understood the value of a woman feeling good about herself—for herself.
Liposuction itself was originally invented in the early ‘70s by a gynecologist in Italy. Since that time it was the only treatment available for people who wanted to remove excess pockets of fat and reshape their natural curves. Today there are new revolutionary advances in liposuction with the onset of a laser technique called Smartlipo. With Smartlipo you can not only remove the fat but tighten your skin. Smartlipo stimulates the growth of collagen causing skin retraction compared to traditional liposuction which increases the appearance of sagging skin in treatment areas - like a deflated balloon skin.
Robin Mancini agreed to have Dr. Lopez perform the Smartlipo™ procedure. Looking at Mancini today, she is a very healthy, svelte, active, engaging woman who feels this has helped to change her life and the way she sees herself.
Robin was so impressed by Dr. Lopez, she smiles and says, “I decided I needed to come to Mexico and play with her!”
A wonderful partnership, they have now been working together for almost four years. With a background in social service and counseling abused women, Robin is keenly aware of the importance of a woman feeling safe and empowered to feel good about herself.
She now works with Dr. Lopez screening the patients who come to them to make sure their expectations are reasonable, their fears are addressed and that this is something they have chosen to do for themselves and no one else. Robin makes sure their motives for the surgery are balanced. She says, "If your body or spirit or mind is not in the right place, you're not going to be happy."
What is Smartlipo™?
Smartlipo™ is designed to melt away areas of fat deposits that will not diminish with exercise and dieting, Smartlipo™ is a breakthrough laser technology that bursts fat cells on contact, stimulating collagen growth, thereby tightening, toning and smoothing the skin.
Afterwards, there’s no more loose leftover folds in the skin. Gone is the “dimply, wobbly” appearance as well as the bruising, drainage and extended recovery period that occurs with traditional liposuction. Patients can now remove unwanted fat and have tauter skin even in the most delicate of areas such as the neck, jowls, arms, knees and inner thighs and be back at work in a few days. Smartlipo™ is also highly effective in improving the appearance of previously treated liposuction areas by removing additional unwanted fat and toning flaccid skin. Dr. Lopez says 30% of their patients are people who have had procedures elsewhere that have to be fixed.
In the U.S., Smartlipo™ has been touted in advertising as a “lunchtime procedure,” but Dr. Lopez emphasizes that this is not a surgery you can have over lunch and then return to work. However, it is reasonable to expect to have the procedure on a Friday and recover over the weekend and go back to work on Monday. Compared to the time it takes to recover from traditional liposuction, this is a very rapid recovery for people who cannot spend weeks in bed recovering.
Minimally invasive, the Smartlipo™ optic fiber is inserted into a tiny cannula (1.0mm) and introduced through an entry in the skin, so small it does not require stitches. As the cannula is moved back and forth in a gentle fan-like fashion the laser’s energy is delivered through layers of fat and into the deep layers of skin tissue rupturing fat cells upon contact stimulating the growth of collagen. Then the oil is vacuumed out because the fat cell has residue that they don't want settling in some other area of the body or taxing your lymph system. Up to seven liters of fat can be taken out at one time per area. To help sum this up visually, a woman who was a size 14 can walk out after the procedure as a size 10.
Robin and Dr. Lopez feel there is a spiritual aspect in what they do. Both agree that they want to make a difference in someone's life.
Robin says, “We had one patient call from a dressing room where she was trying on clothes. She was in a Size 10 and it fit...she was crying when she told us this.”
The procedure costs $1700 USD per area plus the cost of the hospital operating room and anesthesiologist. Three to four areas can be done at one time. The areas are defined as:
- upper and lower abdomen
- upper and lower back
- thighs
- lateral waist (which starts on the side of the breasts and goes down to the hips)
- both arms
- both legs
- neck and jaw line
In looking at some of their before-and-after pictures, I was amazed. There were women who had Smartlipo™ in their necks and jaw lines who looked years younger without any of the stitches or stretched skin that some people who have had facelifts can have.
The beauty of this technique is that it stimulates collagen production and causes the skin to reattach itself and with laser surgery, there's no fear of infection, because the laser kills bacteria. With Smartlipo™ they can sculpt your body while removing the fat.
Smartlipo™ is a slower procedure because it is removing one fat cell at a time and just like any invasive procedure, there will be some bruising and swelling. Wearing a compression garment is recommended for two or three weeks post-procedure. It can be uncomfortable for a few days, whichcan be alleviated with just Tylenol, but you won’t be in pain. Swelling typically begins around the second or third day and optimum results will be seen in six months.
Prior to the surgery, you’ll see a cardiologist and have an EKG to make sure there are no problems with your heart. Blood tests are also taken to make sure you’re in good health before the surgery. The tests are included in the cost of the procedure as are the compression garment and medication.
There is a board-certified anesthesiologist on site during surgery just to make sure everything goes all right. The procedure can be done under a local anesthetic or a general anesthetic.
Robin adds, “You have to be proactive in your recovery. You’ll need ten lymphatic massages after this is done. A detox before surgery is recommended along with taking arnica to prevent bruising and you’ll have to maintain your weight.”
Unlike many clinics that seem to process their patients like so many cattle, Dr Lopez is committed to only working with one or two patients a day.
Recently, Robin Mancini and Dr. Lopez have been coming to Ajijic for consultations at the Casita Montana in Ajijic two weeks a month. And consultations are FREE. Robin says, “We could charge, but the consultation is free because we really want to make sure a patient knows about the procedure.” Before this, if you had wanted to talk to Dr. Lopez, you would have had to go to their prestigious clinic, Versalles Center, in Mazatlan. http://www.versallescenter.com.
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