Harrisburg, PA: (717) 728-1700
Stratis Gayner Plastic Surgery
10 Capital Drive #100
Harrisburg, PA 17110
Phone: (717) 728-1700
Tuesday, Thursday: 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
Wednesday: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m.–3 p.m.
Phones are open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. every day
Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. John Stratis, a body contouring specialist who helps women and men get the smooth and toned look they desire with liposuction in Harrisburg, PA. Liposuction addresses areas of stubborn, exercise-resistant fat in the arms, thighs, hips, and abdomen. Several new fat removal methods are now available—some surgical, some not— but traditional liposuction, also called “tumescent” liposuction, is still the best option for many patients.
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Dr. Stratis discusses your suitability for traditional liposuction at the initial consultation. Men and women considering liposuction or any elective surgery should be in good overall health and at or near their ideal body weight. They should also have healthy and elastic skin that is more likely to conform to slimmer contours after some of the underlying fat cells are removed.
We encourage patients considering liposuction to ask as many questions as they want so they are comfortable with their decisions. Dr. Stratis is personable and develops a good rapport with patients so they feel comfortable and confident in their decisions for both the surgery and the surgeon.
It is important to understand that liposuction is intended for cosmetic purposes only. The surgery is not designed as a weight-loss solution and should not be considered as a strategy for improving an overweight patient’s health.
Men and women who want to slim down often make lifestyle changes, including improvements to diet and exercise regimens. These strategies can improve a person’s health and cause large fat cells to shrink, but some people may notice that certain pockets of fat seem to resist the slimming changes happening elsewhere on the body.
Every person is different, so while one may enjoy the results of dieting by seeing changes all over their body, another person may find that a bulging gut remains, while another individual can’t seem to lose a double chin.
The cells that make up this so-called “stubborn” or “diet-resistant” fat simply don’t reduce in size along with other fat cells. Also, it should be noted that any fat cells that do shrink are quite capable of growing larger again if given the opportunity. This is because reducing calories and increasing physical activity does not change the number of fat cells in the body—the efforts merely change the size of some fat cells.
Taking these problematic and unwanted fat cells out of the equation is an increasingly popular solution, whether the answer is disrupting them non-surgically or physically removing them from the targeted area.
Fat cells can be firmly fixed in place where they develop, so reducing their numbers requires disrupting them with energy or chemicals to make it easier to suction them from the body using liposuction.
A fat cell removed from the body is obviously no longer capable of shrinking or growing, and fewer fat cells in a particular area can result in a slimmer, trimmer look.* That said, note that the results from liposuction or other fat-reduction methods are best maintained by a patient’s commitment to eating well, exercising, and staying in good health. Weight gain after liposuction is still possible, and remaining fat cells can continue to grow, leading to new bulges in the treated area or elsewhere.
Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. John Stratis specializes in breast and body procedures is a leader in modern body contouring methods.
Read MoreLiposuction may be performed under general anesthesia or sedation, or even with the patient completely awake. A specialist administers any anesthetic and monitors you throughout the procedure.
Once the patient is properly sedated, Dr. Stratis makes small incisions in inconspicuous locations, with the intent to minimize any visible scars after the surgery is complete. Through these incisions, he infuses the tissues with a sterile liquid solution to make the targeted fat firmer, constrict blood vessels, and dull sensation in the area.
He then inserts a tube, called a cannula, into the tumescent tissue, using a back-and-forth motion to loosen the fat cells. These cells will be suctioned out through the cannula.
When the fat-removal portion of the traditional liposuction procedure is complete, Dr. Stratis sutures the incisions, again with an eye for camouflaging and minimizing any scars.
Dr. Stratis employs an innovative liposuction technique known as SAFELipo. This is an acronym for:
For this technique, Dr. Stratis uses specialized instruments. The final result can be smoother and more consistent.*
Dr. Stratis performs SAFE lipo in his Harrisburg office or in the Capital Laser and Surgery Center. The service is available to patients from Lancaster, all of Pennsylvania, and beyond.
After the traditional liposuction procedure, you may experience swelling or fluid retention, but these side effects should subside in the days and weeks following your surgery. When the swelling is gone, you will be able to see the smoother, slimmer body contours.*
By sticking with a healthy diet and exercising regularly, you can best maintain the results of your liposuction.
Traditional liposuction can be useful as a component of other procedures, such as:
If you are interested in improving your skin or facial features, Dr. Stratis’s partner, Dr. Scott Gayner, offers a variety of surgical and nonsurgical options.
Traditional liposuction is ideal for certain patients, a determination that can be made following an initial consultation. In some cases, a different approach may be needed, with options ranging from surgical to nonsurgical.
Laser liposuction uses heat energy generated by a laser to liquefy unwanted fat, for gentler and more precise removal and skin tightening. At Stratis Gayner, we use AccuSculpt™ for this procedure.
Dr. Stratis is one of the few Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, liposuction surgeons to also offer:
