Q&A with Dr. Toscano

Name (will not be displayed on the website) *
Email (will not be displayed on the website) *
Make Your Question Public?
 Yes 
 No 
What would you like to ask?:
Image Verification
captcha
Please enter the text from the image:

[Refresh Image] [What’s This?]


 Q: Is SmartLipo safe for cardiac patients? I was told that Ultrasonic Cavitation is not safe for cardiac patients because it melts fat and eliminates it through the bloodstream. SafeLipo sounds like it it melted and suctioned out immediately. Thank you!

A: That’s an excellent question.

We can safely do Smartlipo on patients with mild heart disease but not on patients with severe heart disease or congestive heart failure. It’s not really an issue of fat elimination through the bloodstream. The biggest problem from a surgical standpoint is that many cardiac patients are on blood thinners like Coumadin or Plavix and almost all cardiac patients are on daily aspirin. These medications interfere with clotting function and they dramatically increase the risks of bleeding or bruising with Smartlipo.

If your heart disease is mild and your cardiologist determines that it is safe for you to be completely off aspirin and other blood thinners for at least two weeks, then we can consider Smartlipo.

Thanks again for your question.

Francis E. Toscano, M.D., FACEP

FToscano@red-bamboo.flywheelsites.com.


 Q: What is SmartLipo?
A: Laser technology has completely changed liposuction. You no longer have to live with that roll around your waist, that belly pooch, those bulges at your hips or bra line, or the loose skin of your inner thighs or upper arms. Even your jaw line and neck can be sculpted and tightened with SmartLipo by Red Bamboo.

 Q: What makes SmartLipo the best choice?

A: There are so many procedures for removing fat that it’s easy to get confused. With SmartLipo, we make small incisions (about 1/4 inch) and infuse anesthetic solution. You are wide awake. Once the area is numb, we insert a fiber-optic thread smaller than a piece of spaghetti. The end of the thread gets quite hot and it is the heat that kills the fat cells. At the same time, the heat stimulates fibroblasts deep within the skin to produce new collagen which is springy and elastic. Once stimulated, the fibroblasts will continue to tighten the skin for 6 to 8 months. Once the fat is melted, we suction it out with cannulas.</>

There are two big problems with the other procedures you’ve mentioned. With ultrasonic cavitation, Cool Lipo, Zerona, and “non-invasive laser”, there’s simply not very much heat. (That’s why you don’t need anesthesia with them.) There’s not enough heat to actually kill fat cells and there’s not enough heat to “wake up” the fibroblasts to produce collagen. The fat cells may shrink up a little but they don’t actually die and because there’s not much heat, there’s no skin tightening. The second problem with them is that the fat isn’t actually removed. They claim that your body somehow removes the fat cells but it’s not true. Hardly a week goes by that I don’t see one or two patients who have had one of those procedures done and they are disappointed with the results. With SmartLipo, we actually remove the fat with suction. When we’re done, you can see it for yourself sitting in a canister.

I know that “The Doctors” and “Dr. Oz” have both featured several of the procedures that you’ve mentioned on their shows. Keep in mind that one of the main ways those shows make money is by charging doctors and medical device companies (like Zerona and Cool Lipo) for time on their show. Last year, I was offered a spot on The Doctors. All I had to do was write a check for $20,000 and I could have a 4 minute segment. I declined. Be very careful trusting what you see on those shows. Much of what they promote are paid infomercials.