BOULDER – Doctors who perform cosmetic surgery in the Boulder Valley use a variety of modern devices, including some made by a local liposuction/body shape device manufacturer.

Liposuction is one of he most popular cosmetic surgery procedures done in the region and across the country, according to area doctors and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Nationally, doctors performed 209,000 liposuction procedures in 2010. Breast enhancement is the most popular surgery locally and nationally, with 296,000 procedures done in 2010. Varicose vein removal and face-lift procedures also are popular locally.

When it comes to liposuction, female patients of Dr. Claude Burrow of Boulder most commonly want fat removed from their abdomens and “saddlebag” thighs, the doctor said. Men want their “love handles” removed, said Burrow, who is board certified by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Burrow’s Cosmetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery practice is at 2800 Folsom St. in Boulder.

Burrow performs liposuction procedures at Boulder Community Hospital with a VASER Lipo System liposuction machine made by Sound Surgical Technologies LLC in Louisville. The companies newest liposuction device – the Power X Lipo System – recently was cleared for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The VASER devices have ultrasonic technology that lessens bruising during surgery and less damage to a patient’s nerve and vascular structures, which speeds recovery after surgery, Burrow said.

“Liposuction is a contouring procedure, not a weight-loss procedure,” Burrow said. “You can excercise until the cows come home, and, until you’re starving to death, it’s not going to go away. You have to maintain a healthy lifestyle to preserve the results you’ve gotten from the liposuction.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 22 issued an updated white paper on the safety of silicone gel-filled breast implants. Echoing the Society’s longstanding stance, the FDA statement reports that “silicone gel-filled breast implants have a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness when used as labeled.” ASPS also accepts the Agency’s position that women who receive silicone gel-filled breast implants for reconstructive or cosmetic purposes will need to monitor the devices over their lifetime.

ASPS believes that the FDA white paper is informative and will be a fruitful resource for plastic surgeons – as well as for patients considering reconstructive or cosmetic breast augmentation. The Society also shares the FDA’s view in the white paper that more than 90 percent of patients are satisfied with their outcomes from breast implantation and report and improved quality of life.

ASPS has collaborated – and will continue to collaborate – with the FDA to ensure that science forms the basis for all decision-making on breast implants, as well as all other medical devices. The Society supports post-market breast implant surveillance and ongoing data collection related to the safety and efficacy of breast implants – and will continue to reiterate that patient safety is its number one priority.

On its website at fda.gov, the FDA has also provided links to related documents, including a 2011 Update on the Safety of Silicone Gel-Filled Breast Implants – Executive Summary, a general overview of breast implants, and a Consumer Update that contains current and background information on breast implants – as well as links to additional documents and FAQs.

Additional resources for members and consumers are posted on the ASPS website at plasticsurgery.org

Ear Surgery

Technically known as otoplasty, this procedure is usually done to set prominent ears back closer to the head or to reduce the size of large ears.

For the most part, the operation is done on children between the ages of four and 14. Ear surgery on adults is also possible, and there are generally no additional risks associated with ear surgery on an older patient.

Nose Surgery

Rhinoplasty, or surgery to reshape the nose, is one of the most common of all plastic surgery procedures.

Rhinoplasty can reduce or increase the size of your nose, change the shape of the tip or the bridge, narrow the span of the nostrils, or change the angle between your nose and your upper lip. It may also correct a birth defect or injury, or help relieve some breathing problems.

Eyelid Lift

Eyelid surgery (technically called blepharoplasty) is a procedure to remove fat, usually along with excess skin and muscle from the upper and lower eyelids.

Eyelid surgery can correct drooping upper lids and puffy bags below your eyes – features that make you look older and more tired than you feel, and may even interfere with your vision. Blepharoplasty can be done alone, or in conjunction with other facial surgery procedures such as a facelift or browlift.

Brow Lift

A procedure that restores a more youthful, refreshed look to the area above the eyes, it corrects drooping brows and improves the horizontal lines and furrows that can make a person appear angry, sad or tired.

In a forehead lift, muscles and tissues are removed or altered to smooth the forehead, raise the eyebrows and minimize frown lines. Your surgeon may use the conventional surgical method, in which the incision is hidden just behind the hairline, or use an endoscope which allows the procedure to be performed with minimal incisions.

Facelift

A facelift (technically known as rhytidectomy) can’t stop the aging process. What it can do is “set back the clock,” improving the most visible signs of aging by removing excess fat, tightening underlying muscles, and redraping the skin of your face and neck.

A facelift can be done alone, or in conjunction with other procedures such as a forehead lift, eyelid surgery, or nose reshaping.

Spider Veins

Millions of people are bothered by spider veins; those small yet unsightly clusters of red, blue or purple veins that most commonly appear on the thighs, calves and ankles. It’s estimated that at least half of the adult female population is plagued with this common cosmetic problem.

Today, many plastic surgeons are treating spider veins with sclerotherapy, in which veins are injected with a solution, causing them to collapse and fade from view. The procedure may also remedy the symptoms associated with spider veins, including aching, burning, swelling and night cramps.

Tummy Tuck

Abdominoplasty, known more commonly as a “tummy tuck,” is a major surgical procedure to remove excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdomen and to tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall, which can dramatically reduce the appearance of a protruding abdomen.

Bear in mind, it does produce a permanent scar, which, depending on the extent of the original problem and the surgery required to correct it, can extend from hip to hip.

Arm Lift

An arm lift (technically known as brachioplasty) is a surgical procedure to remove loose skin and excess fat deposits in the upper arm.

With age, upper arm skin can become loose and flabby. Plastic surgeons will discuss brachioplasty with patients who want to tighten this skin and look as good as they feel. In some cases your plastic surgeon may suggest that liposuction be used alone or in conjunction with an arm lift to remove excess fat in the upper arms.