Coolsculpting New Jersey
Do you do Coolsculpting ?
The short answer is, not yet and may be never.
This is offered as a non invasive fat reduction procedure, but the only non invasive part is that there is no skin incision. The skin and fat are sucked in a container. It is then cooled to freeze the fatty layer. This also freezes the nerves and causes terrible pain and electric shocks as the nerves attempt to recover.
Please let me explain why I am not ready to offer this procedure to my patients at this time. I primarily think about my patients well being and overall satisfaction. I could not be happy if I have one patient suffering from intractable pain after a procedure that is supposed to be non invasive. Most of these patients have to have these procedures repeated in small areas of their body and suffer every time. The procedure is done by a nurse or an aesthetician so it is very profitable to the practice. But when you add all the costs, the pain and each recovery time, of this supposedly non invasive procedure, liposuction is less expensive with less recovery time, less pain and suffering and overall better results.
There are several criteria that a procedure has to satisfy before I adopt it for my patients. I will try to enumerate them for you. I do not jump on a band wagon and offer the latest technology and procedure unless these criteria are met. I do this to protect my patients, have good long term results, reduce complications and side effects, and have happy patients at the end. Coolsculpting is a cool name. It could also be called frost biting which wouldn’t be so cool. It all depends where you set your standards. The criteria are as follows:
1) The new procedure has to produce the same results as the established procedure.
2) There should be less side effects and faster recovery.
3) The ratio of cost per results has to be favorable.
4) The long term results have to be known and superior.
5) I should be willing to offer this procedure to my closest friends and family or be willing to have it done on myself.
Coolsculpting satisfies non of these criteria. Starting from the bottom, I am not willing to undergo the procedure myself or offer it to my family or close friends. Cool Sculpting doesn’t satisfy the 4th criterium as it is still new and there are already patients suffering from long term pain after this procedure. I have never had a patient complaining of neuropathic pain needing Neurontine after a liposuction. You can go to the following link to see some of the discussions amongst patients who have had this procedure.
http://www.realself.com/review/coolsculpting-pain-after-cool-sculpting
The amount of fat reduction that it can produce could be achieved with a small liposuction under local anesthesia in one session with more predictable results and less pain after the procedure. Cool Sculpting does not offer the same degree of precision than liposuction because it is a shot gun approach in an attempts to freeze a block of tissue. Despite its name, this procedure is less of a sculpting tool than liposuction. Freezing the fat causes fat necrosis which can be painful and has unknown consequences. If you like what you read please share.
Common Questions Patients Search About Liposuction
How much does liposuction cost in New Jersey?
Liposuction cost in Northern New Jersey depends primarily on how many areas are treated and how much fat is removed. A single small area (e.g., chin or flanks) typically runs $3,500–$6,000; a multi-area case (abdomen, flanks, and back) runs $8,000–$14,000 all-in. Dr. Rafizadeh provides a flat quote during the consultation that includes anesthesia, the facility, and follow-up garments and visits.
Which is safer, liposuction or CoolSculpting?
Both are safe when performed by qualified providers, but they're not equivalent. Liposuction physically removes fat cells with cannulas; CoolSculpting (cryolipolysis) freezes fat cells through the skin. Liposuction has more dramatic and predictable results, especially for moderate-to-large volumes. CoolSculpting has carried a small but real risk of paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (the area getting larger, not smaller), which is why Dr. Rafizadeh has chosen not to offer it. For most patients seeking real contour change, liposuction in experienced hands is the better tool.
What is the recovery like after liposuction?
Most Northern New Jersey liposuction patients wear a compression garment for 4–6 weeks and feel sore for the first 7–10 days. Bruising peaks in week one and resolves in 2–3 weeks. Most patients are back to desk work in 3–5 days and full activity by 4 weeks. The final contour emerges as residual swelling resolves over 8–12 weeks. Performing liposuction under local anesthesia with light sedation (Dr. Rafizadeh's standard approach) keeps the first 24 hours dramatically more comfortable.
What happens 10 years after liposuction?
Liposuction removes fat cells, and those cells don't regenerate. If weight stays stable, the result is essentially permanent — the treated areas continue to look proportionally slimmer than they would have. If a patient gains significant weight, the remaining fat cells in the treated areas enlarge, but the proportional contour change usually persists. Patients who maintain a stable weight tend to be very happy with their result a decade out.
What is the hardest part of liposuction recovery?
Patients consistently say it's not pain — it's the compression garment and the patience for swelling to resolve. The garment has to be worn around the clock for the first 2–3 weeks to optimize the contour, and the final result isn't fully visible until 2–3 months in. Patients who follow the garment protocol get noticeably better contours than those who don't, so it's worth the inconvenience.
How much fat can be removed in one liposuction session?
Safety guidelines limit a single session to about 5 liters of pure fat (roughly 11 pounds), though most cases involve significantly less. Removing more than that in one sitting increases the risk of fluid shifts, blood loss, and complications. For patients needing more, Dr. Rafizadeh stages the procedure across two sessions spaced several months apart. The goal is contour and safety, not maximum volume.
Can liposuction tighten loose skin?
Liposuction itself does not tighten skin — it removes fat, and the skin envelope shrinks if it has good elasticity. For patients with good skin tone, the result looks tight and contoured. For patients with stretched, post-pregnancy, or aged skin, isolated liposuction can leave loose skin that looks worse than before. In those cases, Dr. Rafizadeh recommends combining liposuction with a skin-tightening procedure (tummy tuck, arm lift, etc.) for the best result.
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