William P. Coleman III, M.D.

Dr. Coleman is one of the original pioneers of liposuction in the United States. He was one of the first physicians in this country to learn and perform liposuction when it was first introduced in 1983.

He is recognized as an international authority in this field serving as a guest professor to teach liposuction in South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

He established and has directed the liposuction teaching clinics at Tulane University Medical School beginning in 1984.

Dr. Coleman has served as the chair of the Guidelines of Care Committee for three different national medical organizations establishing parameters for proper practice of liposuction.

Of Dr. Coleman's 200 articles and chapters in medical journal and books, 50 are on liposuction. He is also the lead author of a textbook on liposuction written for patients. He has performed thousands of liposuctions on patients from all over the world including hundreds of physicians and nurses.

His work in liposuction has been featured in most major magazines as well as on local and national television. He has been listed in every edition of Best Doctors in America for his work in liposuction.

Liposuction (also called liposculpture or suction lipectomy) is a method for removing excess body fat in order to improve body shape. The best candidates for liposuction are individuals who have localized excess areas of fat such as in the lower abdomen, saddlebags, neck, etc. Liposuction can be performed on all parts of the body. Patients who are significantly overweight usually do not benefit from liposuction. The ideal patient is within 10-15 pounds of their ideal body weight and committed to exercise and proper eating.

Breakthroughs in anesthesia now allow liposuction to be performed entirely using local anesthesia. This avoids the dangers of general anesthesia. Patients who have their liposuction performed using tumescent local anesthesia feel good after the procedure and usually have minimal post-operative pain. Most of our patients are able to drive and participate in light exercise the day after surgery.

Recently lasers have been introduced for liposuction. You can find advertisements all over the internet for “laser liposuction” and “smart liposuction”. BEWARE! Many of those advertising this procedure are family doctors or internists with absolutely no training in liposuction except for a weekend course from the company that sold them the laser. It is no wonder then that they are confused about the benefits of lasers in liposuction. To date there is no compelling scientific evidence that using lasers on the fat improves the results of liposuction at all. You may find claims that the recovery is faster (not true) and that better skin tightening is achieved (not proven). But there is a laser method that actually does improve skin tightening after liposuction. Using external skin tightening laser devices on the skin the same day as liposuction gives excellent skin tightening in many patients. This is the only form of “laser liposuction” which Dr. Coleman, after 25 years of performing thousands of liposuctions recommends.

We advise our patients to wear a special compression garment (girdle) for two weeks after undergoing liposuction. An additional two weeks wearing the girdle twelve hours a day is often helpful as well. The girdle helps to support the tissues and to shrink them more rapidly. Modern liposuction girdles are easily worn under normal clothing.

The decision to have liposuction usually comes after a person has exercised and dieted but still cannot lose fat in certain areas of the body. These are usually caused by genetic factors, which are difficult to overcome. Losing too much weight can make other areas of the body look gaunt and unattractive. The advantage of liposuction is that it provides spot reduction of the specific areas which need to be improved. We frequently perform liposuction on athletic trainers who exercise daily, but simply cannot shrink away certain areas of excess fat. Below are some of the options we provide for liposuction treatments:

With aging, many people develop jowls of the lower face and fat around the neck. These areas can be nicely improved by liposuction. Older patients sometimes also benefit from a submental resection, which involves removing some of the excess skin and tightening the neck muscles.

Other patients also benefit from fat transplantation of the areas around the mouth and chin to smooth out facial contours.

Liposuction can be performed to reduce the size the of breasts in both males and females. Some males have pseudogynecomastia, which is a condition in which excess fat and glandular tissue cause enlargement of the breast. This is often embarrassing and unresponsive to weight loss or exercise. Liposuction is quite effective at removing the excess tissue and providing a better contour.

Some females who wish to have the size of their breasts reduced can benefit from liposuction. Moderate amounts of breast reduction can be accomplished in this way, which avoids the scars and major surgery associated with traditional breast reduction.

Many women also complain about fatty accumulations at the sides of their breasts near the underarms and on the back of the underarms as well. These “bra bulges can be contoured down with liposuction.”

Liposuction is particularly well suited for improvement of excess fat of the abdominal area in both men and women. The ideal patients are those who exercise and have good abdominal muscles. However, no amount of exercise can reduce the genetic tendency to store fat immediately beneath the skin of the abdomen.

Liposuction can be used in both the upper and lower abdomen to achieve a flatter belly. Also, even patients who have moderate amounts of sagging skin can benefit from liposuction, which often causes an impressive amount of skin tightening. This avoids the need for an abdominoplasty or tummy tuck, which has significantly more side effects, expense, and a long recovery.

Many women over forty begin to accumulate excess fat in the upper back or in the flank area of the lower back. This accumulation also enlarges the waist. In men this is referred to as “love handles” Liposuction is very effective at smoothing out these areas to give a more contoured back and waist.

Many female patients develop excess fatty accumulations over the hip bones. Liposuction is well suited for reducing these areas, usually with immediate results. Since the hips frame the buttocks, the two areas are often treated together.

Many females and some males complain about excess fat of the buttocks area. Liposuction with precise small instruments is very effective at reducing the size of the buttocks and decreasing the amount of sag. Improving the buttocks is often the key to obtaining good contours of the outer thighs since sagging buttocks push down and outward over the outer thigh.

Just below the buttocks, many women develop "banana folds" of excess fat on the back of the thighs. This gives a double roll to the buttocks, which can be unattractive. Liposuction is particularly effective in flattening out this area and defining the buttocks.

The outer thighs are a common area for accumulation of excess fat. These so-called saddlebags are a source of great distress for many women. Often the effects of gravity from sagging contributes to this problem. Liposuction is very effective at smoothing out saddlebag contours so that clothes and bathing suits fit better.

Inner thighs that enlarge can sometimes lead to legs rubbing together causing rashes and discomfort. Liposuction can be used in the inner thigh to slim down this area, and when combined with outer thigh liposuction reduces the diameter of the entire thigh.

Excess accumulations of fat along the inner side of the knees can also be unattractive. Liposuction is quite effective at smoothing out this area and giving the knees a better contour.

This procedure is often combined with liposuction of the inner thighs to smooth out the entire inner side of the thigh.

Liposuction is also effective at decreasing the size of the calves and ankles. Some people store their excess fat in this area, which on top of highly developed muscles can give the lower leg a "thick" look. Liposuction using very small instruments is quite successful at recontouring these areas.

Many patients have a genetic tendency to sweat excessively from the underarms. The glands that secrete perspiration are located in the lower part of the skin and upper part of the fatty layer. Liposuction of this area can reduce the quantity of these glands and significantly decrease sweating. This procedure is particularly effective for people who have tried prescription deodorants, Botox, and other treatments without success. Best of all, the results of liposuction of the underarms are usually long lasting.