New surgery technique helps the obese

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.--Palm Beach Gardens resident Gina Franano cringes when she looks at a picture of herself a year ago.

"That was Mother's day last year," she said.

Franano is almost a full person thinner today.

"I have a waist now," Franano said.

She's got her confidence back and that Italian wit that she says, for years was hidden underneath too much extra weight.

"A lot of people say, 'you look great, what did you do?'  I said I didn't do anything," Franano said.

Franano credits her drastic life change to Dr. Douglas Dedo at the Gardens Cosmetic Center in Palm Beach Gardens.

Dr. Dedo offers a new weight loss technique for those, like Franano, who don't want gastric bypass or the lap band surgery.

"You come in, you walk out," Dedo said.  "It's not a painful surgery."

Dedo's SLABS procedure-stands for sequential liposuction and body sculpting.  It's a combination of traditional liposuction and laser skin tightening done in sequence.  It's different from traditional weight loss surgeries because the patient is completely awake, but numb.

"I was totally awake through the entire procedure," Franano said. "I was listening to music and talking to Dr. Dedo."

And unlike traditional Gastric Bypass, Dedo said patients won't have any sagging or loose skin afterwards.

"We can get the skin to contract," Dedo said.

Dedo, who was the first surgeon in Palm Beach County to perform liposuction back in the 80s, says the new technique finally allows the severely overweight to benefit.

"One lady came to me, she says for the first time in years she can sleep on her back," Dedo said.

For Franano, who was able to walk out of the office the day of the surgery, she says her entire life has turned around.

"I feel so much more confident," Franano said.  "I feel like I lost my edge.  Now I have it back.  It's phenomenal."

For more information, you can contact Dr. Douglas Dedo at 561-626-FACE.