LIPOSUCTION

| the procedure | results and benefits | example photos

The Liposuction Procedure

Introduced in the U.S. in the early 1980s, liposuction, also called liposculpture, lipoplasty, or suction lipectomy, is a technique developed to remove stubborn fat deposits that don't respond to dieting and exercise.

In this procedure, a very small skin incision is made in the skin, often in the crease just under the chin, or behind the ear lobes, or both. Then a thin, smooth, blunt, surgical suction rod is inserted and connected to a vacuum source. The vacuum sucks the fat out, leaving the skin, muscle, nerves and blood vessels intact. This allows your surgeon to carefully sculpt your neck into a new, improved contour, changing the look of your face and neck with almost no scar and minimal pain. The procedure is often done with local anesthetic supplemented with light sedation; in smaller cases the procedure may even be done with just local anesthetic alone. Pain is easily tolerable, both during and after surgery.

The information given here is general. Because each patient is different, questions that you may have regarding your body may not be fully explained here. A consultation visit with your doctor is highly recommended to give you the best information about your specific case.

Liposuction begins as your surgeon makes small incisions, approximately one half inch in length or less. A thin, hollow tube, called a cannula, is inserted, and is attached to a machine or syringe that creates a strong vacuum. Your surgeon will then strategically manipulate the cannula under the skin to remove the unwanted fatty deposits.

Depending on the type of anesthesia, you may feel pressure, movement, or an occasional stinging sensation during the procedure, but not actual pain. Your surgeon will determine the amount of fat to remove by feeling and pinching the skin throughout the surgery.

Newer liposuction techniques involve injecting the area to be suctioned with a special fluid/anesthesia combination prior to suctioning. This is called tumescent liposuction. The fluid constricts the surrounding blood vessels, making the procedure nearly bloodless, while minimizing the pain. The rest of the procedure is performed in the same way as traditional liposuction.

How long does surgery take?

Surgery takes about 1 hour.

Does the fat come back?

Fat cells are not thought to regenerate, and contour improvement should be permanent. If you gain weight, the fat cells that are left behind will get bigger, just as all of the other fat cells in the body do, but your body will retain the improved proportions. The liposuction areas can never become as fat as they once were, (relative to the rest of the body), because fat cells have been permanently removed. This is the key point about the results achieved by liposuction, and explains why it is also called body contouring or body sculpting.

Does it hurt?

Surprisingly, modern day liposuction does not hurt much at all. After surgery, your neck may feel a bit sore, but most patients do not even require pain medications post-operatively. Discomfort is moderate during the surgery, and can easily be controlled by anesthetic agents. Small areas can even be treated under just local anesthesia.

Do I need to be put to sleep for the surgery?

For small areas, local anesthesia alone (numbing medicine) suffices, just like going to the dentist. For larger areas, you will probably be more comfortable if you are given medicine to make you go to sleep, and in rare cases, general anesthesia may even be recommended.

Do I have to stay in the hospital?

If you have no medical problems and the amount of fat is not excessive, you will probably be able to go home the same day as your surgery.

How long until I can go back to work?

After liposuction surgery it is prudent to wait a few weeks before resuming strenuous activity, but quiet activity can usually be resumed within a few days. If your work is sedentary, a few days off should suffice, and in smaller cases, you can return to work the next day. Remember also, however, that a compression garment to hold the loose skin of the neck against the muscle may be recommended for the first few weeks. If your appearance is very important at work, this will test your ingenuity at coming up with interesting excuses. Remember, also, that you may have some visible bruising in the neck.

How long before I can resume normal activities?

Most patients are mobile and comfortable immediately after liposuction. Keep in mind that healing is a gradual process. Your surgeon will want you to begin normal activity as soon as possible to reduce post operative complications, but in some cases you may be advised to avoid strenuous activity for a few weeks. Light exercise is usually permitted within a few days.

Your surgeon may recommend that a tight fitting garment be worn after surgery to reduce swelling and to help the loose skin adhere to the muscles. This may need to be worn for up to six weeks. Your stitches, however, will be removed within a week and a half if they are not the type that dissolve.

Remember, liposuction is a surgical procedure, and your body has to heal before you see the full benefits. Your results will likely be visible within two or three weeks, but the full effect may not be fully evident for six months to a year after surgery in some cases.

What benefit could I expect from the surgery?

The fat that is removed is gone forever, resulting is a permanent recontouring of the body. This can offer a new shape for people who never thought it was possible, giving a psychological boost and the incentive to exercise even more than before to improve the rest of their physique. Liposuction will not, however, prevent you from gaining weight in the future, and will not keep you fit and in shape. Remember also that there will be extra skin after removal of the fat. If this skin sags, the result may be disappointing, even though the neck size has been reduced. In order to assure good skin contour, you must be conscientious about wearing the support garments recommended by your doctor to try to get the skin to adhere nicely to the underlying muscles. This is up to you.

Liposuction is not a weight loss technique, and is not a cure for overall obesity. It is, however, a great way to get rid of that little bulge that you cannot seem to get rid of any other way, and loss of fat in the neck will make it look like you've lost a lot of weight. The goal is for you to be more comfortable with your body and happy with your new shape.

How long do the results last?

The fat that is removed is permanently gone, and can not come back. The fat that remains can increase in size if you gain weight after liposuction, but will do so throughout the body so that the proportions maintain their improvement. This is why the procedure is now often referred to as liposculpture.

Is there much scarring?

There is a small (less than one centimeter) incision made to insert the cannula, which may require one or two stitches to close. These scars are usually not too noticeable, and are often concealed in skin creases or in parts of the skin that are usually hidden.

Can liposuction help me lose weight?

The best way to lose weight is still diet and exercise. Liposculpture will remove some fat, but the main purpose is to recontour your body, not to make you thinner everywhere. It can help you look as if you have lost weight, however.

Is it safe?

Liposuction has become remarkably safe, although some risks do persist. In the early days of liposuction, there were problems associated with blood loss, infection, shock, and inexperience with the use of the catheters. With increased attention to these problems, the risk now comes mostly from the anesthesia. Removal of large amounts of fat can still result in moderate blood loss, and may require hospitalization, but for the routine liposuction, these problems are unusual. Infection is also uncommon, but remains a major concern to all doctors performing liposuction.

Risks/complications?

Nothing in life comes free, and liposuction is no exception. Some bruising and discomfort can be expected after the operation, although these are usually not too bad and resolve within a few weeks. There are the standard risks associated with anesthesia (allergy to the medicine, increased risk if you are not healthy, etc.), which you will need to discuss with your doctor and/or anesthesiologist. There is a slight risk of scarring, although the incisions are so small that this is not usually a problem. The risk of infection is ever-present, any time the skin barrier is broken, but infection after liposuction is unusual.

Even with the most skilled surgeon, however, variations from the ideal result are possible. Complications include uneven skin surface, especially in patients with poor skin elasticity, bleeding, infection, discoloration, fluid accumulation beneath the skin, numbness and scarring. Although complications with this surgery are extremely rare, infection and excessive loss of fluid can lead to serious illness and even death.

What are the alternatives?

Diet and weight loss are the standard ways of losing weight and toning up. They are recommended for everyone. If your neck looks thick or heavy, and you cannot get rid of that heaviness, and especially if that fat is always there, even when you are fit, then liposuction is a good alternative. If there is loose skin, it may be necessary to remove this skin as well, by an "neck lift" or "facelift" surgery.

Special Instructions

Wash carefully before surgery. Avoid aspirin and aspirin containing medicines for 2 weeks prior to surgery. You may need to get a compression garment to wear after the surgery. Make sure to follow all the doctor's recommendations in order to prevent sagging of the skin, which could decrease the improvement you get. Remember that the neck muscles will be tight and a bit sore for several months after the surgery before finally softening up.

This information is only intended as an introduction to this procedure and should not be used to determine whether you will have the procedure performed.

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