Liposuction

Liposuction, is a surgical procedure that involves the removal of excess fat from specific areas of the body. The procedure is typically used to contour the abdomen, hips, thighs, buttocks and other areas where diet and exercise alone have not been successful. Liposuction is popular cosmetic surgery procedures that can help people achieve a slimmer and more proportional body shape.

Liposuction isn’t considered an overall weight-loss method or a weight-loss alternative. People who are overweight can lose more weight through diet and exercise or through other kinds of surgery than with liposuction.

Liposuction may work for you if you have a lot of body fat in specific places but otherwise have a stable body weight.

Liposuction is not a treatment for obesity or a substitute for proper diet and exercise. Liposuction works for people of normal weight who have some extra fat.

Good Candidate for Liposuction

Generally, people of normal weight who have localized areas of protruding fat achieve the best results, however, people who are slightly overweight can also benefit from liposuction. The best candidates for liposuction include the following:

• Adults with an average or slightly above-average weight.
• People who have firm skin with elasticity (high in the elastin protein) and a good muscle tone.
• Adults who have good overall health.
• People who have pockets of fat that don’t respond well to diet and exercise.
• Nonsmokers.
• People with realistic goals for the outcome of the procedure.

And you should know some people with some factors are not good candidate for liposuction and if they do that, they will have unsuccessful procedure.

Certain factors that cause your procedure fail:

• Are underweight.
• Have a BMI over 25.
• Have a serious, life-threatening health condition or a condition that can make healing difficult.
• Have unrealistic expectations for the procedure.
• Have poor skin quality.

Liposuction preparation

Before the procedure, discuss with your surgeon what to expect from the surgery. Your surgeon will review your medical history and ask about any medical conditions you may have. Tell the surgeon about any medicines, supplements or herbs you are taking.

Your surgeon will recommend that you stop taking certain medicines, such as blood thinners or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), at least a week before surgery. You also may need to get certain lab tests before your procedure.

Generally you may need:

• Follow dietary or alcohol restrictions.
• Take or avoid certain medicines and vitamins.
• Get labs testing
• Stop smoking.

Liposuction procedure

Liposuction is a surgical procedure that uses a hollow stainless steel tube, called a cannula, which is inserted through small incisions in the skin. The cannula is then used to suction out unwanted fat from specific areas of the body, such as the abdomen, hips, thighs and buttocks. When your surgeon completes the procedure, they’ll close up the incision site with stitches that are either dissolvable or non-dissolvable.Your specific procedure depends on the type of liposuction you’re having. How long liposuction surgery takes depends on how much fat your surgeon is removing and the number of areas treated.

There are many different liposuction techniques:

1. Tumescent liposuction is the most common technique. Your surgeon injects a sterile solution into the area where the fat is to be removed. It consists of saline — which is salt water – along with lidocaine and epinephrine. The solution makes it easier to suction the fat with less blood loss and pain.
2. Ultrasound-assisted liposuction, or UAL, uses sound wave energy under your skin to rupture the cell walls of the fat. This liquefies the fat so it can be suctioned out.
3. Laser-assisted liposuction, or SmartLipo, uses a laser to produce a burst of energy to liquefy the fat.

Risks and Complications

The decision to have liposuction is extremely personal, and you’ll have to decide if the benefits will achieve your goals and if the risks and potential complications are acceptable. You will be asked to sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand the procedure and any risks.

There are several possible risks directly related to liposuction that you still have to consider, including:

• Bleeding
• Complications from anesthesia
• Shock (usually from not getting enough fluid during surgery)
• Fluid accumulation (pockets of fluid forming under the skin)
• Infections
• Fat embolism (when tiny pieces of fat break away and block blood flow)
• Burns from instruments
• Uneven fat removal
• Reactions to lidocaine
• Change in skin sensation; numbness
• Damage to nerves, blood vessels, muscles, lungs, and abdominal organs

Another risk is a blood clot in your deep veins. Clots can be very dangerous if they travel to other parts of your body, such as your lungs.

Recovery

    Expect some pain, swelling and bruising after the procedure. Your surgeon may give you medicines to help control the pain and to lower the risk of infection.

  After the procedure, the surgeon may leave your incisions open or put in temporary drains to help fluid drain out of your body. Most people need to wear tight garments after surgery to help reduce swelling. These garments are also called compression garments and are worn for a few weeks.

   On average, it can take up to six months to heal completely. During some of this time, usually the first six weeks, you’ll need to relax and reduce the number of activities you perform to let your body heal.

   You may need to wait a few days before going back to work. It may take a few weeks before you can start your usual activities, including exercise.

References:

• plasticsurgery.org
• https://my.clevelandclinic.org
• https://www.mayoclinic.org
• https://medscape.com
• https://webmd.com