Liposuction

Introduction: What is Liposuction?

Liposuction, also called body contouring and lipoplasty is a type of surgery that involves extraction and removal of fat from specific areas in your body such as the belly or abdomen, back, buttocks, thighs, arms, chin, and neck. It uses a suction technique to remove body fat and helps shape the targeted areas.

However, you will need to maintain your weight after the procedure in order to see long term results.

Liposuction is not a weight-loss procedure, nor does it remove stretch marks from weight gain. It is usually recommended if you already have a healthy body weight and have good skin elasticity but are unable to lose fat in specific parts of your body despite proper diet and exercise. Alternatively, liposuction can be used as an adjunct to other skin excision procedures to obtain ideal contour.

Who is an Ideal Candidate for Liposuction?

• Your doctor may recommend liposuction if you have an overall stable body weight but excess body fat in specific areas.
• Liposuction can also be used for breast reduction or treatment of gynecomastia, enlarged male breasts.
• Liposuction is not recommended if you have poor health or conditions such as diabetes, coronary artery disease, and immune disorders.
• Healthy patients without significant medical comorbidities
• Patients with realistic expectations of what liposuction can achieve for them
• Non-smokers

Preoperative Assessment

Before your procedure, a detailed medical history is obtained, and a thorough physical examination is performed. During your consultation, your doctor will advise you to stop smoking, if you smoke, to avoid post-surgical complications and delayed healing. You should eat a healthy diet and avoid any restrictive dieting during this time. You should inform your doctor of all medications that you are taking and about significant medical conditions, allergies and previous surgeries if any.

Photographs will also be taken during pre-operative consultation to submit for insurance, to be used in surgical planning and for before and after comparison. Your goals will be discussed, and realistic expectations will be set. After discussing surgical options, we will make an individualized surgical plan together that best suits your goals.

This is the best time to ask all your questions so that you can feel comfortable and confident going into surgery.

Procedure: Liposuction

Before liposuction, your surgeon will mark the specific areas of your body to be treated with you in standing position.

Some procedures may require general anesthesia, while others may require regional or local anesthesia.

The different types of liposuction procedures include:

Tumescent Liposuction: In this procedure, your surgeon injects a sterile solution of saltwater, anesthesia, and a vasoconstrictor – a drug that narrows your blood vessels, into the area from where the excess fat needs to be extracted. The injection causes swelling and stiffening of the affected area.

• Then your surgeon makes tiny incisions into your skin and inserts a thin tube called a cannula under your skin. The cannula is connected to a vacuum that pulls fluids and fat from your body. The body fluids are replenished through an intravenous (IV) line in your arm.
• This is the most common type of liposuction.

There are different types of liposuction that can be done including:

• Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction (UAL)
• Laser-Assisted Liposuction (LAL)

Postoperative Care for Liposuction

• After the procedure, your surgeon may place temporary drains from the incisions to remove excess fluids.
• You will likely develop some swelling, pain, and bruising after the procedure. Your surgeon will prescribe medications to minimize pain and antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection.
• You may be required to wear tight compression garments for a few weeks to help reduce swelling while you heal.
• You should wait a few days before you resume exercise or return to work.
• You should arrange for someone to drive you home and stay with you for at least 24 hours after the procedure.
• Eat a healthy diet to promote healing.

Risks and Complications of Liposuction

As with any major surgery, liposuction carries certain risks and complications. These include:

• Reaction to anesthesia.
• Irregularities in the skin surface such as a bumpy or withered appearance.
• Fluid accumulation under the skin.
• Numbness.
• Skin infection.
• Puncture of an internal organ.
• Fat embolism- Pieces of loosened fat may become entrapped in a blood vessel.
• Possibility of revision surgery

Recovery after Liposuction Procedure

• After the procedure, your surgeon may place temporary drains from the incisions to remove excess fluids.
• You will likely develop some swelling, pain, and bruising after the procedure. Your surgeon will prescribe medications to minimize pain and antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection.
• You will be required to wear tight compression garments for a few weeks to help reduce swelling while you heal.
• You should wait a few days before you return to work (this may differ based on what kind of work you do).
• You should refrain from strenuous physical activity for 2 weeks
• You should arrange for someone to drive you home and stay with you for at least 24 hours after the procedure. You will only be required to stay overnight if you have had a significant amount of liposuction performed over 4-5 liters, due to potential fluid shifts that may occur in your body.
• If your liposuction was done in conjunction with another skin removal procedure, then you should follow postoperative guidelines for the more major procedure.

Summary

Liposuction, also called body contouring, is a type of surgery that involves the removal of fat cells from specific areas in your body such as your belly, buttocks, thighs, arms, chin, and neck through a suction technique. It helps shape the targeted areas and improves your physical appearance.