What is Liposuction?
Liposuction is defined as a surgical procedure that uses a suction technique to remove fat from specific areas of the body, such as abdomen, hips, thighs, buttocks, arms or neck and it also shapes these areas. Liposuction is also called as lipo plasty and body contouring. Liposuction is done if you have too much body fat in specific spots. It is used to remove fat from areas of the body such as
• Abdomen
• Arms
• Buttocks
• Claves and ankles
• Chest and back
• Hips and thighs
• Neck
When your weight increases, fat cells increase in size and volume. Liposuction reduces the number of fat cells in a specific area, and the fat reduction depends on the appearance of the area and the amount of fat. The results of contour changes are generally permanent as long as weight remains same.
After the liposuction procedure skin molds to the new contours of the treated areas and if you have good skin tone and elasticity then your skin will appear smooth. If your skin is thin and has poor elasticity, then your skin might appear loose. It doesn’t improve cellulite dimpling or any other skin irregularities and also it doesn’t remove stretch marks.
It is recommended to avoid liposuction if you have conditions like
• Restricted blood flow
• Coronary artery disease
• Diabetes
• A week immune system
What are the risks or side-effects of Liposuction?
Cosmetic surgery is still a surgery, so there are few liposuction side-effects such as
• Contour Irregularities: Your skin might appear bumpy, wavy due to uneven fat removal, poor skin elasticity, and unusual healing.
• Fluid accumulation: Temporary pockets of fluid can form under the skin which might need to be drained with a needle.
• Numbness: You might feel temporary or permanent numbness in the affected area.
• Infection: It is possible that you might get skin infections, but it is very rare.
• Internal puncture: A cannula that penetrates too deeply might puncture an internal organ, but it is very rare.
• Fat embolism: It is a medical condition in which pieces of fat might break away and become trapped in a blood vessel and gather in the lungs or travel to the brain.
• Kidney and heart problems: Fluids are being injected and suctioned out which can cause potentially life-threatening kidney and heart problems.
How should you prepare for Liposuction Procedure?
Tell the doctor about your medical history, list of medical conditions and any medications or herbs you are taking. Your doctor will recommend you to stop taking certain medications, such as blood thinners or NSAIDs, at least two weeks before surgery.
What can you expect from the Surgery?
Before the Procedure
Before the procedure, the surgeon might mark circles and lines on the areas of the body to be treated. It is done using the specific techniques:
Tumescent Liposuction:
It is the most common type of liposuction in which a sterile solution which is a mixture of salt solution that aids fat removal, an anesthetic to relieve pain and a drug which constrict blood vessels into the area is injected into the patient. This fluid mixture causes the affected area to swell and stiffen.
After this, the surgeon makes a small cut into the skin to insert a thin tube called a cannula which is connected to a vacuum that suctions fat and fluids from the body.
Ultrasound-assisted Liposuction (UAL):
It is used in conjunction with tumescent liposuction. In this, the surgeon inserts a metal rod that emits ultrasonic energy under the skin which disrupts the fat cell walls and liquefies the fat easier removal.
Laser-assisted Liposuction (LAL):
It uses high-intensity laser light for the removal of fat. During this procedure, the surgeon inserts a laser fiber through a small incision and emulsifies fat deposits and then remove fat with the help of cannula.
Powered Liposuction:
It uses a cannula that moves in a rapid back-and-forth motion. It allows to pull out tough fat more easily. It causes less pain and swelling, and it also allows the surgeon to remove fat with more precision especially in smaller areas such as the arms, knees or ankles.
During the Procedure:
During the liposuction procedure, the surgeon might inject local or general anesthesia into your body to induce a temporary state of unconsciousness. Your heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen level are monitored by the surgical team during the whole procedure. The procedure takes up to several hours, depending on the extent of fat reduction and after the procedure is completed, the surgeon might leave your incisions open to promote fluid drainage. Your surgeon will advise you to stay at least for a few hours in the hospital to monitor your recovery.
After the procedure:
You may feel some pain, swelling and bruising after the procedure. Wait for few days before returning to work and for few weeks before resuming exercise. Liposuction results are long lasting if you maintain your weight, but if you gain weight after liposuction, your fat distribution might change.
