Liposuction
What to Consider Before Liposuction Surgery
Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure that uses gentle suction to remove fat deposits. The excess deposits of fatty tissue removed from the body using liposuction are located between the skin and muscle, and cause the familiarly lumpy and soft figure that both men and women spend hours dieting and exercise in an effort to correct.
During liposuction surgery, fat cells are permanently suctioned out of the body to reduce the volume of “problem areas” such as the thighs, hips, buttocks, or abdomen. Patients who undergo liposuction find that they are able to achieve more proportionate body contours by directly treating their problem areas, which cannot be accomplished with diet or exercise alone. This procedure can increase patients’ self confidence and improve the appearance of their silhouette.
Types of Liposuction Procedures
During liposuction procedures, a small tube (known as a cannula) is inserted under the skin into the fat layer. Most liposuction procedures are known as tumescent liposuction, which describes the injection of fluids before fat is suctioned out of the body. Through the stainless steel tube, a liquid solution containing saline and and anesthetic is injected. This fluid numbs the area while breaking down the fatty tissue for easier removal.
In addition to this basic procedure, there are many variations of liposuction, most of them designed to allow for easier or more precise fat removal. For example, ultrasound assisted liposuction uses ultrasonic waves to break down the fat, while power assisted lipo uses a high-speed vibrating cannula. The newest liposuction procedures include laser assisted liposuction, and use surgical lasers to liquify the fat before it is removed from the body. Such techniques avoid trauma to the surrounding tissues when removing the targeted fat cells.
Regardless of the exact technique used to prepare the tissue for your liposuction procedure, a device at the other end of the tube creates slight suction, while your plastic surgeon moves the tube underneath the skin to remove the layer of fat. Depending on the techniques used, the volume of fat removed, and the body area being treated, liposuction typically takes between one and five hours.
Are You a Good Candidate For Liposuction?
You may be a good candidate for liposuction if you are near your goal weight (less than 30 pounds overweight) but have specific areas you wish to target for fat removal. Liposuction can also be performed on patients who are obese or overweight but whose weight has been stable over the past several years. You should not undergo liposuction if you are planning to become pregnant or lose a significant amount of weight in the near future. Like most cosmetic procedures, you should not undergo liposuction if you have serious medical conditions or concerns.
Before committing to undergo liposuction, you should be realistic with yourself about the potential results. Liposuction cannot make you look like a supermodel, and it can’t remove every ounce of fat from your body. Surgeons advise patients not to think of liposuction as a fast-track to weight loss, but as a way to create more aesthetically pleasing silhouette through removing five pounds or less of targeted fat.
Although it can be used on most areas of the body, liposuction is most commonly employed to remove fat from the thighs, buttocks, love handles, saddlebags, and arms. It can even be used to precisely sculpt the face by removing small fat deposits. Most liposuction patients are between the ages of 30 and 60, although this procedure has also been successfully performed on both younger and older patients. Ideally, some skin elasticity remains, which helps the body to adapt to its changing contours quickly.
Finding a Liposuction Surgeon
Besides the cost of liposuction surgery, its important to find a plastic surgeon who is very experienced. Before choosing a liposuction surgeon, make sure they are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) or other established association such as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) or the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASPS). While being a member in any society or board-certification doesn’t guarantee a successful outcome most certifying boards like these require extensive medical training, experience, and rigorous surgical education which can ensure that the most appropriate techniques are used for your surgery, while reducing the risk of liposuction complications.