Liposuction
Maintaining a healthy diet of nutritious foods and getting plenty of exercise are excellent personal habits. Unfortunately, with many people, diet and exercise alone can’t rid them of their most problematic areas of excess fat. Long after reaching a target weight, you might find that these fatty pockets simply will not disappear. Liposuction, a treatment created specifically to successfully eradicate these fat deposits, is a safe procedure that can help those problem areas. drName, our experienced plastic surgeon, can utilize liposuction to rid you of fatty pockets in virtually any area of your body.
Liposuction is an advanced surgical therapy that can be used very effectively as a stand-alone procedure, or in conjunction with other plastic surgery treatments. A facelift can be combined with liposuction along the neck and chin, to further refine a patient’s profile and to enhance facial rejuvenation. Liposuction can be combined with virtually any plastic surgery: tummy tuck, neck lift, breast augmentation or reduction, etc.
Deposits of fat can cause unsightly bulges and bumps under the skin that can’t be erased with simply a healthy, active lifestyle. drName can improve the shape and contour of your body, leaving you feeling more confident in and out of your clothing. Liposuction is available for men and women. The most common areas treated by liposuction are:
As a sole procedure, liposuction ‘deflates’ areas of fatty deposits which are creating unpleasant bulges or thicknesses in order to improve the contour and shape of the treated area. drName offers the procedure in many areas of the body, for both women and men. Areas commonly addressed include:
- Stomach
- Neck, chin and jawline
- Upper arms
- Back
- “Love handles”
- Hips
- Thighs
- Buttocks
- Area around the knees
Liposuction is typically a day surgery, allowing a patient to go home the same day and resume normal activities with one to three weeks. To give support and comfort and to reduce swelling and bruising following liposuction surgery, patients will wear a compression garment that is custom-fit to provide the most optimal surgical results. Patients will see immediate results, with significant improvements visible as swelling reduces over the next six months.
Liposuction Surgery:
Liposuction surgery is performed with general anesthesia as a day-surgery in a surgical center or hospital. drName will make tiny incisions, typically less than half an inch, during the surgery. By placing the incisions in discreet areas, every effort is made to reduce any long-term scarring. drName inserts a cannula, a metal tube used medically to draw off fluid or to introduce medication, attached to a machine that suctions the fat. Depending on how many areas are being treated, the surgery may take more than an hour.
Liposuction Recovery:
When recovering from surgery, patients can expect swelling and bruising that can last up to two weeks. A custom-fit compression garment will be provided to give support and reduce residual bruising and swelling as the skin tightens. Stitches will be removed during this same time period, as the patient heals.
Immediate results will be visible and will become more pronounced as swelling completely subsides. The day following liposuction surgery, patients will need to be up and walking, increasing activity day by day until regular activities are resumed within one to three weeks. Patients can plan to return to desk work within the first week, and resume any more active work at two weeks.
After liposuction surgery, residual scars will remain and will “mature” over the next six months. The first three months, scars may be red or raised. Over the next six to nine months, they will become more flat, soft and pale. As the scar heals, it may tingle or be numb. Some patients experience a mild burning near the incision. These effects are typically temporary and will pass. To reduce visible scarring and prevent sun damage, drName recommends patients avoid the sun and use sunscreen during the healing process. Please let drName know if you are likely to experience keloid scars.
Liposuction treatment has permanent effects. Dependant on the elasticity of their skin, patients who gain significant weight following liposuction may notice some ripples in the areas that were treated.
Potential Liposuction Complications:
All surgical procedures carry risks. Liposuction complications may include cosmetic issues such as discoloration, asymmetry, scarring, contour irregularities, tape burns and/or fluid or blood collecting under the skin. Rare complications may include serious infection, shock, loss of sensation and the breakdown of the skin. Some blood loss is expected during liposuction treatment. For safety purposes, drName may limit the amount of fatty tissue that may be removed during a single surgery.