Introduction To Liposuction Most of us have heard of liposuction, or officially called lipoplasty.
Liposuction is a procedure which focuses on removing excess body fat on specific parts on the body.
The result is a more proportioned body and increased self esteem.
Commonly, liposuction is performed on the thighs, abdomen, arms, buttocks, waist, hips, calves, back, chin and chest.
Sometimes liposuction is performed as part of another plastic surgery.
Liposuction is performed on both women and men.
Who Is A Good Candidate For Liposuction? Those seeking to have liposuction need to be in good health.
Liposuction is not meant as a weight loss surgery, nor is it a replacement for diet and exercise.
Liposuction is typically seen as a cosmetic surgery, so insurance companies usually won't pay for the procedure.
However, most plastic surgeon offices have financing plans available so that liposuction can be an affordable procedure.
What Is The Procedure? Liposuction is performed with the aid of IV medication or general anesthesia.
Your doctor will discuss the right pain control medication for you during your consultation visit prior to surgery.
There are many types of liposuction procedures, including: the dry technique, the wet technique, ultrasonic, laser, etc.
Your surgeon will discuss the technique that is best for you at the time of your consultation.
Basically, the procedure is performed with an instrument called a cannula.
It is a long tube that the surgeon moves back and forth under the skin to dislodge the fat and is then attached to a powerful suction device that suctions the fat out of the body.
The cannula is inserted through tiny incisions in the skin made by the surgeon.
During your consultation, the surgeon will be able to tell you exactly where the incisions will be placed.
After the surgery you will experience some swelling and fluid retention, some moderate pain, but after the swelling is reduced, you will be able to immediately tell the results of your surgery.
More than likely, you will leave surgery with a type of device or bandage to compress your skin to ensure you get the desired outcome of your procedure.
You may also have a drainage tube.
You should be able to go back to work after two days and should be back to normal within two weeks of surgery.
Your surgeon will guide you as to the amount of activity you can perform during your follow up appointments.
Keep in mind that after surgery, you will need to continue to maintain a healthy weight, through diet and exercise.
Gaining a significant amount of weight after your surgery can undo your surgical results, other than that, the results of the liposuction should be permanent.
Liposuction is a safe surgery with the percentage of complications being very low.
During your consultation, your plastic surgeon will discuss all the risks with you, but they include bleeding, nerve damage and infection.