With the new year comes new goals, goals that make us want to look and feel our best. One of the most popular plastic surgery options that people choose include liposuction. This cosmetic plastic surgery treatment effectively reduces unsightly-looking bulges so your body will look more contoured.
Liposuction can help you with any of these problem areas:
- Abdomen
- Back
- Buttocks
- Thighs
- Knees
- Calves
- Upper arms
- Face
- Neck
The key to liposuction success is a healthy body weight and exercise regularly. That’s because this contouring surgery isn’t a way for you to lose weight. This contouring complements your healthy weight levels (and efforts) by firming up those stubborn problem areas that remain even though you continue to eat right and work out.
Are you a good candidate for liposuction?
If you are a healthy grownup and are relatively near your ideal body weight but still plagued by fat pockets that won’t leave no matter what you try, you might benefit from liposuction. It’s important to do your homework so you know what to expect. Then you’ll be ready to schedule a consultation with our board-certified plastic surgeon having successfully done liposuctions. Being certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery lets you know that we have extensive training, so you can be confident that you are in good hands.
Liposuction Consultation
During your consultation, our surgeon will evaluate your body and review your expectations. We will review your health history, what you can expect from your liposuction goals, and review your options, costs, risks, etc. If you are a good candidate for liposuction, our skilled surgeon will recommend the appropriate anesthetic, wetting solution, and liposuction technique for your needs. Depending on the method used, the size of the area that will be treated, and whether you are having several areas treated at once time, you can expect the surgery to be anywhere from one to three hours. However, you’ll also need to take into account preoperative and post-operative procedures, evaluations, prep work, medical staff attention during and after surgery, as well as medication management and other follow-up measures before you are sent home.
Liposuction Surgery
Our surgeon will begin by drawing on your body using a magic marker to map out the areas to be treated. Then you will lie on an operating table where anesthesia will be administered. Depending on your needs, this may involve general anesthesia, conscious sedation, or local anesthesia. Then you will have a wetting solution (saline, salt and water to soften the fat for easy removal, epinephrine for reduced blood loss and increased safety) by infusing the area before the fat is extracted. It can be done using a cannula, ultrasound, motorized cannula, laser or body jet. The fat will then be loosened and removed in one of the following ways:
Fat Suctioning Methods
- A cannula (a long, thin tube attached to the fat-suctioning device) is inserted through small incisions in the skin, so moving it back and forth to break up the fatty tissue before suctioning it out.
- Ultrasound-assisted liposuction uses a cannula that sends sound waves to break up the fat, making it easier to vacuum out.
- Power-assisted liposuction uses a motorized cannula to break up excess fat and suck it out.
- Laser-assisted liposuction creates a tiny incision, then inserting a laser fiber probe that emits energy bursts that liquefy fat before extraction.
- Body-jet liposuction uses a narrow, fan-shaped jet that emits water pulses so we can loosen fat cells from the connective tissue and vacuum them out.
After your liposuction procedure, you can expect some discomfort, redness, swelling, and fluid leakage from the incisions. Initially, you’ll be wearing special tight garments to compress the skin. Follow all post-operative instructions to ensure faster healing and healthy results. If getting rid of stubborn body fat is a goal you have set for 2023, we invite you to give us a call to learn more or schedule your consultation!