Body Contouring Liposuction is the most common aesthetic surgical procedure performed in the United States. Liposuction removes areas of excess fat that are resistant to reduction through diet and exercise. After your liposuction healing period, the treated area will have an improved contour.
The areas I commonly treat with liposuction include: The abdomen, lower back, arms, thighs, banana rolls, knees, chest, and under the chin.
I commonly perform liposuction or lipoplasty in conjunction with other procedures including fat transfer to face and buttocks and fat transfer breasts, as well as FaceTite, and Bodytite.
Procedure Walk-Through
- Preparation: Before you are considered a good candidate for liposuction, we recommend you stop smoking for two weeks. Additionally, you must discontinue the use of blood thinning agents including aspirin, Motrin, and Advil.
- Preop Workup: If you are above the age of 45, a medical clearance is required prior to surgery. Additionally, an ECG and lab tests are required and must be done within 30 days of the surgery date.
- Anesthesia: General anesthesia is typically used in larger liposuction cases. However, liposuction may be performed awake, under a local anesthetic, pain medication, and ProNox.
- The Liposuction Surgery: First, the keyhole incisions are designed to be placed as hidden as possible, making the procedure virtually ” silent ” to the novice eye. The first step of the procedure entails injecting the area to be treated with a tumescent solution. This liquid contains lidocaine and epinephrine, which maximizes comfort for the procedure while keeping bleeding to a minimum. Next, the fat is gently removed using a cannula in a way that maximizes the patient’s natural body contour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the ideal patient for body contouring liposuction?
Ideal patients for liposuction tend to have similar features:
- The ideal liposuction patient has a local deposit of fat resistant to diet and exercise.
- Additionally, it is best if you are near your ideal weight.
- Furthermore, the better your skin tone, the better the result. Those patients with less-than-ideal skin tone get good results with VASER-assisted body contouring liposuction.
- If the amount of excess skin is significant, a tummy tuck or a combination tummy tuck/liposuction may be a better option.
What is the recovery from liposuction?
Liposuction recovery is different from person to person and is also dependent on how many areas are treated.
- On average, it takes about 5-10 days to return to feeling “yourself” after body liposuction procedures.
- A surgical binder is worn for 4 to 6 weeks following the liposuction procedure. This may be removed during showering.
- In some cases, small drains may be placed in incisions to allow excess fluid to drain from the body.
- Stitches are typically dissolvable.
- Drains are typically removed at 5 to 7 days following the procedure.
- Pain medication is normally taken for 3 to 7 days.
Are liposuction results permanent?
Liposuction results are permanent. The fat cells removed from the treated area will never return.
It is possible to “out eat” liposuction, but it is highly unlikely, assuming you maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine.
Final results are seen 4 months after surgery, although obvious improvements are seen the day after surgery.
What are the most likely risks from liposuction surgery?
Bruising and swelling is common after liposuction surgery.
The risk of infection after liposuction is very low (less than 1% of cases).
Fluid collections or “seromas” are unlikely, although much more common with VASER-assisted liposuction due to the nature of the procedure.
Other risks include contour deformities, and rippled skin, although this, again, is extremely rare.