Cosmetic Surgery – Liposuction Procedures

Liposuction is a surgical procedure for fat removal from areas of the body such as buttocks, hips, thighs, ankles, knees and calves, abdomen, back, upper arms, cheeks, jowls and neck, with permanent and highly successful results. It is specifically designed for the removal of fat deposits, not for removal of loose skin.

It is the most popular cosmetic procedure, involving surgery, currently being performed in America. This is mainly due to the high proportion of overweight adults, and fortunately for the cosmetic industry, many are opting for cosmetic surgery.

Liposuction Procedures

Liposuction procedures are also known by the names: ultrasound-assisted liposuction, suction-assisted lipectomy, power-assisted liposuction, laser-assisted liposuction, tumescent liposucion or lipoplasty.

What is Liposuction

Liposuction is a method of sculpting the body, or spot reducing and removing fat from particular areas of the body prone to accumulating excessive amounts of unsightly fat or cellulite.

Solutions for the removal of deposits of fat from beneath the skin have fortunately been available via liposuction for some considerable time.  The procedure involves the removal of fat by using a cannula – which is a long, hollow needle. Incisions are made in the area to be treated and the cannula is inserted through these. The liposuction cannula is then manipulated through the skin and it is this movement that dislodges the fatty deposits, followed by them being vacuumed up through the cannula needle.

Fat deposits lying in specific areas of the body can sometimes be as a result of a family trait, ie inherited, and they don’t usually respond to regular exercise nor rigid dieting.

Liposuction is a procedure that can be performed alone or simultaneously with other plastic surgery procedures such as a tummy tuck (medical term – abdominoplasty) or breast reduction.  It can also be performed with a Brazilian Butt lift – or fat transfer surgery, which is where the patient actually wants the fat re-positioned in their butt.  The fat which is removed from one area of the body is then purified before being re-injected into the buttocks to enhance their size and shape.

Liposuction can be performed on more than one area of the body during an operation/procedure.

Advantages of Liposuction

The main advantage of liposuction is that it is permanent. Other advantages are that the possibly tell-tale scars will be inconspicuous because they are very small, and in the hands of a competent, experienced and recommended surgeon, liposuction has a very high safety record.

Risks of Liposuction

Obviously all surgical procedures and operations have their risks, and liposuction too comes with its own risks.

However, it should be noted that the following risks will undoubtedly be increased in people who have other underlying medical conditions. Anyone with heart or lung disease, diabetes and poor circulation would be considered to be a high risk patient and the plastic surgeon would take these factors into account at the initial consultation.

The following are possible risks involved with liposuction procedures:

• Swelling
• Possible burning (from laser-assisted and ultrasound-assisted liposuction)
• Blood clots in the lung (as with any operation)
• Hematoma (this is a blood pool in the particular suctioned areas)
• Temporary discolouration or numbness in the specific suctioned area
• Infection
• Shock
• Fluid Imbalance – Fatty tissue contains a lot of fluid, and as the fat is removed during the procedure, then so too is the fluid.  In addition, during the liposuction procedure, the surgeon may take the decision to inject large quantities of – this can sometimes lead to an excess of fluid accumulating in the lungs, heart problems, kidney problems (as the kidneys try to control fluid balance).
• Perforation injuries to localized organs or surrounding tissue.
• Anaesthetic reactions.
• Asymmetry, skin surface irregularities, dimpling of treated skin.
• Even death.

Always consult a board-certified plastic surgeon who has experience of performing liposuction, particularly in the area you are seeking treatment.

Is Liposuction Right for You?

Generally speaking, the perfect candidates for this procedure are individuals of any age, and who have isolated areas of excessive deposits of fat, but who are at a relatively normal weight (ie no more than 20 lbs overweight) and who are physically fit and who exercise regularly.

These candidates can have flabby areas on their body, which are particularly resistant to all forms of exercise.  The areas specifically targeted are the arms, thighs, neck and abdomen, but patients should be made aware that the area being treated may not be totally cured of its flabby appearance.

This flabby appearance may persist even in people who stay fairly fit and eat a good and well balanced diet.

So, liposuction is quite helpful to those individuals who have reached their ideal weight, and who exercise regularly but who still have some room for improvement on areas resistant to exercise.  These areas are usually the hips and outer thighs on women and the belly and ‘love handles’ on men.

As mentioned above, liposuction is specifically for the removal of fatty tissue and not generally for the removal of excessive amounts of loose skin. Firm and elastic skin tone is also a primary requirement for good results, and as slightly older patients are prone to having less elastic skin, they may not see the best results.

If your skin is loose, baggy or stretched from pregnancy or after weight loss, then a liposuction procedure is not necessarily the right course of action.

Candidates who are heavily overweight or who have extensive areas of deposits of fat, are not ideal.  Remember, that liposuction is definitely not the perfect answer for your weight loss goals, and a good diet and healthy exercise regime should be implemented before considering a liposuction procedure.

Liposuction should not be used as a substitute for exercise and diet, and it should be used in conjunction with both of them.  It will not totally change your body shape but you should remember that it can be used as an effective means of enhancing your existing physique. It can improve the way the treated area looks, but is unlikely to have any impact on other areas of your life.  Please don’t view it as life-changing.

For people who have lost a lot of weight and who are left with excess skin as a result of this loss, then a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) may be necessary to help to tighten the muscles after the removal of excess fatty tissue. It is possible to perform liposuction at the same time as a tummy tuck, to remove pockets of excess fatty tissue.

However, for a patient who has lost so much weight after possibly having a gastric bypass or gastric banding, then they can be left with a massive ‘apron’ of tummy fat and this is better removed with a procedure called a panniculectomy, rather than by liposuction.

Initial Liposuction Consultation

Your initial consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon is likely to be one of several.

The liposuction surgeon will need to discuss your medical history, including taking details of your weight and whether this fluctuates, and indeed whether you are aiming to lose more weight before the procedure is performed.  He will also need to know of any medications and why you take them.

He will no doubt discuss your expectations too, ie. what the procedure can do for you – this is to ensure that your expectations are realistic.

During the consultation, your surgeon will be able to advise of the costs involved in this type of cosmetic surgery.

How is Liposuction Performed?

The surgeon will mark the areas of your body to be treated for fat removal, with a ‘magic’ marker.  This assists the surgeon with his plans for removing fat before the procedure starts.

Liposuction is mostly performed with the use of a general anaesthetic, although some surgeons will use a local anaesthetic depending on the size of the area to be treated.

There are other forms of anaesthetic which can be considered, however this again depends on how much fat needs to be removed as well as the location on the body. Your surgeon will discuss the options with you beforehand.

Before the fat can be removed, certain solutions known as wetting solutions, must be infused into the area to be treated.

A medication known as epinephrine, which is designed to constrict the blood vessels to reduce any blood loss to a minimum, is added to the fluid, together with a saline solution (salt water) and also a local anaesthetic.

This wetting solution is to ensure patient safety during the liposuction procedure and to keep blood loss to an absolute minimum.

There are several different liposuction techniques or methods used for liposuction and they involve different amounts of wetting solutions:

Dry Method

This technique was pre wetting solutions, but there were risks of bruising and blood loss involved in this. Approximately 45% of  what was suctioned out was actually blood rather than fat.

Wet Method

Between 100-300ml of wetting fluid is infused into each area to be treated. This method results in approx 25% of blood content in the fat that is suctioned out.

Super Wet Method

This method involves more fluid than the wet method and results in less than 1% blood in what is suctioned out.

Tumescent Liposuction Method

This can involve up to 3 to 6 times as much fluid being infused into the area being treated as the amount of fat to be suctioned out.

It has possible risks however, in that it can cause a possible overload of fluid and potentially an overdose of anaesthetic used in the wetting solution itself.

There are several different ways of vacuuming out the fat during a liposuction procedure, as follows:

Suction-Assisted Liposuction Method

A cannula is inserted though a small cut to suck out the fat cells. The surgeon will manipulate the tube (cannula) to break up the layer of fat lying beneath the skin, before suctioning out the excess fat.

Power Assisted Liposuction Method

A motorized cannula is used in this method and again, it is inserted through small incisions in the skin.

Laser Assisted Liposuction Method

A laser fibre probe is inserted through a small incision in the skin. This probe produces an energy burst which then turns the fat to liquid prior to removal.

This is a more expensive method however, and results have yet to be proved to be beneficial over other techniques.

Water-Assisted Liposuction Method

(also referred to as water-jet liposuction or body-jet liposuction)

Fat cells can be detached from surrounding connective tissue and then vacuumed out by the use of a jet of pulsating water, which is directed in a thin, fan-shape.

This method loosens the fat cells before they are suctioned out of the body unlike some of the other methods which either break the cells apart or destroy them before removing them.

This method is proven to have a shorter recovery period due to the fact that it is less traumatic to the body, and for smaller areas of treatment, a local anaesthetic can be used.

However, before you rush out to book your appointment using this method of liposuction, the risks involved and resulting benefits need to be researched further.

Which Liposuction Method Is Right for You

Your surgeon will be able to advise on the most suitable liposuction technique, wetting method and anaesthetic method for your situation.

The minimum time involved in any liposuction method is likely to be from 30 minutes upwards.

If you opt to have more than one area treated, then the time for the procedure can be lengthy – sometimes up to 5 hours.

Before Liposuction Surgery

You will be given a detailed list of instructions of what you should and shouldn’t do during the days leading up to your liposuction surgery.  This can include specific instructions about food and drink, smoking, medications etc.

After Liposuction Surgery

The specific areas that will have been treated will remain very uncomfortable and swollen for a few days after the liposuction surgery procedure has been performed.

Some surgeons opt to leave the tiny incisions open for a short period of time, in order that residual fat cells and fluids will drain away through an inserted tube. It is likely that you will be given antibiotics to reduce the chance of an infection, and some surgeons use a Zerona laser after liposuction to make patients feel more comfortable.

To help reduce swelling and bruising and to compress body tissue, the area is bandaged and it is advised that a support body stocking/garment or hosiery be worn over the bandage. This should be worn for several weeks.

As with any surgery, there are potential risks and complications and liposuction side effects are considerable. To minimize the risk of blood clots, it is advisable to move as soon as possible after surgery.

Strenuous or intense activity is not recommended for a minimum of three weeks after surgery, however some patients can return to work or normal low intensity activities within a short period.

Liposuction Results

The final results may not be obvious for up to a period of maybe six months, and sometimes even a year.  Although, if the liposuction procedure was performed relatively gently, then some initial results may be visible within the first week.

Assuming that you maintain a stable regular weight, all liposuction results will be permanent.

Will Your Fat Return After Liposuction Surgery

When fat is removed by liposuction it will not return, however any weight gain after surgery will enlarge any surviving fat cells in all areas of the body. Any further weight loss after the procedure can enhance the contour, provided of course that the weight loss is not extreme.

Liposuction Costs

Liposuction does not come cheap – the average cost for treatment of just one area can be up to $4,000; and liposuction costs increase to between $6,000-$8,000 for 3 areas and between $8,000-$11,000 for up to 5 areas.

And obviously larger body areas can be more expensive still – an outer thigh can cost between $2,000 – $4,000 whereas the abdomen can be as much as $4,000 – $8,000.

Read more about cheap liposuction and whether it is worth the risk.

Please be very aware that health insurance companies will not cover the cost of liposuction.

Read more on:

What is Liposuction? – Liposuction Procedures

Liposuction prices

Cheap Liposuction

Liposuction Side Effects

Calf Liposuction

Thigh Liposuction

Inner Knee and Inner Thigh Liposuction

Double Chin and Neck Liposuction

Upper Arm Liposuction

Liposuction Scars

Guide to Liposuction Surgery

Liposuction Recovery Information

Pubic Liposuction

Liposuction Alternatives

Safe Liposuction Clinics

Superficial Liposuction

Ultrasonic Assisted Liposuction

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