Liposuction of the Body

THE TYPICAL PATIENT

• Desire for a more youthful and contoured appearance, silhouette, and size.
• The desire to fit better in clothing, wear smaller clothes, tuck in shirts, and look better in swimsuits.
• Focusing on localized fatty deposits that have been unresponsive to diet and exercise.
• Features of excess fatty accumulation in the face, neck, chest, abdomen, hips, back, flanks, inner thighs, outer thighs, knees, legs, or ankles.
• This may also be related to being overweight. Dieting and/or exercise may compliment liposuction.

THE PROCEDURE

• Anesthesia is a very good local usually supplemented with a very light general and the procedure takes about two hours to six hours depending on the amounts and locations. Anesthesia involves placing a dilute (tumescent) Novocain solution into the fatty areas and waiting about 30 minutes for this to take a nice effect. This advanced anesthetic technique virtually eliminates any pain during the procedure, post-operative pain, or bruising.
• The incisions are small (1/4") and very inconspicuous, usually located in a crease or under garment lines.
• The procedure involves the removal of the fat by standard machine or syringe suction or ultrasonic energy assisted liposuction. The technique and instrumentation depend on the areas to be treated, the nature of the fat, and your expectations. Two or more or a combination of these techniques are utilized on virtually all patients.
• Liposuction does not disturb the overlying skin, the deep muscles or ligaments, or the nerves and vessels in between. Small tubular instruments (cannulas) are connected to suction are then used to vacuum out the fat carefully and artistically.
• No drains are used.
• A compression garment is worn on and off for four to six weeks. Foam pads are used over the liposuction sites and under the garment for the first three days.
• This can be combined with other plastic surgical procedures.

FACTS ABOUT ULTRASONIC LIPOSUCTION

• Ultrasonic energy sets up a tiny shock wave from an ultrasonic speed of sound vibration. This liquefies the fat in a tiny area immediately surrounding the tip of the canola.
• Less exposure time to the sound wave means reduction of potential problems.
• Ultrasound is usually reserved use for special anatomic situations such as gynecomastia, fibrotic areas, areas of revision surgery, or areas where the fat is known to be stubborn to removal.
• Ultrasonic energy exposure can be reduced to the minimal amount necessary to emulsify fat before its extraction.
• The doctor uses the latest advance in ultrasonic liposuction which is the VASER device. This incorporates these concepts and uses small diameter, solid grooved probes and pulsed energy delivery.
• This is a more advanced and refined technology. Vaser is the latest third generation technology in ultrasonic liposuction. In addition to this, there are better skin protectors for the access incision sites, small lightweight hand pieces, and special vented canola that provide less traumatic aspiration.

MEDICAL BENEFITS OF LIPOSUCTION

• Recent research has demonstrated these documented medical benefits of liposuction especially when done in larger volumes.
• Reduction of the need on insulin in diabetics
  Improvement in weight, blood pressure, heart rate and fasting insulin levels
• Decreased insulin resistance and better glucose and carbohydrate processing
• Beneficial redistribution of some fat in terms of the areas NOT liposuctioned.
• If you gain weight, fat does NOT accumulate as much in the liposuctioned areas.
• If you gain weight the NON-liposuctioned areas will accumulate fat as they normally do and will do so much more than the liposuctioned areas.

THE RECOVERY

• You can go home after several hours or can stay overnight.
• You can shower the next day.
• There is only minimal pain that is mostly gone by the next day and easily controlled by medications.
• Swelling is mild to moderate and peaks at two to three days then disappears rapidly over the next three weeks.
• Minimal or no bruising is the usual.
• Some grogginess is present which persists for about a week.
• You can resume many activities within the first week, and most including exercise, by at least three weeks.
• There are no stitches to remove.
• Expect to be off of work for only one to seven days. Some patients return to work the next day!

THE RESULT

• Beautiful, balanced and proportioned contour that is immediately seen and only gets better.
• More confident and comfortable with your appearance.
• Natural and presentable appearance in the first week that just gets better over the next three to six months.
• If you gain weight, you do not gain much in the liposuctioned areas.
• More confident and comfortable in clothing, especially revealing clothing.
• Lasts the rest of your life especially if you maintain your weight and always looks better than if you didn't do it.

For before and after images of this procedure click here

Please call or contact the office for any further information or to schedule an appointment.