The Ultimate Guide to the Procedure: 7 Key Points to Remember About Liposuction

This is not a review, only information sharing here. Millions of men and women undergo treatment or surgery each year to change their appearance in one or more ways. Liposuction remains as one of the popular procedures. However, individuals must know what this procedure is and what to expect if they choose to undergo liposuction.

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What is Liposuction?

Conventional liposuction often referred to as liposculpture, involves the removal of subcutaneous fat under the skin in certain areas of the body. People often opt for liposuction when diet and exercise don't produce the desired results. Although this isn't a means of losing weight, it removes stubborn fat in healthy men and women who want to change their shape.

What Areas of the Body Benefit from Liposuction?

Surgeons frequently remove excess fat from specific areas of the body. Those areas that benefit from liposuction include the breasts, outer thighs, abdomen, love handles, and double chin. Surgeons also remove unwanted fat from the inner thighs, upper back, muffin top, the lower portion of the upper arms, and the back of the neck.

Ideal Candidates

Healthy individuals and those men and women close to their desired weight serve as ideal candidates for this procedure. Smokers should try to kick their habit before undergoing this procedure, however, because of increased risks associated with any surgery. Liposuction works on subcutaneous fat as opposed to visceral fatati, and patients need good skin elasticity to prevent the dimpling of the skin following the procedure.

Preparation

Surgery candidates must speak with their doctor to learn how to prepare for the surgery. The patient cannot drive the day of the procedure, so enlist a friend or family member for this task. Speak to the doctor about possible drug interactions and complications that may arise from the use of certain prescription medications. Furthermore, learn whether you will need a blood test prior to the surgery. Finally, ask whether the patient must fast for a period before the procedure.

The Procedure

During liposuction surgery, the surgeon makes small incisions in the patient's skin before inserting a cannula, a specialty tool, into the fat pocket. The cannula connects to a syringe or suction device used to remove the fat. Most liposuction procedures take place on an outpatient basis, although they use general anesthesia on patients. Having said that there are also some new and more innovative forms of liposuction that are becoming more and more popular. These include non-surgical / non-invasive procedures that are done with lipolaser machines.

Recovery

Patients who undergo liposuction find they can resume working within a few days. Certain activities, such as working out, must be put off longer, up to four weeks. The doctor who performs the surgery provides the patient with a timeline for different activities. Be sure to follow all instructions to keep the recovery time minimal and avoid complications. Men and women often report bruising, swelling, and tenderness around the surgical site, and patients need to speak to their doctor if the pain becomes unbearable.

Potential liposuction candidates want to know what results they can expect. The doctor remains the best person to provide information on what the patient should see following the procedure. Patients must recognize they won't see the full results immediately. In fact, months may pass before the patient sees the ultimate results.

Anyone considering liposuction should speak to a board-certified plastic surgeon to learn more about the procedure, its benefits and drawbacks, and what to expect once the work has been done. The more a person knows before going into the procedure, the more likely they are to be satisfied with the results once the procedure is done and the recovery period has passed. That needs to be the ultimate goal of every person or doctor.