One of the most obvious benefits of a liposuction is fat removal. Although it is strictly not considered as a weight loss procedure, this procedure can help eliminate unwanted fat pockets that accumulate disproportionately in various areas of the body.

Because of the removal of fat approximately weighing around 10 pounds or less, liposuction can benefit your overall health. Weight loss—which liposuction aids—can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer. It can also boost your self-esteem, as Lipoplasty is meant to smooth and contour your figure and improve your overall appearance.

In some cases, it can also reduce the appearance of cellulite, which is caused by fat cells pushing through the skin’s collagen tissues, thereby causing a dimpled appearance. However, it is important to note that there is no permanent cure for cellulite, and the success of cellulite removal through Lipoplasty depends on a number of factors, including genetics.

Candidates

You are a good candidate for a liposuction if you have a minimal amount of excess skin and good skin elasticity. Though there is no upper limit for your age when getting this procedure, you lose skin elasticity as you age, and this can compromise your results. Patients with good elasticity tend to experience the most aesthetically pleasing results, so it is important to manage your expectations especially if you are in the older age bracket.

You are also a good candidate for this procedure if you have localized deposits of fat in your abdomen, arms, thighs, or neck that do not disappear with diet or exercise. However, you must also be in stable weight and not more than 20 pounds overweight. Keep in mind that liposuction is not a weight loss procedure and can only remove a maximum of 10 pounds at a time, so if you want to lose a huge amount of weight, this is not the procedure for you. Those who are pregnant or nursing, as well as individuals with health problems that could interfere with healing, are also not advised to undergo Lipoplasty.

Body Parts Treated by Lipoplasty

The great thing about liposuction is that it is beneficial to various parts of the body, depending on your problem areas.

The most common area treated by Lipoplasty is the abdomen, as the lower abdomen tends to be resistant to diet and exercise and make even the fittest and most active individuals feel insecure. Most abdominal fat located beneath the skin can be removed, but those located deep in the abdomen and between the intestines cannot be removed due to the risk of severe complications.

The flanks are also a common area treated by liposuction, as these are where muffin tops and love handles are located. Lipoplasty for the flank area is usually done under local anesthesia so that the patient can roll over and give the surgeon access to the back.

This procedure can also be done on the hips, as this is a common problem area among women. However, they usually need to undergo additional procedures to achieve the desired contour.

Liposuction of the thighs is also possible but is not usually recommended due to swelling and lengthened recovery time. Thigh liposuction is usually done through a series of surgeries.

The thighs can also undergo Lipoplasty, but patients need to be careful about it because excess removal of fatty tissue in this area can result in asymmetrical, lumpy, or sagging derrieres.

Liposuction of the arms and the breasts usually have high rates of patient satisfaction. Other body areas that can be treated with this procedure are the face, neck, and chin.

Techniques

There are several Lipoplasty techniques that your doctor can use to achieve your desired results. You and your doctor should decide upon it during your consultation.

In general, liposuction procedures are divided into manual and laser. Manual techniques include traditional, tumescent, super-wet, ultrasonic, power-assisted, and LipoSelection. Laser techniques include CoolLipo, SlimLipo, SmartLipo, and abdominal etching.

Traditional Liposuction

In this technique, your surgeon inserts a thin tube—known as a cannula—through a small incision. The cannula breaks down fat by injecting a fluid into the surgical site. The destroyed fats are then sucked into the cannula connected to a powerful suction pump.

Although it has some risks, the traditional liposuction is still the most popular technique used in this treatment.

Tumescent Liposuction

Tumescent liposuction is the same as traditional procedure, but it makes use of medication to reduce the risk of developing complications.

In this technique, your cosmetic surgeon injects a special solution into the fats that makes the fat cells swell, making it easier to isolate and remove them. The solution usually measures three times more than the fat being removed.

Super-Wet Liposuction

Super-wet liposuction is just a variation of tumescent procedure, but the former makes use of less fluid injection. The amount of fluid is usually equal to the amount of fat being removed. This decreases the risk of lidocaine toxicity—a fluid used as part of the solution. This is done under general anesthesia.

Ultrasonic Liposuction

Ultrasonic liposuction is quickly rising in popularity as it makes use of a specialized cannula that emits ultrasonic sound waves to liquefy fat cells and make them easier to get rid of. Through this method, your cosmetic surgeon can remove larger and denser fat deposits, as well as tighten the skin surrounding the area being treated.

However, this method has a greater risk of burns and scarring due to the heat from the ultrasound waves.

LipoSelection

Developed by VASER, LipoSelection is a specialized form of manual liposuction that emulsifies fat cells with ultrasound and breaks them up even further with the use of a LipoSelection probe. This allows your surgeon to easily remove fat using Lipoplasty tubes and without affecting the surrounding blood vessels, tissues, and nerves.

Though it is less uncomfortable and has less bruising compared to other techniques, it costs a bit more than them.

Power-Assisted Liposuction

Power-assisted liposuction involves the use of a cannula with a vibrating tip to break up fat cells for easier removal. This technique allows more fat removal using smaller incisions and with a reduced recovery time. However, it may not be the technique of choice for patients with loose skin since it does little to tighten skin.

Laser Liposuction

Laser liposuction techniques are more expensive than manual ones, but many patients feel that they are worth the extra cost since they give less discomfort and faster recovery times.

One of these laser techniques is CoolLipo, which is designed for the treatment of sensitive areas like the neck, jowls, arms, and chin. Another patented technique is SlimLipo, which uses laser to melt the fat cells before they are removed, hence reducing the swelling and discomfort. It has no downtime and patients can even get back to work the next day.

SmartLipo in Miami is another laser technique that is used for fine tuning, as it can only remove eight pounds of fat at a time. It creates minimal scarring and patients can also get back to work in a day or two.

For those who want sculpted six-pack abs, the best technique would be abdominal etching. In this laser technique, your doctor first outlines your muscles and the thin layer of fat over it. Afterward, he uses traditional, ultrasound or laser-assisted Lipoplasty techniques to eliminate fat.

Procedure

As previously mentioned, you will be given either general or local anesthesia. Depending on the technique used, you might also be injected some fluids to melt fat.

However, in most of the techniques, your surgeon creates tiny incisions in the area of the body where fat deposits will be removed. He will then insert a cannula through the incision and into the deep fat layer. Your surgeon will move the cannula back and forth to break up the fat cells, which will then be suctioned out with the help of an attached vacuum pump or syringe. Expect that a significant amount of blood and other body fluids will also be suctioned out, so you will receive replacement fluids intravenously.

Depending on your doctor’s preference, your incisions can be closed with a few stitches or left open. The latter is done to reduce the amount of bruising and swelling that can take place after this procedure.

Results

Immediately after liposuction, you will see some minimal results of your surgery. Swelling and bruising will obscure the initial results. You may also notice that the skin on the treated area appears loose, as it takes some time before your body adjusts to its new shape.

It usually takes one to three months before the swelling and bruising subside. On the other hand, it may take six months for the skin on the treated area to tighten. The final results will be visible after six months, and these include a trimmer figure with a more defined muscle tone and reduced cellulite.

Preparation

To prepare for a liposuction, you need to stop smoking and avoid taking certain medications and supplements that increase bleeding at least six weeks before your scheduled surgery. These can interfere with your natural healing process, so better avoid them. Your surgeon might also recommend some weight benchmarks or lifestyle changes before the procedure, so do your best to achieve them to ensure the best results and minimize the risk of complications.

Right before your procedure in either an accredited hospital or office-based surgical suite or ambulatory facility, you will be given medications to make you comfortable during the procedure. You will also be given either general or localized anesthesia, depending upon the technique used and your doctor’s discretion.

Recovery

You will be asked to wear compression garments for the first few days after your procedure. There are also drains that will be placed on your incision site for fluid drainage, especially after a tumescent liposuction. You might also need to take some prescription painkillers to minimize the discomfort.

Most patients are able to move and walk normally within a week. However, they are still not allowed to do strenuous activities and heavy exercises. You can start to increase your activity levels within two weeks after your surgery, but you should avoid vigorous for at least a month to give your body time to heal.

You should always continue to monitor your incision site after surgery to avoid complications like infection, excessive swelling, and poor healing.

Maintenance

While the results of a liposuction are permanent, there is no guarantee against future weight gain. In fact, without proper diet and exercise, patients are more apt to gain weight in areas of the body that were not previously problematic, as the remaining fat cells in other areas will try to compensate for the removal of the others.

That is the reason why even after getting a Lipoplasty, it is important to still maintain a healthy diet and a regular exercise regimen in your lifestyle. You should include more lean protein, calcium-rich dairy products, fresh produce, and whole grains in your diet. You should also increase your water consumption and cut back on processed foods.

Exercise is also important in warding off excess pounds and increasing muscle definition. Aside from its wellness benefits, exercise can also keep your figure trim and toned and decrease your risk of contracting heart diseases. You should engage in some type of physical activity at least five times a week. Examples of these activities include walking, jogging, biking, swimming, dancing, and yoga.

Risks and Side Effects

Some of the temporary side effects of liposuction surgery include swelling, bruising, and discomfort. However, these are expected to dissipate within a few weeks after the procedure.

Though it is considered a safe procedure, it still comes with a certain amount of risk. Some of the possible complications include infection, extended healing time, allergic reaction to anesthesia, fat or blood clots, excessive fluid loss, fluid accumulation, friction burns, scarring, numb skin, changes in skin pigmentation, skin or nerve damage, and damage to vital organs.

To minimize these risks, patients are advised to always follow their doctor’s post-operative instructions. In case these rare complications occur, inform your cosmetic surgeon right away.

Combining Liposuction Miami with Other Procedures

Patients often undergo liposuction in combination with other procedures to get more comprehensive and aesthetically pleasing results. Body contouring procedures like tummy tucks, thigh lifts, body lifts, arm lifts, and breast reduction can be combined with Lipoplasty.

Fat grafting is also a common procedure that is done in conjunction with this procedure. With this procedure, your surgeon can reduce the size of one area and enhance another area. Your doctor performs a liposuction in one area, and then will purify the fat cells to separate them from the surrounding fluid. The purified fat cells are then injected into another area to give it a fuller figure.

Alternatives

If you are not keen on going under the knife to get rid of excess fat, you can instead opt for non-surgical liposuction alternatives. There is ultrasound fat reduction, in which your cosmetic surgeon applies an ultrasound device to the treatment area that breaks down fat cells. It allows your body to get rid of the destroyed fat cells over a period of time as they are moved to the liver and metabolized by the body. It also helps boost collagen production and improve skin elasticity.

Another alternative is laser therapy, which makes use of a cold laser to penetrate the skin and react with fat cells to make them release fats that will be later used by the body for energy. There are also radiofrequency treatments that uses high-power radiofrequency waves to heat unwanted fat cells, thereby demolishing them while leaving the surrounding cells unharmed.

Other alternatives include cryolipolysis, mesotherapy, Endermologie, and body jet treatments.

Getting a Lipoplasty is a decision that should not be made lightly. Call us and Schedule a Free Consultation with one of Face + Body Cosmetic Surgery’s highly experienced and board-certified surgeons and we will do our best to answer your concerns.

References:

Liposuction Procedure

http://www.docshop.com/education/cosmetic/body/liposuction

http://www.smartbeautyguide.com/procedures/body/liposuction