A. Will the fat come back?
Fat cells are not thought to regenerate, and contour
improvement should be permanent. If you gain weight, the
fat cells that are left behind will get bigger, just as
all of the other fat cells in the body do, but your body
will retain the improved proportions. Normally, weight
gained is caused by an increase in the size of existing
fat cells and not by producing new fat cells.
Liposuction actually removes fat cells and if the
patient gains weight after liposuction, usually they
gain weight over their entire body and not just in the
specific areas which were problematic prior to
liposuction. The liposuction areas can never become as
fat as they once were, (relative to the rest of the
body), because fat cells have been permanently removed.
This is the key point about the results achieved by
liposuction, and explains why it is also called body
contouring or body sculpting.
B. Will the procedure hurt?
Surprisingly, modern day liposuction does not hurt much
at all. After surgery, the area that was targeted may
feel a bit stiff or achy, but patients often do not even
require pain medications post-operatively. Discomfort is
moderate during the surgery, and can easily be
controlled by anesthetic agents. Small areas can even be
treated under just local anesthesia.
C. Do I need to be put to sleep for the surgery?
For small areas, local anesthesia alone (numbing
medicine) suffices, just like going to the dentist. For
larger areas, you will probably be more comfortable if
you are given medicine to sedate you and in some cases,
general anesthesia may even be recommended.
D. Will the surgery require me to stay in the hospital?
If you have no medical problems and the amount of fat is
not excessive, you will probably be able to go home the
same day as your surgery. However, after liposuction
surgery it is prudent to wait a few weeks before
resuming strenuous activity, but quiet activity can
usually be resumed within a few days. If your work is
sedentary, a few days off should suffice, and in smaller
cases, you can return to work the next day. Remember
though, that a compression garment (a girdle or
abdominal binder) may be recommended for the first few
weeks, and this may interfere with your work. Your
surgeon will schedule follow-up visits to monitor your
progress and to see if any additional procedures are
needed. If you have any unusual symptoms between visits,
for example heavy bleeding or a sudden increase in pain,
or any questions about what you can and can't do, call
your doctor.
E. How long before I can resume normal activities?
Most patients are mobile immediately after liposuction,
although an extra day or two of bed rest may be needed
when large amounts of fat are removed. Keep in mind that
healing is a gradual process. Your surgeon will want you
to begin normal activity as soon as possible to reduce
post operative complications, but in some cases you may
be advised to avoid strenuous activity for a few weeks.
Light exercise is usually permitted within a few days.
Your surgeon may recommend that a tight fitting garment,
similar to a girdle, be worn after surgery to reduce
swelling. This may need to be worn for up to six weeks.
Your stitches, however, will be removed within a week
and a half if they are not the type that dissolve. You
may not feel great just after your surgery. You've been
given extra fluids during the procedure, and you'll
likely experience swelling and some bruising, but this
is only temporary. You may feel a little bruised and
sore as if you'd overexercised that part of the body,
but this passes quickly. You should be completely back
to normal within about 6 weeks, and maybe sooner. You
can resume all normal activities at this time. Remember,
liposuction is a surgical procedure, and your body has
to heal before you see the full benefits. Your results
will likely be visible within two or three weeks, but
the full effect may not be fully evident for six months
to a year after surgery in some cases.
F. What benefit could I expect from the surgery?
Once the fat is removed, it is gone forever. The result
is a permanent recontouring of the body. This can offer
a new shape for people who never thought it was
possible, giving a psychological boost and the incentive
to exercise even more than before to improve the rest of
their physique. Liposuction will not, however, prevent
you from gaining weight in the future, and will not keep
you fit and in shape. The skin shape after liposuction
will more closely resemble the shape of the stomach
muscle, but this surgery will not give you good
abdominal tone. This is up to you. Liposuction is not a
weight loss technique, and is not a cure for overall
obesity. It is, however, a great way to get rid of that
little bulge that you cannot seem to get rid of any
other way. The goal is for you to be more comfortable
with your body and happy with your new shape.
G. How long do the results last?
The fat that is removed is permanently gone, and can not
come back. The fat that remains can increase in size if
you gain weight after liposuction, but will do so
throughout the body so that the proportions maintain
their improvement. This is why the procedure is now
often referred to as liposculpture. The best way to lose
weight is still diet and exercise. Liposculpture will
remove some fat, but the main purpose is to recontour
your body, not to make you thinner everywhere.
H. Can the procedure be repeated?
Yes! There is a limit to the amount of fat which can be
removed during any one session. In some instances the
patient may want to have more removed at another time.
If someone has several areas to treat, sometimes it is
better to treat them at separate times. It is common
practice to wait for approximately 3 months between
procedures, however that time frame is determined by
your surgeon.
I. Is there much scarring and what happens to excess skin?
There is a small (less than one centimeter) incision
made to insert the cannula, which may require one or two
stitches to close. These scars are usually not too
noticeable, and are often concealed in skin creases or
in parts of the skin that are usually hidden (like the
umbilicus). The skin is a living, dynamic organ which
has the ability to stretch and shrink. In most cases,
the skin is able to shrink after Liposuction and conform
to the new body contour. Patients with markedly
decreased skin elasticity can have the excess skin
removed later. This is rarely necessary. Post-op
discussions with your surgeon will cover your skin type.
This is done to determine your specific skin type
classification.
J. Is it safe?
Liposuction has become remarkably safe, although some
risks do persist. In the early days of liposuction,
there were problems associated with blood loss,
infection, shock, and inexperience with the use of the
catheters. With increased attention to these problems,
the risk now comes mostly from the anesthesia. Removal
of large amounts of fat can still result in moderate
blood loss, and may require hospitalization, but for the
routine liposuction, these problems are unusual.
Infection is also uncommon, but remains a major concern
to all doctors performing liposuction.
K. What are the risks/complications?
Nothing in life comes free, and liposuction is no
exception. Some bruising and discomfort can be expected
after the operation, although it's usually not too bad
and resolves within a few weeks. There are the standard
risks associated with anesthesia (allergy to the
medicine, increased risk if you are not healthy, etc.),
which you will need to discuss with your doctor and/or
anesthesiologist. There is a slight risk of scarring,
although the incisions are so small that this is not
usually a problem. The risk of infection is
ever-present, any time the skin barrier is broken, but
infection after liposuction is unusual. Even with the
most skilled surgeon, however, variations from the ideal
result are possible. Complications include uneven skin
surface, especially in patients with poor skin
elasticity, bleeding, infection, discoloration, fluid
accumulation beneath the skin, numbness and scarring.
Although complications with this surgery are extremely
rare, the more extreme cases include tissue necrosis,
pulmonary embolus, hematoma, infection, wound separation
and even death. The key to minimizing risk is restraint.
Don't try to do too much all at one sitting. If you
suction more than 2500 cc of fat, the texts suggest you
transfuse blood. This one usually stops the overzealous
patient in their tracks! Yes, fat that is suctioned
contains about 7% blood. With the concerns over the
hepatitis and HIV (although the former is far more
common than the latter) in blood bank materials, using
reasonable precautions to avoid blood transfusion is
warranted.. Don't go in to your surgeon demanding the
impossible and these for-mentioned things will more
likely than not never happen to you!
L. What are the alternatives?
Diet and weight loss are the standard ways of losing
weight and toning up. They are recommended for everyone.
If you cannot lose a certain bulge in this way, and
especially if that bulge is always there, even when you
are fit, then liposuction is a good alternative. If
there is loose skin, it may be necessary to remove this
skin as well, by a "tummy tuck" surgery. Removal of the
fat along with the skin can be performed in any area,
but the scars associated with this larger surgery make
it unpopular.
Overweight men may find that losing weight will reduce
breast fullness.
M. Are there special instructions to follow prior to surgery?
Wash carefully before surgery. Avoid aspirin and aspirin
containing medicines for 2 weeks prior to surgery. You
may need to get a compression garment to wear after the
surgery.
N. Who is best qualified to perform liposuction surgery?
Physicians from many specialties have contributed to the
development of this procedure. Early on, cosmetic
surgeons in Europe, especially Italy and France, led the
charge. In the United States it has been embraced by
many specialties, although the major breakthroughs have
come at the hands of Dermatologic surgeons. It is,
therefore, a procedure which cannot be claimed by any
one specialty. Skill, experience, and good judgment, as
well as training, are the cornerstones upon which a good
liposuction surgeon is made.
O. How much does it cost?
There is usually a charge for the initial consultation.
If you choose to have the procedure performed, the
consultation fee is deducted from the cost of the
procedure. The cost of the procedure depends upon
several factors, including the site(s) selected, and
special circumstances which may surround a particular
case. Most clinics will quote a comprehensive fee which
includes the surgery and a certain number of follow-up
visits. Intervals for these visits may vary but
generally are at one week, one month, and three months.
As for other necessities like facility use, compression
garments, anesthesia, or your pre-operative laboratory
tests, each clinic will vary in there charging policy.
As for insurance coverage, this is considered a cosmetic
procedure and is generally not covered by medical
insurance plans.
|
