Liposuction
Liposuction is the removal of unwanted fat through mechanical suction. Despite a healthy diet and exercise some fat can be challenging to get rid of. Liposuction is a safe, effective, and well tolerated procedure to remove persistent fat. Liposuction is often combined with abdominoplasty, thigh lift, and/or brachioplasty.
Treatment Time
1-2 hours; depending on the location, amount of fat, and whether liposuction is combined with additional procedures. For small areas liposuction can be completed under local anesthetic but it is more commonly done under a general anesthetic.
Incisions
Small 1cm holes in the skin are used to introduce the liposuction cannula. These incisions are hid within creases and are almost completed camouflaged once healed.
Benefits
Liposuction is relatively quick, easy, effective, and has a short recovery when used alone. It is perfect for targeting persistent areas of fat that cannot be removed by non-surgical means such as diet and exercise.
Technique
A solution of saline, local anesthetic, and adrenaline is infiltrated into the fat to help with pain control, separate the fat, and minimize blood loss. A small incision is used to introduce the liposuction cannula. Multiple passes of the cannula from a variety of vectors is used to remove fat and in the area.
Recovery
For isolated liposuction procedures the incisions are small and well healed within 1-2 weeks. Results may take up to 2 months. When combining liposuction with other procedures, such as abdominoplasty, recovery primarily depends on the surgical procedure completed.
Risks
Risks include bleeding, infection, fat necrosis, under or over resection, and patient dissatisfaction. Liposuction alone is best used when there is minimal skin laxity as liposuction alone does not address excess skin.
Who are the best candidates?
Patients who are otherwise healthy, non-smokers, have persistent areas of fat with minimal skin excess, and have a stable weight. A stable weight ensures that results will not be distorted post-operatively.
Adjunct Procedures
Liposuction is a versatile procedure that is often used to enhance body contouring surgery such as abdominoplasty, thighplasty, or brachioplasty,. Liposuction can also be used to harvest fat used for fat grafting to add volume in facial procedures such as a facelift.