- If you are considering liposuction…
- Are You A Good Candidate For Liposuction?
- Selecting A Surgeon
- Consultation
- Planning The Surgery
- Preparing For Your Surgery
- The Risks Of Surgery
- Anesthesia
- Liposuction Surgery
- After The Surgery
- Follow-Up
Many men and women struggle with unwanted fat. At times, even after months of diet and exercise, it is difficult to eliminate fat in problem areas such as the hips, thighs, stomach, and neck. With the procedure taking only a few hours, it is no wonder then that liposuction is a very popular cosmetic surgery procedure today. Liposuction removes fat tissue by a suctioning technique, contouring the body area to obtain the desired shape.
If you are considering liposuction…
the following information can help you understand the procedure, how it’s done and what results can be expected. However, each patient has individual needs and features, and it is only by consulting with a plastic surgeon that you can best understand how plastic surgery can help you.
Are you a good candidate for liposuction?
To be a good candidate for liposuction, you should be in good physical health, near your ideal body weight (only 10 or 20 pounds overweight) and have good skin elasticity. You should exercise regularly and eat healthy well-balanced meals. You may have an area on your body that exercise and dieting has been unable to reduce. Such a localized fatty deposit is perfect for liposuction.
Liposuction is not a cure for obesity. There is a limit of fat tissue that can be removed safely from the human body
You should also be psychologically stable, and realistic in your expectations. You may think having liposuction will make you look like your ideal or give you a perfect body. You may think that people will treat you differently or that you will be a happier person after your liposuction. These are unrealistic expectations. Good results will help you increase your self-confidence but you won’t necessarily get your ideal body.
Patients should realize that, although the cellulite’s appearance may improve, it is not expected to lessen.
Selecting a Surgeon
Although liposuction is generally safe, the discerning patient should consider some factors to ensure safety, minimize the risks involved, and get a good result.
Oftentimes, patients choose their surgeon on the basis of price. However, the success of the procedure is largely dependent on your choice of surgeon. There are no laws in the Philippines that regulate who can perform liposuction. Thus, to avoid unsatisfactory results, it is best to choose a surgeon who has had accredited training in plastic surgery, special training in body contouring and extensive experience in liposuction. This operation requires good judgement and the ability to visualize the end result. Your surgeon’s skill can make all the difference between a good result and one which will require correction and additional expense.
The patient must also be able to trust the surgeon for proper evaluation and advice.
Consultation
When you first consult with your surgeon, he will ask you what your goals and expectations are and what you would like your body to look like. It is helpful if you already know the areas where you gain fat and the areas you wish to have liposuction on. Your surgeon should be confident that your motives are well founded and that your discontent with your body is not caused by a distinctly separate situation such as marital or employment difficulties.
He will also evaluate your body and how much work needs to be done to get the desired result. He may also use computer imaging to help you visualize your surgery options.
Your surgeon will explain the procedure, its risks, alternatives, benefits and recovery time of the procedure. You may also consider having ultrasonic liposuction. Your surgeon will describe what he plans to do and what anesthesia he plans to use, considering your preferences. He will discuss where the surgery will be performed, as well as the risks and costs involved. You can also ask him any questions you may have, especially those regarding your expectations about the results.
He will also ask you if you’ve previously had liposuction as this will affect the planned operation. He will ask you about your history of medication, allergies, prior surgeries and results, including scarring, and personal and family history of diseases. If you have allergies, breathing difficulties, if you smoke, or take medications, vitamins, or other drugs, you should inform your surgeon. .
If you went on a crash diet immediately prior to the consultation, this may increase the risk of complications due to electrolyte imbalances or nutritional deficiencies.
Before you undergo your operation, your surgeon will ask you to have blood tests done to ensure that you will not have any bleeding problems as a result of the operation. If you are 40 years of age or older, you will also be requested to have an electrocardiogram done and to visit your internist or cardiologist for cardiovascular clearance. This is to ensure that you are physically fit to undergo the surgery.
Planning the Surgery
After evaluating the patient, the plastic surgeon plans the operation and determines where the incisions will be made. The position of the incisions are carefully planned so that the resulting scars are practically invisible after healing. Usually, incisions are placed in areas which are hidden when the patient is wearing the typical item of clothing (eg, swimwear, undergarments). It is rare for a patient to have very visible scars if her surgeon is competent. The most important factor in the success of your surgery is your surgeon’s training, skill and experience.
Preparing for your Surgery
To avoid any complications and risks, your surgeon will give you specific guidelines on eating and drinking, smoking, and taking or avoiding certain vitamins and medications. Follow these instructions carefully.
Ideally, you should be at a stable weight and have a regular exercise program before you have liposuction. This will help you maintain your body shape after the procedure.
The Risks of Surgery
All surgery has some uncertainty and risk involved. In liposuction, there is a risk of bleeding, infection, and blood clot formation in the legs. The removal of too much fat can result in too much blood loss. There is also a risk of too much of the fluids injected into the body being absorbed into the bloodstream. These fluids can become toxic if too much is absorbed by the body.
When performing liposuction, a doctor has a choice in the techniques he or she wishes to use. Each technique has its own benefits and risks.
Complications of liposuction can be reduced significantly by choosing the right doctor. When liposuction is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon, complications are infrequent and usually minor since he has the necessary training, skill and experience. If you follow your surgeon’s instructions closely both before and after surgery, you can also reduce your risks of complications.
Anesthesia
Liposuction can be performed under local or general anesthesia, depending on what you and your surgeon prefer.
With general anesthesia, you’ll be sleeping during the operation and wake up after it is finished. With local anesthesia, you’ll be awake during the surgery, but in a relaxed state, since you will be lightly sedated. You will be insensitive to pain and the area the surgeon will be working on will be numb.
When liposuction is performed with the patient awake, under localized tumescent anesthesia, patients can easily stand up at the end of the procedure without feeling dizzy.