A Guide on Liposuction

Have you ever thought of undergoing liposuction? Well, here are frequently asked questions related to it.

What benefit could I expect from the surgery?
The fat that is removed is gone forever, resulting in 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 body. Liposuction will not, however, prevent you from gaining weight in the future, and will not keep you fit and in shape.
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.

Can liposuction help me lose weight?
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 thin all over.

Is it safe?
Modem Liposuction has become remarkably safe. In the early days of liposuction, there were problems associated with blood loss, infection and shock. Today, these problems are unusual.

Where is the scar going to be?
The scars for liposuction are multiple and small. They are placed in the crease lines to make them less obvious. All surgery requires a scar and all scars take time to soften and fade. It is usually red and raised for the first month or two after the operation but will disappear in a few months time.

How long does surgery take? Surgery takes about 1 to 2 hours per area.

Does it hurt?
Discomfort is moderate during the surgery, and can easily be controlled by anesthetic agents. Small areas can even be treated under local anesthesia alone.

What happens after surgery?
The local anesthesia injected into the tissue remains for 18 to 24 hours following liposuction surgery, greatly minimizing pain after the surgery. After tumescent liposuction, patients are usually alert and able to function well. There is minimal bruising and many patients `do not require medications for pain. You can usually return to a desk-type job within 48 hours and physical exercise generally can be resumed seven days after liposuction.

What are the limitations of liposuction?
Liposuction is not intended as a method for weight loss. It is used as a shaping procedure for areas where fat deposits are resistant to diet and exercise. The best results from liposuction occur in body areas where there is good muscle tone and good skin elasticity. In cases where there is a significant loss of tone and elasticity, superior cosmetic results may require a combination of both liposuction and surgical skin tightening to remove the excessive loose tissue.

What will happen to the excess skin?
Skin is an elastic organ and in most cases is able to shrink and redrape to the new body contour. Those who are poor candidates for liposuction surgery because of decreased skin elasticity can have the excess skin removed if they so desire at a later date.

What happens if I gain weight after liposuction?
Patients often wonder what will happen if they gain weight after they have liposuction. A common fear is that they will develop an abnormal shape. This does not happen because of the fact that the number of fat cells we have is constant and does not change throughout our life. When fat cells arc removed with liposuction they cannot come back. Increasing weight is distributed evenly through the remaining fat cells.

Can I have fat moved from one part of my body to another? It is not difficult to liposuction fat and inject it in another location.

What is difficult is to make the fat survive. When fat is moved, its blood supply is cut off and much of it may not survive the transfer. It is necessary to transplant more fat than required since it is expected that not all the fat will survive.
Fat transfers work well in the face. It is used for the nasolabial folds (between nose and mouth), the deep creases in the middle of the forehead (glabellar creases) and to fill in hollow cheeks. Fats can be transplanted from the abdomen to the breasts to enlarge its size. Finally, in men, fat can be transplanted to the penis to enlarge its size.