What is Liposuction Surgery?
Liposuction is the most common type of cosmetic surgery that breaks up and 'sucks' fat from the body. The fat is removed through a hollow instrument, known as cannula. This is inserted under the skin. A powerful, high-pressure vacuum is applied to the cannula. It is used on the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, neck, chin, upper and back arms, calves, and back.
Why/When is Liposuction Done?
Liposuction is the easiest and the quickest method to remove fat from areas of the body that haven't responded to diet control or exercise. These include:
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Abdomen
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Arms
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Buttocks
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Calves and ankles
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Chest and back
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Hips and thighs
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Neck
Apart from the above, Liposuction is also used to reduced breast size in both female and male patients.
Different Types of Liposuction Surgery
Tumescent Liposuction: Several liters of a saline solution with a local anesthetic (lidocaine) and a vessel-constrictor (epinephrine) are pumped below the skin in the area that is to be suctioned. The fat is suctioned, or sucked out, through small suction tubes. This is the most popular form of liposuction.
Dry Liposuction: No fluid is injected before the fat is removed. This method is seldom used today. There is a higher risk of bruising and bleeding.
Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction (UAL): Also known as ultrasonic liposuction, the cannula is energized with ultrasound. This makes the fat melt away on contact. The ultrasound vibrations burst the walls of the fat cells. This emulsifies, or liquifies the fat, making it easier to suction it out. This method is suitable for fibrous areas, such as the male breast, back, and in areas where liposuction has been done before. After ultrasonic liposuction, suction-assisted liposuction is done to remove the liquefied fat.
Power-assisted Liposuction (PAS): Also known as powered liposuction, PAS uses a specialized cannula with a mechanized system that rapidly moves back-and-forth, allowing the surgeon to pull out fat more easily.
Lipofilling: Fat transfer, or surgical grafting, is used alongside the repositioning of soft tissues to revolumise hollowed areas and restore structural integrity to the face. Using one’s own fat cells, this technique has a wide application and may be effectively combined with other procedures, such as facelift and eyelid surgery. It is used effectively to counteract gravity by offering a light lift, and deliver smooth and youthful contours.
Liposuction Surgery Process
Here is a step by step process for undergoing a liposuction surgery.
1. Consultation
Like any surgery consultation is the first of the Liposuction surgery process also. In this case consultancy is more important as liposuction is a cosmetic surgery and the need/effectiveness of the surgery depends on a lot of factors. You can get an appointment with Dr. Sharath, Head of Plastic Surgery Department at KIMS Plastic Surgery and understand which areas of your body can be enhanced using liposuction. The doctor will ask you questions about your medical history - past treatments, medical conditions, drug allergies, etc to see if you are fit for cosmetic surgery under anesthesia.
The doctor will also understand your expectation from liposuction and advise you accordingly to ensure that you don’t have unrealistic expectations from liposuction.
2. Preoperative Evaluation
Once it is decided that you will undergo liposuction surgery, you will be evaluated for readiness of the procedure through routine tests. You will also be asked to fill out consent forms and you will be provided more details about preparing for the surgery.
3. Liposuction Surgery
On the day of surgery, all the areas of your body to be liposuctioned, as mutually decided between you and the surgeon during prior consultation, will be marked with you standing upright. Once on the operating table you will be given general or local anesthesia and surgery will commence. The procedure might last up to several hours depending on the number of places on your body where liposuction will be done and the extent of fat removal.
4. Post Surgery
After the surgery, if you were on general anesthesia, you will wake up in a recovery room where you will be monitored for a few hours. You might be asked to stay in the hospital overnight.
5. Recovery
You may experience pain, swelling and bruising after the procedure. You will be given pain killers for the same. After about a week you can get back to normal work and after a month you can resume exercising and other physical activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many areas of the body can be operated upon for Liposuction simultaneously?
Depending on how much fat is to be removed from the body, 2-3 areas can be treated upon simultaneously. The goal of liposuction is not really to reduce weight, it is to give a better shape to your body by treating areas that are not responsive to regular exercise.
Are there any risks of Liposuction surgery?
Here are some of the risks of liposuction:
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If your skin is not elastic enough, liposuction can cause your skin to appear wavy or withered.
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Temporary pockets of fluid may form beneath your skin, which may have to be drained out.
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You may experience temporary numbness of the affected area.
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Skin infections are rare but possible
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Other surgery related risks like bleeding and adverse reaction to anesthesia
Will there be visible scars after surgery?
Since liposuction is done by making very small 3-4 mm incisions in hidden areas, scars are not an area of concern in this case.
How much fat can be removed through liposuction in one sitting?
You should not expect a dramatic reduction in body fat through liposuction and ideally, reduction in body fat or weight is not the goal of liposuction. Without a balanced diet the fat will simply come back. As per widely accepted medical standards, a maximum of 12 Lbs (about 5.5 Kg) fat can be removed from a healthy body in one session.
I am obese and want to reduce weight quickly. Is LIposuction right for me?
No it is not. Liposuction only helps shape certain areas of the body and the amount of fat removed from the body will hardly make any difference to your appearance or weight if you are obese. Liposuction is more suitable for people with normal weight who want to remove fast only from one or two areas.
Can Liposuction surgery give me a perfect figure?
Yes liposuction is like sculpting your body contour to give it an ideal shape by removing fat from certain areas. But this is only possible if you body is otherwise in good shape and slight alteration is required. For example if your waist is too broad, liposuction can’t help you. Whether or not liposuction can give you the desired results can only be decided by the surgeon after thorough examination of your body.
Are the results of liposuction permanent?
Unless there is a drastic change in your eating habits or lifestyle, the results of liposuction are fairly permanent. If you gain some fat the extra fat will be distributed throughout the body in the current body proportion.
Liposuction Surgery in Hyderabad
At KIMS hospital Hyderabad, Dr. Sharath Chandra Reddy and his team of plastic surgeons have decades of combined experience in all kinds of plastic and cosmetic surgery. Please fill out the form below to book your appointment now with Dr. Sharath and discuss your liposuction surgery requirements.
