subject: Liposuction Is A Safe And Effective Procedure Performed By Plastic Surgeons [print this page] Liposuction body sculpting (or suction-assisted lipectomy) has become one of the most common cosmetic plastic surgery procedures performed today. Proven safety, minimal scarring and outstanding results have made it the preferred method for removing fat from the hips, thighs, buttocks and midriff, as well as areas of the face, neck, chin and arms. Liposuction is not an alternative to weight reduction, but can be very effective in removing fat from areas that do not respond to diet and exercise programs. Suction-assisted lipectomy is performed under general or local anesthesia in an out-patient surgery suite. Most patients are back to work within several days to a week and results can be seen within days after the surgery.
One of the most commonly asked questions about liposuction is, "Is liposuction safe?" The answer is simple. If the procedure is performed by a qualified physician on a healthy patient the procedure should be extremely safe.
Many people wonder if there are several different techniques for liposuction. There are basically three types of liposuction. Suction assisted liposuction, power assisted liposuction, ultrasonic assisted liposuction. All accomplish the same end result with some variations on the technology.
One of the most important things to know before considering liposuction is what areas liposuction good for. Liposuction can be performed on almost any part of the body where there is excess fat such as the abdomen, hips, arms, thighs, back, neck, etc. Your cosmetic surgeon will be able to inform you of the best liposuction option for your particular situation. Liposuction provides improvement on the upper arms in patients that have good skin elasticity and mild skin laxity. For the patient with marked skin laxity excision may be a more appropriate procedure.
Many times, patients will question if medical insurance ever pays for any of these procedures. On occasion they may cover certain procedures. However, there usually needs to be documentation of a medical necessity reason. This would include such things as a chronic rash or infection.
Some people are under the impression that liposuction can be used for weight loss, but the procedure is simply used for contouring. Often times a patient may lose some weight as a result of liposuction but this should not be the primary reason to perform the procedure. In fact liposuction does not substitute diet and exercise and patients that get the best results are those who exercise and watch what they eat afterward. However, a patient will often decrease a dress size or two and loose inches from their waist.
When patients find out that it will not be able to remove weight so to speak, they often wonder how much fat can be removed and if it is permanent. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons recommends that if performing liposuction on an out patient basis no more that five liters of fat should be remove in one surgery. The fat cells that are removed are permanently gone. However, if a patient continues to gain weight after the surgery the fat cells that remain can continue to grow or fat could be deposited on another part of the body.
That said, liposuction is not for everyone. It is intended for patients in overall good health. It does not improve or remove stretched out or hanging skin and it does not improve or remove stretch marks. For patients with loose or stretched out skin a tummy tuck is often better.
