subject: Sail Through Liposuction's Side Effects--they're Not So Bad! [print this page] Liposuction is a surgical procedure in which fat is removed from the body with a straw-like device called a cannula. Usually, the incision is tiny (a quarter of an inch in length) and the surgeon flushes water into the fat while using the cannula to break up the fat cells before sucking them out. There are some side effects of this procedure that will be discussed below.
An unavoidable side effect is bruising. The soft tissues of the skin and the layer of fat immediately beneath are easily damaged. Although some tissue is removed, the surrounding area will be bruised by the process. Although painful at first, the bruises should fade in a few weeks.
Liposuction can sometimes cause a persistent numbness in the area for a few weeks after, which also should fade with time.
The post-surgery pain should be able to be controlled with medications, often the over-the-counter variety. If the pain is problematic, prescription drugs can be given by the doctor as well.
Another inevitable side effect is swelling. It too should fade with time.
One side effect that may be embarrassing, if not harmful, is scarring. The process of scarring and the time it takes for scars to fade are dependent on individuals. There seems to be a genetic component to scarring. For some, the scars will fade quickly and not be very noticeable. For others, the fading can take as long as a year.
It's important to note that liposuction's side effects are not signs of anything gone wrong. If the procedure goes as it should, the side effects will come and then fade away. They differ very little from the side of effects of any other surgery.
As in any surgical recovery, the patients need to take care of themselves in the weeks following the surgery. The healing is helped along by a compression bandage or garment that is worn for a few weeks after the surgery.
Following liposuction, the patients are able to return to full activity within a few weeks. But how long does it take to be able to see the visible evidence of the procedure? It differs with the individual case. Some are able to see noticeable differences within a few days while for others it takes weeks.
The good news is that the fat cells never come back once they have been removed. If the patient can just maintain a healthy active lifestyle, the changes can be permanent. The relatively small amount of time spent in recovery is not such a big deal.
