subject: Liposuction And The New You. [print this page] Are you a woman who has had several children and has had trouble getting rid of the extra fat that has been left behind? Are you a person who has tried everything you can think of to lose weight and have fat patches left behind? If so, you may be a good candidate for liposuction. The most common locations on the bodies of both men and women where the fat deposits build up are the buttocks, the thighs, the calves, the breasts, the stomach, and the arms.
During your first consultation with your surgeon you will be asked to point exactly to the place from where you want the fat removed. He will have pictures taken of you so that he will know exactly what you expect and whether or not your desires can be achieved. At this time, you will be expected to provide a complete medical history as well, so that the surgeon will know about any previous surgeries, medical conditions that you may have, and any medications that you are taking. If you are a woman, you will also discuss any future plans on pregnancy, as this can skew your surgery results.
The actual liposuction surgery will take place in a local hospital or ambulatory surgery center and you will either have local anesthesia or general anesthesia, depending on where on the body you are having the surgery performed and your desired comfort level. During the surgery, the surgeon will make an incision through the fat deposits and suck them out through a tube-like instrument called a cannula. When the procedure is complete, the incision will be stitched up and you will be given compression garments to help shrink the skin and be sent to recovery where you will be observed for several hours, possibly over night.
The total amount of recovery time varies by person, but on average, it takes between 5-10 days. You will be encouraged to get some rest the first few days and keep the inured part body part elevated as much as possible. You will experience both swelling and bruising for a few days and your stitches will be removed in roughly a week after surgery and you can resume normal activities about that time. You will need follow-up appointments occasionally so that the surgeon can check on your progress.
Because it takes several months to heal from the liposuction surgery completely, it will not be evident immediately how successful the surgery was. Keep in mind that the results will usually last a long time, but can be affected by future weight gain, pregnancy, aging, and other factors in your day-to-day life.
