subject: Are There Any Health Conditions That Could Keep Me From Being Able To Get Liposuction? [print this page] Sometimes it seems like everybody's talking about liposuction (also known as lipoplasty and suction lipectomy). Gossip columns discuss which hollywood divas have or haven't gotten the surgery. Glossy ads for cosmetic surgeons can be seen just about everywhere, from health magazines and phone books to billboards and the side of buses.
But even with all of this interest, there are a lot of things that people don't know about the surgery. One of these things is an understanding of who can and can't get the surgery. Although lipoplasty is far from being the most risky or dangerous surgery out there, there are nonetheless some health risks associated with it. People with certain conditions or habits have an increased risk of complications which can range from the merely aesthetic to the lifethreatening.
The first thing that might keep people from being able to undergo lipoplasty is serious, chronic disease. People who have certain chronic illnesses are less able to recover quickly and effectively from body trauma. Although lipoplasty is not quite as traumatic as many forms of surgery, it is nonetheless a highly invasive procedure. Removing tissue, even fat, in the amounts that a lipectomy does can put a strain on the body. A person's body has to be healthy enough to take the shock of losing that much mass.
People who have heart and lung problems may also not be able to undergo the procedure, depending on the type and severity of their problems. Diabetics cannot typically undergo the surgery. People who have severe and uncontrollable bleeding problems are obviously at a higher risk.
Additionally, people who smoke will need to quit before they can undergo a lipectomy. Smoking causes a higher risk for serious pulmonary complications during surgery. Typically, doctors require their patients to quit at least three weeks before their surgery date.
Although this may come as a surprise to many people, being extremely overweight or obese can disqualify a person from being able to be a lipectomy patient. The more fat a surgery removes, the more traumatic the surgery will be for the patient. A typical liposuction will usually remove less than ten pounds. So, if a person needs to lose a large amont of weight, doctors will typically tell them to lose weight by dieting and exercising before getting their surgery. Then, they can use their lipoplasty to help put the finishing touches on their new body.
If you wonder whether or not you could be a good candidate for lipoplasty, please consider speaking with a cosmetic surgeon in your area. He or she should be able to answer any questions you might have about the procedure and about your whether or not your goals and liposuction would be a good match for each other.
