subject: Everything You Need To Know Abou Liposuction [print this page] Liposuction is a surgical procedure to remove unwanted deposits of fat from specific areas of the body, including the face and neck, arms, trunk, abdomen, buttocks, thighs, knees, calves, and ankles. This is not a substitute for weight reduction, but a method for removing localized deposits of fatty tissue that do not respond to diet or exercise. Liposuction may be performed as a primary procedure for body contouring or may be combined with other surgical techniques such as facelift, abdominoplasty, or thigh lift procedures.
The best candidates for liposuction are individuals of relatively normal weight who have excess fat in particular body areas. Having firm, elastic skin will result in a better final contour after liposuction. Skin that has diminished tone due to stretch marks, weight loss, or natural aging will not reshape itself to the new contours and may require additional surgical techniques to remove and tighten excess skin. Body-contour irregularities due to structures other than fat cannot be improved by this technique. Liposuction by itself will not improve areas of dimpled skin known as "cellulite".
Suction-assisted lipectomy surgery is performed by using a hollow metal surgical instrument known as a cannula that is inserted through small skin incision(s) and is passed back and forth through the area of fatty deposit. The cannula is attached to a vacuum source, which provides the suction needed to remove the fatty tissue.
Liposuction may be performed under local or general anesthesia. There are a variety of different techniques used by plastic surgeons for liposuction. Tumescent liposuction technique involves the infiltration of fluid containing dilute local anesthetic and epinephrine into areas of fatty deposits. This technique can reduce discomfort and post-operative bruising. The tumescent liposuction technique is the one I use most frequently.
The basic technique of liposuction involves the removal of fat via a hollow metal tube (cannula) that is passed through the fatty tissue. One of the most common types of liposuction involves the aspiration of fat by attaching a pump that generates a vacuum. This is known as suction assisted liposuction (SAL). The decisions concerning the appropriate technique will best be determined by your plastic surgeon.
Liposuction surgery usually improves contours. In some instances it may be used in a circumferential fashion, thinning an area. Since the healing process is gradual, you should expect to wait at least several months to get an accurate picture of the results of your surgery. The small incisions used for access of the instrument known as a cannula, will fade over a number of months usually becoming barely visible.
The results of liposuction surgery are usually long-lasting, but they may be affected by weight gain, aging, pregnancy and lifestyle factors.
