Is Liposuction safe? Does the fat return?

Although generally safe, liposuction does have some risks. These can be as minor as contour irregularities, or as severe as life threatening. The procedure should be performed on a reasonably healthy person by an experienced surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery in a properly certified surgical facility using anesthesia. Depending upon the patient's health status and age, it may be advisable to have some tests performed before the liposuction is performed. A personal discussion with Dr. Kierney can more completely and accurately determine the relative risk for you. If liposuction was not generally safe when properly performed, it would not be the most commonly performed cosmetic surgery procedure for men as well as women. The fat removed by liposuction will not return unless you gain a significant amount of weight. Fat does not have magical properties and will not accumulate or come back in an area that has been liposuctioned unless you gain a lot of weight and thereby add fat. If you gain a small amount of weight (5 - 10 lbs.), you will add fat in other areas but not likely in the suctioned area. Therefore, in order to maintain the best possible result, you should have the procedure performed at a weight you can reasonably expect to maintain. If you lose weight after having liposuction performed, the result will improve. The patient has control over the results.

What is Liposuction?

Liposuction, also called lipoplasty, is a surgical procedure designed to help re-contour the body by removing unwanted fat from specific areas. It is the most popular cosmetic surgery performed in the United States. Liposuction is not a weight reduction procedure and should not be used as a substitute for proper diet and exercise. Unfortunately, we can develop, unsightly fat deposits that are resistant or non-responsive to any amount of sensible exercise or dietary precautions. These fatty deposits often are the result of your genetic family history and the progressive effects of aging.

Liposuction is usually performed as an outpatient procedure. The procedure itself may take anywhere form thirty minutes to several hours, depending on the amount of work you are having done and how many body areas are being suctioned. Liposuction is designed to remove excess fat from the chin, arms, stomach, hips, waistline, thighs, knees, calves, and ankles. Liposuction can essentially be done almost anywhere there is an unsightly deposit of fat causing a contour problem. The surgeon begins with a small incision just big enough to insert a hollow tube deep into the fat layers beneath the skin. The surgeon moves the tube around to suction out excess fat. Additional incisions may be needed to remove all excess fat, especially if more than one area is being treated.

The best candidates for liposuction are patients close to their normal weight with firm, elastic skin and pockets of excess fat collected in specific areas. In considering liposuction your age is not quite as important as your general health and the condition and quality of your skin.

Loose skin that is unable to reshape itself will need to be cut away, which will leave scars. Dr. Kierney will examine and evaluate your skin prior to surgery to see if skin removal may be necessary. The surgeon will seek to keep scars to a minimum and hidden in natural creases of the body.

During liposuction, a lot of fluid is lost with the fat, and it is extremely important that the fluid is replaced by drinking water post-operatively. For about 4 to 6 weeks after surgery you will need to wear a pressure garment or girdle over the treated area. This will help minimize any swelling and bruising. It will also help the skin to conform to your new improved shape.

The results of the liposuction will be very apparent within several weeks. Don't expect to look and feel terrific right after the surgery. The treated areas will be swollen and somewhat bruised, and you will have some excess water weight due to the increased fluids being put into your system for your own safety. These symptoms will decrease fairly rapidly over the next few days and will continue to decrease for several weeks. Discomfort can be controlled with medications prescribed by your surgeon.

Most patients having moderate to heavy liposuction are able to resume most normal activities in about one week. More strenuous activities such as exercise and sports should be avoided for 4 to 6 weeks. Healing is gradual and every individual is different. When you return to complete normal activities will depend on your own pain tolerance, how you feel, and the extent of the liposuction and the recommendations of your surgeon.

Liposuction is extremely effective in giving you an improved body contour with minimal scars. Most patients are very happy with their results. They are more comfortable about their body image and they feel and look better, both in and out of clothes. If a patient's expectations are realistic and an experienced surgeon performs the surgery, the results are generally excellent and patient's satisfaction is high.

Recovery after Liposuction

The pressurized infusion technique, also known as the tumescent technique, results in less bruising, swelling, and pain after liposuction than with previously used techniques. After the surgery, the patient walks from the operating room to the recovery room, relaxes for about an hour, and is released home. In fact, for the first 18 hours, there is minimal pain due to the residual numbing medicine underneath the skin. You will be encouraged to wear appropriate garments to help the skin adhere to its new contour. Return to normal activities is generally 7 to 10 days with return to vigorous aerobics in 4 to 6 weeks. Bruising can last 3 days to 6 weeks depending on the individual.

What can Men do to correct a "spare tire" or overdeveloped breasts?

Many men are annoyed by the accumulation of excess fat around the midsection--often called a "spare tire" or "love handles". When diet and exercise cannot resolve this problem, liposuction may be the answer. When performed by a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery in a certified surgery facility, liposuction is typically safe and effective. Overdeveloped breasts can appear during teenage years or after and can be very embarrassing. Diet and exercise will not usually help this problem. Previous treatment methods involved incisions around the nipple to surgically remove extra tissue. Often, the resulting contour was more deforming than the original problem. Liposuction has now been successfully used to treat this problem and typically produces a nice contour. The patient can usually return to work within a few days, but should not perform strenuous activities such as running, skiing, or weight lifting for 4 to 6 weeks after surgery.

What is a TummyTuck?

The medical term for a tummy tuck is an abdominoplasty, which is designed to remove excess skin and fat from the abdominal area and surgically tighten underlying muscles, resulting in a flatter and tighter tummy. Liposuction or fat suction is frequently done with a tummy tuck. You may be a good candidate for a tummy tuck if you are healthy and your weight is stable, but have a large amount of loose skin in the tummy area that does not seem to respond to diet and exercise, or if you are bothered by loose, sagging skin in the tummy area. A tummy tuck can be particularly beneficial to a women whose skin and muscles have stretched beyond elasticity after pregnancy and have no further pregnancies planned, or for men with sagging abdominal skin and fat.

The tummy tuck procedure has been significantly improved and refined in the past several years. It may be performed in a private surgical suite. Recovery time is about 4 to 6 weeks. Performed under general anesthesia, Dr. Kierney begins by making an incision on the lower abdomen, and cuts excess skin away. The abdominal muscles are tightened by bringing them back together and stitching them into their new position. The navel is also surgically repositioned. The incision line is sutured and recovery begins. Getting back to normal will take several weeks. The scar from this surgery will be permanent, but it should eventually flatten out and fade over a period of up to a year.

If the procedure is done by a properly credentialed, experienced surgeon in an adequately equipped operating room, success with abdominoplasty is quite high. However, every surgery will carry risks. Potential complications and other concerns should be discussed in detail during a consultation with the plastic surgeon prior to your surgery.

Complications are always a risk when undergoing any type of surgery and these should be discussed at length with your plastic surgeon. The success of this operation is quite high if you choose your surgeon carefully and follow his advice.

Cellulite Treatment
Endermologie is the first proven effective treatment for cellulite. Though not a substitute for diet, exercise or liposuction, Endermologie is a non-surgical procedure that lifts the skin and superficial fat away from the deeper layer with gentle vacuum suction between two rollers. It also stretches the ligaments at the anchor points under the skin, which helps create a smoother appearance. Candidate's for endermologie typically have orange peel or "cottage cheese-type" skin, possess a concern with skin tone, and are at a stable weight. A high percentage of patients achieve measurable results with a series of twenty treatments received once or twice weekly. It is recommended that patients continue maintenance treatments after the initial series of treatments is finished. There is no recovery time needed for the endermologie procedure and treatment results can be enhanced with regular exercise and proper diet. Now the parafango wrap is also available. This body wrap increases the circulatory and lymphatic pressure stimulating fat cells to release toxins, eliminate wastes and excess fluids from the system. Parafango Body Wraps leave your skin looking and feeling smooth. With multiple treatments the results can be long lasting.