Liposuction is a procedure that can help sculpt the body by removing
unwanted fat from specific areas, including the abdomen, hips,
buttocks, thighs, knees, upper arms, chin, cheeks and neck. Although
liposuction is not a substitute for dieting and exercise, it can
remove stubborn areas of fat that don't respond to traditional
weight-loss methods.If you have areas of excess fat that won't
respond to diet and exercise, then liposuction is the only method
that can actually reduce the size of a particular area of your
body ("spot reduction").
The patient must have realistic expectations about what the procedure
can do. The best candidates for liposuction are normal-weight
young people with firm, elastic skin who have pockets of excess
fat in certain areas. The patient should be physically healthy,
psychologically stable and realistic in expectations. Age is not
a major consideration; however, older patients may have diminished
skin elasticity and may not achieve the same results as a younger
patient with tighter skin. Liposuction works because it not only
removes the unwanted fat, but it also removes the cells that store
the fat. The advantage of removing fat cells is that if you maintain
your current weight and level of exercise, there is no reason
to expect that you will re-accumulate fat in these troublesome
areas. Liposuction is performed by passing a hollow metal instrument
called a cannula through a small, hidden incision. The cannula
is attached to a machine that creates a negative pressure to remove
the fat. After liposuction, a compression garment or a girdle
is worn for 3 - 4 weeks to minimize swelling and to help your
skin tighten around your new, slimmer figure. How quickly you
are able to resume normal activities will of course depend on
the amount of liposuction that is performed
Since the advent of liposuction, there have been two innovations
which have greatly improved results: the tumescent, or "wet",
technique and ultrasonic liposuction. The tumescent technique
is the injection of a saline solution containing a local anesthetic
and epinephrine (adrenaline) just prior to performing liposuction.
This method expands the fat layer for easier removal, decreases
the amount of swelling and bruising, and also allows some cases
of liposuction to be performed under local anesthesia.
Ultrasonic liposuction (or Ultrasound Assisted Lipoplasty - UAL)
is a new technique in which a specialized liposuction cannula
emits high frequency sound waves to liquefy the fat before it
is removed. This technique has changed liposuction into a finesse
procedure because the fat can be removed with greater precision
and less trauma. Ultrasonic liposuction has also improved the
results in certain areas, such as the back, upper abdomen and
breast, which had previously been resistant to traditional liposuction
because of the high concentration of fibrous connective tissue.
but this technique is associated with higher complication rate
in the form of skin burns, so this technique is still not accepted
by all surgeons
After a comprehensive examination, Dr. will discuss the various
options for liposuction and he will recommend a treatment plan
based on your own body type and your individual goals. Please
remember that while liposuction can recontour and improve the
shape in certain areas of your body, it is not a tool for weight
loss and is not recommended for severely overweight individuals
Anaesthesia for liposuction
Various types of anaesthesia can be used for liposuction procedures
but usually unless the area to be treated is small, general anaesthesia
is used. If only a small amount of fat and a limited number of
body sites are involved, the patient and the surgeon will select
the type of anaesthesia that provides the safest and most effective
level of comfort for the surgery
TheSurgery
the time required to perform liposuction may vary considerably,
depending on the size of the area, the amount of fat being removed,
the type of anaesthesia and the technique used. There are several
liposuction techniques that can be used to improve the ease of
the procedure and to enhance its outcome Liposuction is a procedure
in which localized deposits of fat are removed to recontour one
or more areas of the body. Through a tiny incision, initially
a medicated fluid is injected in to the areas from where suction
is to be performed. The amount of fluid is 1to3 times the amount
of fat is to be removed this is called tumescent fluid. Than after
waiting for 8-10 miniuts a narrow metalic cannula is inserted..
The cannula is pushed, and then pulled through the fat layer,
breaking up the fat cells and suctioning them out. The suction
action is provided by a vacuum pump or a large syringe, depending
on the surgeon's preference. If many sites are being treated,
your surgeon will then move on to the next area, working to keep
the incisions as inconspicuous as possible Fluid is lost along
with the fat, and it's crucial that this fluid be replaced during
the procedure to prevent shock. For this reason, patients need
to be carefully monitored and receive intravenous fluids during
and immediately after the surgery
Ultrasound-Assisted Lipoplasty (UAL)
This technique requires the use of a special cannula that produces
ultrasonic energy. As it passes through the areas of fat, the
energy explodes the walls of the fat cells, liquefying the fat.
The fat is then removed with the traditional liposuction technique.
UAL has been shown to improve the ease and effectiveness of liposuction
in fibrous areas of the body, such as the upper back or the enlarged
male breast. It is also commonly used in secondary procedures,
when enhanced precision is needed. In general, UAL takes longer
to perform than traditional liposuction. UAL has one disadvantage
that it produces heat which can some Tims burn the skin, so this
techniques is not being preferred by most of the surgeons around
the world
All surgery carries some uncertainty and risk
Liposuction is normally safe, as long as patients are carefully
selected, the operating facility is properly equipped and the
physician is adequately trained. However, it's important to keep
in mind that even though a well-trained surgeon and a state-of-the-art
facility can improve your chance of having a good result, there
are no guarantees. Though they are rare, complications can and
do occur. Risks increase if a greater number of areas are treated
at the same time, or if the operative sites are larger in size.
Removal of a large amount of fat and fluid may require longer
operating times than may be required for smaller operations
AFTER CARE
Normally one day hospitalization is required, pt is discharged
with pressure garments or an elastic tape dressing which is removed
after one week when pt can take shower and is trained to wear
pressure garments to help loose skin to shrink, pt can resume
normal activities in 7 to 10 days. Some bruising may be present
at few sites which may take 2 to 3 wks to resolve.