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. 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 are as 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.

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.

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