Liposuction - Frequently Asked Questions
How safe is tumescent liposuction?
According to an issue of the Journal of Dermatologic Surgery, the results of a survey of 15,000 tumescent liposuction patients confirmed the procedure’s safety. In all those patients surveyed, there were no deaths, no blood transfusions, and no complications requiring hospitalization. None of the complications often seen using the non-tumescent liposuction technique (blood clot to the lung, fat embolus to the lung, or inflammation of the veins) were seen following the new tumescent technique.
Do I have to lose weight before liposuction surgery?
Prior to liposuction, you should be at your usual, everyday weight, a weight that can be maintained without unhealthy dieting. Some of us will never be at what we consider to be our "ideal" weight. Liposuction can help by reducing the real "trouble spots" to allow our clothes to fit better, our bodies to look better, and for us to feel better about our overall body image.
Will the fat come back if I gain weight?
The fat cells that are removed will never come back. If you do gain weight, the gain will be evenly distributed over your entire body as predetermined by your genetic makeup. Because there are much fewer fat cells remaining in the areas of removal, there will be less weight gained in that area. Many patients have been so excited with their results and they have used it as a stimulus to reduce their weight even more to enhance their new shape and appearance.
Is liposuction a good way to lose weight?
Liposuction is a body contouring, spot reduction technique. It is not a weight reduction procedure. In addition, you must reduce the number of calories you eat per day by 10 calories per pound of fat removed. For instance, if 5 pounds of fat are removed during the procedure, you must reduce your calorie intake or increase your activity level by 50 calories per day to retain that weight loss.
Can liposuction be done on the face and neck?
Liposuction is excellent to remove fatty deposits on the face, jowls, under the chin, and on the neck. Age and skin condition sometimes necessitates the removal of excess skin to get an optimal result.
Can fat removed during liposuction be transferred to another area of the body?
Fat removed during liposuction can be used to correct facial grooves, to fill out lips, and to augment other areas of the face. In certain circumstances, the fat can be used to augment other areas of the body.
How much fat can be removed at one time?
The amount of weight or fat that is removed is not nearly as important as the reduction in inches that can occur as the area(s) of treatment heal and contract down. The amount of fat that can be removed at one time is limited by the amount of anesthetic solution that can be used (which is based on the patient's weight) and on the variability of each patient's tissues. It is not possible to predetermine the exact amount of fat that can be removed. Occasionally, a second session is required for optimal results.
Will I have to have any skin removed?
It is rare that even those patient's who may have been told that they needed a "tummy tuck" will actually require one for the result they want following liposuction. Even elderly and obese patients can expect their skin to shrink and contract after having undergone fat removal.
What is the recovery time for liposuction?
Recovery from liposuction surgery varies with each individual and depends on the location and volume of body area that is treated. We send the patient home in a compression garment, which decreases pain and swelling. They are generally sore for about two weeks, although most return to work within a few days.
When you remove fat with liposuction does it include the cellulite?
No, liposuction only removes bulges of fat. But we have a new treatment, which can address the dimpling appearance of cellulite: its called Silhouette. With a roller-like massage machine we treat the skin and achieve a very nice result. Some patients have liposuction followed by the Silhouette treatment to remove both fat deposits and the appearance of cellulite. Silhouette requires maintenance treatments every two to three months.
I have heard about good results with the Ultrasonic liposuction technique. Is this the technique that you use?
Ultrasonic liposuction is only one of two liposuction techniques we use, which allows us to choose the approach that is optimal for each patient. Ultrasonic liposuction is best for dense, fibrous areas, such as the male chest, upper abdomen, and "spare tire". Because women generally choose to have liposuction performed on areas that have softer fatty tissues, we find that the standard "tumescent" technique is better for overall body sculpting. The best results come from choosing the appropriate technique for a given body area.
With our genetic programming, many of us are predisposed to fail. Does the fat come back once one has had liposuction?
The body produces fat cells when you are young and this production stops at puberty. When you gain or lose weight the cells get bigger or smaller; the number of cells does not change. Liposuction permanently removes fat cells. They do not come back and new fat cells are not produced. You can, however, gain weight. But you will gain it proportionately over your entire body; it will not be disproportionately added to your "problem" area anymore.
Can liposuction give definition to men's abdominal muscles?
Liposuction is ideally suited to sculpting a specific area, such as the abdomen. We can address the indentation along the midline and make it more obvious with liposuction. The muscles will be more pronounced following fat removal. I would like to add that the combination of liposuction to remove fat and body building to develop the musculature can produce those washboard abs that men dream of.
Can fat cells come back?
Liposuction removes fat cells permanently. If you gain weight, you'll gain it proportionately. You won't gain weight in the hips, thighs, or tummy as you might have tended to do in the past, you will gain weight evenly over your entire body. Liposuction does permanently change your contour.
Some information and ideas for this publication were taken from Self Magazine, November, 1995, and Cosmopolitan Magazine, December, 1995.
