How it works.
Liposuction is a surgical technique that improves the
body’s contour by removing excess fat from fatty deposits located between
the skin and muscle. Localized accumulations of fat, which are often
hereditary and frequently impossible to eliminate by exercise or dieting,
can now be removed permanently by liposuction surgery, never to plague you
again.
Liposuction involves the use of a small stainless
steel tube called a cannula. Connected at one end to a specialized suction
pump, the cannula is inserted through tiny skin incisions. The removal of
fat is accomplished as the suction cannula creates tiny tunnels through
the fatty layers. After surgery, these tiny tunnels collapse, resulting in
an improved body contour.
The Tumescent technique.
Very small cannulas are used with the Tumescent
technique, it permits a more delicate and gentle approach to liposuction
as the surgeon can control the direction and position of the cannula with
much more accuracy. This results in a greatly reduced risk of
inadvertently approaching the undersurface of the skin too closely and
unintentionally causing skin irregularities. Further, the use of very
small cannulas enables the surgeon to make such small incisions that no
stitches are used. The wounds heal by themselves and virtually disappear
over time.
By not using stitches to close skin incisions, the
rate of healing is faster. Another benefit of not stitching the incisions
closed is that, after the procedure, the open incisions permit easy
drainage of the slightly blood-tinged anesthetic solution. This has a
dramatic effect in minimizing bruising. Most patients notice that bruising
is almost entirely absent after surgery.
Risks:
As with any surgical procedure, liposuction is
associated with certain common side effects such as bruising, swelling,
and temporary numbness. Although irregularities of the skin are possible
following liposuction, this side effect is minimized by the Tumescent
technique. When larger cannulas are used, occasionally there are patients
with an irregularity of the skin. Since smaller, microcannulas became
available, noticeable irregularities are very rare. Because of the slow
resolution of post liposuction swelling, the ultimate results following
liposuction usually require 12 to 16 weeks to become fully apparent.
Nevertheless, patients can usually see dramatic improvements within two to
four weeks after surgery.
Although the results of liposuction are often quite
spectacular, it is not realistic to expect perfection. Liposuction of the
thighs, while improving the silhouette, does not necessarily eliminate the
subtle “puckering” of the skin that is often referred to as “cellulite.”
Liposuction with the Tumescent technique does reduce the degree of
cellulite but it is unlikely to eliminate it. Rare problems that can
potentially occur with any surgical procedure include infections, bleeding
and nerve injury, The Tumescent technique, however, minimizes these risks.
Post
treatment instructions.
Because of the significant decrease in swelling and
decrease in inflammation and pain after surgery, patients are able to
return to normal physical activities very soon after the procedure. There
is no limitation of physical activity other than what common sense would
dictate. Some patients are able to return to jogging, golf, or light
aerobic exercise within a day or two after surgery. Some patients do find
the soreness after surgery to be more significant than others, but on the
average, most patients are surprised at how quickly they are able to
return to normal activity.
