Liposuction | Requirement, Recovery and Risks of Plastic Surgery

Liposuction is a surgical procedure involving the removal of fat deposits located at human body areas where fat cells are usually stored such as the hips, thighs, upper arms, legs, buttocks, breast, and abdomen. Depending on the technique used, a fluid is injected under the skin. This fluid contains a saline solution, local anesthesia, and hormone and neurotransmitter that contracts the blood vessels to minimize bleeding. This surgical procedure is done through the use of a large syringe or a stainless suction tube commonly termed as cannula paired with an aspirator.

The cannula is inserted through an incision made on the body that should be small enough for the instrument to enter the body and suctions all the fats at the designated area of the human body. Health experts suggest that this medical procedure cannot be said to be the ultimate remedy for weight loss but may help in a way by trimming the body with those excess and unnecessary fats that you cannot get rid of even with regular exercise.

Requirements for a Candidate

Before a woman undergoes the surgical procedure. There are certain factors that the physician needs to consider.

• You need to be at least eighteen years old.
• You need to be physically fit to undergo this operation. Overly fat people are mostly turned down by most surgeons. You need to have a good muscle tone.
• People with heart or circulatory problems, infections, or diabetes are not eligible for liposuction.
• Elasticity of the skin. Older people are not allowed to undergo liposuction because their skin is not supple enough. You need to have a good skin tone and not a loose or saggy skin.
• Patients need to be emotionally stable before they are allowed to go through with the surgical procedure.

Understanding Liposuction

There are several categories of liposuction and they depend either on the mechanism that the cannula works or by how much fluid is injected under the skin prior to liposuction.

• Dry technique. This doesn't require any injection of fluid.
• Wet technique. A fluid with lesser volume than the amount of body fat to be removed is injected under the skin.
• Super-wet technique. The same amount of fluid as the body fat is injected. This is used for high-volume liposuction.
• Laser-assisted liposuction. This uses thermal energy to affect lipolysis.
• Ultrasonic-assisted liposuction. Ultrasonic energy and heat is delivered into the body fat.
• Tumescent liposuction. A large amount of very dilute saline solution with vasoconstrictor and local anesthetic is inserted into the body fat to allow more space for the cannula to do its work.

Side Effects of Liposuction

There are side effects of liposuction just like in any other surgical procedure that involves considerable risks. Some of the common side effects that may vary from one patient to another are bruising, swelling, numbness, excessive fluid loss, scarring, allergic reaction to the medication or anesthesia, infection, blood clots, irregularities of the skin, and discomfort.

Recovering after Liposuction Procedure

The bruising usually takes a couple of days to a couple of weeks to recover. The swelling would take from two weeks to two months or even more. The numbness also takes several weeks. You can start working usually after one to three weeks. You can also start exercising after two to four weeks. Your physician will be able to help you determine how well you have recovered.