Many people who have found it difficult to shift extra fat from localized areas of their body turn to liposuction as a sure-fire way to remove it. But does it always work - and can it fix a multitude of sins? Dr. Thomas Liszka of Ballantyne Plastic Surgery in Charlotte, North Carolina, talks about both the pros and cons of this highly popular cosmetic procedure.
Liposuction is the most commonly performed body contour operation, removing localized fat deposits and giving patients a more well-proportioned shape by slimming areas such as their abdomen, hips, back, thighs, lower legs, chest, arms, and neck.
Pros of Liposuction
Liposuction is a dynamic tool for contouring. It is especially helpful for those patients who are of normal body weight and have a sensible diet and exercise program in place, but who suffer from certain areas where they just cannot lose excess fatty tissue. They are the ideal candidates, as they do not require overall contouring but specific areas of contouring.
Less ideal candidates are those patients who are not at their ideal weight. You can make a difference using liposuction but they are still not going to have that overall balance, the entire body balance that someone of normal weight will.
Patients who have any sort of body contouring surgery, liposuction or other procedures, are recommended to develop a lifestyle they will continue with after they have recovered from their surgery. We do not advise them to crash diet before surgery to lose a lot of weight, as following their recovery from the procedure it will all come back.
Cons of Liposuction
Liposuction does not treat many areas. It does not improve cellulite, and in some cases, it can even worsen it. Traditional methods of liposuction do not tighten the skin, so if there is a lot of lax and loose skin at the time of liposuction that will not be significantly changed.
Laser lipo systems out there have been promising to tighten skin, but in a limited manner. I am not a big fan of Smart Lipo, for example, I just don’t think the wavelength the laser works at is advantageous. Another system i is called Slim Lipo, where the wavelength can be more specific for the fat. I have seen a lot of complications with Smart Lipo, a tool that looks promising for skin tightening only on a limited basis.
Recovery from Lipo
Liposuction is routinely done with general anesthesia but small areas may be treated under local anesthesia. Recovery time is dependent upon the areas treated and amount of fatty tissue removed, but is generally one week or less. Most patients feel comfortable returning to exercise within two weeks. Liposuction is frequently performed with other operations such as abdominoplasty or breast surgery.
With a healthy lifestyle including a balanced diet and exercise, most patients have long-lasting results. However, this procedure does not treat cellulite, loose or saggy skin, and is not a treatment for obesity or weight loss.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
