Dr. Nathan Miller is a board certified cosmetic surgeon and owner of the OKC Lipo in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Specializing in all forms of liposuction, Dr. Miller is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgeons, American Medical Association, Texas Medical Association, and a prospective member of the American College of Surgeons. In this article, he tells us three of the biggest myths people believe about liposuction procedures.
All kinds of myths are out there about liposuction procedures. But, in general, I would say the following are three of the biggest myths that people hear that are completely untrue.
- Myth: The post-operative recovery will be completely pain-free. People expect liposuction to be completely painless, but of course that can’t be the real case. If we as doctors could figure out or come up with a real cosmetic procedure that would deliver the kinds of results that patients want and also be completely painless—well if I could discover that then I would be a gazillionaire and own my own island. Of course, it is just not feasible.
Now, patients know that we have done everything we can do to optimize the liposuction procedure and make it the least painful as possible. And I think we have done a really great job of that. Here at OKC Lipo, I am judging from our patient comments, and people think we have done a really great job of making the liposuction procedure as pain-free as possible.
But at the end of the day, any type of procedure that you perform is going to have a little bit of sting to it. Whether you are having a breast augmentation, or liposuction, or your gall bladder taken out—everything is going to have a little bit of pain to it, that is just a part of life when it comes to medical procedures.
- Myth: You have to be put completely asleep to have liposuction done. There is this longstanding myth that patients have to be completely put out under anesthesia to have liposuction done, and that is completely untrue. Here at OKC Lipo, I do liposuction without an IV. Instead, I do our procedures completely under a local anesthetic. And what my patients have found out is that the recovery process is like night and day when compared to having to go through general anesthetic and having to be put under all those drugs that make you feel like you have been drunk for two days.
Going under just a local anesthetic instead makes it possible for me, as the doctor, to talk with patients during the procedure and really make them feel as comfortable as possible. So that whole idea that a patient must be put all the way asleep during a liposuction is just completely untrue, which is why it’s a myth.
- Myth: Liposuction isn’t safe. This is certainly a myth that is completely false. Liposuction is definitely safe for patients, without a doubt. As a physician, the biggest thing in terms of safety that I handle is picking the right patients. You don’t want to choose risky patients who are not going to be stable, medically speaking.
So when I choose to do a procedure on a patient, he or she can feel confident that it’s because he is a good candidate and everything is going to go really well. And certainly with the way we handle anesthesia here at OKC Lipo, undergoing liposuction is a safe, and definitely effective, procedure.
Overall, many myths are out there about liposuction and other cosmetic procedures that just aren’t true. For the best chances of sorting through the myths and finding the facts, anyone who is interested in undergoing a procedure should contact a qualified physician in his area and schedule a consultation.
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.
