LIPOSUCTION (LIPOPLASTY)
Liposuction, can slim your hips and thighs, flatten your abdomen, shape your calves and ankles, or reduce a double chin. It removes deposits of excess fat from specific areas of your body or from your face and neck.
For best results you should be of relatively normal weight with extra fat localized in specific areas. Liposuction is nether a substitute for proper diet and exercise nor a method for overall weight loss. It cannot eliminate cellulite or correct loose, hanging skin. In fact the best results are when you have healthy, elastic skin with the capacity to shrink evenly after surgery. If your skin has lost much of its elasticity,( as in some older patients) you may need a skin tightening procedure such as a tummy tuck, thigh lift, buttock lift or arm lift.
Liposuction, may sometimes be used to treat a condition called gynecomastia, or male breast enlargement, which frequently occurs among both teenage and adult males.
Liposuction can be performed on several areas of the body at the same time, and it can also be done in conjunction with other aesthetic plastic surgery. Not everyone will achieve the same results from liposuction due to individual physical factors. However, during your consultation you will be asked to point out the areas which you would like to see improved. This will help the plastic surgeon to understand your expectations and determine whether they can be realistically achieved.
Your current weight is important if you wish to have liposuction, and you should be within 30% of your ideal body weight . Whether you want to lose/gain weight in the future will be factors in evaluating you for liposuction. Your skin will be assessed for its elasticity and estimated amount of fat to be removed.
Some history on liposuction.
The liposuction procedure has changed dramatically since the late 70's when it was first introduced. What began as a high-risk surgery, requiring blood transfusions and often lengthy hospital stays, has evolved into a simpler procedure performed in an outpatient surgery center.
In the old days patients could be hospitalized for a week., general anesthesia was used and bleeding was often heavy. There was a lot of pain and bruising lasted for a long time.
With all of that, and negative news in the media - popular opinion was that the procedure was dangerous, complicated and expensive. Today, liposuction procedures are quite different and are almost painless.
Today, liposuction is the number one cosmetic procedure in North America. It is very popular among men, particularly for eliminating bulging fat around the waist and for women in the abdomen, waist, hips and buttock, and inner and outer thighs. Following the procedure, the body has a trimmer more physically fit appearance.
The technique that is chosen for your specific case depends on individual factors that the plastic surgeon will discuss with you. The risks and potential complications of surgery will also be discussed on a personal basis between you and Dr. Beninger during the consultation.
Some of the potential complications include bleeding, infection and reactions to anesthesia. Blood accumulations under the skin are possible, but these normally resolve themselves and rarely require removal. Numbness of the skin following the procedure is almost always temporary, but it is possible for some residual lack of sensation to persist or for skin discoloration to appear in treated areas.
Following surgery, you may wear a snug dressing or garment, perhaps for several weeks, to promote skin shrinkage and to minimize swelling and bruising as you gradually resume normal activities. You can expect to return to work within one or two weeks.
Dr. Beninger has extensive experience in performing these procedures and is happy to answer your questions.
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