Liposuction
This Liposuction procedure involves a surgeon who removes fat from beneath the skin. Liposuction can be used primarily to reshape your body to a healthy state. However, this surgery does not promise to give you permanent weight loss.
There are several liposuction procedures used today.
1.) Tumescent liposuction (fluid injection) is the most common type of liposuction. It is also known as conventional liposuction, liposuction, lipoplasty, liposculpture and suction-assisted lipoplasty.
2.) Super-wet technique is pretty much the same as tumescent liposuction
3.) Ultrasound-assisted liposuction (UAL); Ultrasonic vibrations are used to liquefy fat cells so they can be vacuumed out.
4.) VASER®-assisted Liposuction (VAL):" Intermittent, or continuous bursts of ultrasonic energy can be used to break up fat cells which are them removed by suction.
Source: The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)
Before and After
Before your scheduled procedure, you will have an initial consultation, which will include medical history, a physical exam, and a psychological test. It maybe required that bring somebody (such as your spouse) with you during the consultation. In some cases, a follow-up consultation is provided to allow you some time to think over the surgery.
A day before the procedure, blood may have to be drawn and a urine sample could be needed. This will permit the health care provider to foresee any potential problems. If you are not hospitalized, it is recommended to get a ride home after the surgery. The liposuction equipment is prepped at the site and you will get either a local or general anesthesia. The surgeon will male a small incision and a suction tube with a sharp end is inserted into the fatty areas. The newly loose fat is "vacuumed" out through the suction tube. The machine has a vacuum pump that provides the suction. Several skin incisions may be necessary for large fatty areas.
Once the fat is removed, small drainage tubes may be placed into the areas where fat fluid has been removed that gather during the first few days after surgery. If you lose a lot of fluid or blood during the surgery, it may be necessary to replace fluid (intravenously).
After the surgery is done, bandages are affixed to the area for constant pressure and to stop any bleeding, as well as to help stabilize the shape. Usually bandages are kept on the body for a minimum of 2 weeks. The physician's office may call you periodically to monitor your health and healing. A follow-up appointment with the surgeon after 5-7 days is often suggested. It is true that sometimes people still put on weight after liposuction. This is because of the increased fluid from surgery.
Liposuction may or may not require a hospital stay, depending on the location and extent of surgery. Liposuction can be done in an office-based facility, in a surgery center on an outpatient basis, or in a hospital. Customarily due to cost and convenience, liposuction is usually completed as an outpatient process. You may be required to be hospitalized if you are in need of substantial fat removal, or if you will have other procedures administered at the same time.
RESOURCES
* The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery http://www.surgery.org/public
* Liposuction Information US Food and Drug Administration http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/liposuction
* MEDLINEPlus Health Information - Fat removal - by suctioning
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002985.htm
* MEDLINEPlus Health Information - Liposuction - series: Indications
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/presentations/100185_1.htm
