Liposuction before and after is a very necessary information that should be known by anyone who is interested in undergoing the procedure. It is a surgical procedure that needs enough time for the patient to recover, so knowing everything about it will help the intending patient to plan his time and schedule.
Liposuction can be a cosmetic or medical procedure; it is a cosmetic when the reason for undergoing it is to contour or shape the body while removing excess weight. It is medical when it is done to treat gynecomastia – a condition that causes male breast tissues to be enlarged due to hormonal imbalance.
WHAT IS LIPOSUCTION?
Liposuction or lipoplasty is a surgical procedure that involves using a suction technique to remove body fats. It is done to shape the areas or parts from which the fats where removed from. You should know that liposuction is not an alternative for reducing weight, you can consider many methods of losing weight. Liposuction is normally done when some areas of the body have excess fats while the body in general have stable weight.
Liposuction is done on the:
- Neck
- Chin
- Buttocks
- Upper arm
- Abdomen
- Calves and ankles
- Cheat and back
- Thighs
- Hips
WHY IS LIPOSUCTION DONE?
From the explanation above, liposuction is done to remove excess fats that do not respond to diet or exercise. Gaining weight causes fat to increase on many places. Liposuction does not remove all fats from the body, it removes just the fat cells in a specific area where they are not needed. The amount of fats removed depends on the volume of fat cells.
Liposuction is also done to treat a medical condition known as gynecomastia, this causes the breast tissues to become enlarged in men due to imbalance in the hormones. Liposuction does not remove stretch marks or treat skin condition, it deals strictly on body fat cells. If your skin has good elasticity, the area of removal will be smooth but if elasticity is poor, there may be loose skin.
LIPOSUCTION BEFORE AND AFTER
Preparation For The Procedure
Your surgeon will first look into your medical history and ask questions to know if you are taking any drug, supplements, herbs or if you have any medical condition. This is very important so as to ascertain if you are a right candidate for liposuction. You will be asked to stop taking medications like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or blood thinning drugs for at least three weeks before the day of the surgery.
This is to remove the risks of bleeding too much during or after the procedure. Your surgeon will recommend series of lab tests for you as well. Your surgery may need you to stay overnight in the hospital depending on the amount of fats to be removed, so you will need someone to stay with you, make provisions for this too.
Before The Procedure
The first step your surgeon will take is to mark out areas and lines for treatment. For hospitals that compare results, your picture may be taken before the surgery starts. There are so many techniques for liposuction so your surgeon will select the best depending on factors like area of treatment, treatment result and if you have undergone liposuction before.
The techniques for liposuction are:
1. Laser Assisted Liposuction (LAL)
This technique involves using high intensity laser light to break down fats. A small incision is made on the skin and a laser fiber is inserted to emulsify fat deposits. Then, a cannula is used to remove the fats.
2. Tumescent Liposuction
This is commonly used by surgeons. A solution of salt water, lidocaine and epinephrine is made. The lidocaine is an anesthesia that relieves pain while epinephrine is a drug that narrows the blood vessels. This sterile solution is injected into the area that has been marked out. The solution causes the area to swell and become stiff.
Small incisions are made on the affected area and a cannula is inserted. Your surgeon connects the cannula to a vacuum to suction fats and fluids from the body. After removing the fats, your body fluid will be replaced through an intravenous (IV) line.
3. Power Assisted Liposuction (PAL)
For this technique, your surgeon uses a cannula that makes back-and-forth motion in a rapid way. The vibration from the cannula allows the surgeon to remove tough fats faster and easier. One advantage this technique that it has over others is that it does not cause much swelling or pain like others and the surgeon can easily pull out more volume of fat with precision. It is used if a patient has undergone a liposuction procedure in the past.
4. Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction (UAL)
This involves inserting a metal rod that produces and discharges ultrasonic energy under your skin. The energy enters the walls of the fat cells and breaks down fats which are easily pulled out.
During The Procedure
After selecting the best technique to use, you will be given anesthesia. Some procedures may require that you are given local anesthesia in specific areas of your body while others may need general anesthesia to be administered. To keep you calm and relaxed throughout the surgery, a sedative may be given through an IV injection.
Your heart rate, blood oxygen level and blood pressure will be closely monitored by the surgical team. Depending on the amount of fats to be removed, the procedure may last up to several hours. If you were given general anesthesia, you will wake up in the recovery room. Medical attention will be given to you after some hours to monitor your progress level. You may need to stay overnight if much fats were removed.
After the procedure
You will feel pain, bruising and swelling around the treated areas. Medications and antibiotics will be prescribed by your surgeon to help you relieve the pain and reduce the risk of infection.
The incisions may be left opened and temporary drains will be placed to help drain out fluid from the body. To reduce swelling, you will have to wear compression garments for few weeks after the surgery. You will need at least few days to recover well before returning to work while you avoid exercises and other normal activities for few weeks.
LASER LIPOSUCTION BEFORE AND AFTER
Laser liposuction is a technique that involves inserting a tube containing laser fiber through a small incision made on the skin. The thermal energy from the from the laser fiber melts the fats which are removed through a suction. One benefit of using laser liposuction is that the tissue around the treated area becomes tight and this makes the skin smoother. The energy from the laser fiber stimulates the skin to produce collagen and elastin which tightens the skin and make it firm.
Before And After Laser Liposuction
Laser liposuction requires a local anesthesia, this is to keep the patient relaxed and comfortable and also to reduce pain. Local anesthesia is used because laser liposuction does not need much incisions, it is a minimally an invasive procedure. A small cut will be made and the laser fiber will be inserted to melt the fats. After melting, vacuum pressure is used to draw out the fats from the body.
The whole procedure does not cause pain, you may only feel a tugging sensation in the affected area. Adjustments can be made of necessary to give a perfect and balanced look. The whole procedure may take 2 to 4 hours. You should expect bruising, swelling and mild pain although medications will be prescribed by your surgeon to help you. Compression garments will be needed to reduce the swelling too.
STOMACH LIPOSUCTION BEFORE AND AFTER
Stomach liposuction involves only the abdomen, waist and love handles. Excess fats are removed from these areas to give the body a slimmer shape.
Stomach Liposuction Before And After
The first step is to discuss with the surgeon the expectations or results needed, this will help the surgeon to have a better understand of what is needed. Lab tests and check-ups will be conducted to ascertain if you are a right candidate for the surgery and also to avoid having complications during or after the procedure.
A thin tube known as cannula is connected to a suction while the end of the tube is inserted into the body through small incisions made on the skin. After removing the fats, the incisions are sutured and closed with a bandage.
You will feel mild pain, bruising and swelling which will subside with time and medications. The recovery time depends on the amount of fats removed and the body of the patient. A compression garment is worn to reduce swelling and help the body to contour very well.
LIPOSUCTION BEFORE AND AFTER OBESE
Also known as plus size liposuction, this is just like regular liposuction but obesed liposuction involves removing larger volume of excess fats from the body. It can be done on any part of the body. Plus size liposuction is recommended for patients who are overweight but have stable weight or are losing weight. It is not a weight loss treatment but it helps to speed up the process.
Before And After Liposuction For Obese
There is no difference between this type and regular liposuction. The only difference is that larger volume of fats are removed using a suction. Small cuts are made on the marked areas and cannula is inserted while connected to a vacuum pressure. This allows the surgeon to suck out the excess fats. Sutures and bandages will be used to close the incisions made on the skin.
After the surgery, you will have to wear compression garments to fit your body. Medications will be prescribed to reduce pain, swelling and bruising. The bandages and sutures will be removed after a week. You are expected to abstain from strenuous activities and exercises.
CONCLUSION
Liposuction is a surgery that helps to get rid of excess fats from specific areas. This is not a weight loss treatment, it is only done to help speed up the process of losing weight. There are many techniques to use, so it depends on your surgeon and other factors to choose the best for you. The procedure is simple and does not require much processes, it can be done as an outpatient surgery depending on the amount of fats to be removed.