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Liposuction 101

“Liposuction is a procedure that a lot of people are fairly familiar with. The best candidates are people who are generally in good shape.”

“After my surgery I felt a lot better about myself. I didn’t always have to worry about the clothes I was wearing, I could just throw something on and it looked fine.”

“In the process of the liposuction, the fat cells are removed permanently.”

How does liposuction work?

“Liposuction is performed using the Tumescent technique in which a fluid which contains epinephrine and lidocaine is injected into the space that’s going to be suctioned. The epinephrine causes all the blood vessels to spasm which reduces the bleeding and the post-operative bruising. And the lidocaine both reduces the amount of anesthesia that is needed and also gives pain relief for about 12 hours after the operation.

“The liposuction procedure is done with small incisions. Metal tubes with holes at the end that go back and forth – the suction is applied to those cannulas and the fat is literally sucked through the little holes in the cannula and taken out.

Who is the best candidate for liposuction?

“Someone who is overweight is not a great candidate…they really need to lose some of the weight first. The best candidates are people who are generally are in good shape, or the best shape they can possibly be, and have areas or pockets of fat that they just can’t get rid of with diet and exercise.”

“These stubborn areas of fat can be sculpted. Probably the most common combination is abdomen, hips, and thighs. Other areas of the body which can be suctioned are the arms, under the chin or the submental area, under the bra line on the back.”

Post-Surgery Recovery Time

“After liposuction, we recommend that the patient rest. Typically, they’ll need a week off from work.”

“You’ll be in a compression garment for awhile. Some of the bruising is minimized by the fluid or the tumescent solution that we use during the procedure. And we also use foam padding underneath the garment. And you wear the garment for a few weeks afterwards.”

“It really changed my life. It was the single most impressive change in my life that I’ve had. The only thing I can say, and I tell this to people when they ask me: ‘don’t wait.’” My only regret is that I didn’t do it ten year earlier.”