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What Is Liposuction?
Liposuction is a plastic surgery procedure that can remove fat deposits from different areas of the body, such as the chin, neck, arms, abdomen, thighs, calves, knees, buttocks, and others. During one Liposuction session, Dr Hunt may address one or more areas of unwanted fat deposits, depending on your particular needs that will be discussed during the initial consultation.
Areas Treated with Liposuction
Liposuction can be a versatile procedure, as it can target persistent fat pockets regardless of where they exist in your body.
Dr Hunt uses different techniques and different catheter sizes to target different body regions. These areas can be targeted: abdomen, groin, hips, lower back, upper back, thighs, buttocks, legs, arms, chin, breasts, and face.
Why Patients Might Consider Liposuction
Liposuction is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures. Patients may opt for Liposuction for a number of different reasons, including:
- The removal of unwanted fat deposits from different areas of the body
- Altering the appearance of specific physical features
Liposuction can help address many areas of your body:
- Submental or Neck Liposuction can help reduce fat under the chin
- Abdominal Liposuction can help address your abdomen and stomach
- Arm Liposuction can help some patients improve excess fat on the arm
- Thigh Liposuction can help reduce fat in the legs
Five Myths About Liposuction
Liposuction is one of the most commonly performed procedures worldwide, yet there is a lot of confusion about the procedure, so here we will address five myths.
1. The fat will grow back
Fat cells split and divide until the end of puberty, and then their number is fixed. When fat cells are removed from the body they will not grow back. The Liposuction procedure is a permanent removal of fat cells used to improve the contour of a specific area.
2. The fat will move to another area
While Liposuction will remove fat from a specific area it will decrease the overall number of fat cells that the body has to store calories. If patients continue to have high-calorie intake and the body needs to store fat, it will be unable to store fat where it previously did prior to the Liposuction Surgery, and this means these calories will be stored in a different area. For this reason, patients think that the fat has ‘moved’ to a new area but it has not. The body is simply storing the calories in the areas of fat cells that remain after the procedure.
3. Liposuction does not need to be maintained
Having undergone Liposuction means there is an alteration in the body contour, though this does not mean patients can ‘earn credit points’ in terms of what they can eat in the future. If patients have high calorie intake there will be weight gain in areas that have not been liposuctioned and also in areas that have been liposuctioned.
4. Liposuction is a weight reduction program
Liposuction is a technique used to address a disproportionate deposition of fat in specific areas. It does have its limitations in the volume that can be removed and should only be used to improve disproportionate contour as opposed to achieving overall weight loss. A weight reduction program, on the other hand, is in the form of a diet and exercise regimen.
5. Anybody can get a good result from Liposuction
Like all surgical procedures, some patients will be suited to Liposuction and others may require a different procedure to achieve the result they are looking for. A professional opinion from a well-trained surgeon will educate patients as to whether Liposuction is the procedure of choice for them, or perhaps they would better be suited to address their issues in the form of a Thigh Lift or Abdominoplasty.
Once informed the patient can make an intelligent decision about whether to proceed with surgery given the potential outcome, risks, and benefits.
Five Common Mistakes in Liposuction
1. Too much fat was removed
If you consider the skin to be a balloon that is not full of air but full of fat, there is a certain amount of air that could be let out of a balloon before it starts to lose shape and collapse. Liposuction is very similar in the sense that if too much fat is removed from the skin envelope, there will not be enough stability to hold the skin shape and there will be a collapse of the skin creating ripples, corrugations, dips and divots. It is a technical assessment by the surgeon as to the amount of volume that can be removed in any individual to avoid this complication. To remove too much fat from certain individuals is a mistake that can lead to an unsatisfactory outcome and require further revisional surgery.
2. Not enough fat was removed
This is a common assumption that patients make when they think their surgeon is capable of removing “all of the fat” from a particular area. The surgeon will decide the maximum volume of fat that can be removed without creating an adverse outcome. Patients need a clear understanding and expectation of what the results of any surgical procedure will be, and Liposuction is no different. This should all be established preoperatively to avoid patient disappointment.
3. Asymmetry Post Liposuction – The left and right sides are not equal
This, in some cases, is a technical problem that can occur when different volumes are removed from different areas. For this reason, surgeons will be vigilant as to the amount of time spent on a specific area, the volume of fat removed from the specific area and the thickness of the skin on pinching while the procedure is being performed. This is to ensure that the two areas are treated to create a symmetrical result.
Some patients may well ask then, how it is possible to have a difference between the left and right and this is usually because there was a difference in the left and right sides before the procedure. A surgeon may try to address these differences at the time of surgery by removing different volumes and there may be an improvement in the asymmetry, but there may not be a total correction. Preoperative photographs will be able to explain this if this is the case, helping to avoid disappointment at the final result.
4. I am going overseas for my surgery
Overseas surgery may well offer a lower price point than treatment in Australia, but patients need to understand that you truly do get what you pay for. Surgery is a complete procedure that involves an initial consultation and assessment, and this can only be done on a face-to-face basis between surgeon and patient. Following this, there needs to be time for the patient to consider their options which is often not the case when you fly to a foreign country for a procedure. There needs to be follow-up which is not provided when you return home if your surgery is performed overseas and this can open the door for complications and bad outcomes.
Overseas surgery may appear financially appealing, but correcting the problems that may well arise can be often far more expensive than having the procedure initially performed in Australia with a good outcome.
5. Liposuction is a lunchtime treatment
Liposuction is a surgical procedure that involves downtime for the patients. Patients will need to recover from this, and they will need a number of days, if not up to a week, off work. This depends on the extent of the Liposuction performed, the number of areas, and their physical health and fitness.
Can Liposuction Be Combined with Other Procedures?
Liposuction may be combined with other procedures to tighten the skin above the area treated with Liposuction.
For some patients, Liposuction alone is enough to address the target area they desire. The skin can shrink and tighten on its own once the fat is removed. In some people, however, this does not happen. They’re left with excess skin after Liposuction. The skin type, age, amount of fat, and your natural healing physiology all play a role in determining this.
Some of the procedures that may be combined with Liposuction include:
- Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)
- Back lift: If you’re undergoing Back Liposuction or 360 Liposuction
- Arm lift (Brachioplasty)
- Breast Lift Mastopexy: If you’re undergoing Breast Liposuction
- Thigh Lift (Thighplasty): Thighs may have stretched skin over them. This can be exacerbated by Thigh Liposuction. In such cases, getting Thigh Liposuction and Thighplasty may be suitable
- Facelift (Rhytidectomy): If you’re undergoing Facial Liposuction to contour the cheeks and jaw, then a Facelift (Rhytidectomy) may be an option
- Neck Lift (Platysmaplasty): Liposuction for the chin and neck may be complemented with a Neck Lift (Platysmaplasty)
Recovery After Liposuction
The recovery period after Liposuction is highly dependent on the complexity of the procedure. For example, it can take just a few days to recover after Abdominal Liposuction, while Liposuction performed on multiple areas of the body can have a longer recovery period. Bruising and swelling naturally occur after undergoing this procedure.
It is best to avoid strenuous physical activities during the first two weeks after Liposuction. Here are more recommendations for the recovery period after Liposuction:
- Avoid smoking, vaping, and drinking alcohol for at least 2 weeks
- Avoid steam rooms, saunas, hot baths and pools for a few weeks
- Avoid salty foods
- Wear the compression garments
To avoid risks and complications that could occur during the recovery period, make sure to follow Dr Hunt’s indications.
Liposuction Recovery Tips
Here are some recovery tips you should try after Liposuction:
Wear your compression garments
We cannot stress this enough. Fat removal with Liposuction leaves empty pockets under the skin – areas where fluid can accumulate and cause swelling. Compression garments help prevent excessive swelling and bruising and help your skin adjust to the new shape.
Don’t skip steps
You should allow your body to heal and stick to the recommended recovery timeline after Liposuction. Skipping steps and rushing back into normal activity can increase the risk of Liposuction side effects.
Walk, walk, walk
Unless told otherwise by your medical team, you should start walking as of the next day after Liposuction. Surgery increases the risk of blood clots, but this can be prevented by walking whenever you get the chance.
Stick to your medications
After Liposuction, you might be prescribed blood-thinning medications (pills or injections), painkillers, and antibiotics. Take these as prescribed and finish the whole course of treatment even if you’re feeling well.
Stop smoking
Smoking is the enemy of plastic surgery. It can ruin your Liposuction results and prevent your wounds from healing. It also reduces the chances for the skin to tighten properly. This is why you should stop smoking at least 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after Liposuction. Ideally, take this as a chance to quit smoking for good.
Dr Hunt will give you detailed Liposuction aftercare instructions before you leave. You should stick to all the recommendations to make your recovery period as comfortable as possible.
Liposuction complications
Some of the complications that can occur after Liposuction include:
- Seroma formation – fluid collecting in a pocket under the skin
- Haematoma formation – blood collecting in a pocket under the skin
- Wound infection – usually treated with antibiotics
- Skin numbness – due to injury to superficial nerve branches
- Internal organ injury – a very rare complication of Liposuction Surgery, in which an internal organ is injured by the Liposuction catheter