Liposuction—Slimming and Reshaping the Tough Spots!
Liposuction has become one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures because it can handle those tough spots that even your exercise routine and diet can’t manage. You know, the hips and buttocks that strain our favorite pairs of pants, thighs that chafe, and the “muffin top” bulges that are difficult to hide. Other common areas for liposuction include excess fat under the chin, the back and even around the knees sometimes.
Despite its popularity, liposuction is not a solution for bad diet or obesity. Ideal candidates should be within 30 percent of their ideal body weight, with firm, elastic skin and good muscle tone. It is also important to be in good overall health and a non-smoker. If there is too much loose skin around the stomach, for example, a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) would be a better option.
Depending on the procedure, it may be done under local anesthesia, intravenous sedation, or general anesthesia. Through a tiny incision, your surgeon inserts a thin, hollow tube, called a cannula, that is passed back and forth in a controlled motion to loosen the fat and suction it out of the body. Once it’s gone, it’s gone!
After the procedure, a compression garment is placed over the treatment areas to control swelling and guide the skin to redrape over the new body contour. Under most circumstances recovery is quick. You should be able to return to work within a few days and enjoy normal activities within two weeks. Bruising, swelling and soreness may last a couple of weeks, and outcomes depend on how much fat was removed and the area treated. Most people are able to appreciate new natural contours and proportions within fourteen days with progressive improvement, no matter how extensive the procedure. And the good news is, the results are permanent if you just maintain your weight and remain active!
