If you’re close to your ideal weight but having trouble with stubborn fat pockets that resist diet and exercise, then you may have considered getting liposuction. This popular treatment can be done on its own or in combination with other surgical procedures to help slim and reshape your body contours to appear slimmer and help your clothes fit better. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about liposuction.
Who are good candidates for liposuction?
If you are at or near your ideal body weight, you may be a good candidate for surgery. Liposuction is not a weight-loss procedure. If you have localized, stubborn fat pockets that are resistant to diet and exercise, you should consider liposuction. It’s important to have good skin elasticity as this procedure does not tighten skin. Liposuction does not improve cellulite, so patients with cellulite should not get liposuction as they may suffer from skin irregularities with liposuction.
How is the procedure performed?
Under general or IV sedation, small incisions will be made in the skin near the treatment areas. A small cannula is inserted through the incisions and moved back and forth to loosen fat. A surgical vacuum or syringe attached to the cannula suctions the dislodged fat from the body. Once the procedure is done, the incisions are closed, and the treatment areas are bandaged.
Where can liposuction be performed on the body?
Liposuction cannulas have become smaller as the treatment has advanced, so liposuction can be performed all over the body. The most common areas that patients have treated are the abdomen and waist, buttocks, back rolls, love handles, inner and outer thighs and knees.
What is recovery like?
Liposuction is mostly an outpatient procedure. You will have some pain when you first go home, and you can return to desk work within a week, depending on how many areas you had treated. Most bruising and swelling should resolve within a week to 10 days. You’ll probably wear a supportive compression garment for the first three weeks after surgery to reduce swelling and help with healing. Full results should be evident after a couple of months, once all swelling subsides.
If you’re interested in learning more about liposuction and whether you’re a candidate for this procedure, call 403.571.3141 today to set up a consultation.
