Liposuction in Calgary & Chestermere, AB

Patients sometimes believe that liposuction is a weight loss procedure, akin to something like bariatric surgery. Dr. Dawes wants to clear that up — liposuction is a body-contouring procedure, not a weight-loss procedure. Actually, removing too much fat in a single session can be life-threatening for a person.

Liposuction has always been a great option for removing stubborn pockets of fat that are highly resistant to changes in diet and exercise. While Dr. Dawes will remove a few pounds of fat during a procedure, that’s not the point. The goal is to slim the contour by removing pockets of unwanted fat.

Liposuction is performed under general anesthesia or intravenous sedation. Dr. Dawes will make small incisions in the skin; a cannula is inserted through the incisions and moved back and forth to loosen fat. A surgical vacuum or syringe attached to the cannula is used to suction the dislodged fat out of the body. After the liposuction procedure is complete, the treated area is stitched and bandaged.

Tumescent refers to the fluid that is injected into the fat followed by suction-assisted aspiration of fat using a small cannulae. This technique has the advantages of safety, lack of need for hospital admission, and rapid postoperative recovery time. This method is performed under local anesthesia.

This depends on the patient and the area but may vary between 1-4L of fat and infiltrate.

Although most people will notice an improvement in their body contour immediately after surgery, swelling will often obscure the final result. Most of this swelling settles within 3 weeks but any residual swelling may continue to resolve over the course of three months or longer. A supportive compression garment is usually worn for the first three weeks following surgery in order to reduce swelling and aid in the healing process. It may take up to six months for the results to be fully apparent as the skin gradually tightens. The majority of liposuction patients go home on the day of their procedure. Most can return to desk work after 5 to 10 days.

Generally, Dr. Dawes makes between two and six small incisions to access an area. Very small incisions are used, minimizing scarring and healing time. The incisions are also placed in strategic areas that are hidden and can easily be concealed with clothing.

Although liposuction is not an overly invasive procedure compared to what it used to be, patients still need to follow the pre-procedure protocols for surgery. This means not smoking for two weeks prior to your procedure and for at least two weeks after. You’ll need to stop taking aspirin or other medications or supplements that can reduce the ability of your blood to clot. This will limit your bruising. If you’re having larger areas treated, you should prepare your house for a few days of laying low.

As with any surgical procedure, there are risks. Although rare, for liposuction these may include infection, bleeding, contour irregularities, asymmetry, and fat embolism.

Liposuction also does not improve loose skin or cellulite. Loose skin is more appropriately addressed with a tummy tuck procedure. While liposuction can significantly improve the contour of your body, the result must be maintained with a healthy diet and exercise routine. A poor diet and lack of exercise following surgery will result in fat re-accumulation in those same areas that had undergone liposuction.
There are some specific complications with liposuction:

• Contour irregularities — The treated area can appear bumpy or wavy. If the patient has inelastic skin, this is more prevalent.
• Numbness — Any numbness in the area is usually temporary, but it can endure.
• Fluid accumulation — Temporary pockets of fluid (called seromas) can form. These may need to be drained.

As with any surgical procedure, there are risks. Although rare, for liposuction these may include infection, bleeding, contour irregularities, asymmetry, and fat embolism.

Dr. Dawes uses a very thin cannula, so insertion incisions are small enough to not require stitches to close. The tumescent solution firms the fat, making it easier to break free. And power-assisted methods make it even easier. This leads to far less tissue trauma. Plus, the tumescent solution has lidocaine in it, helping to anesthetize the entire treatment area. You can expect moderate discomfort in the suctioned areas, which should gradually improve over about 1 week. You may also feel stiff and sore for a few days post-op.

This depends in part on the area or areas you had treated. Dr. Dawes will have you wear compression garments or compression bandages on the areas treated, and you’ll wear these (day and night) for 3 weeks. After this, you must continue to wear it at night for another 3 weeks. You may start walking immediately after surgery. However, activities involving the affected sites should be minimized for about 2 weeks. Strenuous exercise and activities should be avoided for 4 weeks.

The body only has a limited number of fat cells, and they generally increase and decrease in size with the gain and loss of weight. By removing fat cells from an area such as your lower abdomen, that area will now have fewer fat cells permanently. It is possible to build new fat cells, but that only occurs with a large increase in weight. If you maintain a healthy weight and incorporate some exercise into your daily life, you’ll enjoy your slimmer contours created with liposuction for the rest of your life.

Liposuction is not a weight-loss procedure, so it is considered to be an elective procedure. This means it is not covered by the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan. Dr. Dawes does offer financing through Medicard, our preferred third-party provider.