What is Liposuction?

What is Liposuction?

Liposuction is a cosmetic surgery technique to change body shape. Liposuction contours the body by removing excess fat below the skin with the help of a vacuum suction device and thin long cannulas. 

What makes it interesting is the fact that unlike any other procedure it does not require elaborate incisions and stitches. Only a few tiny 2mm to 4 mm long stabs are made to allow an equally thin cannula to pass through. These stab wounds are not noticeable after they heal.

Liposuction is both surgery and art. Even with the best instruments and latest techniques, the surgeon’s experience and understanding of aesthetic body proportions is an important prerequisite to giving a beautiful result. 

Liposuction is safe and healing occurs rather quickly.

Introduction

My practice in Cosmetic surgery often demands that I sit with the patient and discuss the procedure and address all fears at length. There are a common set of questions that almost all patients ask. I am writing this article on Liposuction from a Plastic surgeon’s perspective to make his patient understand things better. I have tried to keep things as simple as possible.

Let’s Begin.

What can liposuction do for you?

Liposuction surgery can make you look slimmer, take away inches from your waist and enhance natural contour. 

A liposuction procedure is done to permanently remove the stubborn fat lumps which do not go away with regular diet and exercise. This is not to say that these stubborn fat lumps won’t ever disappear on their own. If you start starving your body you can get rid of almost all the fat in your body. But that is not healthy, moreover, once you resume a normal diet the subcutaneous fat will come back again.

What Body Areas are treated by liposuction?

Depending on your genetic makeup you may have a propensity to deposit fat in a particle area which does not go away unless you starve. This persistent fat deposit may be present in the lower abdomen, neck (Double Chin), arms, chest, back, thighs, knees, blouse roll or love handles.

Liposuction is the best treatment in such a case because of its ability to remove fat permanently without any scars or telltale signs of surgery.

What are the Benefits of liposuction?

I believe the benefits of any cosmetic surgery live on two plains. One is the physical, the visual benefit and the other is the emotional benefit.

Physically, Liposuction alters the shape of a person to make it more desirable, slimmer, and fit looking. It enhances the visual appeal of a person. Traditional Liposuction not only removes fat but also induces skin contraction to a small extent giving smooth contour.

Emotionally, it can make you feel better about yourself and your body. A fit self-body image may increase positivity. Just remember that Liposuction works best in people with realistic expectations. 

Some of the things Liposuction Can’t do for you

Liposuction is not a weight-loss tool. Liposuction helps to remove extra fat from below the skin but it can not touch intra-abdominal fat (Fat deposits around the internal organs). 

Liposuction can not get rid of cellulite. Cellulite is a typical orange peel-like uneven appearance of the skin. It is caused by fat pushing against the skin. Skin is attached to the deeper layers by thin bands of tissue fibres. Fat below the skin pushes against it so that the skin balloons outwards creating dimples at the point of attachment of these tissue fibres. The exact cause is not known and even slim individuals with no extra fat may have cellulite.

Liposuction cant get rid of stretch marks. Stretch marks are caused by breaks in the dermis due to sudden stretching. Stretching of the skin may be a result of sudden fat deposition or muscle hypertrophy. Once formed the stretch marks do not disappear even if the fat goes away.