When and When Not to Undergo Liposuction
Liposuction is a cosmetic surgical procedure in which fat is suctioned out of the body from specific areas. Also known as suction-assisted lipectomy or lipoplasty, it shouldn’t be considered weight loss surgery—though you may lose some—because its goal is to reshape and redefine the contours of the body in areas that are not responding to diet and exercise.
Who Are the Right Candidates?
Liposuction is of the most benefit to patients who are at or near their ideal weight (within 30 percent) but still have disproportionate localized deposits of fat that exercise and dieting are not reducing.
The best candidates for liposuction are non-smokers who are generally in good health and who have a positive outlook and realistic expectations about the procedure’s outcome.
An ideal liposuction candidate will also have good skin elasticity and muscle tone. In fact, if a patient has already lost a significant amount of weight and has a lot of loose hanging skin, liposuction may only worsen those problems.
What liposuction Cannot Do
Liposuction can’t take off that extra 50 pounds you’ve put on over the last 10 years. Generally, the amount of fat removed during a typical liposuction surgery ranges from 1 to 10 pounds.
While larger amounts of fat can be removed, large volume liposuction is associated with increased safety risks, skin rippling, and contour irregularities.
Liposuction will usually not reduce the appearance of cellulite. However, there are some newer treatments that show promise in this regard, such as SmartLipo, acoustic wave therapy, and the Rejuveskin procedure, any of which may be able to be performed as an adjunct to traditional liposuction.
When You Can Bear the Recovery
Once the procedure is finished, you will be taken to a recovery area where you will likely be given a compression garment to wear to control swelling in the treated areas and help your skin conform to your new body shape.
You will likely go home after a few hours unless your surgeon determines that you need to stay in the facility overnight. When you do go home, arrange for someone to drive you there and stay with you for at least 24 hours.
Most patients can return to non-strenuous work, such as a desk job, after just 2 to 3 days. Strenuous work or exercise should not be resumed for at least 2 to 3 weeks, depending on the extent of your procedure and which areas have been treated.
As with all surgery, it is important to understand that these guidelines can vary widely based on a patient’s health, the techniques used, and other variables surrounding the surgery.
Regardless, it is important to take care not to subject the incision sites to excessive force, abrasion, or motion during the healing period. Report any severe pain to your doctor.
