Liposuction
Costs
Liposuction Techniques
Liposuction Procedure
General Liposuction Pricing
Choosing a Surgeon
Obesity Health Risks
Obesity Statistics
FAQ's
The Liposuction Procedure
Liposuction is a surgical procedure that removes unwanted fat from the body. Over the past decade, several enhancements have been made to the procedures, such as improving the results and speeding up the recovery time.
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The
General Procedure
In order to
remove localized deposits of fat from the body and reshape the area in
question, your plastic surgeon will make a tiny incision using a slender
tube called a cannula. The cannula is inserted into the incision and acts
as a vacuum for the fat layer that lies deep within the skin. It is able
to break up the fat cells, making it easier to suction out the unwanted
fat with either a pump or an enlarged syringe. In general, this is the
standard liposuction procedure, but other modified procedures also exist
with similar results.
Fluid
Injection Liposuction Procedure
Fluid
injection liposuction involves a technique whereby
a medicated solution is injected into the fat
deposit areas before the fat is suctioned out.
It will be up to the surgeon to decide as to
how much fluid will be injected. The medicated
solution is composed of a mixture of intravenous
salt solution, Lidocaine and epinephrine. These
three solutions work together to provide anesthesia,
contract the blood vessels in order to reduce
blood loss and ensure that the fat deposits
are removed with greater ease. The use of a
fluid injection has shown to lessen the amount
of bruising post-surgery.
Tumescent
Liposuction Procedure
The procedure gets
its name from the condition of the bloated fat deposits once they are
filled with solution. To perform this procedure, the surgeon injects a
significant volume of fluid into the fat deposits in order to help separate
the tissue area, thus allowing the cannula to move easily under the skin.
The fluid contains an adequate amount of anesthetic so that additional
anesthetic is often not needed. Moreover, only the designated area receives
anesthetic; therefore, a patient is able to sit or stand during the procedure.
Sitting or standing can also make it easier for the surgeon to contour
and reshape the body. Although the procedure has noted advantages, the
surgery can be significantly longer than other techniques of liposuction,
often taking between four and five hours.
Other Techniques:
The Super-wet
Technique
Similar
to the tumescent technique, the super-wet surgery involves the injection
of fluid, but in lesser amounts than the tumescent surgery. The amount
of fluid to be injected is generally determined by the quantity of fat
to be removed (equal amounts). This form of liposuction surgery involves
IV sedation or possibly a general anesthetic, and takes between one and
two hours for completion. The super-wet technique will often result in
increased blood loss with approximately 8% of the total fluid removed
being blood. On the other hand, there is a lesser chance of too much fluid
being injected into the body. The super-wet technique is one of the fastest
liposuction procedures and should last from one to two hours.
The Ultrasound-assisted
Lipoplasty Technique
This technique utilizes
a special cannula that is able to produce ultrasonic energy. The cannula
is inserted into the incision and as it moves through the areas of fat,
the emitted energy breaks apart the walls of fat turning it into liquid
form. Once the fat has liquefied, it is then removed using the traditional
liposuction technique. The ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty technique is
favored when the area of fat to be removed is more fibrous, when there
is a prevalence of cellulite, when the skin is inelastic, and when it
is a secondary procedure as it would involve greater precision.