Liposuction Procedure
Get Fit By Spring With a Little Help
Liposuction is the top procedure for isolated fat deposits
Welcome to my first column in the Long Island Press. Each week, I will highlight top cosmetic surgeries and cover what’s hot and what’s not in the world of plastic surgery.
Winter winds down, so many of us, yet again, become firmly resolved to lose weight. While it’s true that nothing beats a good diet and exercise to help you look and feel better, we all know there are a few trouble areas. Commonly in women, these areas are harshly called “saddlebags.” In men, they’re “love handles.” The place on your physique where your body decides to store its fat is based on genetics…so you can blame your mother or father for those unattractive bulges!
Liposuction is the procedure of choice for most patients with isolated and troublesome areas of fat deposits. It’s the most popular procedure in the U. S. and, since performed under general or twilight anesthesia, has one of the easiest recoveries of the many procedures I perform. Most patients describe the discomfort as “achy,” as if they had worked out too hard, and just a few use the word “pain.” New techniques have dramatically improved the safety of the procedure and the results a surgeon can obtain.
Recovery varies between individuals, but most patients are back to work in a few days. Patients who undergo very large areas of liposuction don’t have more pain, but may feel a little more tired and need an extra day or two of rest. The incisions for liposuction are tiny and almost invisible when completely healed. Special garments are worn for about three weeks after the procedure to minimize swelling and speed the recovery of the newly shaped area.
Most patients who undergo liposuction notice an improvement almost immediately, although the final results are apparent after about three to six months. Most of the swelling is gone in a few weeks, and you can start buying your new, smaller-sized clothes. Liposuction works well on a woman’s inner and outer thighs, arms, bra roll, buttocks and sometimes abdomen. Generally, liposuction works well on your abdomen if you are under 40 and do not have children. However, childbirth and age often cause a woman’s abdominal skin to stretch, so that if the doctor removes the fat with liposuction, the skin is too loose to re-contour to your new shape. If so, a tuck can provide great results for your tummy. Men, on the other hand, generally maintain skin elasticity throughout their life and are usually good candidates for liposuction of the abdomen.
Liposuction is a great solution for the right patient. The best way to find out if the procedure is right for you is through a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. Who knows? By summer, you may be on the beach showing off your new, svelte shape.