Liposuction 101: Top 5 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Liposuction
Posted July 15, 2024 in Liposuction
Most people think they know what liposuction is, but when considering the procedure for yourself, you might have more in-depth questions. This blog covers the top five most frequently asked questions about liposuction to help you make an informed decision about undergoing the procedure.
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What Do I Need to Know About Liposuction?
You may be happy with your body and work to keep it healthy. Still, age, genetics, hormones, and other factors can combine against your best efforts to eliminate pesky, stubborn fat in certain body areas. You are not alone. Most people have areas on their frame where excess fat has accumulated, and that fat sometimes refuses to budge, no matter how much you exercise or how healthy your diet is. If you struggle with “problem areas” on your body where you wish you were a bit slimmer or more defined, liposuction can help.
Below, we answer the most frequently asked questions about liposuction to put your mind at ease about the treatment.
1. Is Liposuction Painful?
Liposuction is typically performed using local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia, depending on the areas being treated and the extent of your treatment. As such, the surgery itself isn’t painful. Additionally, the surgeons at Careaga Plastic Surgery use tumescent fluid, which is a saline solution containing lidocaine, which also reduces pain.
After the effects of the anesthesia and lidocaine wear off, you may experience some soreness in the treatment area, but this will diminish over time and is easily controlled with oral pain medication.
2. Does Liposuction Leave Scars?
Like any surgical procedure, liposuction will leave scars. However, the incisions used in liposuction are typically no bigger than a quarter inch, so any scars they leave behind are extremely small. Following your surgeon’s post-operative instructions will help encourage proper wound healing, which will also help diminish the appearance of your scars. Any scars will eventually fade, but using scar cream or silicone strips can help speed the process along.
3. How Much Fat Can Liposuction Remove?
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons recommends that no more than five liters (or up to 11 pounds) of fat be removed in one procedure to ensure patient safety. However, the amount of fat removed during liposuction depends on several factors, including your overall health, the selected treatment areas, skin elasticity, and the density of the fat being removed. The goal of liposuction is focused on contouring. Sometimes, a minimal amount of fat is enough to make a significant difference in the shape of your body, even though the number on the scale may barely move.
It’s important to keep in mind that liposuction is not a method of weight loss but a way to sculpt and smooth your body. That’s why it is recommended that you be at a stable weight within about 25 pounds of your goal before undergoing the procedure.
4. Does Liposuction Help With Loose Skin?
Traditional liposuction alone will not help with loose skin. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why the elasticity of your skin will impact how much fat can be removed from an area: less collagen and elastin in your skin makes it more difficult for it to “bounce back” after fat is removed via liposuction.
If you already have sagging or excess skin in the area targeted for liposuction, or if you want more fat volume removed in certain places but don’t want to end up with loose skin, Careaga Plastic Surgery has the solution. We offer Renuvion® J-Plasma®, a treatment combining helium gas and radiofrequency energy to tighten and rejuvenate skin.
5. How is Liposuction Performed?
Liposuction is an outpatient procedure that generally takes under three hours to complete. This total time varies and depends on the location and number of the treatment area(s), how much fat is being removed, and whether you have chosen to add other cosmetic procedures to your liposuction surgery.
Once you are under anesthesia, incisions are made, and the tumescent solution is injected into the treatment area to help with numbing, controlling bleeding, and loosening the fat from the surrounding tissue. Then, your surgeon gently moves a thin cannula back and forth under your skin, further loosening the excess fat and suctioning it out of your body. Once the area is contoured to their satisfaction, the incisions are closed with sutures or surgical tape, and the procedure is complete.
Learn More About Liposuction in Miami
Once you’ve done all you can to sculpt your figure, let the experts at Careaga Plastic Surgery put the finishing touches on your physique. To discover if you’re a good candidate for liposuction or other body contouring surgeries, come in for a consultation with one of our board-certified surgeons. To schedule an appointment, call our office today at (305) 929-0445 or complete the online contact form.