Thank you for taking the time for this presentation
regarding liposuction. Not an easy presentation, but
it if I can get you to understand a concept and principles
perhaps you will understand exactly what I mean.
There are a finite number of fat cells in your body.
You will not make any more. If you lose cells for any
reason they will not be replaced. However you can put
an enormous volume of fat into one cell. Thus you must
keep your weight in line after liposuction.
The purpose of liposuction is to reshape specific
areas of the body. This is accomplished by removing
fat cells from those areas. Usually the areas of concern
to women are the thighs, hips, abdomen, knees, arms
and neck. In men, the lower abdomen and the posterior
flanks ("love handles") are the regions causing
the most concern. Since fat cells will not regenerate,
removing the cells will result in permanent reduction
in the bulges that we find so offensive.
Except for small areas where local anesthesia may
be effective, liposuction is performed under general
anesthesia. The reason for this is safety. One can only
use so much local anesthesia at a given time before
potentially dangerous side effects may occur. The volume
or amount of local anesthesia safely used is smaller
than one usually thinks. The fat is often deep -- thus
the desire to remove it -- and significant volumes of
local anesthesia to stop the pain must be used in limited
areas. For example the knees can be operated under local
anesthesia. Usually I am asked to operate on regions
that require too much local anesthesia for safety, so
general anesthesia is necessary.
Fluid containing medicine to reduce bleeding via vasoconstriction
is infused into the areas of surgery and the fat is
removed by small diameter tubes - rarely greater than
1/ 6 in. diameter. The skin incisions to insert the
suction tubes are one-half inch to one inch in length.
The surgery is performed on an outpatient basis. You
will be checked in one or two days after surgery. I
seldom use girdles or compression dressings immediately
after surgery, but these garments (for example pantyhose)
are used five to six days later.
One must expect some bruising and swelling after liposuction.
Discomfort, easily controlled with oral medication,
is similar to bruised muscles or too vigorous exercising.
My patients usually expect to return to work after a
week, often much sooner. Clearly the more areas operated
the longer for recovery. Frequently multiple areas of
the body have liposuction at the same time, but there
are limits which are best determined in consultation.
The surgery is performed on an outpatient basis under
general anesthesia. My outpatient surgical center is
licensed and supervised by both state and federal government
agencies. Our anesthesiologists are physicians who specialize
in anesthesia. They are board certified and have extensive
experience.
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