What is liposuction?
Liposuction, also called lipoplasty or suction lipectomy, is a surgical procedure that improves your body shape by removing fat deposits from specific areas of your body. This procedure is commonly used to eliminate fat from your:
- Cheeks
- Chin and neck
- Abdomen
- Buttocks
- Hips
- Knees
- Thighs
- Upper arms
While liposuction is often performed on its own, it’s also used to help contour your body during other types of plastic surgery, such as abdominoplasty and facelift surgery.
Am I a good candidate for liposuction?
The best candidate for liposuction is physically healthy and close to their desired body weight, but with areas of excess fat that stick around despite diet and exercise. Patients should also be psychologically stable and have realistic expectations of what the procedure can offer.
The quality of your skin affects your liposuction results. Firm, elastic skin rebounds after the fat is removed, while aging, less elastic skin may not tighten the following liposuction.
What should I expect during liposuction?
Liposuction is usually done on an outpatient basis, but the length of your procedure depends on the amount of fat being removed, the technique used, and the size of the targeted area.
After making small incisions, Dr. Creech inserts a narrow, blunt-tipped tube called a cannula and moves it through the targeted fat. The cannula disrupts the fat cells before they’re suctioned out.
Dr. Creech may use several innovative techniques to improve your surgery:
What should I expect after liposuction?
You may experience some pain, stiffness, burning, or temporary numbness following your liposuction. Dr. Creech prescribes medication to help with pain and antibiotics to prevent an infection.
After the procedure, you wear a compression garment for a few weeks to support your skin and control swelling. Though bruising and swelling goes away within three weeks, it’s normal to have slight swelling for six months or longer.
Most patients go back to work within a few days. However, you need to avoid strenuous activity for eight weeks.
If you’re thinking about liposuction, call David Creech, MD, today.
