Getting the Skinny on Liposuction

Answer 1

In the world of cosmetic surgery, one of the most popular procedures to have done is a Liposuction. This procedure, also known as lipoplasty, liposculpture suction lipectomy or lipo, is a way to surgically remove fat from various parts of the body, most popularly the thighs, buttocks and abdomen. Liposuction should only be performed after the patient has attempted to lose the weight through traditional methods such as exercise and diet.

The doctor and the patient determine the amount of fat to be removed during the operation. Removing too little fat may not produce a noticeable effect, but removing too much fat can create odd lumps or dents in the skin and greater surgical risks. Since liposuction not only removes fat but also can contour the body, frequently weight loss occurs to be greater than the fat that was actually removed.

Liposuction similar to the modern technique used today was invented in Italy in 1974. However, various procedures related to liposuction have been around since the 1920’s. Liposuction burst onto the American scene in the 1980’s, and by the 1990’s, liposuction evolved to include ultrasound, which helps remove fat by liquefying it with ultrasound waves. Over the past thirty years, liposuction has become a somewhat safe procedure. Improvements in liposuction over the past couple of decades have included the ability to remove more fat cells more easily, reduction of blood loss, less discomfort and less risk. Doctors are currently working on a way to shorten the recovery period.

When liposuction is used for body contouring rather than weight loss, instead of just removing the fat from the body, the doctor will transfer some of it to a different area of the body in order to “fill it out.” This is known as autologous fat transfer. For example, if a person has some fat on their abdomen, the doctor may use said fat to reduce wrinkles elsewhere on the body.

A patient who has just undergone liposuction will require anywhere from two days to two weeks to recover from the surgery. The patient will need to wear a bandage on the area that was operated on for several weeks.