Liposuction-Fat Removal Surgery

Liposuction (fat removal with vacuum) is the surgery of removing regionally accumulated excess fats by vacuum. It is used in reducing, removing the excess fat in any area containing fats of the body. In regional slimming, it is a perfect method, maybe the best known application; but it is not an effective weight loss method. Fat removal surgery should not already be used to lose weight.

Evaluation Before Liposuction Fat Removal Surgery

If the person thinks of liposuction , the first step should be taken is contacting a plastic surgeon after making the required researches. The patient should openheartedly discuss his/her expectations on looking well, feeling good after liposuction, and its results by keeping in mind that the conclusion desired to be obtained is not faultlessness, it is the correction.

The intervention of liposuction can correct your appearance and the problem, but the results to be obtained will be unique to you. Plastic surgery can change your appearance and restore the confidence in yourself, but the main thing depends on you. As the fat removal is not a method replacing the weight loss to be provided by the way of diet and exercises; it is not also a solution for the obesity and adiposity.

It is an ideal surgical technique for the patients who are suitable for liposuction. Your plastic surgeon may suggest you abdominoplasty in other words tummy tuck surgery in which the skin and fatty tissue are together cut and removed, instead of or with liposuction.

“Liposuction surgery provides excellent results in people whose skin elasticity is good, whose skin does not have and excess sagging and looseness, and who have localized fat increase.” The liposuction surgery also reduces the fat receptors alongside with the fatty tissues permanently. This is the reason of the liposuction to be permanent a lifetime. While doing liposuction planning, it is important to evaluate the area to be applied in and around as a whole, and make application in the required places.

My all patients may want to see the before after photos of the liposuction surgeries I performed before the surgery. Thus, a question does not remain in the patients’ minds.

How Much Fats Can Be Removed By Liposuction?

Along with that it varies from person to person, accordingly with the weight and number of application area, averagely 5-6 liters of fat should be removed at the most. While 5 liters is maybe a maximum number in a 50 kg-person, 6-7 liters can relievedly be removed in a 100 kg-man. Consequently, the amount to be removed is unique to person for everyone.

Again, there is no such rule that the maximum amount to be removed would be applied in each patient. For example, maybe 2-3 liters of fat removal from your belly will be sufficient for you, and this will be better even than the appearance when you lost 20-25 kg of weight. Some problems may occur in cases of going over the excessive amounts of liposuction surgery, and using it as a weight loss method.

Liposuction Surgery Methods

Fat removal in areas in which liposuction is applied can be performed in four ways as,

1- Dry technique

2- Wet technique

3- Super wet technique

4- Tumescent technique.

Liposuction is frequently performed with superwet and tumescent techniques. By injecting liquid and medications in the body with these methods, it is provided not to be cases like pain and it is provided the fatty tissues to be removed more easily. The liposuction surgery is applied often with sedation anesthesia and outpatient surgery according to the size of the area in which fat is removed.

If the amount of fat to be removed is excess, you can be operated by staying in hospital or with general anesthesia. If it will be applied in a very small area, it can be performed even with local anesthesia. Medication is given before applying the anesthesia to defuse the tension. Sedative (tranquilizer) anesthetics will provide you to feel relaxed in the course of the surgery.

If anesthesia was applied, you will sleep during the operation. Depending upon the scope of the liposuction surgery, the procedure can take time from 45 minutes to longer until 3-4 hours. The surgery starts with very small, about 0.3 cm incisions made in area where liposuction will be applied. Any scar is not left in the liposuction procedure to be performed from within these small incisions.

Following liposuction, special corsets are made worn in order to provide the areas applied to stick to the underlying tissue, prevent swelling, and prevent the fluid accumulation.

After Liposuction Surgery

If the surgery is performed with sedation anesthesia, you can stand up immediately after, and go your home after resting a bit. You should use the corset dressed after liposuction during 1 month. You don’t have much pain immediately after and in the first day by way of the painkillers injected inside.

Next day and several days after, dull pains may occur responding to the painkillers. Numbness, swelling, and dull pains may continue for a while. Also, swelling, bruise may form depending on tightness or looseness of your skin in the operative field. This situation steps up the maximum stage in 5-6 days. The swelling will start to correct from about 1 week.

After about 1 month, you can reach your new appearance. In 1 month, when looking from outside, nobody will understand you had a surgery, and also you will take clearly the conclusion. After 1 month, some hardness may be under skin, and this hardness will be fixed in about 3 months. After 6 months, you will be able to see your final state. These fats, which we devastated inside but couldn’t take out, will be absorbed by the body and you will become to the best state within 6 months.

If there are surface imperfections like undulation, roughness, orange peel appearance usually named as cellulite before liposuction; they will reduce, lighten after liposuction, but will not completely disappear. Surface correcting and firming applications are also suggested like Smoothshapes, LPG, and Starvac afterwards in order to accelerate and make the healing be better. Although these applications are not requirement, they also provide the oedema to leave faster.

Liposuction Complications

Each surgical intervention includes certain amount of risk. The main factor in choosing the surgical intervention of a person is based on the risk and benefit comparison. Even if most of the patients don’t live these complications, you should discuss each of them with your surgeon for you to understand the risks, complications, and results. In fact, the liposuction surgery is not an operation showing much complication in practice.

Potentials In Early Period

Bleeding: It’s been gradually decreased depending upon use of fine cannula and medications injected in the tumescent technique. It is necessary not to confuse the leakages which are seen in first 24 hours and are natural with bleeding.

Infection: It happens extremely rarely. Post-procedure antibiotic use and complying with hygiene rules minimize this risk. The antibiotics are given as protection oriented. Increasing of sensitivity in a certain region, heat and temperature increase may be infection signs. In this case you should call your doctor.

Excessive bruising and swelling: It is natural to be some bruise and swelling in the region where application is performed. Extreme bruises can be dependent on looseness of skin structure, underuse of the corset, some medications taken, and bleeding tendency of the person. The swelling occurred after liposuction quite reduces within 1-3 months, and final outcome is obtained at the end of 6-12 months. Besides the bruises occurred vary from person to person, they disappear in almost all patients within several weeks.

Seroma: Extra fluid may be accumulated in the areas liposuction procedure was applied in. An additional application intervention may be necessary to drain this fluid

Numbness in the area of application: Temporary loss of sensation may occur in the skin after liposuction. Reduced or full loss of sensation may be seen rarely, and it may not recover completely.

Allergic reaction: Local reactions against plaster, suture material and topical preparations have rarely been reported. The systemic reactions developed against medications used in the surgery are more serious. Allergic reaction requires additional treatment.

Potentials In Late Period

Disorders: They are locally indentation and prostrations seen especially in cases that the skin elasticity is not good, or little is removed from one and much from the other. They are seen more often in the early period after surgery; as swelling decreases, these also decrease, however they can be permanent and it should be waited for them to be corrected until 6th month after the first surgery.

Also before liposuction; if the skin is loose and sagging, fat removal by vacuum does not suffice. It may be necessary to add surgical procedures like abdominoplasty, brachioplasty that lift the skin. If the person did not accept the additional surgical intervention although it was suggested, there may be sagging and problems caused by skin looseness in the regions removed fat by liposuction from. In this case, fat removal should not be applied by itself; lifting surgeries should also be added in the same time with or after liposuction.

Anesthesia: Both local and general anesthesia includes risk of its own. Closure may be seen in small areas in your lungs. This situation increases the risk of lung infection. Antibiotic use and respiratory physiotherapy may be required.

Fat Embolism: Swelling and pain may occur in the legs as result of blood coagulation. These clots may cause results up to death by moving from their usual place and going to your lungs by blood circulation rarely. The fat embolism syndrome occurs with escaping of the fat droplets to lungs. This is a very rare and life-critical complication. In this case, additional treatment should be applied by hospitalizing the patient.

Unsatisfying result: In fact the most probable complication is that the liposuction result may not satisfy you. Additional fat removal intervention may be necessary to get the result better.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT LIPOSUCTION

Does fat ingenerate again in the regions where fats are removed?

Number of fatty tissue cannot increase again. The human is born in fixed number of fat cell since birth. When we gain weight, number of fat cells does not incrVVease but the cellular structures grow. For example, if there is 100 units of fat cell, 30-40 units of fat cell is left. The remaining cells also have the feature of expansibility, but for it to be able to act as 100 units you are required to put on weight.

Can the liposuction surgery be performed with the purpose of weight loss?

Absolutely no. these surgeries are performed to shape the body contours. For example, it is not possible for a 70 kg woman to get out of this surgery as 60 kg. There is some doctors performing liposuction for this purpose, however the operation time lengthens too much, it is been tissues were damaged, and the complication rate increases.

How much fat is removed at the most in one time?

5000-6000 cc fat can be removed. It varies from person to person, and depending on the number of region where application is performed. There is such rule that fat in this amount will be removed from all patients. Maybe 2000 cc fat removal will be sufficient in the region to be performed to you. But, it may be possible to remove more fat in an overweight person in proportion to his/her weight.

Is surgery scar left after liposuction?

Because we perform the liposuction surgery from the very fine entries, any scar is not left.

Can the fat be removed from any desired region?

Liposuction procedure can be performed in all regions where fat ingenerates in the body.

How long does corset be worn after surgery? What should be done afterwards?

The corset is worn during 4 weeks. If you have a loose skin, it can be prolonged to 5-6 weeks.

How can undulations and disorders seen after surgery be prevented?

First of all, this situation is related with the experience of doctor performed the liposuction, and your skin and age. Secondly, being thin of the cannulas used in the surgery can prevent the occurrence of this situation. If it is performed with fine cannulas and controlledly, there will not be a problem in general. Also, passes should be made very well in the places like legs. There should not be disproportion between the area with liposuction and the area without it. Sometimes, in the overweight patients with loose skin and advanced age, the skin may surrender itself without gathering. Also, these disorders are reduced to minimal with LPG or cavitation and suchlike devices after liposuction.

According to what does liposuction prices vary?

Liposuction prices varies depending on the amount of fat to be removed, number of are to be applied, the patient’s age, weight, the mode of anesthesia, and whether additional treatment is needed or not. For the information about liposuction price, cost; you should get examined by your doctor.