Liposuction
Liposuction
What is liposuction?
It is a surgical procedure involving removal of the fat that is stored between the skin and the abdominal wall.In our body most of the fat is stored under the skin that is below dermis and above the abdominal wall. Liposuction remove this fat.Liposuction is a major surgical procedure.
What are all the areas on which liposuction can be performed?
We can do liposuction on the face, neck, jaw lines, chest, upper arms, abdomen, thighs, legs, back, love handle and gluteal region.
What is done in this procedure?
- This procedure is done under general anaesthesia or IV anaesthesia.
- First the person should be medically fit to undergone this procedure.
- The areas where the patient wants to do liposuction should be marked before surgery.
- After giving anaesthesia tumescent solution is injected in between the skin and the abdominal wall, the place where the fat is stored.
- The tumescent solution helps to constrict the blood vessels in that area and helps to avoid bleeding during and after liposuction.
- Tumescent solution also contains local numbing medicine which makes the patient absolutely pain free post operatively.
- During injection of tumescent the tunnels are created to make the liposuction easier.
- After tumescent injection wait for 15 minutes before the procedure which allows the numbing medicine to act fully.
- 3mm to 5mm whole made near the area of liposuction, liposuction cannulas introduced through the already created tunnels, and by doing to and fro movements all the fat is sucked out under controlled suction pressure.
- During liposuction use the left hand as a third eye over the area of liposuction to know the direction of cannula to prevent any injury to the abdominal wall.
- After the procedure small incisions are left open to drain the tumescent fluid and large incisions are sutured.
Procedure
Who is the right candidate to undergo liposuction procedure?
Persons with realistic expectations are the good candidates for liposuction. Persons with unrealistic expectations or some imaginary picture in their mind will become disappointed post surgically and they are not good candidates.
Persons under medications like blood thinners (aspirin, clopidogrel) and anticoagulants( heparin, warfarin ) are not allowed to undergo liposuction because of high risk of bleeding. Persons with generalised obesity are not a good candidate, they have to undergone bariatric surgery.
Persons with long standing diabetes, heart disease and any other immunodeficiency disorders will have increased risk of medical complications during surgery.
Persons allergic to lidocaine or taking any other drugs which interact with lidocaine metabolism or absorption are having increased risk of lidocaine toxicity. Before planning to go for liposuction surgery, get fitness from a board certified plastic surgeon.
It is a day care procedure, usually the patient admitted in the morning of surgery, and after the procedure patient discharged mostly in the evening or next day morning.
The time taken for surgery depends on the areas to be liposuctioned. Usually for abdomen it takes around 90 to 120 minutes.
Complete rest is needed for three to four days after surgery.
One week after surgery the patient may return to his normal work.
After the procedure the patients advised to wear liposuction garment post operatively for 4 to 6 weeks to help to collapse the tunnels created and to get a good contour of the liposculpted area.