Certain areas of the body can have fat stores that do not seem to go away no matter how healthy you eat or how much you exercise. These problem areas can really affect our confidence as none of our solutions seem to help the issue. This is precisely where liposuction can be a potential solution for you.
Modern liposuction has been around for decades now dating back to around 1974. It is the most common procedure performed in plastic surgery according to the ASAPS (American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery). More than 400,000 of these liposuction procedures are performed every year.
The positives of liposuction are easy to see. It is a minimally invasive procedure that can remove fat from nearly every area on the body. Liposuction creates the contours in your body that you want with its targeted fat removal.
Liposuction is done on its own, but is also often done alongside other procedures like breast augmentations, tummy tucks, mommy makeovers, Brazilian butt lifts, neck lifts, or face lifts.
Who is a Candidate for Liposuction?
Despite how liposuction works with its fat targeting, it is not intended to be used as a form of weight loss treatment. Dr. Rammos will not recommend liposuction to individuals that are more than 15 pounds away from their goal weight.
This procedure is actually the most effective for individuals who are healthy and very close to their goal weight. Liposuction is intended to change the contour of areas in your body with unwanted fat. The goal is to put problem areas back in your desired proportion to the other parts of your body.
Liposuction is still the most popular of all cosmetic surgical procedures for men and women alike. Both genders often target the same parts of the body in the abdomen and flanks. Men are usually more likely to focus on the chest or love handles. Women are typically going to focus more on their abdomen and arms than men would.
Permanently Removing Fat with Liposuction?
Fat cells that are removed from the body with a liposuction procedure are permanently removed from the body. Liposuction is supposed to be permanent in its visual change even if you gain back a little weight. Any new fat cells should go along with the contours created with liposuction as less fat can accumulate in the treated areas. More significant weight gain can negatively impact the results of your liposuction procedure. It is especially important to continue living a healthy lifestyle once you have had your liposuction procedure. This will preserve the results you got from the contouring.
Dr. Rammos has advanced training in the latest fat loss technology and creates beautiful results for all his patients. Liposuction is incredibly versatile and can enhance a variety of areas of the body. One liposuction procedure can create visible improvements and alter the contours of your body.
Liposuction Techniques
Dr. Rammos will discuss your goals with you in regards to what areas of the body you want to target with your fat loss. This will help him advise you on what is possible to achieve with liposuction for you, and create a plan for which procedures would best reshape and contour the areas of your body that you wish to change.
Before your procedure, Dr. Rammos will use a special pen to make important markings on your body. These will serve as his guide for how to contour your body during the procedure. Small incisions will be made in the problem areas for treatment.
Fluid will be placed in the openings made by the incisions to effectively numb the target area and make targeted removal of fat cells much easier. The removal itself is done with a cannula, a blunt tipped tube, that is attached with a vacuum to suck the fluids and fat out from the desired area. Usually there are multiple parts of the body that are targeted in the liposuction procedure to create a desirable balance, but sometimes just one area will be targeted.
Dr. Rammos will make sure the exact amount of fat you desire to remove is sucked out by closely monitoring the procedure. This will help to get the best results out of your liposuction procedure. The cannula is taken out and incisions are closed once the procedure is finished, and the sutures you received will be removed in office after one week.
Preparing For Your Liposuction Surgery
You should stop taking any medication or supplements that could increase your risk of bleeding before your liposuction procedure, and at least two weeks in advance. Check first with your primary care physician before taking these steps.
Common over-the-counter supplements can raise the risk of bleeding with certain individuals. This includes popular supplements like fish oil, ginkgo biloba, and St. John’s wort.
While you shouldn’t vape or smoke at all, vaping and smoking is particularly problematic when you are undergoing and then recovering from a procedure. Studies show that there is an increased risk of complications in your recovery if you smoke or vape. It is best to quit four weeks or more in advance before surgery.
Recovering from Liposuction Surgery
You will be put in a compression garment in order to help reduce the amount of fluid under your skin where the targeted fat was removed. This happens right after your surgery as you will have to wear the compression garment all day and night for two weeks. After two weeks you will be switched into a compression garment that is lighter for eight more weeks. This is doubly effective as it both aids in your recovery process and helps to maintain contours made during your liposuction procedure while you heal.
Recovery can be relatively quick. Many patients return to work within just a handful of days, and pain is usually low and can be controlled easily with medication. Swelling and bruising is normal, and will likely be more noticeable for a few days up to several weeks post operative. They will subside gradually in time.
Be careful not to overexert yourself, but you should be up and around as much as you can handle after your procedure. You should be back in your normal routine in as soon as a couple weeks after your procedure is done. It is best to avoid any rigorous exercise for at least 6 full weeks. Swelling can take up to three months to fully subside, so patients should expect to see their final results after it has gone away and new contours are fully visible.
