|
Who is a candidate?
Liposuction can be performed on anybody who has excessive
pockets of fat and has a proper skin tone. This is not
necessarily directly related to the age of patient. If the skin
is loose and inelastic, some additional procedures such as
abdominoplasty or face lifting may be necessary. Liposuction can
result in a permanent recontouring of the almost any area of the
body such as neck, chest abdomen, arms and legs. This can offer
a new shape for people who never thought it was possible, giving
a psychological boost and the incentive to exercise even more
than before to improve the rest of their physique. However,
liposuction is not a weight loss technique, and is not a cure
for overall obesity.
Is liposuction safe?
If performed by a qualified, board certified plastic surgeon,
liposuction has become remarkably safe, although some risks do
persists. In unusual situations, removal of very large amounts
of fat can still result in moderate blood loss, and may require
overnight hospital stay. Infection is extremely uncommon.
How is liposuction performed?
A very small incision is made near the area of fat to be
removed. A tumescent solution (a mixture of local anesthetic and
epinephrine) is first injected. This solution allows not only
for pain control but also minimizes blood loss occurring during
this procedure due to action of epinephrine which constricts
surrounding blood vessels. Then a thin, smooth hollow tube (a
cannula), with the size of a small straw, is inserted and
connected to a negative pressure vacuum. The vacuum sucks the
fat out leaving the skin, nerves and blood vessels intact. This
allows Dr. Turowski to carefully sculpt area into a new,
improved contour.
Depending on the magnitude of the procedure it can be performed
under local anesthesia or intravenous sedation. In some cases,
general anesthesia might be the best option.
What is the typical recovery?
To reduce swelling and bruising, at the end of the procedure, a
snug-fitting garment similar to a girdle is applied over the
treated areas. The procedure is usually done on the outpatient
basis, so you will be able to go home the same day as your
surgery. In unusual cases where the amount of fat removed is
very large, Dr Turowski may recommend overnight hospital stay
for postoperative monitoring.
Most patients are mobile immediately after liposuction and quiet
activity can be usually resumed within a few days. However, for
the best results it is prudent to wait a few weeks before
resuming strenuous activity and exercises. Compression garments
have to be worn 2 to 3 weeks after liposuction. You may feel
bruised and sore as if you?d over-exercised that part of the
body.
Does the fat come back?
Fat cells do not regenerate so the contour changes should be
permanent. However, if you gain weight, the fat cells that are
left behind will get bigger, just as all of the other fat cells
in the body do. Still, your body should retain the improved
proportions.
What is ultrasonic liposuction?
This is the latest technique to improve and refine the results
of liposuction. It utilizes ultrasonic energy or very fast
vibration of the cannula to brake fibrous attachments between
fat cells. It allows for more complete and smooth fat removal.
Although not recommended for all liposuction procedures,
ultrasonic liposuction may be very helpful in fat removal from
the back, upper abdomen and especially from the male chest (ginekomastia).
What is SmartLipo?
Recenlty talked about procedure SmartLipo may have hidden risks (not so smart).
Although SmartLipo received FDA clearance in late 2006, alarm bells
rang for many experts when discussing this procedure based on the recent
publication of data showing that this procedure was no better than traditional
liposuction, and that it may present some risks to the liver and kidneys due
to the way it releases free fatty acids when destroying the fat cells.
"We need to sit back and evaluate new technology as scientists before we
can recommend it to patients. We now have a well-designed trial demonstrating
that SmartLipo TM does not have any significant advantages over standard
liposuction, that it may increase operative time, and that it's more costly
( A. Prado, MD, in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal, 2006).
The study also raises the very serious concern that the effect of the laser
emitted by the SmartLipo TM device releases free fatty acids that could be
dangerous for our patients. Therefore, Dr Turowski believes that although
New Horizons is well known for embracing newest technologies, at least for
now, standard of care in our institution remains ultrasound assisted liposuction.
|
