Liposuction

Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure that suctions fat from specific areas of the body. Technically called “suction-assisted lipectomy” or “lipoplasty”, or liposculpture it is not intended to be a form of weight loss. Rather, it is designed to remove fat from certain “problem” areas that do not respond to dieting or exercising. This may be your midsection, thighs, buttocks, arms, chin, or another small area. Liposuction is a versatile elective procedure that allows patients to reshape their body.

It can also be performed for the treatment of medical conditions such as benign fatty tumors (lipomas) or problems with metabolism of fat in the body (lipodystrophy). However, liposuction cannot treat obesity.

Ideal Liposuction Candidates

The best patients are average or slightly above-average weight with firm, elastic skin. They are also physically healthy, psychologically stable, realistic in their expectations, and do not have a history of medical complications that resulted from surgery. Men and women who are seeking weight loss through liposuction are poor candidates, because excessive fat removal with plastic surgery can be dangerous. Dr. David Kim will help to determine if you are an ideal candidate for this cosmetic procedure.

What to Expect From This Procedure

In general, a thin round-tipped tube, called a cannula, will be inserted through tiny incisions in your skin. The cannula is attached to a vaccum in order to extract the fat, which will move rapidly under your skin to remove the fat.

The extent of your surgery is important in determining the type of anesthesia to be used; depending on the amount of fat being removed or the number of areas from which fat will be removed. Whether you are put to sleep (general anesthesia) or remain awake in a state of relaxation with a numbed area (sedated with a local anesthetic), the extent of your surgery will also determine the length of the surgery and recovery time.

Common Liposuction Techniques

Since the development of traditional liposuction, newer techniques have been created for better efficiency:

Tumescent liposuction: The area where fat will be removed is numbed (under local anesthetic) and flooded with medicine (lidocane and epinephren), causing two major effects. First, the fat expands and becomes firmer, which contributes to an easy fat extraction process. Second, the blood vessels in the area get smaller (constrict); this prevents excessive blood loss, bruising and swelling. This procedure can last from about one to two hours depending on the number of areas involved.

Super-wet technique: As compared to the tumescent technique, lesser amounts of fluid are used for the super-wet technique. The amount of fat to be removed and the amount of medication injected to the specific site usually equals out. This liposuction technique takes a generally less amount of time than tumescent technique.

Ultrasound-assisted liposuction: Sound waves, or ultrasonic energy, is used to liquefy the fat, which allows the fat to be smoothly removed. This technique is especially useful for areas where the fat is fibrous or firm, such as the upper back or for male breast reduction. Ultrasound-assisted liposuction typically takes longer to perform than traditional liposuction.

Possible Risks From Liposuction

All surgery carries the risk of unforeseen complications, and at the office of Dr. Kim, you will become familiar with any potential problems associated with the procedure you are considering. Following surgery, there is the possible risk that the skin may be loose. Although the fat has been removed, liposuction does not tighten the skin; however, this may not result for several weeks. Other possible risks include scarring, excessive swelling, infection, and skin discoloration.

Recovery From Liposuction

After treatment, you will probably feel sore, swollen, tender, and possible discomfort from being tightly wrapped. This wrapping is necessary to prevent excessive bruising and swelling. After a few days, you will need to wear compression garments; for example if you have liposuction on your mid-section, you will need to wear a fitting garment.

Returning to normal activity may take a few weeks, but you should be able to do limited activities within a few days. Some improvements to the body will be noticeable immediately after surgery, but the true effect will develop as the body heals and the swelling subsides.

Dr. Kim is a board certified plastic surgeon with a private practice in the Los Angeles / Beverly Hills area. He specializes in liposuction, facelifts, tummy tucks and various areas within the cosmetic surgery field.

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