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Liposuction Information

It is important to understand that liposuction is not for everyone. Some patients may be required to make lifestyle changes before surgery. Long-term issues, like serious health problems, might disqualify others from ever receiving liposuction. It's important to consider all this liposuction information before seeking the procedure.

Potential liposuction candidates can significantly improve their chances of successful surgery and healthy recovery by adhering to the example guidelines, below, but always consult with your doctor about your candidacy for potential liposuction:

• Being within 30 percent of the ideal weight for your height and frame
• Maintaining a healthy and physically active lifestyle
• Being a non-smoker
• Being free of illnesses that increase your risk of complications, some examples include lupus, diabetes or heart disease
• Having good skin tone and elasticity

Poor candidates often have a greater risk of unsuccessful surgery and complications. Consult with your physician regarding the risks and reasons why liposuction may not be right for you, information liposuction patients should have, since knowing about possible complications is important. You may want to avoid liposuction if you:

• Are wary of risk-taking. Complications are impossible to avoid in some patients, and there is little long-term data on either the effectiveness or side effects of many liposuction techniques.
• View cost is a major issue. The cost of liposuction may be significant, and most medical insurance companies will not cover surgery that is not medically necessary.
• Are overweight and are considering liposuction as a weight loss solution.
• Have a disease that affects wound healing. Liposuction may be dangerous if you have a medical history of bleeding, emboli, thrombophlebitis, edema or similar conditions.
• Take medication that affects wound healing or blood clotting, or that interacts negatively with drugs used during surgery.
• The s kin is not elastic enough to prevent a “baggy” appearance after the procedure. Your doctor will determine if the skin will be likely to shrink afterward.

Abdomen – The part of the body between the chest and the pelvis. The abdomen is separated from the chest by the diaphragm, the muscle spanning the body cavity below the lungs.

Anesthesia – Loss of sensation or awareness. A general anesthetic renders a patient unconscious, while a local anesthetic causes loss of feeling in a specific area of the body without affecting consciousness. Regional anesthesia numbs a larger part of the body such as a leg or arm. The term "conduction anesthesia" encompasses both local and regional anesthetic techniques.

Anesthetist – A nurse or technician trained to administer anesthetics.

Anesthesiologist – A physician who, unlike an anesthetist, specializes in administering anesthesia.

Aspirate – To remove a bodily fluid by suction. Also a term for the fluid injected and removed during liposuction.

Cannula – A slender tube inserted into a body cavity to remove fluid or dispense medication.

Cellulite – Fat deposits with a cottage cheese-like, or rippled, texture.

Cosmetic surgery – A surgical procedure to improve one's appearance.

Dermatologist – A doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin problems.

Dermis – The innermost of the two main layers of cells that make up the skin.  The dermis contains blood and lymph vessels, hair follicles and glands that produce sweat and an oily substance called sebum.

Dry Method – The oldest liposuction technique. As the name implies, with this method no fluids are pumped into the tissues.  Because it is associated with longer recovery time and greater complications, dry lipo is rarely used today.

Embolism – A blood vessel blockage caused by fat, a loose blood clot or other obstruction.

Emulsify – To suspend one substance in a second with which it cannot mix, such as fat in water.

Epidermis – The outermost layer of the skin. The epidermis is made of scale-like squamous cells covering round basal cells.  Melanocytes, which produce the melanin responsible for skin pigmentation, are found in the deepest layer of the epidermis.

Epinephrine – A drug injected before and during liposuction to reduce bleeding.

Epidural – A drug injection into the epidural space, the outermost of the three membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord.  The result is anesthesia of the abdominal and pelvic regions.

Inpatient – A patient whose liposuction result requires a hospital stay, as opposed to an outpatient.

Large-volume liposuction – Different hospitals and localities have varying definitions of how much removed fat constitutes a large-volume liposuction, though a generally agreed upon figure is 10 liters or more.

Laser-assisted liposuction – The most recently developed liposuction method.  A cold-output laser is used to liquefy fat cells, causing minimal damage to the surrounding tissue in comparison to other existing techniques.

Lidocaine – A local anesthetic injected along with the fluid in a wet or tumescent liposuction.

Lipoplasty – A less-common euphemism for liposuction.

Liposuction – A surgical procedure that involves suctioning deposits of fat from specific parts of the body using a strong vacuum applied through a cannula.

Liposculpture – A euphemism for liposuction, generally used to imply that the surgeon is acting as a sculptor.

Outpatient – A patient who is not hospitalized but receives liposuction surgery elsewhere, such as a clinic or day surgery center.  Outpatient care sometimes is referred to as ambulatory care.

Plastic surgeon – A surgeon who specializes in reducing disfigurement caused by accident, birth defect or disease; or, alternatively, who performs surgery for cosmetic purposes.

Probe – see cannula.

Sedation – The act of calming or incapacitating a patient, especially by the administration of a sedative.

Sedative – A drug that causes sedation.

Seroma – Swelling caused by an accumulation of fluid under the skin.

Saline – A solution containing salt that may be adjusted to mimic the normal salinity of the body.

Split-session liposuction – A procedure usually reserved for heavier or obese patients.  Instead of removing all the targeted fat in a single day with one major surgery, two or more smaller liposuctions are performed a month or more apart to allow the body more time to heal.

Straight tumescent or straight local liposuction – The use of local anesthetic alone during liposuction instead of sedation.  This option is generally not recommended for patients with a low pain threshold, nervousness or heart disease.

Subcutaneous –- Under the skin.

Super-wet liposuction – A method of liposuction that involves pumping a volume of saline solution equal to that of the extracted fat into the targeted area. This method is commonly preferred for high-volume liposuction as it can prevent excessive bleeding and fluid overload.

Toxic shock syndrome – A disease caused by toxins released by a bacterial infection.  Such an infection can occur if bacteria are accidentally introduced during liposuction or other surgeries.

Tumescent liposuction – The surgical suctioning of fat deposits from specific parts of the body by pumping a saline solution underneath the skin of the targeted area.  Similar to the super-wet method, but a greater amount of solution is used: about three to four times the volume of extracted fat. This additional fluid causes the fat cells to swell, and extra space is created between fat cells and the adjacent muscles.

Tumescent Solution – A formulation of sterile salt water, epinephrine (to reduce bleeding) and lidocaine (a local anesthetic). The solution is used to loosen the targeted fat cells in wet, super-wet and tumescent liposuction, allowing both easier penetration by the cannula and fat removal.

Tummy Tuck – Also known as an abdominoplasty, a “tummy tuck” is a cosmetic plastic surgery of the abdomen in which fatty tissue and excess skin are removed.

Ultrasound-assisted liposuction – In ultrasound-assisted liposuction (UAL), also known as ultrasonic liposuction, a special cannula transmits ultrasonic vibrations into the body.  This causes the fat to liquefy, making it easier to extract.  This method is typically performed in more fibrous areas, such as the male breast or upper back, which may form more scar tissue after surgery.

Visceral perforation – The accidental puncture of an internal organ with the cannula during liposuction.

Wet Method – The second-oldest type of liposuction technique. A small amount of fluid is used, less than in either the super-wet or tumescent methods, but more than the dry method.

 

Now that you're armed with vital liposuction information, continue to the next page to discover how proper diet and nutrition can help you get the most out of liposuction.

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