Body contouring by Liposuction: Expert Fat Removal

Nov. 12, 2008 - PRLog -- Sometimes neither diet nor exercise can eliminate those fatty bulges from your body.
In our practice we employ the latest advances in tumescent and ultrasonic liposuction to perform body contouring.  

Liposuction surgery itself is the most frequently performed cosmetic surgical procedure. Liposuction provides the means to   contour the body by removing fat from the hips, thighs, buttocks and abdomen.  

The surgeon uses an instrument called a cannula, a long thin tube that is connected to a machine that creates a strong suction.

Liposuction has increased in popularity due to the simplicity of the technique and the fact that it can be done through small incisions

Once these incisions are made a small  cannula  is inserted to break  up the fat and suction  it out.  

Although liposuction is not a substitute for weight loss it can be very effective on areas that don’t respond well to dieting and exercise.  

Fat distribution is determined by three factors, heredity, gender and diet.  Heredity determines the location and number of individual fat cells.  This number of fat cells remains fixed and unchanged after puberty.  Men accumulate fat more readily in the flanks and abdomen versus the hips and thighs for women.  Diet can increase or decrease the amount of fat in each fat cell but will not affect the total number of cells or their distribution.  For example, if you have a large numbers of fat cells on your thighs and small numbers of fat cells on your chest, you will always have more fat on the thighs than on the chest.  Strenuous attempts at weight loss may leave you with a thin upper body with persistently bulky thighs.
Your appearance after liposuction will be influenced by your general state of health, the overall condition of your skin, age, weight, hormonal influences, and other factors.  Each person is unique, and during your consultation we will discuss in detail how these general factors apply to you.  Liposuction is not a substitute for a healthy diet nor is it useful for generalized weight reduction. This is mentioned because some patients may expect localized fat removal to result in a weight loss.  This is not possible.  Fat itself does not weigh very much.  Most of the weight of the body is bone, muscle and skin.
Liposuction selectively removes fat only from those areas in which the patient desires reduction.  Since the actual fat cells are removed, the procedure is permanent.  Following liposuction your body will always have less fat in the treated areas.  It is up to you to maintain this new contour by remaining on an exercise and diet program.  Remember that the fat cells that remain have the ability to get fatter, but their absolute numbers are reduced.  


Liposuction is not indicated on all individuals.  Those that are obese or have a history of medical problems or poor skin tone may not be ideal candidates for the procedure.  

Liposuction may be performed under local anesthesia or general anesthesia.  

It may be performed as an outpatient in our accredited surgical center or in the outpatient area of the hospital.  

The tumescent technique involves the use of a fluid which contains both an anesthetic and epinephrine.  The fluid is injected into the areas of excess fattye tissue to be treated.  

The anesthetic in the fluid helps relieve pain, while the epinephrine helps constrict the blood vessels in the treated areas.  

Constricted vessels mean less bleeding and less bleeding means less bruising.  This technique allows large areas to be treated using local anesthesia.  

Ultrasonic liposuction involves the use of a special cannula that transmits a wave of enery specifically tuned to fat.  This allows us to direct the energy directly to the fatty deposits targeted for treatment.  

Once activated the cells begin to vibrate so rapidly that they quickly begin to disentigrate.
Once liquefied they are easily removed by the suction of the cannula.  

We have been using UAL since 1995 and is offers some advantages over traditional liposuction especially in areas of fat that are very fibrous such as the breasts.  

Liposuction itself removes only fat, in some patients it may be necessary to remove some excess skin and fatty tissue by direct excision.

Every surgical procedure involves a degree of risk and you should educate yourself as to the risks and benefits of any surgical procedure.  

You should base your decision to undergo liposuction surgery on the comparison of the risks involved with the procedures to its potential benefits.

Although most patients do not experience complications it is important to understand that they can occur.  

Certain precautions will be taken in order to make this procedure as safe as possible.  

You can decrease your risk by not taking any aspirin or aspirin containing products or other anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen for 7-10 days prior to the procedure.  

Infection is rare, but possible.  We will have you bath the night prior to surgery and the morning of surgery with a surgical soap to decrease the amount of bacteria on your skin.  You will be given IV antibiotics prior to surgery and oral antibiotics after surgery.  

It is common for patients to experience changes in skin sensation following liposuction but this usually returns to normal as healing progresses.  In rare instances it can be permanent.  

Although good healing is expected, in rare cases abnormal scars may result.  These scars may be unattractive and may require additional surgical treatment.  

It is normal for the treated areas, after liposuction to be swollen and for the skin to be discolored.  This goes away as healing progresses but in some cases may persist longer than expected.

There can be areas of contour irregularity that may require additional treatment

Liposuction is a safe procedure if done in moderation.  In general we limit the amount of fat removed, in the outpatient setting to 5 liters.  Since there is 2.2 pounds per liter this equates to 11 pounds.  By limiting the volume of fat removed the chances of excessive bleeding are greatly reduced.

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Plastic Surgery practice in Atlanta Georgia. Our practice is devoted to aesthetic and cosmetic surgery of the face and body. We perform all aspects of body contouring, breast enhancement, breast lift as well as procedures for facial rejuvenation.