| Dr. Marguerite Barnett is a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Here the Doctor has answered some of the common questions bizymoms visitors have about Liposuction.
Q. What is Liposuction?
A. Liposuction is surgical technique of sucking out unwanted fat through small puncture holes using cannulas.
Q. Who is a good candidate for liposuction?
A. The best candidate for liposuction are young people in good health with good skin elasticity who are close to their ideal weight yet still have some unwanted bulges from fat. It is NOT an answer to weight loss as for safety reasons; we rarely remove more than 5lbs at one session. I like to call it liposculpture as that is the best term for what we do, shape the body contour. It will not work for example in many moms who have skin that is hanging over. If you remove the fat from under that area, the skin will only hang more! Also, many women have stretched out the muscles of the abdomen when pregnant ,so they will still bulge even if all the fat gets sucked out. In those cases, a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is best because it will tighten the skin, muscles and remove fat. A tummy tuck requires a longer scar; however, it is still done as outpatient surgery.
Q. What are the risks associated with liposuction surgery?
A. The risks associated with liposuction are those associated with any surgery as despite the small incisions and deceptive appearance of the outside, it is actually a fairly traumatic surgery. These include the risks of anesthesia, blood loss (which is why we limit the amount removed at one session), infection, indentations and blood clots. I prefer to do this surgery with board-certified anesthesiologists in attendance although for small amounts, it can be safely done in the office. Because of the small incision areas some people mistakenly think it is not real surgery and believe it is safer than a tummy tuck. Interestingly, a few years ago, the Florida Board of Medicine reviewed deaths resulting from office surgeries and found that most involved liposuction combined with other surgeries. As a result, they decided to limit the amount of fat, which could be removed at one time. This has resulted in improved safety from this surgery. Whether one selects liposuction or a complete "Mommy Make-Over" with tummy tuck, the most important variable is the judgment of your surgeon.
Q. What technique will the surgeon use to perform the liposuction?
A. There are many techniques for liposuction and as one size does not fit all, so I may use different techniques for each person or even for certain portions of the body. For example, with the tough fat on the back, I may use ultrasonic liposuction, which dissolves the fibrous portion better but carries the risk of burning the skin. There are techniques such as tumescent or superwet or wet liposuction and laser or water-assisted liposuction. There is external and internal liposuction and there are patented techniques such as SmartLipo. Each technique has its pros and cons but the most important thing about liposuction is the training of the surgeon. Just as you would not go to a hair salon and say, "I want my hair style to be like so..." and proceed to tell the stylist just what kind of scissor and what brand of product to use on your hair, so you should trust your surgeon to perform the operation the way he/she is trained and not micromanage. You SHOULD ask the tough questions of your surgeon like what training he/she has and how many they have done and you should ask to see results of other patients and have a chance to talk to those who have undergone the procedure. A good surgeon will take the time to make sure you are both on the same page and that he/she can deliver what you want. A good surgeon will never give guarantees because some things are out of his/her control like how you heal and what kind of scars you make.
Q. How long is the recovery period?
A. The recovery period for liposuction is usually fairly quick compared to surgeries like open heart or knee surgery. We ask our patients to take it easy for 3-5days and then advance exertion as they feel comfortable. Depending on how much fat is removed, some people are ready to return to normal activities within a day or so and others require a week. Your surgeon should make it very clear before the surgery what you can expect. Most surgeons will require the wearing of a compression garment for a variable amount of time to ensure that the skin sticks down as the swelling subsides and is not left hanging.
Q. Are the results of liposuction permanent?
A. Since the fat cells do not regrow, the results are expected to be permanent but that does not give my patients the license to eat without restriction. If they gain weight, they will certainly not maintain the good results!
Q. How much does liposuction surgery cost?
A. The costs of liposuction will depend on how much has to be removed and what areas will need to be operated upon. A small double chin might be easily done in the office and only cost $500 whereas a large amount of fat on the abdomen and thighs could cost up to $10,000. Most liposuction procedures average $3000-4000.
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