Life After Weight Loss
Liposuction 101
Liposuction 101
You hear about it on television and read about it in magazines and newspapers, but what is liposuction really all about? Liposuction was developed in France less then three decades ago, but it is now a world wide phenomenon. It is based on a simple idea that a small hollow tube could be used to remove fat tissue. A vacuum suction pulls small parcels of fat into openings at the end of the tube as it is passed under the skin. Importantly, this could be done through very small incisions that are approximately one quarter of an inch in length.
Liposuction can be used almost anywhere in the body, including arms, legs, abdomen, back, and even the neck. A skilled surgeon can use this technique very effectively to make positive changes in appearance and the way your clothes fit. Every technique has its risks and benefits, and the most common downside with liposuction is uneven or irregular removal of fat tissue. This can result in an uneven appearance in the treated areas. Another important thing to understand about liposuction is that it will not correct cellulite. In fact, liposuction may even make cellulite appear worse.
While patients with excess loose skin will benefit most from an operation that removes the skin, such as a tummy tuck, liposuction can be a very effective technique to use along with these other skin tightening operations. For example, a patient can have a tummy tuck and also have liposuction in the “love handle" region to remove that fat at the same time. The skin tightening effect of the tummy tuck will make up for the fact that liposuction alone will not tighten skin.
There has been an evolution in the technology associated with liposuction procedures over time. One of the most important advances was the use of tumescent anesthesia. This is the simple act of putting fluid (saline mixed with epinephrine and local anesthetic) into the tissues before using the liposuction device to remove the fat. This makes the procedure more comfortable for the patient, and reduces blood loss. Tumescent liposuction is now considered the standard of care, and nearly every surgeon uses some version of tumescent anesthesia. Another advance has been the use of ultrasonic energy to help break up the fat tissue. Ultrasonic liposuction machines have gone through several generations, and the technology is becoming well refined. Ultrasonic liposuction is especially helpful in breaking up the tougher fat tissue on the male chest and in the love handle region of both men and women. This is a technique that we commonly use in the Life After Weight Loss Center. We use the advanced VASER Lipo-selection equipment. An even newer technology, laser assisted liposuction (also known as Smart Lipo), has recently appeared. As with any very new technology, it is too early to tell if it has any advantages over the ultrasonic liposuction technique.
The most important concept to understand about liposuction is that this technique removes fat tissue without removing skin. This means that once the fat tissue is removed, we must rely on the natural elastic properties of the skin to shrink down over the empty space where the fat used to be. If you have loose skin to begin with, liposuction will only make things worse and the skin will get looser after treatment. With this in mind, the best candidates for liposuction are people with well localized deposits of fat that won’t go away with diet and exercise and good elastic skin in the areas that will be treated. As new technologies develop, our ability to selectively refine “problem areas" gets better and better!
