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Risks of Liposuction Surgery: Any surgery
involves the risk of infection, bleeding, scarring or serious
injury, however tumescent liposuction has an amazingly good safety
record. One of the reasons that tumescent liposuction is so safe is
that neither general anesthesia nor IV sedation is required. A
recent survey involving over 15,000 patients who had tumescent
liposuction without general anesthesia revealed no serious
complications, no serious infection, no hospitalizations, no blood
transfusions, and no deaths. The greatest risks of liposuction are
those associated with general anesthesia. By eliminating general
anesthesia, the risks liposuction are dramatically
reduced.
Patients can minimize the risk of surgical
complications by not taking medications or over-the-counter
preparations that might adversely affect the surgery. Patients
should inform the surgeon of any medications being taken either
regularly, or occasionally including herbal remedies.
Risk
of Irregularities of the Skin: Tumescent liposuction using
microcannulas is the least likely to cause any significant or
noticeable post-surgical irregularities of the skin. By magnifying
the fatty compartment, the tumescent technique permits more accurate
removal of fat, with greater assurance that the liposuction cannula
will not inadvertently approach too near the undersurface of the
skin which would cause irregularities. Thus the tumescent technique
helps to minimize the risk of post-surgical irregularities or
rippling of the skin. Liposuction might improve pre-existing
irregularities of the skin such as dimpling, but prospective patient
should not assume that there will be significant improvement. It is
unrealistic to expect perfectly smooth skin. Patients should expect
that their skin will have approximately the same degree of dimpling
and irregularities as existed before tumescent liposuction surgery.
Ultimately, after liposuction the skin texture should be within
normal limits. A casual observer should not notice any evidence of
surgical irregularities of the skin. However, it is possible that a
noticeable irregularity of skin may result and require a little
touch-up liposuction.
Risk of Scarring of the Skin:
Incisions for liposuction may result in scarring. The incisions
made for inserting the cannulas are usually less than 2 to 5 mm in
length, and are usually virtually invisible once healed. Although
you may be able to find them upon close examination, most other
people would not be able to see them. Some patients may experience
temporary hyper-pigmentation (darkening) that usually fades after
several months. Some patients may have a genetic predisposition for
persistent discoloration at incision sites. Patients that have
experience hyperpigmentation, or hypopigmentation (pale or light
colored scars) in the past might expect to also experience it with
these incisions. Certain areas of the body, such as the back or
upper flanks, may be more likely to have pigmentation
changes.
Cellulite: Liposuction of the thighs, while
improving the silhouette, does not necessarily eliminate the subtle
"puckering" of the skin often called "cellulite". Cellulite results
from the pull of fibrous tissue that connects skin to underlying
muscle. While tumescent liposuction may reduce the degree of
cellulite, it is unlikely to eliminate it. Liposuction should not
worsen cellulite.
Liposuction and Obesity: Liposuction
is not an appropriate treatment for obesity. Liposuction is not a
substitute for a prudent diet good nutrition, and regular exercise.
Obese patients may be good candidates for limited liposuction if
their goal is simply to improve the shape of certain limited areas
of the body.
Postoperative Healing: Normal healing
after tumescent liposuction involves a limited but definite degree
of soreness, swelling, bruising, and lumpy firmness. A temporary
mild numbness of the skin may persist for up to 4 months. Most
patients can actually see some improvement of their silhouette
within one week after surgery. However, because of the slow
resolution of post-surgical swelling, the ultimate results following
liposuction usually require 12 to 20 weeks to be
achieved.
Realistic Expectations: Although the results
of liposuction are often quite spectacular, it is not realistic to
expect perfection. It is impossible to guarantee the precise amount
of improvement that will result from liposuction. Patients should
not have unrealistic expectations. Although patients can usually
expect to achieve at least a 50% improvement, it is unreasonable to
expect 95% improvement or near perfection. For the perfectionist or
for liposuction of a very large area, maximum improvement may
require a second procedure for which there would be an additional
fee.
Patients who would be satisfied with a 50% improvement
would be reasonably good candidates for liposuction. The "50%
improvement" is intentionally a vague measure. It indicates a
definite perceptible improvement, but something short of perfection.
If a 50% improvement would make a patient happy, then it is likely
that these expectations will be met. Our patients generally achieve
more than a 50% improvement.
Longevity of Results: The
fat cells that are removed by liposuction do not grow back. If the
patient later gains or loses weight the change tends to be
distributed proportionately over the entire body. Although one can
expect some changes with aging, provided that the patient does not
gain large amounts of weight, the patient's new, more pleasing
silhouette is relatively permanent. Back to Liposuction page
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