Overview

Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure that allows you to get rid of fat that resist diet and exercise. The procedure may be combined with other plastic surgery procedures, including face lift.

Liposuction is a surgical procedure and is basically not a weight loss method, even if the result is weight loss. Liposuction allows not only removal of abnormal regional fat accumulation, but also recontouring the body part, where excess fat is suctioned.

Liposuction is a surgical procedure that involves risks. Therefore, you overall health should be good before proceeding to a liposuction. It is important that you have ideal body weight, healthy and elastic skin and do not smoke.Liposuction is not recommended for people with blood circulation disorder, heart disease, diabetes mellitus or weak immune system.If you want to have liposuction, please consult our plastic surgeons for techniques, expectations, and potential risks.

Why is liposuction procedure done?

Liposuction aims removal of excess fat accumulation and recontouring in a particular body part in persons with otherwise healthy body weight. Therefore, liposuction should not be regarded as a weight loss method.

Accordingly, the objective should be thinning body parts, where fat accumulates despite diet and exercise.

Liposuction is a body part specific operation, such as abdomen, hips, thighs, legs, arms and neck.Liposuction is contraindicated in persons with heart disease, blood circulation disorder and chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women. In addition, your plastic surgeon will make extra tests and investigations to determine whether liposuction is an option for you or not.

Accordingly, it is very important that you clearly inform your surgeon about your health history.

On the other hand, liposuction does not help skin disorders. Moreover, it has no effect on weight gain and recurrent accumulation of fat.

You should discuss aim of the liposuction with our plastic surgeon in order to get most realistic and satisfactory outcomes.

Risks

Among the risks you may experience during liposuction surgery are;

- Bleeding

- Anesthesia-related complications

- Hematoma and seroma

- Infections

- Fat embolism

- Irregular contours

- Numbness of skin

- Injury of nerves, blood vessels, muscles and nearby organs

- Formation of blood clots

Our expert surgery team will employ all practices to minimize the risk of complications and our plastic surgeons will preoperatively inform you about risks listed above and all other potential complications and will address all your concerns.

Preparation

The first phase of preoperative preparation is same in all Medicana Hospitals.

After you decide to have a liposuction surgery and discuss with our plastic surgeons, following examinations are performed to decide whether you can undergo this surgery:

• Review of health history
• A detailed physical examination
• Necessary laboratory tests and radiology studies
• Assessment by anesthesiologist and other laboratory tests and radiology studies to minimize anesthesia-related complications
  The first step in liposuction is talking tothe plastic surgeon. You and your plastic surgeon will discuss your expectations, options, risks and all other details that are related to the liposuction surgery.

If you decide to undergo liposuction surgery, your plastic surgeon will inform you about the preoperative preparations. Pre-operative preparation is extremely important, and diet and alcohol restrictions are the case.

After it is verified that the surgery does not pose risk, you will be asked to quit smoking, if you are a smoker, and to stop taking certain medications that increase risk of bleeding. Your allergies, if any, and prescribed and over-the-counter medications, herbal products and supplements will also be questioned and you will be informed to continue or stop taking them.

You will also be instructed to stop eating and drinking at a particular time before the surgery and you should strictly follow this instruction in order to undergo the surgery at the scheduled date.

Moreover, it is reasonable to plan discharge, post-discharge accommodation and travel at this phase in order to manage postoperative period better.

Surgery and early postoperative periodYou can go home in the same day after liposuction. However, it is recommended that you have a companion with you after the operation. You may be asked to stay at the hospital if too much fat is removed in the liposuction.

The intended site will be marked and before and after photos will be taken to make comparisons.

Although liposuction is performed under general anesthesia, local or regional anesthesia can be considered for minor procedures.

Different techniques can be used for liposuction surgery. However, the common point of all is the use of a thin tube, called a vacuum-linked cannula, to absorb fat from your body.

Tumescent liposuction is the most common technique. Your surgeon injects a solution that contains sterile saline, lidocaine and epinephrine into the area where the fat will be suctioned. This technique is accompanied by less bleeding, mild pain and ease of suction.

In the ultrasound-assisted liposuction technique, sound wave energy is used to break up (emulsify) the cellular walls of the fat under your skin. In this technique, the solid fat is liquefied.Laser assisted liposuction uses laser energy to liquefy the fat. The liquefied fat is suctioned using the cannula.

You may feel pain and recognize swelling in the area, where fat is suction, after the surgery. Or, you may even notice bruising in skin of the region. These are expected symptoms that will spontaneously disappear within several weeks.

Although you will feel minimal pain, your plastic surgeon will prescribe pain killer pills to manage the pain. Moreover, antibiotic can be prescribed to avoid a potential infection.You may be asked to apply compression bandage or wear tight garments, such as corset, depending on the body part, where liposuction surgery is performed. Here, the aim is to reduce swelling and provide support to the new contour of the region.Your plastic surgeon will inform you whether you need to be observed or you should stay in hospital.

After you recover from anesthesia and you are ready to walk, you will be mobilized by or under supervision of our healthcare professionals.

Before you are discharged, your plastic surgeon or another healthcare professional will inform you about the time interval that you should rest and the time that you can start non-strenuous exercises. Although routine daily life activities are allowed, your doctor will instruct you to avoid strenuous works for a particular time.

It is substantially important to follow those instructions to facilitate recovery period and get best outcome from the surgery. Therefore, please ask all your questions to your plastic surgeon before you leave the hospital.You should visit your plastic surgeon for follow-up visits that are scheduled before you are discharged.If you experience warmth and redness in your incision line or the surgical site, or if you have a fever or any symptoms that you think are due to surgery after you are discharged, contact your plastic surgeon immediately.

Results

Liposuction permanently removes fat cells. However, the risk of weight gain cannot be eliminated, as new fat cells will grow. You will need a healthy diet that contains fat-free foods, fruits, vegetables and wheat in order to protect your new contours after the surgery. Regular exercise is also very important.

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