Information about Liposuction Abroad

What is Liposuction?

Liposuction, also known as liposculpture or suction assisted lipectomy, is a cosmetic surgery technique to remove unwanted fat deposits from specific areas of the body, including the chin, neck, and cheeks; the upper arms and above the breasts; the abdomen, buttocks, hips, and thighs; and the knees, calves, and ankles.
Although no type of Liposuction is a substitute for proper diet and exercise, Liposuction can remove stubborn areas of unwanted fat that don’t respond to traditional weight loss methods creating a more sculpted and contoured appearance.
Liposuction is a body contouring procedure, not a weight loss procedure.

Is Liposuction right for you?

The best candidates for Liposuction are normal-weight people with firm, elastic skin who have localized areas of excess fat. You should be physically healthy with realistic expectations and understand that Liposuction is not a weight loss procedure. Skin which has lost elasticity from weight gain, pregnancy or aging may not be appropriate for Liposuction. Liposuction can effectively treat and sculpt problem areas of the body including the chin/neck, chest (gynecomastia or male breast tissue), upper arms, “love handles” (flanks), back, abdomen, hips, inner thighs, “saddle bags” (outer thighs) and knees. Every patient is different and several factors may influence which areas are most amenable to Liposuction including your skin tone, underlying medical conditions or previous surgeries performed near the area to be contoured.

• Liposuction should not be considered a treatment to lose large amounts of weight, but rather is best suited to treating distinct regions of fat excess.
• Although the procedure can change your body shape, it can’t improve cellulite or stretch marks.
• It can, however, make you look and feel better about yourself.
• It is important for to you to understand that liposuction is not a treatment for obesity. The amount of fat that can be removed from a localised area is limited by what is safe (maximum of 3 litres) and a natural limitation when no further fat can be removed. Therefore it may not be possible to slim down an area as much as you might like.
• It can be a good surgical treatment option when fat proves difficult to remove by sensible dieting and exercise.
• The best results are achieved on people with good skin elasticity and who are at or near their normal weight. Hence, you should stabilise body weight prior to the operation.
• Common areas targeted by liposuction include the thighs, hips, flank region and abdomen, as well as under the jaw to remove a double chin.

Your Liposuction Surgery Consultation

• During your consultation you surgeon will ask about your general health, any conditions that might interfere with liposuction, your goals for the surgery and the specific areas where you want fat removed.
• It is important that you discuss your goals fully with your surgeon so he can advise you as to whether the results will meet your expectations. He may tell you that you could require more than one liposuction session to achieve your goals without unacceptable risk. Your surgeon may also recommend an alternative procedure such as a tummy tuck, if the abdominal skin has become too loose. If you have loose skin and/or dimpling (cellulite) you are probably not an ideal candidate for liposuction. Indeed, liposuction could make these conditions worse. In these situations, abdominoplasty, thigh lift or body lift may be a better procedure for you. As part of your consultation, your doctor will perform an exam, explain the details of the procedure and develop a specific plan for surgery and recovery with you.

Liposuction Surgery and other Cosmetic Surgery Procedures

• Tummy tuck surgery : This cosmetic surgery procedure is advised for patients, where liposuction would not help, especially for patients with loose skin or lax inner girdles. Often the tummy tuck surgery is combined with liposuction.
• Arm Lift surgery or Thigh Lift surgery : If your problem involves loose skin with poor tone, upper arm lift or inner thigh lift will be the best. If your problem is excess fat, then liposuction of arms or thighs is most appropriate.
• Face & Neck Lift surgery: Often face and neck lift surgery is combined with liposuction.

Additional Information about Liposuction Surgery Abroad

Preparation for Liposuction Surgery

• It is prudent to be close to ones ideal weight as the best results are achieved in patients who are the correct weight for their height.
• It is recommended to stop all medications that can thin the blood 2 weeks prior to surgery. These include drugs such as Aspirin, Coumadin, Lovenox, Ibuprofen, Vitamin E…. These medications may cause bleeding during and after surgery.
• It is also recommended to stop the oral contraceptive pill six weeks prior to surgery and consider an alternative method of contraception to reduce the risk of thrombosis.
• It is also advisable to stop smoking prior to surgery and till the wounds are fully healed to prevent problems with wound healing and chest infections following the operation.

Liposuction Surgery Operation

• Liposuccion is an operation carried out under general anaesthesia. It requires at least one, and sometimes two nights stay in hospital after surgery.
• Liposuction is a technique used to remove fat through small incisions in the skin. Liposuction is mostly performed under general anaesthetic (though very small areas can be performed under local anaesthetic) and the length of the operation is determined by the extent of the liposuction required.
• Usually 1-2 days in hospital is required. First, an injection of saline, adrenaline and local anaesthetic is given in the area to be treated. The fat to be removed is accessed through tiny incisions (cuts) positioned near the area to be treated. A hollow tube is placed through these cuts into the fat underneath the skin. The tube is then connected to a special suction pump which removes the fat.
• The process removes tunnels of fat leaving the small blood vessels and nerves intact. The skin will then retract. The small incisions are sutured.

After Liposuction Surgery

It is normal to feel lethargic and tired after liposuction and these symptoms can last a few weeks.
You can expect considerable bruising which will be uncomfortable and at times painful. The discoloration of this bruising will usually last for about a month.
As swelling can take a long time to settle you may not see the full benefit of the operation for up to six months.
If you have a tendency to be anaemic, or if you were to have a large area treated, you may need to take iron tablets for a month.
You can expect some numbness in the treated skin, which lasts for several months.
You will have small scars 0.5 to 1.0 centimetres long at the sight of insertion of the suction cannulae. There is a small risk in some people that these scars may stay red for a while but they are usually sighted in less obvious areas.
Following surgery, you will be given a tubigrip support bandage to wear for 6 weeks. Depending on your job you can usually return to work for light duties after 1-2 weeks. No sport, strenuous exercises or heavy lifting should be undertaken until 4 weeks following surgery.

Liposuction Surgery risks and possible complications

All surgery inevitably carries some uncertainty and risk, however they are small and infrequent. Liposuccion is one of the most common cosmetic procedures performed each year, and it can be done very safely.
Contour Irregularity: This is a dimple, groove or wave visible on the skin surface. While most contour irregularities are quite minor it is important to recognize that some irregularities are normal and are the result of skin areas with poorer elasticity or areas that already possessed irregularities before surgery (i.e. cellulite).

• Asymmetry : Any procedure that is performed on 2 sides of the body has a small risk of differences between each side after surgery. Usually these differences are small, but asymmetry is normal in nature and certainly can be expected in varying degrees after surgery on 2 different sides of the body.
• Excess Skin : Skin that is of poorer quality may not shrink well after Liposuction leaving excess or loose skin. Treatment for excess skin may necessitate an excisional procedure (i.e. such as a Tummy Tuck for excess abdominal skin).
• Hematoma : A hematoma is a collection of blood under the skin. Hematomas may occur within the first few days after surgery or further out if the surgical site is traumatized. Small hematomas will resolve spontaneously and can be observed. Larger ones may require aspiration or drainage for optimal results.
• Infection : Antibiotics will be given to you, prophylactically before surgery, and for several days after surgery to minimize the risk of infection.
• Blood Clots : Blood clots may form and travel to your lungs, resulting in severe injury or death. After the procedure you can decrease your risk of blood clots by walking 3 to 4 times daily.
• Fat Clots : Similar to blood clots, but related to the Liposuction procedure itself.
• Fluid accumulation: Small areas of excess swelling or fluid under the skin.
• Skin discoloration : Occasionally, areas that undergo Liposuction can have temporary or permanent overlying skin discoloration.
• Scarring : Your scars will actually appear somewhat worse over the first 3 to 6 months as the healing process occurs. You can expect your scars to thin and fade by the end of 12 months. However, your scars will never fade completely.

Your new look after Liposuction Surgery Abroad

Quite soon after surgery you will see a noticeable difference in the shape of your body. However, improvement will become more apparent after a couple of months, when fluid retention and swelling have subsided. For most patients, the final result is evident after about three months. After your liposuction surgery, you may notice that clothes fit more comfortably and you feel more confident about your appearance. As long as you maintain your postoperative weight, your new, slimmer contour will be permanent. These results are generally long lasting if you follow a healthy diet and participate in regular exercise.