Is liposuction worth it?

What is liposuction?

Liposuction is a surgical correction of the contours of the figure by removing fat deposits using vacuum suction. Basically, liposuction is used in local forms of obesity associated with a violation of the contours of the figure. Most often in women, there is a "halife-like" deformity of the thighs, fat deposits on the inner lateral surface of the knee joint, and deposits in the thigh, and anterior and lateral surfaces of the abdomen.

The essence of the operation is the surgical correction of the contours of the figure by removing fat deposits. With the help of vacuum suction through small skin incisions, local fat deposits are eliminated. There are several types of surgery.

Views of liposuction

Vacuum liposuction. This is the oldest method. The surgeon works manually, and a lot depends on his qualifications. Through small incisions, special tools are inserted under the skin, and the subcutaneous fat is liquefied and then removed using a vacuum (suctioned). The method is traumatic: it is assumed that for two months after the operation, the patient will wear special underwear and bandages.

Ultrasonic liposuction. During this operation, the fat is destroyed by ultrasound. The method allows you to remove a fairly large amount of fat but causes thermal damage to the tissues. After it, healing is also quite slow, and special underwear has to be worn for up to a month.

Soft-lip model. The most modern development, the name of which is translated as "gentle lip modeling". Fat is broken down by high-frequency currents and removed through tiny punctures. Bandages are recommended to be worn for two weeks after surgery. This method does not require a hospital stay: you can go to work two to three days after the operation.

Who should have liposuction?

It is important to note, however, that no more than two liters of adipose tissue should be removed at a time, regardless of what method you choose to correct the figure's shortcomings. If you remove more, the so-called "pituitary response" occurs: the body, having "missed" the usual volume of the body, will frantically begin to restore it.

Surgeons do not recommend liposuction with severe excess weight. If you have lost weight and want to "complete" your work by surgically modeling the figure, stay at the same weight for at least six months, and only then decide on the operation. So the hope of "going and cutting everything off" is likely to remain a hope. If you have 20 kilograms of excess fat (namely fat), then you will have to perform 10 liposuction operations to get rid of it. Firstly, each will cost no less than $ 500, and secondly, the body will not withstand such abuse ...

What can't medicine do?

It does not mean, however, that liposuction should be ignored. Just use it for its intended purpose: do not require the surgeon to lose weight for you. The surgeon can only correct some mistakes of nature - reduce the excessive volume of the hips, change the shape of the bust, and eliminate the sagging abdomen. By the way, it must be remembered that liposuction will not help eliminate cellulite or stretch marks. The surgeon will reduce the volume of the thigh, but he is not able to give it the desired elasticity and smoothness. Conversely, the presence of stretch marks can limit the amount of fat removed, as stretch marks reduce skin contractility.

Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that sometimes liposuction is used in the treatment of obesity - in this case, fat suction is used as a measure of despair and does not pursue its goal at all to correct the contour of the figure. With the ineffectiveness of conservative methods of treatment (diet, drug therapy, fitness, etc.), serial liposuction is performed, aimed not at eliminating violations of the contours of the body, and not at reducing the patient's body weight.

Six myths about liposuction

The most common myths will help to debunk Professor, Doctor of Medical Sciences, plastic surgeon of the Medical Center "Paracelsus 2001", Secretary of the Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons of the Russian Federation, Ruben Tatevosovich Adamyan.

Myth One

Liposuction is the only effective way to combat obesity. For one procedure, about 10 liters of fat "go away"!

With the problem of obesity, you should contact an endocrinologist, but not a surgeon. Typically, liposuction is used to eliminate fat accumulations in focal areas, otherwise known as "fat traps". In women, these are the hips, buttocks, knee area, as well as lower abdomen. In men, the "traps" are located mainly on the chest and on the stomach, turning it into the notorious "beer belly".

As for the volumes that can be pumped out at one time, the smaller it is, the better for you. Agree if the doctor suggests performing liposuction in stages, and running away from those who guarantee you an "instant result". Removing a large amount of fat (more than 5 liters) causes a lot of blood loss and makes the procedure not just traumatic, but also very dangerous.

Myth Two

Ultrasonic, vacuum, tumescent liposuction... They're so different!

Despite the variety of methods of liposuction, they are united by a single principle. Through a special cannula under pressure, which creates a special apparatus, excess adipose tissue is removed from the body. Some methods involve the removal of fat not with a vacuum, but with a special syringe.

If we talk about safety, the most optimal in this regard is the ultrasonic method. Ultrasound causes the so-called cavitation effect when many small vesicles form in fat cells and they tear them from the inside. Cavitation is accompanied by heating, fat melts and is pumped out very easily. This avoids damage to the surrounding vessels, significantly reduces blood loss, and does not injure the skin, making it uneven and bumpy. In the medical center, "Paracelsus-2001" ultrasonic liposuction is performed using the SONOCA-LIPO device (manufactured by SÖRING, Germany). It has a number of functions, which in some cases allow you to operate even under local anesthesia.

Myth Three

Liposuction spoils the appearance of the skin. Remember what happens to a balloon when air is suddenly released from it.

Such a danger really exists if a large amount of fat is removed, and the skin is poorly reduced. To minimize this risk, you can use the method of ultrasonic liposuction, which has a pronounced effect of "lifting".

Myth Four

Liposuction can be done by absolutely everyone. It has no contraindications and does not cause any complications.

Any method of liposuction is a surgical operation, and it, of course, has a number of limitations. So, contraindications to liposuction are severe arterial hypertension, atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, coagulopathies, and severely impaired kidney, and liver function. Liposuction is also not recommended for patients with flabby, inelastic, and overstretched skin, for example, after childbirth.

As for complications, they are divided into early (general and local) and distant, which can occur later. Local complications, such as impaired skin sensitivity, seromas, or hematomas, although unpleasant, should not bother you. Usually, they pass on their own or are easily correctable. Long-term complications are rather aesthetic in nature.

These are bumps, uneven skin, hyperpigmentation, flabbiness, or rough scars. It is difficult to fight them, but it is possible. The most dangerous are common complications, such as fat embolism, anemia, or acute renal failure, which can lead to sad consequences. It is possible to reduce the risk of such troubles if you treat the upcoming operation with all responsibility. The qualifications of the surgeon plus your performance of his recommendations are almost one hundred percent guarantee of success.

Myth Five

After you have pumped out the "excess", get up and go home. The most that can be is a small swelling that quickly passes, and after a month you enjoy the result.

After the operation is over, you will have to stay in the hospital for at least a day - your surgeon will monitor you. The temperature may rise, and it will be uncomfortable to move. Swelling and bruising are inevitable, they last about three weeks, then disappear without a trace. An important point is that within a month after liposuction, you will have to wear special compression underwear. It promotes better skin contraction. As for the result, you can evaluate it about three months after the operation.

Myth Six

After liposuction, you can relax: forget about sports, diets, and expensive cosmetics.

Adherence to a special diet, massage, and physical exercises not only consolidates but also significantly improves the result. It is important to remember that liposuction is not a way to lose weight, or solve the problem of cellulite or stretch marks. Of course, by removing adipose tissue, you will lose a little weight. But if you don't reconsider your diet, fat will likely take its rightful place.

To find out which technique is right for you, the specialist conducts a preliminary examination. With small deposits, all types of liposuction give the same result, which, to a greater extent, depends not on the method, but rather on the experience of the surgeon. If the adipose tissue is more than three liters, the ultrasonic method is preferred.