Is Liposuction Right for You? Exploring the Benefits and Considerations

Liposuction, often called lipectomy, liposculpture, lipoplasty, or usually just by lipo, is a type of plastic surgery that breaks apart and sucks fat from your body. It is typically used on areas like your upper arms and back of arms, chin, neck, buttocks, thighs, abdomen, back, and calves. Lipo is one of Linia Cosmetic Surgery’s most popular surgery procedures. Liposuction may be the best option if you have difficulty shifting fat anywhere. Below we discuss some of the benefits and considerations of liposuction; you should factor into whether you have it or not.

Understanding Liposuction

Before we go any further, it is essential to note that liposuction was not devised or used as a weight loss tool. It was developed to help people with stable body weight to remove unwanted deposits of body fat that are harder to shift with diet and exercise alone. The procedure involves a cannula, a hollow instrument carefully inserted underneath your skin and a high-pressure and powerful vacuum held against the cannula to remove the stubborn fat deposits.

It permanently removes these fat cells and therefore alters your body shape. It does not remove stretch marks, dimples, or cellulite; the remaining fat cells could grow bigger if you do not have a healthy lifestyle following the procedure.

There is also only a limited volume of fat that can be removed safely with lipo. So if you hope liposuction surgery will help you to stop you gain weight, you need to think again, as it is not a quick fix. You will still need to put work in and be determined to make a new dietary regime and exercise routine a habit.

Are You a Good Candidate for Liposuction?

If you are interested in liposuction, you should make sure you are a suitable candidate. While we try not to exclude any of our clients here at Linia Cosmetic Surgery. The process is best used on people who have pockets of fat in specific areas, firm, elastic skin and are at a healthy weight.

To be accepted for lipo, you will have to meet the following criteria:

• Have realistic expectations
• Be fully aware of the limitations of liposuction
• Be in good physical health

While there is no restriction on who has lipo, the procedure may not be as successful if you have less skin elasticity due to ageing.

Benefits of Liposuction

While it’s true that liposuction’s main benefits are primarily aesthetic, there are other ways it can benefit you too. Some of the most important health benefits of liposuction include:

Safest Form of Fat Removal

One of the fundamental reasons liposuction surgery has increased in popularity over the years is that it is a safe way to remove fat. As it involves making only small incisions into specific areas and injecting anaesthetic fluid, injecting it is low risk and does not cause too much pain.

Improved Emotional Health

Lipo can help to improve the emotional health of anyone who has the procedure because of body or self-confidence issues. As well as offering an almost immediate self-esteem boost, liposuction can also act as the catalyst for you to change your diet and exercise regimen or schedule.

Improved Mobility

Often unwanted and hard-to-shift pockets of fat can restrict your mobility. When you remove them, your mobility in your hips, thighs, and knees could improve significantly, depending on your total weight.

Instant Results

Liposuction has almost instant results compared to other plastic surgery and alternative therapies. After completing it, you can see how much fat and weight you have lost from the target areas. Once the swelling has calmed and subsided, you will also see, very quickly, that your body has the desired shape that you agreed upon with your surgeon.

Can Remove Lipomas

Lipomas, for the uninitiated, are fatty tumour-like growths that can harm your health over time if they are not removed.

Considerations Before Undergoing Liposuction

There are some things you need to think about before having lipo, including:

Even though immediate results are visible, the complete results may take a few months.

It would be best to consider the financial cost, as you cannot have a cosmetic surgical procedure like liposuction on the NHS and will need to get it private from a practice like Linia Cosmetic Surgery.

Lipo is a cosmetic procedure suited to people with bulges that remain problematic even if they have a healthy diet and regular exercise.

If any excess skin is left over following lipo, you may need to have additional skin surgery

If you have dimpled skin, it is likely to remain dimpled after you’ve had liposuction.

Types of Liposuction Techniques

There are three different liposuction procedures:

Super-wet – For this form of lipo, the professional performing the procedure will inject the same volume of fluid as the volume of fat they intend to remove

Tumescent – for this technique, the surgeon will inject a fluid combination of saline, epinephrine and anaesthetic directly into your unwanted excess fat deposits and fat pockets. Epinephrine is used to help limit bruising and blood loss and constricts your blood vessels.

Ultrasound-assisted liposuction – as you may imagine, this technique involves using an ultrasound device to melt away the unwanted pockets of fat, making removal easier.

Recovery and Aftercare

Another significant benefit of liposuction compared to other treatments and cosmetic procedures is that it involves a relatively short recovery period. There are things you need to be aware of, but as long as you follow your surgeon’s instructions and advice, you should be able to recover quickly and thoroughly.

This includes:

You may still need to take a short break from work to get sufficient rest

You should avoid any strenuous activities for at least one month so your body has time to heal

Make an appointment to see your surgeon or GP to have the stitches removed around 7 to 10 days following surgery.

You may need to wear the pressure garment you are given for several weeks.

You should report any severe pain, uncommon symptoms or bleeding to your GP or the surgeon/

Choosing a Qualified Plastic Surgeon

It would be best to look for a board-certified plastic surgeon for liposuction surgery. At Linia Cosmetic Surgery, all our plastic surgeons are fully licensed and trained and have many years of experience working with patients like you.

It would be best to choose a plastic surgeon you feel comfortable with, who will listen to your needs, desires, concerns and worries regarding the treatment and the possible results. If you don’t feel like they will listen to you, it can make you lose confidence in their abilities.

Alternatives to Liposuction

If you haven’t already done so, there are some alternatives to lipo surgery you may like to try before going under the knife.

This includes

Eating a much healthier and low-fat diet

Exercising regularly

Getting massages regularly from a professional

Talking to a psychologist or counsellor, as they may be able to help you work through the issues and concerns you have surrounding your looks and physical appearance. It may help you to realise you are comfortable with who you are and how you look.

Conclusion

So, if you have unwanted body fat in areas where it is hard to shift and have exhausted all other ideas and plans for moving it, to no avail, at Linia Cosmetic Surgery, we are here to help you. Please speak to one of our team today to learn more about our liposuction treatment and book your consultation appointment with a trained specialist, who will gladly tell you everything you want.

Posted In: Body Treatments Blogs

Written By: Dr Khalid Irshad