Liposuction Procedure

On the topic of health, a lot of things come into play and due to the advancement of technology cum human intelligence, a lot of medical procedures have been added to the body of Medicine. It is important that you keep yourself abreast concerning health related actions, procedures or attitudes to prevent damage or further damage to health on the grounds of ignorance.

Talking about body altering surgeries,there are a good number of them but we’d talk about Liposuction in this article.

Liposuction (otherwise known as Lipo, Lipoplasty or body contouring) is a surgical procedure that makes use of a suction technique to remove fat from specific areas of the body. Such areas can include the abdomen, hips, thighs, buttocks, arms or neck. Liposuction also shapes (contours) the aforementioned areas.
It is important to note that Liposuction procedure is a major surgery.

Misconceptions

It is pertinent that this section (misconceptions) is handled first so that you know exactly what the procedure entails.

A lot of persons have the misconception that liposuction is a weight-loss method or a weight-loss (exercise or dieting) alternative so they opt for this procedure to avoid engaging in genuine exercise and having a diet reform. Lipoplasty does not do much to promote weight loss as only the fat in the specific areas will be removed.

Liposuction does not improve cellulite dimpling or other skin surface irregularities.
Liposuction does not remove stretch marks.

Uses

Liposuction is used to remove the fat from areas of the body that haven’t responded to diet and exercise, such as the: Abdomen, Upper arms, Buttocks, Calves and ankles, Chest and back, Hips and thighs, Chin and neck

Liposuction can sometimes be used for breast reduction or treatment of the health condition gynecomastia.
Lipoplasty is used to contour specific areas of the body.

Requirements and Risks

For liposuction, you must be in good health without conditions that could complicate the surgery process — such as restricted blood flow, coronary artery disease, diabetes or a weak immune system.
Ensure that a certified technican/ doctor performs the procedure.

Be ready to have a stable weight after the procedure to avoid loss of the improved contours.
Just like any major surgery, liposuction has it’s risks which include bleeding and reaction to anesthesia.

Possible complications specific to liposuction procedure include the following

Irregular Contours: Skin may appear bumpy, wavy or withered due to uneven fat removal, poor skin elasticity.
Damage beneath the skin from the thin tube (cannula) that is usually used during liposuction.

Fluid accumulation: Temporary pockets of fluid called seromas can form/ accumulate under the skin. This fluid may need to be drained with a needle depending on the volume.
Numbness: There can be temporary or permanent numbness in the affected area.
Temporary nerve irritation can also occur.

Infection: Skin infections are quite rare but not impossible in which a severe infection may be fatal.
Internal puncture: A cannula that penetrates too deeply may puncture an internal organ and will most likely require emergency surgical repair.

Fat embolism: Pieces of loosened fat may break away and become trapped in a blood vessel, gather in the lungs or worse travel to the brain, a serious medical emergency.
Kidney and heart problems: Changes in fluid levels as fluids are being injected and suctioned out can cause fatal kidney, heart and lung problems.

The risk of complications excalates even more if the surgeon is working on larger surfaces of the body or doing multiple procedures during the same operation. These complications can indeed become permanent depending on how it is handled and the ability of the body to recover.

A follow-up to this article will be published later on, it’ll contain the various types of liposuction, preparation for the procedure, precautions, results and my personal opinion about the procedure.

Till then, stay safe and make wise health decisions.