Liposuction

Procedure qualification:

I perform the procedure only for patients with a normal BMI or slight overweight. This is body contouring. In cases of significant overweight and obesity, the risk of the procedure outweighs the questionable benefits.

Anesthesia

local or local and general, depending on the extent and duration of the procedure.

Duration

1 – 4 h

Stay in clinic

1 day

Recovery period

• Return to intellectual work and driving after 3-7 days (depending on the extent of the procedure).
• Return to physical work – according to your own feelings (no earlier than 3 days).
• Engaging in sports – according to your own feelings (movement in the liposuction area is recommended already a few days after the procedure).

Follow-up examinations (at the designated place and times):

• After 1 week (mandatory) – local condition check, suture removal.
• after 1 month (optional) – local condition check and preliminary assessment of the procedure's result.
• after 1 year (mandatory) – final assessment of the procedure's result.

Medication after the procedure

Over-the-counter painkillers.

Wearing special compression garment for 1 month non-stop.

A few days after the procedure, a cycle of 7-10 massages of the suctioned area is necessary to achieve an optimal result.

Inevitable consequences of liposuction:

Temporary: swelling, bruising, general suffering (spontaneous pain, tenderness of the operated area), general weakness, sensory disturbances at the treatment site (rare but can be permanent)

Permanent: skin scars at the cannula insertion site (usually in the form of a dot, not a linear scar),

Potential complications:

• Local: overcorrection – excessive removal of adipose tissue (skin too loose at the treatment site, irregularities in the form of a depression at the treatment site); insufficient correction, uneven removal of adipose tissue (irregularity in the form of a prominence), hematoma, seroma, infection, lack of skin contraction over the new reduced base.
• Local – related to damage to anatomical structures at the treatment site (vessels, nerves, abdominal organs, chest).
• Systemic: venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism; pulmonary fat embolism;
• Deaths after liposuction due to systemic complications or local damage to anatomical structures have been reported (with large liposuction procedures exceeding 3 liters);
• The result of the procedure is never perfect; there is always some imperfection and asymmetry;
• The result of plastic surgery is assessed subjectively, and the patient's psychological reaction to the outcome of the procedure cannot be predicted;
• Complications prolong the recovery period;
• Liposuction is not a weight loss method; it is a body contouring method. In cases of significant overweight or obesity, bariatric treatment (the specialized name for obesity treatment) is indicated;

Alternative courses of action:

1. Withdrawal from the procedure;
2. Lipolysis (chemical, ultrasonic, laser fat dissolution);