Liposuction is a type of fat-removal procedure used in plastic surgery. Liposuction is a process in which fat tissues stored in specific areas under the skin are removed by a vacuum assisted thin cannula. Liposuction procedures usually target specific areas of the body. These include the abdomen, hips, thighs, buttocks, arms and neck. Liposuction also shapes (contours) these areas. Other names for liposuction include lipoplasty and body contouring.
Fat tissues differ between various parts of the body. Fat tissues beneath the skin differ from fat tissues surrounding important organs. Such organs include the eyes, intestines, vasculature, and nerves. The surgical plan must take into account the nature of the fat tissues and their location.
With lipoplasty, fat is removed from the excess fat-stored parts of the body and reshaped into a more proportionate and beautiful silhouette. This procedure is most commonly applied to areas such as the abdomen, legs, knees, buttocks, waist, back, arms and lower jaw.
The targeted fat graft taken during liposuction mainly is in the abdominal anterior-side, the hips around the thighs, inner-outer thighs, and the fat tissues in the arms and legs. Stored fat tissues are the least affected by weight loss of the various fat tissues. They also tend to be prevalent in the areas where women gain more weight during pregnancy.
Liposuction surgery is not recommended for obese patients with a high ratio of intraabdominal fat unless they first lose weight (i.e. without reducing intra-abdominal fat). Even if you take a lot of fat from under the skin in these patients, because the fat in the abdomen can not be taken, the result expected from liposuction can not be obtained.
Liposuction surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia. The time varies depending on the areas where liposuction is performed. You will stay at the hospital for 1 day. Recovery time is 3-5 days. However, the body shape typically will appear after the 3rd month. This is because the fat continues to dissolve until 6 months after surgery. In the post-operative period, elastic corsets are worn on the areas where surgery is performed. This helps the skin to adapt to its new position more smoothly. It is recommended that these corsets be worn for 3-6 weeks on average.
