Areas that can be addressed with liposuction
A fast, safe and efficient method to get rid of unwanted fat deposits is to undergo a liposuction intervention. When performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon, the procedure can deliver impressive results that are impossible to achieve in any other way.
Most of the time, we are concerned with excessive fat deposits in areas such as the tummy and thighs, and these are some of the most common areas targeted with liposuction. But other areas of the body can be sculpted using this very popular plastic surgery procedure. Let’s have a look together at what liposuction entails and areas that can be addressed with liposuction.
What happens during a liposuction session?
Liposuction is performed with the patient under local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia. The anesthesia method is chosen depending on the profile of the patient, the estimated duration of the procedure, and other factors. The use of anesthesia ensures the patient feels no pain or discomfort during the intervention.
After the anesthesia is administered, the surgeon makes small incisions in the areas to be treated during the procedure. The incisions are no longer than 3 mm, and through them, the surgeon inserts a hollow steel cannula. The cannula is connected to a medical vacuum device that collects the fat after the plastic surgeon dislodges and liquefies it.
In some cases, the fat removed from areas where it was in excess is processed and reinjected in areas of the body that need more volume. The intervention is called fat transfer or lipofilling.
Best candidates for liposuction
Despite what some people tend to believe, the procedure is not a weight-loss method, nor should it be used as such. Liposuction is recommended for healthy, balanced patients with few or no underlying medical conditions. It is preferable for the patient to avoid smoking at least three weeks or more before and after the procedure. Quitting smoking can help you have a smoother and faster recovery process.
At the same time, the best candidates for liposuction have a positive attitude towards the surgery and realistic expectations in terms of the results that can be achieved.
If you are concerned that some areas of the body have an excess of adipose tissue and you have a normal weight, then you might be the ideal candidate for liposuction.
Your candidacy for liposuction is assessed by the plastic surgeon during the initial consultation. The plastic surgeon evaluates your health condition, mentions liposuction options and methods and the potential risks and complications associated with the procedure.
Make sure to ask questions during the initial consultation, so you are well prepared for the procedure.
Areas that can be addressed with liposuction
We have already mentioned that abdominal lipo is one of the most commonly performed procedures worldwide. But the procedure can be used to address several areas of the body. If you need to remodel certain areas of the body by getting rid of fat pockets, you should think about getting a lipo session.
Liposuction can be performed on areas such as the thighs, hips and buttocks, abdomen and waist, the upper part of the arms, the back, the knees, calves and ankles, the chest (in men), and even the cheeks, chin, and neck.
It’s important to mention that liposuction can be performed on multiple areas of the body at the same time. However, not all areas of the body can be corrected with liposuction at the same time. And this is the reason why the procedure can’t be used as a weight-loss method.
If you are confronted with fat deposits all over the body, the recommendation is to try to lose weight with diets and physical exercises. Only after you reach a normal weight for your height and age, you can resort to plastic surgery to refine the aspect of the body.
Undergoing liposuction when you are not a good candidate for the procedure can lead to unsatisfactory results, and this is something we are trying to avoid when it comes to plastic surgery.
How many areas can be treated with lipo during one session?
This is a popular question coming from patients interested in this procedure. However, the question should be formulated a bit differently. It’s not necessarily about a number of areas but about the amount of fat that can be safely eliminated in one liposuction session.
What does this mean? There is a maximum amount of fat that can be removed during one liposuction intervention. This cap is calculated depending on the patient’s weight and medical condition, but generally, no more than 6 liters of fat can be safely removed in one session of liposuction. To eliminate more fat could pose a serious health risk for the patient, so it should be avoided. This is the reason why some patients need to undergo several lipo procedures to achieve the results they desire or to address all areas that need remodeling.
Most often, the plastic surgeon suggests targeting nearby areas during one session. This means you can have your upper/ lower back remodeled at the same time with the buttocks or the thighs. The arms could be remodeled together with the tummy. The chin and neck could be treated with lipo during the same procedure.
Lipo combined with other plastic surgery procedures
It’s also important to mention that you can have lipo combined with a tummy tuck or an arms lift, or even a breast reduction. In some cases, men undergo lipo on the chest combined with a gynecomastia procedure.
When considering undergoing combined procedures, keep in mind that the estimated length of the procedure can determine the type of anesthesia recommended for your particular case.
Final words
Liposuction is one of the safest, most requested plastic surgery procedures in the United States, but also in other parts of the world. The procedure can be performed at the level of one or multiple areas of the body, depending on the patient’s individual characteristics and the plastic surgeon’s recommendations. The procedure can be safely performed on areas of the body and the face such as the tummy, buttocks, waist, thighs, hips, calves, ankles, chin, neck, and others.