At present, liposuction ranks as the second most sought after plastic surgery procedure in the United States after breast augmentation.
Fundamental Breakthroughs
Advanced surgical techniques have made it possible to perform liposuction in a less invasive and more precise way. The surgeon may choose an appropriate technique for a patient, but the general steps involved in the liposuction will remain largely unchanged.
At the time of the pre-operative consultation, the surgeon will inform the patient on the various facets of liposuction, including the steps involved in the surgery. In general, well-informed patients feel more confident about the procedure and are able to make better choices.
Board certified plastic surgeon Roger Tsai, MD provides liposuction body contouring to patients in West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, CA , and surrounding locations.
Anesthesia
Administering of anesthesia is the first step in the liposuction procedure.
If large amounts of fat need to be eliminated from multiple areas or where liposuction is combined with other surgical procedures, general anesthesia may be used. Local anesthesia with light sedation will usually suffice in other cases.
Tumescent liposuction is one of the most sought after fat removal techniques, which requires only local anesthesia. This approach involves the use of tiny incisions. This enables the patient recover faster with a reduced risk of complications.
Placement of Incisions
After anesthesia, the next step involves placing the incisions in discreet sites within the treated area. The incision size typically ranges between a quarter and a third of an inch.
The surgeon will aim to keep the incisions discreet in the natural skin creases or other hidden sites to minimize any future scarring.
Fat Tissue Reduction
The surgeon will insert a thin, narrow tube (cannula) into the deeper layers of fat through the incisions to break down the stubborn fat deposits.
They will manipulate this vacuum tube gently to dislodge the fat pockets and make their removal easier. After the fat tissue breaks down, the surgeon will suction out the fat using a syringe or a pump attached to the cannula’s outer end.
Sometimes cutting-edge techniques such as ultrasound, laser, or RF energy may be applied at this stage to make the process of fat removal more targeted and less invasive. During and after the procedure, the patient will be given replacement fluids intravenously to make up for blood and fluid loss.
Incision Closure
Upon completion of the cosmetic surgery procedure, the incisions are cautiously sealed with traditional or absorbable sutures. The surgeon may place temporary drain tubes underneath the skin in the incision areas to accumulate excess fluid.
Initially, bandages will be applied to the incisions, and within a few days, a compression garment may replace these bandages to support further healing and tighten the newly sculpted contours.
The sutures and drain tubes will typically be removed in around seven to ten days after the procedure. If the incisions are quite minor, the surgeon may choose to allow them to remain open to attain desired results with minimal bruising and inflammation.
Cosmetic surgeon Roger Tsai, MD receives patients from West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, CA, and nearby areas for liposuction body contouring.
For more information on cosmetic plastic surgery procedures and treatments by Beverly Hills board certified plastic surgeon, Roger Tsai, MD please click here or call us at 310.276.1190. Taking patients from Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Orange County, Southern California and other surrounding cities.