With rapid advances in medical technologies and the invention of new surgical techniques, body contouring procedures have gained a lot of popularity. Of these cosmetic procedures, liposuction is perhaps the most popular in the world. Modern liposuction techniques now allow for more effective and safer removal of excess fat in different areas of the body to improve a person’s physical appearance.
However, some people who have just had a liposuction surgery say that they don’t see any difference in their body after their procedure, and even see some irregularities or ‘lumps’ in the treated areas.
In order for you to get a true understanding of the results of a liposuction and the causes of dimpling after surgery, it is very important to be informed about what follows a liposuction, how long you should wait to recover from the surgery and see the final results, and what are potential complications and side effects.
Although in a liposuction surgery excess fat is removed from your body, you can’t see the final results of your liposuction immediately after the procedure. The swelling that occurs after a liposuction will obscure the outcome of the procedure.
For the study, Eckel and his colleagues evaluated 32 women. The average body mass index (BMI) was below 25 and considered a healthy weight. The range was 22 to 27.
The women had been at a healthy weight for at least three to six months. None had a history of weight loss of more than 10% of their maximum body weight. They had not had liposuction before.
Their average age was 40. The age range was 18 to 50. None had yet gone through menopause.
Of the 32, 14 were assigned to get liposuction. The other 18 served as the comparison group,
The women agreed not to change their lifestyle habits such as exercise and eating habits.
In the liposuction group, doctors removed up to 5 liters of fat from up to three regions: hips, thighs, and lower abdomen.
At six weeks, the percent body fat in the liposuction group declined by 2.1% and by 0.28% in the comparison group.
At six months, the difference between groups declined. By one year, there was no significant difference in body fat between the two groups.The fat that came back in different areas was not just the fat that lies directly under theskin, known as subcutaneous, but also the deeper visceral fat, linked withheart disease risk.However, he says, “We did not see an adverse metabolic effect.”
Even though the fat reappeared at different sites, he says, most of the women said they were still satisfied with the results of the procedure.
The study was funded partially by a National Institutes of Health grant.
Eckel’s advice to those about to undergo liposuction? “Be prepared. Your fat will come back and it may be distributed in your waist or above [if the areas liposuctioned are below that.]”
Eckel cannot explain for sure why the fat returns in different places. However, he speculates, “thebrainsenses a loss of fat and restores it.”
[caption id=”attachment_5255" align=”alignnone” width=”750"]
Female body with the drawing arrows on it. Fat lose, liposuction and cellulite removal concept.[/caption]
Liposuction is a less invasive surgery compared to many other procedures, but it is still a surgical procedure and involves a recovery period and downtime. Typically, the initial recovery following a liposuction surgery takes around a week and patients need to stay at home and take it easy.
The first 24 hours following a liposuction procedure will usually include fluid discharge from the incisions, which are made by the surgeon to insert the cannula and suction fat. This is normal and will stop on its own in a short time.
During the first few days following the procedure, swelling and bruising is common. For these conditions to improve, your surgeon prescribes a compression garment, which you should wear during the recovery. The garment should be worn all the time during the first two weeks and 12 hours a day during the third and fourth week.
During the first week, you need to take enough rest and drink plenty of water. Bathing and showering is not allowed during this period. For the post-operative pain and discomfort, your doctor may prescribe pain medications. It is recommended that you get up and move every two hours to prevent the formation of blood clots. On the fifth day, you should visit your surgeon for a follow-up.
Liposuction patients will normally be able to return to work the second week after surgery, but they should avoid intense physical activity and heavy lifting during for 3 weeks following the procedure.
Also, in the first few months after a liposuction, patients are advised not to expose the treated areas of their body to sunlight because the skin is more sensitive to sunlight after liposuction and sun rays can damage the collagens, and thus elasticity, of the skin, impairing the effectiveness of the procedure.
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Lumps after liposuction are not uncommon. These lumps are more common in large areas, such as the stomach, back, and thighs.
Patients may have skin irregularities (similar to extreme cellulite) for two weeks following their liposuction procedure, and this may even last for a few months.
Lumps after liposuction are more common in older people and those with poor skin elasticity. Skins with stretch marks are more prone to post-liposuction irregularities.
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The most common cause of lumps and bumps after lipo is the accumulation of fluid under the skin, which in turn causes swelling, or inflammation. While a liposuction procedure is underway, many tunnels are created under the skin by the cannula. These hollow spaces are filled with bodily fluids, which causes irregular swelling, hence the bumpy skin surface.
These tunnels gradually collapse with the help of the compress garment, which presses the skin down and helps it settle down and fit the underlying musculature.
In some cases, bumpiness might be caused by localized hematoma (blood accumulation under the skin). This takes up to one year to improve, when the blood is absorbed, or can be surgically removed.
Other liposuction lumps are residual fat that remains after liposuction. These are small bumps and gradually settle down. A secondary liposuction procedure can also solve this problem.
Additionally, a lack of skill on the part of the surgeon increases the chance of occurrence of dimpling and lumpiness in liposuctioned areas.
Phil Haeck, MD, is president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and a Seattle plastic surgeon. He reviewed the new research for WebMD and calls it a ‘’landmark’’ study.
“I hope we have more of these,” he says.However, he notes some limitations, such as the small number of women studied.He would have liked to see before-and-after photos, to gauge how noticeable the fat return was.
Of the fat return, he says, “I haven’t seen it in my patients.”
Neither has Marcel Daniels, MD, a plastic surgeon in Long Beach, Calif., who also reviewed the study findings for WebMD.
He has performed liposuction for 20 years.
‘’With that small study, it’s preliminary,” he says of the findings. “You can’t draw a conclusion from that.”
He wonders if some of the changes in fat tracked over the year could be age-related, as the women’s average age was 40.
Anyone thinking of having liposuction, say Haeck and Daniels, should know that it is no substitute for a healthy lifestyle. Nor is it a weight loss procedure.
When done correctly by a qualified doctor, Haeck says, liposuction “can be a very gratifying operation but it’s not a substitute for diet and exercise.”’Liposuction should serve as a springboard to a healthier lifestyle,” says Daniels, who is also associate professor of plastic surgery at the University of California Irvine.
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Liposuction (also known as liposculpture) is a surgical procedure that breaks down and removes the subcutaneous fat layer (fat just under the skin) in parts of the body that are notoriously and stubbornly resistant to diet and exercise. This is not a weight loss procedure; instead, it is a way to remove a pocket of fat that is not responsive in otherwise healthy individuals.
Some common “problem” areas of the body where liposuction is performed includes:
Less common areas include the ankles, inner thigh and upper back. The optimal area for each individual is unique, as each person responds to diet and exercise differently. Qualified plastic surgeons consult with patients to determine the areas of their body where liposuction makes sense.
The best candidates for liposuction are healthy individuals at or close to their goal weight. They are also nonsmokers.
Ideal patients have stubborn subcutaneous fat, in which fat resides between muscle and skin, and not visceral fat in which the layer of fat resides beneath the muscle layer around the abdominal organs.
Additionally, surgeons will evaluate the condition of a prospective patient’s skin before recommending liposuction. Patients with good skin elasticity are good candidates for liposuction, whereas patients with loose skin or cellulite are not, as these conditions can result in uneven or dimpled skin.
Contrary to popular belief, liposuction is not a weight-loss treatment. Instead, it is a fat reduction procedure. The amount of fat that can be removed in an area during a single procedure will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the surgeon’s assessment of the patient’s health and his or her aesthetic goals.
Plastic Surgeons will provide instructions for the days leading up to liposuction, but in general, it is most important to enlist a supportive friend or family member that can help drive to and from the surgical center and assist with postsurgical care. Certain medications like aspirin and blood thinners may need to be paused before the procedure. In some cases, blood work is done ahead of time to ensure that the client is a good candidate for anesthesia. Finally, the day of surgery, there will be a period where no food or drink should be taken; this is typically about 12 hours before the appointment time.
Liposuction is a surgical procedure that involves making small incisions in the skin and inserting a tool called a cannula into the fat pocket. This cannula is attached to a suction device or a syringe to extract the fat.
This is typically an outpatient surgery, so while patients may be put under general anesthesia they are often allowed to go home the same day as the surgery.
In most procedures, the patient can return to work in a few days and resume all normal activities, like exercise, within 2–4 weeks or less, though recovery and postsurgical care varies depending on the area treated and the amount of fat removed.
Following instructions is the best way to have a recovery that is short and as painless as possible. Some discomfort may be felt. However, lifestyle choices like rest, hydration and not smoking will make healing time faster and complications fewer. The most common postsurgical effects can include some swelling, bruising and tenderness in the area of the procedure. The surgical team will offer some options on pain relief after surgery as well as a list of pain relievers to avoid.
Common postsurgical instructions also include wearing compression garments in the areas that were treated. Modified activities may be recommended for a few weeks afterward to reduce strain on the target areas.
The cannula is a small instrument, and because of this, the scars are small as well. The number of scars is based on the number of insertion points needed to address the area. Scarring also varies depending on the patient’s skin quality. Surgeons will discuss location and the ways in which they can minimize the appearance of scarring.
Plastic Surgeons can help you anticipate and visualize realistic results. Immediately after surgery, there will be some swelling and the skin may be loose. Because of this it can take several weeks to months to see the full extent of the results of the procedure.
The fat cells removed during liposuction are permanently removed. It is important to note, however, that patients can still gain new fat cells, so following a healthy diet, lifestyle and exercise plan after treatment can help prevent new fat gain.
