AN INTRODUCTION
Liposuction, also known as liposculpture suction lipectomy (suction-assisted fat removal), is a surgical procedure that targets isolated pockets of fat from problem areas. It has been the most popular cosmetic procedure among Americans for the last 30 years, only surpassed by breast augmentation between 2008 and 2010.
Candidates for the procedure include men and women who are a few pounds shy of their ideal weight but have excess fat that refuses to respond to diet or exercise. These problem areas include:
- Abdomen
- Upper arms
- Flanks (love handles)
- Hips
- Back
- Outer thighs (saddlebags)
- Inner thighs
- Inner knees
- Jowls
Liposuction was never designed to be a weight-loss procedure; it is a fat loss and contouring procedure that enhances the proportions of the patient’s body.
The Procedure
The procedure can be broken down into a few basic steps. Liposuction begins with the patient under general or regional (tumescent) sedation or simply under local anesthesia. Small incisions are made near the area where fat will be removed.
A cannula, a small, blunt, tube-like instrument, is used together with an aspirator for fat removal. The surgeon inserts the cannula through the incisions and uses it to gently break up the unwanted fat. When the fat cells rupture, they are then drawn out of the body by suction. The incisions may then be sutured and left to heal.
Some types of liposuction use ultrasound, mechanized cannulae, or water for easier fat removal.
The Ideal Candidate
Patients at almost any age over 18 may undergo liposuction in Utah; however, the best results can be achieved in patients with enough skin elasticity – a factor that more or less ensures a smooth contour after the procedure. The patient must also be in good general health and observe proper diet and exercise.
To know more about the kind of liposuction Utah cosmetic surgeon Dr. Stewart offers, call 801-375-4100 today.…