Liposuction

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Fat layer in skin

Liposuction - series

After the surgery, pressure bandages are applied to keep pressure and stop any bleeding, as well as help maintain shape. Bandages are kept in place usually for at least 2 weeks. Your doctor may call you from time to time to check on your health status and monitor your healing. A visit back to the surgeon after 5-7 days is often recommended. Occasionally liposuction is associated with weight gain. This is due to the increased fluid from surgery.

Liposuction may or may not require hospitalization, depending on the location and extent of surgery. Liposuction can be done in an office-based facility, in a surgery center on an outpatient basis, or in a hospital. For reasons of cost and convenience, liposuction of smaller volumes is usually done as an outpatient. A stay in a hospital may be required if a larger volume of fat is being removed, or if you are having other procedures done at the same time.

The following are some of the uses for liposuction:

• Cosmetic reasons are the most common, including "love handles", unsightly fat bulges, or an abnormal chin line.
• To improve sexual function by reducing abnormally placed fat deposits on the inner thighs, thus allowing easier access to the vagina.
• Body shaping for people who are bothered by fatty bulges or irregularities that cannot be eliminated by diet and/or exercise.

However, liposuction is generally NOT appropriate for these uses:

• Liposuction is not a substitute for exercise and diet, and it is not a cure for generalized obesity. However, it may be used in sequenced removal of fat from isolated areas at different points in time.
• It is not an effective treatment for cellulite (the uneven, dimpled appearance of skin over hips, thighs and buttocks).
• Certain areas should not have liposuction performed on them, such as the fat on the sides of the breasts. This is due to the fact that the breast is a common site for cancer.

Many alternatives to liposuction may be considered, including abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), excision of lipomas (fatty tumor), reduction mammaplasty (breast size reduction), or a combination of plastic surgery approaches.

Review Date: 06/10/2005
Reviewed By: Joseph P. Hart, MD, Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.