Liposuction involves the removal of fat by small tubes, or cannulas, attached to a vacuum aspiration device. Only fat in the subcutaneous layers of the body are accessible for liposuction. Patients with fat inside their abdomen, for example, are not helped by liposuction, but instead must resort to dieting and exercise for this visceral fat loss. Liposuction is not a substitute for proper diet and exercise. Although liposuction, per se, is not a reliable way of losing weight; it is a very reliable means of contouring.
Once the fat cells are removed, your net fat cell number is reduced permanently, thus making it theoretically more difficult for you to regain the fullness in the treated area.
Liposuction is essentially a redistribution operation in that the fat in the areas treated is reduced in proportion to the rest of the body. We are frequently asked if the fat "goes somewhere else", or if one tends to put on weight in other areas of the body. One explanation for this perception may be that without a change in caloric intake, in the setting of stable or declining basal metabolic rate (which occurs as we age), it is predictable that fat would accumulate as a means of storing energy. If the depots of fat that were once present have been significantly reduced in capacity, then it follows that those fat depots remaining untreated may tend to accumulate more fat if energy intake exceeds energy expenditure.
It is therefore very important that patients considering liposuction understand the importance of diet and exercise in maintaining their weight, and realize that liposuction is not an alternative to a healthy lifestyle.
A comprehensive assessment by the
plastic surgeon of each patient on an individual basis is essential to the development of a specific treatment plan directed at identifying those specific areas that may be responsive to liposuction. In many instances, patients seek consultation for what amounts to a desire to lose weight. A stable Body Mass Index of less than 27 is necessary to be considered a candidate for liposuction. You should be aware of your Body Mass Index (BMI) and your surgeon's guidelines for what constitutes good candidacy for liposuction . In most surgeon's experience, patients with a BMI above 27 are usually too overweight to derive a good result with liposuction. Their problem is more generalized, and liposuction would not typically be able to access areas of fat accumulation, such as the fat within the abdominal cavity. The ideal candidates have very specific areas of their bodies, which cause them concern and seem to be unresponsive to dieting and/or exercise. Liposuction affords us the ability to sculpt those specific areas with very small incisions (and thus very inconspicuous scars), thus bringing the patient into proportion with the rest of his or her features.
Most plastic surgeons offer a complimentary consultation during which he/she gathers a medical history, including the patient’s weight gain and loss pattern, diet and exercise regimen, and goals for the procedure. Any previous medical conditions need to be identified prior to assessing the patient for surgical candidacy. Height and weight measurements are taken and a physical examination is done to assess the skin tone and texture, skeletal abnormalities such as scoliosis, and muscle bulk and tone. Digital images are obtained and using sophisticated morphing software, surgeons who employ this technology can demonstrate a realistic estimate of the result you might obtain with liposuction. This provides you with an image of yourself which is enormously useful to your decision-making about whether this is a procedure which would satisfy your goals.
