Liposuction

Liposuction removes excess fat deposits and improves your body contours and proportions. This procedure can be done anywhere on the body including thighs, hips, buttocks, abdomen, waist, upper arms, back, inner knee, chest area, cheeks, neck, chin, calves, and ankles.

Minimally invasive surgery is a procedure that involves a smaller incision and a less-invasive technique, shortening recovery time.

Liposuction may be right for you if you’re bothered by excess fat deposits anywhere on your body that don’t respond to diet or exercise. Ideal candidates for liposuction are healthy, non-smoking people within 30% of their ideal weight who have firm, elastic skin and good muscle tone. 

Some of the possible side effects include bruising; a change in your skin sensation that may be persistent; damage to nerves, blood vessels, muscles, lungs, and abdominal organs; deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot in a vein); fluid accumulation; infection; irregular contours or asymmetries; irregular pigmentation; the need for revision surgery; persistent swelling; poor wound healing; rippling or loose skin; worsening of cellulite; swelling, and a thermal burn or heat injury from the lipoplasty technique.

Some of the possible side effects of intravenous sedation are drowsiness, dry mouth, nausea and vomiting, headache, bruising (from the IV), amnesia about the procedure, and crying.

Healthy eating and exercise are two ways to address unwanted body fat. Another alternative is cryolipolysis, also known as fat freezing. It’s a nonsurgical procedure that uses cold temperature to reduce fat.

You don’t need a referral to see a plastic surgeon.

You can always get a second or third opinion, but it isn’t required.

Your health history will be compiled and available to the team before, during, and after surgery. If you’re a Hancock Health patient, we will be able to access your records within our system. If you aren’t, we’ll work with your doctors to get the necessary information.

Consult the Price Transparency Tool at HancockRegionalHospital.org for an idea of how much liposuction might cost.

Prior to your surgery you may be asked to get lab tests or a medical evaluation. If you smoke, you’ll probably be asked to stop for several weeks. You’ll also probably be instructed not to eat anything after midnight on the day of your surgery, and you might be told to stop taking certain medications, including blood thinners or dietary supplements. (Not sure where to go to get your lab tests? Check out Gateway Hancock Health, where you’ll be able to get in and out quickly and pay, on average, 70% less than you’ll pay at a hospital.)

You’ll arrive an hour before your surgery and be escorted to the preoperative waiting area.You’ll remove all of your clothing and jewelry, and put on a hospital gown. (Your valuables will be placed in a secure area or may be given to a family member.) You’ll sign any necessary paperwork and a preoperative nurse will take your vital signs, review your medications, and answer any questions.You’ll meet your surgery team and they’ll mark the location for the liposuction on your body. If your surgical team hasn’t already taken photos of the area you’re having treated, they might do so before your procedure. They will be useful later, for before and after comparisons.Your chosen method of anesthesia will be administered. When it’s time for your surgery, you will be wheeled into the operating suite on a stretcher.

In addition to the surgeon, you have an anesthesiologist, nurses—some of them specialize in working with patients and others assist the surgeon—and support staff who will check you in and out, compile your records, and more. They all work together, performing their individual jobs, so the procedure is as successful as possible.

You’ll want to have comfortable, loose clothing. For the drive home, you’ll also want dark towels (to sit on to absorb any leaking fluids), a pillow, and soda crackers and water.

The most common type of liposuction is tumescent liposuction. Your surgeon will start by injecting a fluid mixture—of salt water, a local anesthetic, and a drug called epinephrine—into the part of your body we’re treating. That causes the area to swell and become firmer, prepping it for fat removal. (This solution will also reduce blood loss during the procedure and bruising, pain, and swelling afterward.) Then, your surgeon makes small cuts in your skin and inserts a cannula, a thin tube connected to a vacuum that’ll suction fat out of your body.  Other methods include: Power-assisted liposuction: This procedure uses a cannula, moving quickly back and forth to pull out tough fat more easily. This can be used if you want to remove larger amounts of fat or if you’ve had liposuction before. Ultrasound-assisted liposuction: This can be used with tumescent liposuction. Your surgeon will insert a metal rod that gives off ultrasonic energy under your skin, breaking apart the fat cells. Laser-assisted liposuction: The surgeon inserts a laser fiber through a small incision in the skin and your fat deposits are liquified. They can then be removed using a cannula.

Liposuction surgery typically takes one to two hours. 

You’ll spend time in the recovery room, but you’ll likely be able to go home the same day as your procedure. There will be some pain, swelling, and bruising in the area that was treated. You’ll be told to wear compression garments for a few weeks to reduce swelling.

You’ll be able to talk to your surgeon immediately after your procedure, while you’re in the recovery room.

In most cases, patients receive pain medication immediately following surgery. 

You’ll likely be able to control pain with over-the-counter medications, but a prescription for pain medication is possible.

Ask someone to spend at least the first few days after surgery at home with you—especially if you have children.Prepare to take it easy for a few days, so compile reading material or a list of movies or television shows you’d like to watch.Shop for groceries before your procedure and have lots of hydrating liquids and healthy foods on hand.Have dark towels available. They’ll absorb any leaking fluid.Prepare to take a week off from work.Prepare to wear compression garments or elastic bandages around the treated areas.You might have small drains at your surgical site. If so, we’ll tell you exactly how to care for them and how long they’ll be in.

Any sutures will likely be removed during your first postoperative appointment with your surgeon. You might have small scars where the incisions were placed, but significant scarring is unlikely.

Call your surgeon’s office, and, if you’re in need of immediate emergency services, go to the nearest emergency room.