If you find that you have stubborn areas of fat that won’t budge despite exercise and a healthy diet, you might consider liposuction as a solution. Read on to discover more about this fat-removal treatment and how it works.
1 - 3 hours
12 weeks
first 6 weeks
Liposuction is a type of cosmetic surgery that uses suction to remove areas of fat from the body. Some of the most popular areas to have treated by liposuction include the tummy, hips, thighs and arms. It can also be used on smaller areas, such as the face or neck.
Also known as lipoplasty, liposculpture, and sometimes body contouring, liposuction is popular with those who are at or near their goal weight, but have stubborn pockets of fat that they want to eliminate.
As with all surgery, liposuction comes with its own risks and potential side effects as well as benefits, and you should be aware of these before going ahead with your procedure. The risks include:
– Bruising
– Changes in sensation
– Fluid build-up (known as seroma)
– Infection
– Scarring
– Persistent swelling
– Asymmetry
– Discomfort
– As anaesthesia is involved in the liposuction procedure, you should also be aware of the risks and side effects that this brings.
Our team of expert surgeons have extensive experience in performing this procedure, so you’ll be able to ask them any questions about the risks of liposuction during your consultation.
During your consultation process, your surgeon will explain to you in detail what will happen during your liposuction surgery. Liposuction usually requires local anaesthetic, meaning that the area that is being treated will be numbed so that you don’t feel anything during the procedure.
Once the anaesthetic has taken place, your surgeon will begin by injecting the targeted area with a solution containing anaesthetic, in order to reduce any bruising and swelling. They will then make small incisions in the targeted area before inserting a thin tube (known as a cannula) which is attached to a suction machine
The cannula is moved back and forth to loosen the fat and suck it out. Once this part is complete, any excess fluid is drained before the area is sutured and bandaged.
The whole process can take between 1-3 hours.
You might be considering liposuction if you have areas of fat that won’t budge despite a healthy lifestyle. You should also be at or near your goal weight, and be in good health generally.
It’s important to know that liposuction is not a weight loss treatment, and you should be prepared to maintain a stable weight following your liposuction.
Full recovery from liposuction will take around 6 weeks. For the first week, you might have some discomfort and should avoid even mild forms of exercise. From 2 to 4 weeks you can begin to resume light exercise, and after 3 weeks you can do more vigorous activities. From 4 to 6 weeks, you’ll be able to resume all activities, including heavy lifting.
It can take 6 months for the swelling to settle completely.
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Liposuction permanently removes fat cells, meaning that they won’t reappear in the area that they’ve been removed from. However, this won’t stop fat from forming in other areas. To get the most out of your results, you should be prepared to maintain a stable weight.
There are various types of liposuction, and each uses a specific technique to achieve your desired results. Some of the most popular types of liposuction include:
– Traditional liposuction: Uses a suction device attached to a small tube to remove targeted areas of fat
– Vaser liposuction: Uses state-of-the-art ultrasonic technology to break down fat before it’s removed from the body
– Non-surgical vaser liposuction: As above, but ideal for smaller areas of the body, such as the face and neck
Liposuction can be performed on any area that has a sufficient amount of fat. Some of the most popular areas to have this procedure include:
– Abdomen
– Upper arms
– Thighs
– Hips
– Chin
– Chest
According to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, no more than 3 litres of fat can be safely removed from one area.
While liposuction removes excess fat from the stomach, a tummy tuck removes excess fat and excess skin, repairing the abdominal muscles at the same time. A tummy tuck might be better for you if you have excess skin on your tummy because of pregnancy and/or significant weight loss
Any scarring will be minimal, and will fade over time. You can help improve the appearance of scars by using Vitamin E cream on them once the wounds have healed.
Have a question about surgery? Want to enquire about a procedure? Fill in the form & we will be in touch very soon.
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