Liposuction

If you are at your preferred and stable weight and you have stubborn areas of fatty tissue that you have not been able to lose with diet and exercise, then liposuction may be the right procedure for you. It aims to naturally improve the shape of selected areas of your body by removing these stubborn areas of fat. However, in liposuction surgery, less may be more for a smooth and more natural look and the procedure may have to be repeated if large volumes need removing.

If your weight is stable, with no large fluctuations, then the results will be long standing. The areas of liposuction are somewhat protected from mild weight gain, but the results can alter if this is considerable. Liposuction is generally not appropriate as a procedure for areas on the body where there is a lot of loose overlying skin. It also cannot be used as a means of weight loss.

Depending on the degree of liposuction required and the number of areas of the body treated, the surgery time can range between two to three hours. It requires a general anaesthetic and patients either spend one night in hospital or go home the same day.

There is always an element of discomfort associated with this procedure. I would be lying if I said this was totally painless, however this varies between individuals and depends on the volume of fat that needs to be removed and the number of areas which need treatment. Overall you should not experience any sharp pain, rather a dull ache for the first few days after the operation, which usually settles down after about a week to ten days. Some bruising is also to be expected and this can be worse in the legs. In an effort to minimise discomfort, local anaesthetic solution is used during the surgery and oral pain killers will be given to you post operatively and to take home.

Application of a compression garment to the liposuction areas, is vital for your recovery, comfort and to prevent complications. It will reduce swelling in the area, reduce pain and allow for effective skin retraction. Depending on where your surgery takes place, this will either be provided for you (Spire Clare Park), or one will be recommended to you for purchase. It is recommended that this is worn day and night for six weeks following surgery.

On the whole, patients recover quickly following low to medium volume liposuction. After about one week the discomfort is much improved, although the skin over the treated areas may still feel warm to the touch. Bruising is to be expected and, in some cases, it can be extensive especially in the legs. This can take up to 6 weeks and sometimes longer to fully settle. What improves last is the swelling, that can take up to 6 months to fully subside and allow for the final result to become evident. Swelling is at its maximum on about day 3 – 4 after surgery and it then slowly starts to decrease. Some patients, due to the swelling and fluid retention (after surgical infiltration), feel heavier, but this improves with time as the fluid is gradually removed by the body. You are advised to avoid hot baths during the immediate recovery period of about two weeks. To minimise complications and to allow the overlying skin to retract, tighten and adopt its new contour, a surgical compression garment must be used for 6 weeks or longer if the swelling persists. This must be worn day and night. Some centres advocate lymphatic massage following liposuction to reduce the swelling. Although there is no good evidence that this significantly works, surgical massage after a few days post operatively, may improve the contour and minimise irregularities.

Low to medium volume liposuction is a very safe technique. The potential risks increase considerably as more volume is removed, hence I do not offer large volume liposuction. If a considerable amount needs to be removed (over 5 litres), then for patient safety, I will split the procedure into two stages, with a minimum 6-month gap in between treatments. I do not currently offer Vaser liposuction. Liposuction is not suitable for body areas with a lot of excess skin, as this will be exaggerated after the treatment and will look unsightly. Skin retraction does occur to an extent, but there is a limit to this and depends on the individual skin quality. Best results are seen in people with good skin quality and localised lipodystrophy where there are pockets of fat difficult to lose with diet and exercise. Other good candidates for liposuction, are people who are happy with their current weight and are not prepared to lose a lot more just to remove these stubborn areas. In general terms there is always some discomfort and bruising involved (more on the legs that the torso), risk of skin numbness, loose overlying skin that might require removal, risk of infection, poor scarring, bleeding, degrees of asymmetry, prolonged swelling, lumpiness, unevenness in the areas of liposuction, DVT (clot in the leg), PE (clot in the lung) and need for revision surgery. With all liposuction cases, there is always a risk of unevenness when fat is removed. It might sound counterintuitive, but the fat left behind is as important as what is removed and for smoother more natural results, less is more in liposuction. This risk is minimized by using power assisted liposuction, which allows for a more even, less aggressive fat removal, resulting in less bruising and swelling. Very rarely and usually after large volume liposuction, some of the oils of the fat (rarely fat itself), might enter the blood circulation of the patient. This can cause a complication referred to as, fat embolism, which can cause neurological symptoms such as mild confusion/tiredness, that spontaneously resolves (symptoms typically start at about 72hrs). Rarely, a much more severe illness develops, with shortness of breast, significant confusion, lethargy, rash, requiring hospitalisation. This is extremely rare with low volume liposuction and much more common with buttock fat injections during a Brazilian buttock lift, which I do not offer. With realistic expectations of what liposuction can achieve, patients are very happy with the results, but like all surgical procedures there is no guarantee for a perfect outcome.