There are times that exercise and diet alone won’t get rid of stubborn areas of excess fat. Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure used for removing these localised fat deposits unresponsive to diet/exercise in order to reshape and slim targeted areas of the body.
Modern techniques of liposuction also allow removal of large amounts of subcutaneous fat (“body sculpting”, “liposculpture”). One of the most common areas that Dr Safvat performs liposuction in men are the flank and the abdomen.
Through small incisions, small suction devices (cannulas) are inserted to suck out the fat. The areas that are commonly treated by Liposuction are the thighs, buttocks, abdomen, flanks, arms, male breasts, neck and under the chin. This procedure is ideal when there isn’t much excess skin. Dr Safvat will assess your skin tone and advise you if liposuction alone is suitable for you or excision of the redundant skin is also required. There are times when a combination of liposuction and surgery will provide the best result and help you achieve your aesthetic objectives. Liposuction is usually a day-only procedure without the need of overnight stay in hospital. Time of operation varies according to areas treated.
After the procedure the affected area will be swollen and bruised. You will need to wear a compression garment immediately after surgery and for 4 weeks (You gradually reduce time of wearing the garment) afterwards to reduce bruising and swelling. You should take about a week off work to rest at home and recover. Walking is actively encouraged postoperatively but exertion and heavy lifting are not allowed for 3-4 weeks. Full Recovery usually takes around three to four weeks.
Any surgical procedure can be associated with some general Complications and risk. Having your procedure done in an accredited hospital minimises risks. Although uncommon, These include collection of blood (heamatoma) or other fluids (seroma), mild to severe infection, risks associated with general anaesthetics. There are also some specific complication with liposuction for example there could be some patches of numbness in the area liposuctioned that may take up to 6 month to recover. I will go through these with you in detail based on your individual medical history and examination on initial.
Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure and there is usually no Medicare item number for it. You will be given a quote about the costs after your consult.
Smoking has been shown to cause more complications after any surgery. I would prefer that you stop smoking at least 3 weeks before your surgery. You will also get the best result if your weight is stable. You can put the fat back in the areas that you had liposuctioned if you generally gain weight.