Have you been struggling with your confidence because of localized pockets of fat that won’t seem to disappear no matter what you try? It is an unfortunate fact that many people stick to grueling exercise routines and strict diets for years without seeing any changes to stubborn body fat. Burning more calories than you consume is going to result in weight loss, but there isn’t any way to specifically target pockets of fat. If you would like to quickly and safely eradicate that unwanted tissue, then you will most likely make an excellent candidate for liposuction surgery.
In This Article
Where Can the Fat Be Removed?
One of the first that many patients consider is the possible treatment sites. The vast majority of patients have this operation carried out on the abdomen, but there are many other potential areas that you might want to consider. Essentially, anywhere in the body where fat accumulates could be a good place to carry out the liposuction procedure. Some of the most common treatment sites include the legs, buttocks, back, and upper arms. If you are struggling with excess fat and tissue along the neck or just below the jawline, then the liposuction procedure might be a viable option as well.
Getting Ready for the Procedure
Unlike many other forms of cosmetic surgery, liposuction might require quite a bit of pre-op work. As a general rule, patients should be relatively close to an ideal weight well before they consider this operation. While multiple pounds of fat can be removed during this procedure, it is typically only a good option for localized pockets of fat. An individual who isn’t close to their ideal weight needs to spend a little bit of time exercising and following a clean diet. That being said, your surgeon could potentially come up with a custom treatment plan if a little extra weight must be extracted.
It is also important that you are ready to follow healthy lifestyle habits in the coming years. Your fat will physically be extracted during the liposuction procedure, and that means the results can last a lifetime as long as additional fat doesn’t accumulate. Your surgeon will most likely ask that you maintain a consistent weight for at least a few months before you consider liposuction.
Going Through Your Operation
Your operation should only take a few hours to complete, and it can be carried out with a general or local anesthetic depending on a few different variables. If the treatment site is in a sensitive area and you are relatively healthy, then you might be a good candidate for a general anesthetic that puts you completely to sleep. When a smaller amount of fat is removed from the lower half of the body, then some patients and surgeons prefer a local anesthetic and oral sedative.
During the operation, your surgeon is going to make a small incision where they can insert a thin rod known as a cannula. In addition to physically breaking apart the fat, the cannula is also going to extract the soft tissue with suction. Once the fat has been removed and the nearby soft tissue is smooth, the incisions will be partially or fully sutured shut. Following the appointment, you should be able to head home fairly quickly as long as there aren’t any complications. At home, you must plan on spending at least a few days relaxing in bed while the soft tissue heals. In most cases, patients can resume all activities within a few weeks of this operation.
