Liposuction is a very popular, safe procedure for removing stubborn, diet-resistant
localised fatty deposits (most often tummy, saddlebags, thighs and neck).
Ideal Candidates:
Patients of normal weight for height, with good skin and muscle tone, and
localised fatty deposits that are diet resistant. The prescence of loose,
saggy skin with stretch marks would usually indicate poor skin tone, and hence
a poor candidate for the procedure. Remember that we rely on the skin being
elastic enough to "redrape" (shrink) once the underlying fat has
been removed, so good skin elasticity is very important in ensuring a good
result. Liposuction is NOT an alternative to dieting, nor a treatment for
obesity.
The Surgery:
Assuming the patient is a good candidate, surgery is performed as a day
case (most often no overnight stay is needed) under local
anaesthetic with IV sedation - twilight anaesthesia (usually done
by a certified anaesthesiologist).
The areas to be suctioned are marked in the standing position before surgery.
At the start of the operation and after suitable sedation, large volumes of
fluid containing dilute local anaesthetic and adrenaline (epinephrine) are
injected into the tissues to be suctioned. This is called the "tumescent
technique" and serves several important functions including fluid replacement,
prolonged local anaesthesia, and vasoconstriction (minimises bleeding). Via
small incisions that are well hidden, the fat is then suctioned out using
small diameter (3&4mm), blunt tipped rods, until the desired contour is
achieved. The surgeries vary from about 1 hour up to 3 hours, depending on
the extent of the problem.
Post-op:
A custom-fitted pressure garment is made before the surgery date, by a group
of occupational therapists in Cape Town - Karen or Lauren at email: chandc@iafrica.com
- this is brought with to the surgery, and is placed on the patient on completion
of the surgery. It needs to be worn for 6 weeks after the surgery - 3 weeks
day and night, and 3 weeks day OR night, to ensure a good result. (helps the
skin to shrink)
Safety:
Liposuction is very safe, provided the surgeon is familiar
with the procedure, and the patient is a suitable candidate. If one adheres
to the recommendations, by not removing too much fat, or doing too many body
areas at once, it is an extremely safe and well tolerated procedure, with
only minor post operative discomfort. Most of the serious complications arise
from inadequately trained individuals removing vast quantities of fat in unsuitable
candidates.
It is always better to remove a little too little fat, rather than to overdo
it. One can always go back and remove more if necessary, but it is quite difficult
to correct areas that have been oversuctioned, since fat graft survival is
somewhat erratic. Although a significant improvement should be seen within
a week of the surgery, the final result may take several weeks / months to
manifest, as the healing process continues for up to a year.
If you have any questions about this, feel free to email
me
Tourists:
A stay in Cape Town of a week to 10 days post op is optimal.
Learn more about liposuction.
Learn more about my procedures
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