Cosmetic Surgery > Liposuction
Liposuction, also known as lipoplasty, is an extremely popular operation and a mainstay of most plastic surgery practices. It is most often used to contour the thighs and abdomen in women, while the men go more for the tummy and flanks. It can also be used to remove fat from the face, neck, arms, calves, back, or...just name your least favorite part.
Fat is usually removed via a cannula (a blunt hollow tube) with the aid of machine or manual suction. There are many high and low tech techniques thrown in to help "loosen up" the fat to be aspirated, ranging from ultrasound to water beams to solutions of anesthetic fluid (tumescent) to lasers.
|
|
Why Do It?
Liposuction is not supposed to be a substitute for good diet and exercise, which should come first. Usually less than ten pounds of fat is removed, although heroic (a.k.a. risky) surgeons can remove a lot more but at significantly increased risk, including death.
Lumpiness and dents are the main downsides of lipoplasty, but they don't show that much beneath clothes. Stretched skin that was previously overinflated may show afterwards.
All that aside, most people love their liposuction surgeon and are happy to come back for more.
|
