Improve Stubborn Pockets of Fat

Liposuction is designed, not as a weight loss procedure, but rather as a contouring or shaping procedure. The best candidates for liposuction are those with discrete problem areas and good skin quality. Common areas for liposuction are the neck, arms, underarms, back/bra fat, abdomen, flanks, and thighs. Patients with excess amounts of fat, skin overhang, poor skin quality, or visceral fat are not good candidates for liposuction.  

Improve Shape And Add Definition

Modern liposuction techniques allow for very precise and controlled removal of fat with skin contouring. Body shaping and contouring are the goals rather than uniform fat removal. Shaping requires skill, precision, and an understanding of anatomy.  

Female vs. Male Lipo

Female

In females, waist contouring gives desired curves and an hourglass shape. Lower back contouring can accentuate the butt giving a desired transition between the lower back and butt. The thighs are best contoured by removing lateral and medial fat to create clean lines, a thigh gap, and better muscle definition.

Male

In men, a more rectangular waist is desired when removing abdominal fat and love handles. Many men benefit from liposuction of the chest to give a more muscular chest.  

Modern Liposuction + Skin Firming

Modern techniques typically incorporate laser or ultrasound to more smoothly remove fat and tighten the skin. One popular modality is VASER ultrasound which allows for smoother fat extraction with less bruising and swelling.  

If loose skin is a concern, radiofrequency can be incorporated to tighten and smooth the skin. BodyTite (Radiofrequency Assisted Lipolysis) can be used with liposuction to tighten the skin giving an even more refined result.

Your Fat Can Be Repurposed To Fill and Shape Your Face, Breasts, and Buttocks

Liposuction is an integral part of fat transplantation which has recently gained widespread popularity. Fat transfer utilizes liposuction to harvest fat which is subsequently purified and then repurposed and placed in the face, breasts, and/or butt.

Liposuction is an integral part of any body contouring procedure such as a tummy tuck, mommy makeover, weight loss surgery, arm lift, thigh lift, body lift, and breast lift, etc. Liposuction removes excess fat and surgery is then used to remove excess skin or lift the breasts.

Lipo Breast Reduction (Gynecosmastia) For Men and Women

Liposuction is utilized in breast reduction for both men and women. In men, the condition is called gynecomastia where males develop breast tissue or fat at the chest. VASER ultrasound safely and effectively removes unwanted fat in the chest for men. In females, liposuction is typically done with a breast lift or breast reduction In select cases, liposuction is used to make female breasts smaller if a small reduction is needed.  

Candidates For Liposuction

Good candidates for liposuction are typically patients who:

• Are at a normal body weight and are not looking to use liposuction as a weight loss alternative.
• Have localized areas of excess fat that are resistant to diet and exercise
• Are at or near their ideal body weight but have specific areas they wish to improve
• Have good skin elasticity. Liposuction removes fat but does not tighten loose skin.
• Are in good overall health
• Have realistic expectations about results.

Learn More: How To Tell If You Need Lipo or a Tummy Tuck

Common Areas Treated

Side-effects Of Liposuction

Liposuction is the most common procedure done in plastic surgery. Its popularity is in part due to the predictability and success of the procedure. All patients can expect some bruising and swelling. It will take a few months to see the final results. Many patients will experience discomfort from initial bruising that resolves within a week. If done correctly, patients can expect a smooth reduction in their fat deposits. However, there can be some contour irregularities due to poor skin quality or uneven fat removal.

Benefits Of Liposuction

Liposuction has many benefits that accounts for its popularity. Patients can expect a slimming effect at treated areas. Common areas are neck, arms, under arms and back, abdomen, flanks, and thighs. Liposuction can be used to highlight underlying muscles in a technique called etching. Liposuction is often used to shape the body creating an hourglass shape or outlining the butt. All patients benefit from a slimmer body and better overall shape.

Read More: The Hourglass Effect- Keys To Better Body Contour

Awake Lipo Versus Lipo Under Anesthesia

A recent trend in liposuction is “awake liposuction” which is done in an office setting foregoing the use of anesthesia. Pop-up clinics advertising awake liposuction are common but poorly regulated. The advantage of awake liposuction is to forego costs of the operating room and/or anesthesia. However, without anesthesia, the procedure is painful and poorly tolerated.

Many surgeons advertising awake liposuction may not be board-certified and do not have hospital privileges. Many of these physicians are trained in specialties that don’t have plastic surgery training such as radiology, general surgery, or OB/GYN. They can use their office and thus forgo the need for hospital or surgery center privileges which require formal training.

When done in the office, liposuction relies on local anesthesia which can be toxic in higher doses. There is often a poor or no sterile environment and monitoring is never as good as the operating room.

Finally, the results may not be as good if done awake. The precision and control is often secondary to just trying to make the patient comfortable. There is often less fat removed in an office setting.

In the operating room there is always proper monitoring, better sterilization, and focus on the liposuction process. Under anesthesia, patients are comfortable and don’t feel pain thus more fat can be safely removed. The anesthesiologist can constantly monitor the patient and nurses track amounts of local anesthetic.

Read More Here: Nipped, Tucked, and Wide Awake

How To Prepare For Your Liposuction 

You should be in good overall health and as close to your ideal weight as possible. Patients should have a BMI below 35 and preferably less than 30. Make sure that you are in good overall health before your procedure. In some cases your plastic surgeon may ask you to get a medical clearance from your primary care physician.

• Do not smoke.
• Don’t take medications that might interfere with your anesthesia like diet pills.
• Avoid excess alcohol and drugs.
• Avoid all aspirin, aspirin-containing products that might increase bleeding.

Liposuction Aftercare and Recovery

After surgery, the nurses will place you in compression garments to smooth the skin and apply gentle uniform pressure. The surgical garments will be snug and should be worn continuously during the first 3 weeks except when cleaning the garments or showering. You’ll have some drainage from the liposuction sites which can stain bedsheets or clothing so make sure not to ruin your nice clothes or linens.

The first few days you’ll be sore and may need pain medication. You’ll need to walk around your home every couple of hours for the first week to avoid blood clots. After a few days, your discomfort should be tolerable and managed with Tylenol or Ibuprofen.

At 3 weeks your surgical garments will be loose and you can switch to a stage II compression garment. These are lighter weight, somewhat less constricting, and resemble Spanx. The Stage II garments can be worn for an additional 3 weeks and then discontinued.

Lymphatic Massage + Endermologie

After the initial soreness has subsided, patients are encouraged to massage the liposuctioned areas to help smooth them. At first, the skin is simply gently massaged in a circular motion to keep the skin gliding over the underlying muscles. Apply deeper pressure as tolerated to break up scar tissue under the skin which can cause contour irregularities.

Many patients will use lymphatic massage therapy which reduces swelling and pain. Lymphatic massage therapists have special training designed to push fluid and swelling into a region lymph node basin where the fluid is absorbed by the body. Generally, skincare a series of treatments are done to aid in recovery and improve the smoothness of the liposuction results.

Endermologie is a non-invasive technique that involves the use of a handheld device equipped with motorized rollers and suction. During an endermologie session, the device is applied to the skin, and the rollers and suction work together to massage and knead the skin, stimulating circulation, breaking up fat deposits, and promoting lymphatic drainage. This process smoothes the skin, decreases swelling, and improves the liposuction results.

Give Your Swelling Time To Resolve

While you will always be smaller after liposuction than before, the post-procedure swelling can hide the results for a period of time. The swelling will progress up to two weeks and then gradually resolve. Wearing compression garments, walking, restricting salt, not drinking alcohol, good diet and hydration can help decrease swelling. The majority of the swelling will reduce in the first several weeks and then very gradually up to 6 months after liposuction. This is why we recommend to wait a full 6 months before making any judgments on your outcome.

Your Final Liposuction Result

To evaluate the results of liposuction, standardized photos are taken both before and 6 months following surgery. It’s important to keep a stable weight after liposuction surgery to maintain a beautiful, lasting result. Liposuction is not considered a weight loss method, and photos often demonstrate a better indication of the results than weight on a scale.

Read More: Avoiding Trendy Lipo- Why Elegant lipo Is Better

Advanced Liposculpting with VASER® Ultrasound-Assisted Lipo

Standard tumescent liposuction involves 2 basic steps:

• Adding tumescent fluid to the fat.
  
  Tumescent fluid contains epinephrine (adrenaline) and local anesthetic (lidocaine). Most surgeons use a “super wet” technique where the amount of liposuction aspirate removed is equal to the amount of tumescent fluid infiltrated.
• Removal of fat via a liposuction cannula.

VASER® is an acronym that stands for Vibration Amplification of Sound Energy at Resonance. VASER® is an ultrasound device that is used as a separate step in the liposuction procedure. After the tumescent fluid is infiltrated into the fat, the VASER® ultrasound cannula is used to treat the fat with high-energy ultrasound energy to melt or liquify the fat, break up fibrous tissue, and heat the underlying fibroseptal network to tighten the tissue, causing skin contraction.

VASER® liposuction allows surgeons to be more precise with less tissue damage. The results are generally smoother with post-procedure bruising and swelling. Due to its precision, VASER® is often referred to as High-definition Liposuction. VASER® can also be used to precisely outline muscles and body contours in a process known as “etching.”

VASER® liposuction is especially useful for:

• Secondary liposuction cases where there is underlying scar tissue.
• Liposuction of fibrous fat such as found in men, back fat, and chest fat (gynecomastia).
• Delicate cases where small amounts of fat are removed.
• Cases where skin contraction is wanted such as older patients or patients with poor skin quality.
• Any case where bruising and swelling are a particular concern.

How Does VASER® Lipo Work?

To evaluate the results of liposuction, standardized photos are taken both before and 6 months following surgery. It’s important to keep a stable weight after liposuction surgery to maintain a beautiful, lasting result. Liposuction is not considered a weight loss method, and photos often demonstrate a better indication of the results than weight on a scale.

• Preparation: Before the procedure, the patient is marked to indicate the areas where fat will be removed. Tumescent fluid is administered to numb the targeted areas and decrease bleeding.
• Ultrasonic Energy: VASER® liposuction utilizes ultrasound energy to selectively target and break down fat cells while preserving surrounding tissues such as nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue. A small probe emitting ultrasonic waves is inserted through tiny incisions into the targeted fat deposits.
• Emulsification of Fat: The ultrasonic energy emitted by the VASER® probe causes the fat cells to vibrate rapidly, emulsifying them into a liquid form. This makes it easier to suction out the liquefied fat through a cannula, a thin tube inserted through the same incisions.
• Suction: A suction device attached to the cannula is used to gently remove the emulsified fat from the body. The surgeon carefully sculpts the treated areas to achieve the desired contour.
• Recovery: After the procedure, patients typically wear compression garments to minimize swelling and support the healing process. Some bruising and swelling are normal and usually subside within a few weeks.

Advanced Liposculpting Techniques Are Better with VASER® Lipo

In addition to common areas of lipo, VASER® is ideal for:

• Etching
  This technique is designed to outline muscles and contours to further highlight the liposuction result. After liposuction, the VASER® ultrasound probe is passed superficially in a linear fashion to outline the contours of the underlying muscles. The most popular area for etching is the abdominal muscles.
  
• Fibrous Fat
  
  VASER® can help with difficult-to-remove fat such as back fat, male chest (gynecomastia), or secondary cases. VASER® can loosen fibrous structures or scar tissue which makes it difficult to remove fat.
• Delicate or Problematic Areas
  
  The inner thigh can be difficult as there is often loose skin in this area. VASER® can help by heating the underlying tissue and skin which contracts in response to heat. More delicate areas where only a small amount of fat is removed also benefit from VASER®, limiting the risk of contour irregularities or irregular fat removal.
• Fat Grafting
  
  VASER® is also helpful to maximize fat harvest in a fat grafting procedure to the butt (BBL) or breast (fat transfer to the breast). Many of these patients are thin and susceptible to contour irregularities. VASER® allows fat to be more carefully removed thus minimizing these risks while achieving enough fat graft for the desired fat transfer procedure.
• Revision Liposuction
  
  Revising a liposuction case can be very difficult due to scar tissue, skin quality, and contour irregularities. VASER® can help by eliminating impediments to smooth liposuction such as scar tissue. More even liposuction is possible by melting fat before extraction. The heat generated with Vaser also helps smooth the skin.

Common Side Effects of VASER®

Liposuction side effects are mainly bruising and swelling which are much less if VASER® is used. Because the device generates heat occasionally the skin can have a burn or blister if the cannula is placed too close to the skin.

How Soon Will I See My Final Result with VASER®?

Like liposuction, the final results are evident at 6 months. You’ll see the results immediately and you’ll always be smaller than you started but there will be some swelling. Compression and lymphatic drainage massage can help with this but time is of the essence.

Liposuction FAQs

Will I need time off from work? Can I work from home during recovery?

You’ll be sore the first few days after liposuction and possibly require pain medication to ease the discomfort. A few days off work is usually all that is necessary. You will be able to work from home as soon as you are off pain medication and feel up to the task.

How long do I have to wear a garment?

You’ll need to wear the tight surgical garment provided at the time of your procedure for the first 3 weeks. At 3 weeks you can switch to a lighter compression garment like a Spanx. This Stage II garment is worn for an additional 3 weeks for a total of 6 weeks in compression.

Is massage safe after liposuction?

Yes and recommended. We partner with several lymphatic massage therapists and they can see you shortly after your procedure. They usually will do a series of 6 treatments to help with swelling and discomfort. Patients are encouraged to self-massage to do self massage to help smooth the skin and break up scar tissue below the skin. You will be given specific instructions after your procedure as to how to do the self-massage.

I live out of state, what do my follow-ups look like?

For patients in town, we like to see you the first week and then at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. Post-liposuction standardized photos will be taken at 6 months. We have many out-of-town patients and their follow up visits follow the same timeline but are done virtually using Google Meet, What’sApp, Zoom, or FaceTime.

Will I lose weight with liposuction?

While you might notice a slight decrease on the scale, liposuction is NOT a weight loss procedure. In fact, your body may retain fluid for a short period of time after surgery and your weight may temporarily increase. Liposuction is a body contouring and shaping procedure so the results should be obvious in photos but not necessarily on the scale.

Book Your Complimentary Liposuction Consult Today

Dr. John L. Burns Jr. MD is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and President of the Dallas Plastic Surgery Institute, one of the largest plastic surgery group practices in the United States. Dr. Burns is also the Medical Director for the EpiCentre Skin Care and Laser Center, a world renowned medical spa. Dr. Burns dedicates his practice to aesthetic or cosmetic plastic surgery.

Dr. Burns widely known for his expertise in cosmetic breast surgery, facelift, and fat transfer to the face, breast, and body. Dr. John. L Burns, Jr., MD has been named among America’s Best Plastic Surgeons 2023 for Facelift, Rhinoplasty, and Breast Augmentation by Newsweek Magazine and Statista. He also named among D Magazine's Best Doctors  Realself Top Doctors.


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Dr. Burns offers complimentary consultations for women throughout the world who are seeking liposuction body contouring and body sculpting. We invite you to meet our team and experience our difference. Get started here.

Schedule Your  Complimentary Liposuction Consult with Top Plastic Surgeon, Dr. John Burns 

Schedule your private consultation with Dr. John Burns.  Dr. Burns offers both virtual and in-office plastic surgery consultations for women considering liposuction surgery in Dallas, throughout the United States, and the world.