Treatments

Liposculpture is used to sculpt fat from areas of the body that haven’t responded to diet and exercise, such as the:

• Abdomen
• Upper arms
• Buttocks
• Calves and ankles
• Chest and back
• Hips and thighs
• Chin and neck

When you gain weight, fat cells increase in size and volume. In turn, liposculpture reduces the number of fat cells in a specific area. The amount of fat removed depends on the appearance of the area and the volume of fat. The resulting contour changes are generally permanent — as long as your weight remains stable.

After liposculpture, the skin molds itself to the new contours of the treated areas. If you have good skin tone and elasticity, the skin is likely to appear smooth. If your skin is thin with poor elasticity, however, the skin in the treated areas may appear loose.

To be a candidate for liposculpture, you must be in good health without conditions that could complicate surgery — such as restricted blood flow, coronary artery disease, diabetes or a weak immune system.

Benefit #1: Liposculpture is a Safe Sculpting of Fat
Perhaps one of the top reasons that liposculpture is becoming so popular is that it is such a safe procedure. During liposculpture , small incisions are made to your treatment areas, and then a fluid is injected into your body to anesthetize the area and break up the fat cells. What’s removed is a pure form of fat, free of blood. Liposculpture is typically an outpatient procedure, and patients are usually back on their feet after 2 days of rest.

Benefit #2: Liposculpture Removes Fat Cells
Possibly one of the most favored benefits  of liposculpture is that it removes fat cells in the treatment areas. Keep in mind, though, that just because you lose fat cells in one area of your body, doesn’t mean you can’t gain fat in another area. It’s important after a liposculpture procedure to maintain your weight so that you do not gain weight in other areas of your body.

Benefit #3: Fat Loss Can Improve Your Health
We all know the importance of maintaining a healthy weight and body mass index (BMI). Liposculpture moves you closer to your ideal weight and BMI, providing you with overall improved health.

Benefit #4: Liposculpture Improves Your Appearance, And The Way Others Perceive You
Despite the efforts of some to first see the beauty that lies within a person, many people in our society judge people by their looks. Unfortunately, if you have unwanted fat on your body, people may use that fact to form negative opinions of you. Liposculpture improves your appearance by giving you a more aesthetically appealing physique and changing the ways that others view you.

Benefit #5: Liposculpture Can Boost Your Self-Esteem
Many people are self-conscious of their bodies and stubborn fatty deposits that they just can’t seem to get rid of. By sculpting these fat cells and providing patients with a more contoured look, liposculpture often provides patients a boost in self-esteem, many times making them feel more confident in their clothing and bathing suits.

Benefit #6: Liposculpture Can Remove Fat That Even Diet and Exercise Can’t
Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of liposculpture is that it is effective at sculpting stubborn fatty deposits that just won’t go away on their own, no matter how well you eat or how often you work out. In fact, liposculpture is often used by people who are healthy eaters and physically active but just can’t seem to drop unwanted fat in certain problem areas like the abdomen, love handles, arms and back rolls.

As with any major surgery, liposculpture carries risks, such as bleeding and a reaction to sedation. Possible complications specific to liposculpture include:

• Contour irregularities. Your skin may appear bumpy, wavy or withered due to uneven fat contouring, poor skin elasticity and unusual healing. These changes may be permanent.
• Fluid accumulation. Temporary pockets of fluid (seromas) can form under the skin. This fluid may need to be drained with a needle.
• Numbness. You may feel temporary or permanent numbness in the affected area. Temporary nerve irritation also is possible.
• Infection. Skin infections are rare but possible. A severe skin infection may be life-threatening.
• Fat embolism. Pieces of loosened fat may break away and become trapped in a blood vessel and gather in the lungs or travel to the brain. A fat embolism is a medical emergency.
• Lidocaine toxicity. Lidocaine is an anesthetic often administered with fluids injected during liposculpture to help manage pain. Although generally safe, in rare circumstances, lidocaine toxicity can occur, causing serious heart and central nervous system problems.

Many of these risks are rare and completely avoidable.

Before your liposculpture procedure, the Dr may mark circles and lines on the areas of your body to be treated. Photos also may be taken so that before and after images can be compared.

How your liposculpture procedure is done depends on the specific technique that’s used. Your Dr will select the appropriate technique based on your treatment goals, the area of your body to be treated, and whether you have had other liposculpture procedures in the past.

Some liposculpture procedures may require only local or regional anesthesia — anesthesia limited to a specific area of your body. You may be given a sedative, typically through an IV injection, to help you remain calm and relaxed.

The team will monitor your heart rate, blood pressure and blood oxygen level throughout the procedure.

The procedure may last up to several hours, depending on the extent of fat sculpting.

You’ll typically spend at least a few hours in the clinic so that medical personnel can monitor your recovery.

Expect some pain, swelling and bruising after the procedure. Your Dr may prescribe medication to help control the pain and antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection.

After the procedure, the Dr may leave your incisions open and place temporary drains to promote fluid drainage. You usually need to wear tight compression garments, which help reduce swelling, for a few weeks.

You may need to wait a few days before returning to work and a few weeks before resuming your normal activities — including exercise.

During this time, expect some contour irregularities as the remaining fat settles into position.

After liposculpture , swelling typically subsides within a few weeks. By this time, the treated area should look less bulky. Within several months, expect the treated area to have a leaner appearance.

It’s natural for skin to lose some firmness with aging, but liposculpture results are generally long lasting as long as you maintain your weight. If you gain weight after liposculpture , your fat distribution may change. For example, you may accumulate fat around your abdomen regardless of what areas were originally treated.