Liposuction

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

The procedure is performed in our sterile medical room under local anesthetic thus saving theatre costs.

Food and medications

Before the procedure, discuss with the doctor what to expect from the surgery. The doctor will review your medical history, ask about any medical conditions you may have and any, supplements or herbal medications you may be taking.

The doctor will recommend that you stop taking certain medications, such as blood thinners or NSAID’s, at least a week prior to surgery.

Before your liposuction procedure, the surgeon will mark circles and lines on the areas of your body to be treated. Photos will be taken so that before and after images can be compared.

Our surgeon will then select the appropriate technique based on your treatment goals, the area of your body to be treated, and whether you have had other liposuction procedures in the past.

The surgeon injects a sterile solution — a mixture of salt water, which aids fat removal, an anaesthetic (lidocaine) to relieve pain that causes the blood vessels to constrict into the area that is being treated. The fluid mixture causes the affected area to swell and stiffen.

During the liposuction procedure you will be administered a local anaesthesia limited to a specific area of your body. If any pain is felt during the procedure tell your surgeon, as the medication or motions may need to be adjusted. Our surgeon then makes small cuts into your skin and inserts a thin tube called a cannula under your skin. The cannula is connected to a vacuum that suctions fat and fluids from your body.

The procedure can take from 30 minutes up to several hours, depending on the extent of fat removal.

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

After the procedure, the surgeon will dress the incision points. You usually need to wear tight compression garments, which help reduce swelling, for a few weeks.

You may need to wait a few days (depending on the amount of liposuction done) 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 liposuction, swelling typically subsides within a few weeks. By this time the treated area should look less bulky and within several months expect the treated area to have a leaner appearance.

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