Liposuction

The Tumescent Procedure; a Safer Method of Liposuction

According to cosmetic surgery expert Dwight Scarborough, M.D., assistant clinical professor at Ohio State University, “Tumescent liposuction is safer and more predictable than traditional liposuction.”

Instead of requiring general anesthesia, tumescent liposuction requires local anesthesia and uses finer fat-removing instruments. Virtually painless when performed by experienced hands, incidents of too much blood loss and disfigurement are rare. When puckering does appear, it is more often than not the result of inattention to detail by the physician, or the use of too large a tube to remove the fat.

When properly performed, liposuction can effectively trim down hips and thighs by as much as two sizes. The visual results are immediate. It is possible to walk into a doctor’s office, exit 1 ½ - 2 hours later more shapely than before, and drive yourself home.

Besides being a quicker, more effective type of liposuction, and reducing the risk of skin disfigurement, the tumescent procedure reduces blood loss as well as complication risks associated with general anesthesia. This is due in part to smaller incisions, and the anesthetic solution introduced into the incision sites which accelerates healing time and reduces post-procedure pain, swelling, and bruising.

Defined as the removal of fat deposits beneath the skin, liposuction uses a hollow stainless steel tube called a “cannula.” Small incisions usually less than one-quarter inch are made in the area to be suctioned, and the cannula, hooked up to a powerful vacuum, is inserted. Unwanted fat is literally vacuumed away; the skin reshapes itself as it heals.

As good as this all sounds, not everyone makes a good candidate for the procedure. For instance, when it comes to facial liposuction, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center’s Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, James W. Smith M.D., says persons in their 30s – 40s whose skin is still tight and resilient make better candidates than older persons whose facial skin lacks elasticity.

Persons with skin that is still elastic enough to achieve a smooth contour following surgery will obtain better results than those who do not. Sometimes when older persons with sagging skin have liposuction surgery, a skin tightening procedure is also necessary.

Liposuction is particularly well-suited for persons who are more or less of normal weight, but who have isolated pockets of fat that cause their body to appear disproportionate. Such traits, sometimes inherited, may not respond well to diet or exercise.

What type of person makes a good candidate for liposuction? Persons with problem areas on their bodies they want contoured; areas with localized fat, where liposuction is possible. And persons whose expectations of results are realistic all make good liposuction candidates.

If you are interested in the possibility of a liposuction surgery, become knowledgeable about the procedure. Learn everything you can about the various methods of liposuction surgery and the risks involved.

Click here to continue to Page 3….