Liposuction In Crofty

Liposuction, lipoplasty, liposculpture is a surgical technique in which specific areas of fat under the skin are removed through a small incision in the skin using a cannula (hollow metal tube) and a suction pump. The fat is sucked out through the tube with the aim of shaping the body in that area.

After puberty we do not create new fat cells in our bodies. When you gain weight, the fat cells that you have expand or grow bigger. Liposuction permanently removes fat cells to improve the body's shape. If you gain weight after liposuction, it goes to the old fat cells that remain in the body, so that the fatty deposits that existed before liposuction can no longer balloon out of proportion to the now thinner surrounding area.

However, long-term body weight is not affected by liposuction. Liposuction cannot prevent you gaining weight. It is not an alternative to sensible dieting; it is a method for removing fat that does not respond to a healthy diet and regular exercise. If you want to lose weight after liposuction, you will still have to diet.

It is also not a treatment for cellulite.

Your first discussion with a practitioner should clearly set out your expectations of the treatment and establish that they match those predicted by your practitioner. Be realistic!

A medical history should be taken, to make sure that there are no reasons why you shouldn’t undergo liposuction. You would also normally be asked to sign a consent form at this time which means that you have understood the potential benefits and risks associated with this type of procedure.

Photographs may also be taken by the practitioner for a "before and after" comparison at a later date.

Your surgeon or doctor will give you specific instructions before coming in for the liposuction treatment. This may include avoiding the use of aspirin or any similar drugs for a couple of weeks before treatment (as these can cause increased bleeding). They may advise you to stop smoking as this can delay the wound healing, and avoid alcohol for a few days before the procedure.

Anaesthesia

The anaesthetic may be local, regional (i.e. via an epidural injection), or general, depending upon the area treated, the technique used, and your surgeon’s or doctor’s recommendations for you.

The use of a general anaesthetic carries a small additional risk which your practitioner will discuss with you before any decisions are made.

Depending upon the type of anaesthetic used, you may also have to fast (eat or drink nothing) during the night before and morning of your surgery.

Procedure

Small areas of liposuction may be performed in an outpatient clinic room with the appropriate facilities, but large areas would normally be done in a hospital.

Small incisions, around 5mm or so in length, are made around the area to be treated, and a hollow suction tube (cannula) is put in and then moved around under the skin to break up the unwanted fat. The fat is removed either manually with a large syringe, or with the use of a vacuum pump. The overlying skin remains attached to the connective tissue and underlying muscles of the skin during the operation. A thin blanket of fat is left under the skin to help prevent rippling or bumpy skin occurring after the liposuction is over.

The basic technique of liposuction, as described above, is used in all patients undergoing this procedure. However, as the procedure has been improved and developed, several variations have been introduced. These are described below.

Fluid injection
A technique in which a solution of lignocaine (an anaesthetic) and adrenaline (a drug that contracts blood vessels to reduce bleeding) is injected into the fatty areas before liposuction. This helps the practitioner to remove fat more easily, reduces blood loss, bruising, and provides local anaesthesia before and after treatment. Hence, it reduces any pain or discomfort that the patient may feel.

Tumescent Liposuction
Large volumes of fluid - sometimes as much as three times the amount of fat to be removed – are injected into the fatty area. This procedure is usually performed on patients who only need a local anaesthetic, but it usually takes much longer to do the treatment, sometimes up to 4 or 5 hours for large areas of fat removal.

The super-wet technique
Similar to the tumescent technique above, except that less fluid is used. This is usually performed under a sedative given through a syringe into the vein, or via a general anaesthetic, and typically takes around one or two hours.

Ultrasound – Assisted Lipoplasty (UAL)
For this procedure a special cannula (a hollow suction tube) that produces ultrasonic rays of energy is used. The energy breaks down the walls of the fat cells which makes the fat liquid and this liquid is then removed by standard liposuction. UAL improves the ease and success of liposuction in fibrous areas of the body, such as the upper back or the enlarged male breast where the fat is much tougher to break down. It can also be a more precise technique as a follow-up procedure once the main volume of fat has been removed by other methods. In general, UAL takes longer than basic liposuction.

The doctor or surgeon must have advanced surgical skills and be experienced in cosmetic surgery to perform procedures that involve the removal of a large amount of fat (i.e. more than 5 litres).

After the fat is removed, the wounds are stitched and sometimes a drainage tube is inserted for a few days to prevent any fluid build up.

If you are not staying overnight in hospital, it may be wise to have someone take you home and look after you for a day or so following the procedure.

Repeat procedures

Although good results achieved with this procedure can be permanent, with a sensible diet and exercise, some patients may require a repeat procedure in the future in order to achieve or maintain a desired result.

Some pressure, movement, and stinging can be felt whilst fat is removed, but it is rarely painful. Any pain following the procedure is usually controlled with pain-killing tablets.

Bruising, swelling, and some blood coloured fluid leaking from the wounds may be expected for a few days. Infection is a potential complication, along with numbness, or nerve damage at the site of the liposuction.

You may also be able to see some unevenness, persistent swelling, or lumpiness at the places where the liposuction took place, and a little skin discolouration, or scarring at the incision points. If you have liposuction which involves ultrasound, there may also be a risk of burns to the skin and to the deeper tissues under the skin.

Only very rarely, more serious risks or side effects can include blood clots, severe infections and death.

As long as you are in good general health and have realistic expectations of the operation, then most people are suitable candidates for liposuction.

If you are prone to keloid (red, angry, raised) scars, or have a history of problems with wound healing your surgeon may not recommend this procedure or may caution you that scars could be raised and very visible.

It is highly unlikely that anyone considering liposuction, lipoplasty or liposculpture would be able to access this free of charge on the National Health Service.

However certain regions do make special cases, and we would always recommend that you visit your General Practitioner before embarking upon a cosmetic procedure involving surgery.

As well as their advice and guidance they may also be able to refer you to a local NHS Hospital for a consultation.

The NHS has set out the following guidelines on how to get cosmetic surgery through the NHS:

"To qualify for surgery on the NHS you must meet specific criteria as set out by your local health authority. The NHS will not pay for surgery for cosmetic reasons alone. Reconstructive and cosmetic surgery to correct, or improve, congenital abnormalities and injuries will usually be carried out free of charge.

NHS reconstructive surgery is performed by plastic surgeons who have had extensive training and belong to the British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Surgeons who carry out cosmetic surgery through the NHS also belong to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons.

To receive cosmetic surgery from the NHS, you will normally need a referral from your GP. You will have a consultation with a plastic surgeon and an assessment by a psychiatrist, or psychologist. It will then be decided whether there is enough social, psychological, or physical benefit to be gained to justify surgery."

Liposuction has become a much safer procedure over the last 10 years with the development of newer techniques. This has caused it to become one of the most common cosmetic surgery procedures performed today.

Patients who are not clinically obese (very overweight) and who are realistic about this treatment can successfully achieve an improved body shape by reducing the amount of fat in specific areas of their bodies.

Overall longevity of results does, however, depend upon good control of your weight in the future.