Deciding on Liposuction

If you are ready to lose those extra ten pounds of fat that haven’t responded to your diet regimen or exercise efforts you may need to consult a plastic surgeon about the option of liposuction. Liposuction is a surgical way to suction out extra fatty cells from your body.

Liposuction isn’t for everyone though. If you are hoping to lose more than ten pounds or are grossly overweight, liposuction probably isn’t a good fit for your needs. To be considered a good candidate you need to be in good overall health, and have maintained the same weight for a set period of time without any major weight gains or losses in a yo-yo effect of weight loss. Liposuction can only safely remove up to ten pounds of fat so it won’t make any noticeable difference if your target weight loss is more than that.

If you are ready to investigate liposuction the first step is to find a cosmetic surgeon who is board certified with the American board of Plastic Surgeons. This certification helps to ensure that your doctor has at least six years of surgical experience with at least three years of that experience in plastics.

You should ask any potential doctor how many liposuctions they perform and if it is considered their area specialty. A doctor who only dabbles in liposuction and specializes in one of the hundreds of areas of plastic surgery may not have the skills and qualifications to be the best choice.

Once you find a skilled surgeon that you are comfortable with, you will need to have a complete physical exam and go over your medical history with the doctor. Your doctor needs to know about any past medical problems, known allergies, and past surgeries. It can help save time if you have your current doctor send your medical records to your plastic surgeon so they can become familiar with your records before your appointment.

Once you are deemed a good candidate for liposuction you need to go over the benefits and risk of surgery. Patients who are the most satisfied after surgery are generally the ones who held realistic expectations of their surgery. Knowing how long your recovery can take and how you will feel after surgery can help you go into it with more realistic expectations.

After surgery you should expect to be swollen, sore and bruised and will probably have drainage tubes and packing gauze around your incisions for the first twenty four hours post op. You should also expect to be in some mild pain or discomfort as your nerve endings heal from the after effects of surgery. The good news is, the healing time is relatively brief and the results of your liposuction will last as long as your diet and exercise regime continue.