Definition of the Day:

Liposuction: Liposuction is the most commonly performed plastic surgical procedure in the United States. It involves making small puncture wound incisions in inconspicuous locations and removing fat cells from the body. Most people are born with a certain number of fat cells that get either larger or smaller as they gain and lose weight respectively. With liposuction you are actually removing fat cells. The thinner you are the denser your fat cells and the more fat cells you remove per unit of volume. The Aesthetics Society of the United States has determined that 5 liters is the maximum amount of fat that should be removed safely as an outpatient. Larger amounts of liposuction are typically fraught with higher complication rates. The most common complications after liposuction surgery include infection, bleeding, and postoperative asymmetries. A high percentage of patients will require a touch up procedure after liposuction to achieve near perfection. It is a common misconception that fat just comes back to other places after liposuction. If one maintains a stable weight, one’s body habits should be maintained and fat will not be redistributed. If, however, one gains weight after liposuction the fat cells in other areas will enlarge in a disproportionate fashion. Liposuction is truly intended to treat diet and exercise resistant areas and disproportionality rather than obesity. Ultrasonic liposuction has been recently added to the armamentarium of liposuction and involves the application of an ultrasonic sound wave to the tip of the liposuction canula. This serves to lyse, or explode the fat cells in the surrounding area of the canula. This is very useful in fibrous areas of fat. It has a slightly higher complication rate than the standard tumescent technique of liposuction. Tumescence refers to the infusion of large amounts of salt water mixed with Novocaine and adrenaline in the area to be suctioned. This diminishes bleeding as compared to older techniques and allows surgeons to perform liposuction with the patient relatively more awake. The patient satisfaction rate from liposuction is very high. Compression surgical garments should be worn for four to six weeks after surgery. External ultrasonic energy is currently being investigated as an additional tool with liposuction. The jury is still out as to whether or not this technique really works.

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