Liposuction (Liposculpture)

Introduction

This technique for removing excess fat has nowadays become popular although similar techniques have existed for much longer. It is therefore a well tested operation best suited for removing localised areas of fat for example, the neck, buttocks, hips, or inner thighs. It is not a substitute for dieting. It can, however, be used in combination with surgery, for example, to correct excess skin and fat on the abdomen or breasts.
I use new techniques in liposuction as the Power Cannula (a vibrating cannula device). Advantages of the use of this advancements are to facilitate fat removal in denser tissue areas and to shorten the time of the procedure and therefore of the anaesthetic.

Operation

This is done mostly under a general anaesthetic or for smaller areas with local anaesthesia and sedation depending on the amount of fat and your tolerance. You will require to stay one night in hospital after the surgery. The scars are less than 1 cm long, so almost invisible and are placed in well hidden positions. Post-operatively, you will have support bandages for 10 days and 2 weeks any pain is slight and equivalent to a bruised feeling.

Results

After 4-6 weeks you will have a good idea of the result, but this continues to improve for six months as the skin and fat becomes softer and smoother. The best are achieved in slim athletic people not over 35 years of age, as the tighter the skin the better it will adapt after fat removal. In general, regardless of the age, good results can be obtained if the skin of the area treated has good elasticity. If the skin is loose associated procedures are required to improve contour.

Complications

1. These are not common, but some people bruise more easily and may see a greater degree of skin discolouration.
2. After the bandages are removed sometimes fluid will collect temporarily at the site of fat removal. Support garments should be worn during the day if there is swelling.
3. Sensory changes -numbness or sensitive areas- may develop. This tend to be short lived effects.
4. Dimpling of the skin is unusual, but can occur if a lot of fat is removed. This will be discussed with you before surgery when treatment is being planned.
5. Rarer complications are infection and skin loss.

After the operation you will be visited while in hospital normally by myself, or otherwise a member of my team in order to ensure a personal and confidential programme of after care. I can be contacted through my secretary or -out of hours- the Hospital switchboard should the need arise.

Revision surgery may be required in a very small minority of cases in the short term. In these circumstances you will not incur any surgical fees (payment to the surgeon), but you will be responsible for the cost of the hospital and anaesthetic fees.

It is important to note that a more in detail discussion about the operation and possible complications adjusted to your specific needs takes place during consultation.

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Tumescent liposuction

Tumescent liposuction was first described in 1990, and now is used throughout in all of our procedures. It has become the most widely used method of anaesthesia and infiltration for liposuction throughout plastic surgery.

This method describes the introduction of a dilute solution of lidocaine and epinephrine into the tissues prior to surgery to aid in the anaesthesia, to minimize the amount of blood that is lost, and
to aid in the production of a smoother result. It may be combined with other forms of anaesthesia-intravenous sedation or a general anaesthesia.

Mr. Matti routinely uses tumescent infiltration on all patients. The procedure can be performed under IV sedation and local anaesthetic or under general anaesthesia depending on patient preference, the areas involved and the extent of the liposuction.

 

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Power Assisted Liposuction (PAL)

Power Assisted Liposuction (PAL): Over the past year, a new tool has been added to the armamentarium of the liposuction surgeon. Power-assisted liposuction augments the above procedures. There is a small similarity to the ultrasound, in that the vibrating cannula enables the surgeon to remove the fat with less mechanical work, thereby allowing the surgeon to perform the procedure more rapidly, and allowing him to remove more fat with the same mechanical effort.

The moving cannula is similar to the motion of an electric toothbrush. The cannula moves rapidly with a short excursion. As in all modalities, the cannula is attached to the vacuum machine. In addition, the cannulas come in more sizes than in the ultrasound liposuction technique. It would be premature to say that there is a significant difference in the convalescence of the patient.

 

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Liposuction for Men

The introduction of ultrasound liposuction and power-assisted liposuction (PAL) in this patient group is felt by some surgeons to have increased the effectiveness of the procedure. This is because the areas that are usually treated in men have dense fat, which has in the past been difficult to treat.

The most common site for liposuction for the male patient is the waist ("love handles") the abdomen, the breast (gynecomastia) and the liposuction of the neck.

The fat distribution may exist even if the patient is slender it is an inherited problem and is not dependent on dietary abnormalities. In adolescent males or in older males, breast development may be unsightly. The liposuction procedure takes less that 30 minutes for this area, and is often combined with other areas.

 

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