Is It Possible To Lose Weight With Liposuction?

Liposuction; is the surgical removal of fat deposits through vacuuming by using thin pipelets (cannulas). Liposuction is a process performed not with the purpose of losing weight but shaping up a certain part of the body and giving a more aesthetic appearance. It is ideal for people who have access fat at some parts of the body (like belly, hips, inner or outer thighs). In a person who has completed adulthood, the number of fat cells in the body does not change. The number of fat cells will decrease in the area where liposuction is applied. For that reason, this can be explained as there won’t be fat deposits as before, in a body part where liposuction is applied. As one gains weight, the number of fat cells does not increase but the volume of fat cells may increase. One should pay particular attention to diet and do regular and sufficient level of sports after surgical operation.

Liposuction? Lipoplasty? Liposhaping?

You hear many terms concerning liposuction and body shaping in printed and visual media. A large number of names may lead to confusion among people. In fact they all have the same or similar meanings. Let us have a brief look at what the most frequently heard terms mean;

Liposuction: Fat Suction (lipo = fat, suction = absorption)

Lipoplasty: Fat shaping (lipo = fat, plasty = procedure performed to correct a function or shape)
Liposhaping = Shaping up fats 

Liposculptring: Shaping up fat tissue like a sculpture (Removal of fat from body parts where there is excess fat and stuffing fat in other body parts where there is deficiency in body contours)
Bodyshaping = Shaping up body  
Bodysculpturing = Shaping up body like a sculpture
Bodycontouring = Adjustment of body contours
Despite this chaos of definitions and terms, it is the liposuction (suction lipectomy) technique which is in the essence. 

Is "Liposuction" Operation Suitable For Me?

Liposuction can generally be applied to anyone who does not want fat deposits in the body. The best candidates for “liposuction” are persons who have excess fat in certain parts of their bodies and can not eliminate this excess fat with methods like diet or exercise. It is important to have good skin elasticity. A person should be healthy, psychologically balanced and have realistic expectations. There is no absolute age limit for “liposuction”. 

Liposuction could be applied on almost any body area with excess fat from neck to ankle. As for women it is applied most frequently to hipline, hips, belly, while for men it is applied to waist, lower neck and belly.

How Is Liposuction Applied?

Liposuction surgery can be made under general anaesthesia and solely by anaesthetising the area of liposuction (local anaesthesia). The areas to apply liposuction are determined before the surgical operation jointly by the physician and the person to undergo surgery. A special liquid is injected to these areas to provide easy elimination of fats and minimum level of bleeding. Tiny granules are entered through very small cuts hidden in body curves to vacuum excess fats. Liposuction could be applied to various parts (tummy, upper abdominal area, belly, hips and upper legs) in the same session. 

The period of surgery depends particularly on the size of area or areas to apply liposuction. It takes 1 – 1,5 hour in average. Following the liposuction performed under local anaesthesia, you may return home in 1-2 hour. If you undergo surgery under general anaesthesia, you may stay in the hospital for one day. 

How Is the Post-operational period?

After liposuction, a bandage is applied in that area and this bandage is removed a day later. Also the patient needs to wear a special corset suitable for operation area. The corset that is used for 2-3 weeks in average does not make a negative impact on daily life and it is not noticed from the clothing you are wearing as it is made from a thin material. Following the operation, the person may return immediately back to normal life but he/she is not recommended to do heavy work for 2-4 weeks.

For a few days following the surgery, there might be some pain which could be controlled with regular pain killers. Rarely there are empurples. Even in persons with very sensitive and thin skin structure it is relieved in one week. There might be swelling, prickles and feeling of burnt for 1-3 week in the surgery area. The patients may overcome those complaints easily with light exercises like walking. Total disappearance of swelling and formation of ideal body contours will take 3-6 weeks.

Shall I Encounter Undesired Results?

It should not be forgotten that liposuction is a surgical process and lead to undesired results like bleeding, infection, liquid deposit, skin damage. In addition, some aesthetic complications like irregularities or fluctuations can be observed on the skin. Very occasionally there might be fat emboli. There might be problems like pigmentation variations (brown points) which may become permanent when exposed to sun. Asymmetry (unequal contour or form) may sometimes require corrective action.