Liposuction

Liposuction is the surgical aspiration (suction) and removal of fat from the layer beneath the skin.

The procedure creates a smoother transition between body contours and a more even shape. A detailed physical examination is essential. The anatomy of the fat tissue beneath the skin varies from one area of the body to another. Today, liposuction is a very popular cosmetic procedure.

In general, women have a higher total body fat percentage than men. In women, fat typically accumulates on the hips, thighs and lower torso, whereas in men it builds up around the trunk, in the upper abdomen and at the back of the neck. The dimpling of the skin seen on the hips and upper thighs in women is called cellulite. It is the metabolic result of an increase in the superficial fat tissue beneath the skin.

Liposuction is used to treat diet-resistant, genetically accumulated fat. More precisely, the best results are achieved when removing localized fat deposits that cannot be reduced with diet and exercise. The procedure produces an acceptable body contour.

Liposuction is not recommended as a treatment for obesity.

Patient selection is one of the most important factors in body contouring. Ideal candidates are people with a stable body weight who follow a diet and exercise. Abnormally distributed fat bulges, or fat accumulated outside the ideal body contour, are the target areas for liposuction.

Liposuction has not been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease; it is therefore performed for body contouring, not as a treatment for disease.

The most common undesirable outcome is contour irregularity. Mild loss of sensation lasting a few months, swelling, bruising and infection are other possible complications. Suctioning fat is easy; however, shaping the human body by removing exactly the right amount of fat and leaving behind as much as is needed is an art akin to sculpture, and it must be performed by experienced hands in a hospital setting.

Liposuction is the procedure of removing, by vacuum, fat that has collected in certain areas of the body (abdomen, hips and flanks, legs, knees, sides of the waist, back, ankles, arms and under the chin) and creating more aesthetic body lines. VASER LIPOSUCTION, performed at İzmir Özel Can Hastanesi, is a method also used at many aesthetic centers around the world. In some patients it may cause less bruising and pain than other liposuction methods (classic, ultrasonic or laser liposuction) and may help the skin recover and tighten after the procedure. Results vary from person to person.

Rather than a weight-loss method, liposuction is a procedure that slims and reshapes the body by removing excess fat from specific areas. Even if the patient gains weight in later years, fat will not accumulate in the treated areas.

The procedure can be performed under local anesthesia with sedation (light sleep) or under general anesthesia. The 3–4 mm incisions made in the skin to insert the vacuum cannulas usually heal without leaving a noticeable scar. After surgery, support with elastic compression garments for 2–3 weeks ensures smooth healing. The patient can go home after the procedure and return to normal life within 1–2 days.

Any bruising after surgery may take 3–4 weeks to fade, and swelling may take 6–8 weeks to subside. To maintain aesthetic body lines, physical aesthetic treatments and LPG sessions may be recommended later on. Very rarely, especially in people with poor skin elasticity, undulation (rippling) and some dents may form in the treated area and may not be correctable.