If you have lost weight but still struggle with a bulging tummy, hips, and thighs, a plastic surgery procedure called liposuction can help. Unfortunately, sometimes just losing the weight isn’t enough. Your body changes over time, making it difficult to lose those excess bulges. A consultation with a plastic surgery professional in Dallas can help you decide if liposuction is right for you.
Liposuction is a plastic surgery procedure your Dallas doctor can perform to remove localized areas of excess body fat. These are areas of your body that, even though you have lost weight, still retain excess fat. Think of it as sculpting your body. Common areas of the body where liposuction treatments are performed include the abdomen, waist, chin, neck, upper arms, hips, buttocks, thighs, ankles, calves, knees, and the back area.
You can have liposuction performed as an outpatient. The procedure is done using local anesthesia and an IV sedation. You can expect the procedure to last from one to three hours. You will need around 72 hours recovery time. Most often, you can return to work the week after surgery and return to your normal schedule and activities within two weeks of having the liposuction procedure.
Before you decide to have liposuction, you need to set up a plastic surgery consultation with a Dallas plastic surgeon that will need to review your complete medical history, any medical conditions you have, along with any prescription or over-the-counter medications you are taking. He will also conduct a physical exam and do a few blood tests. For people over 60, other tests, such as an electrocardiogram may be needed. If all checks out, the doctor will let you know that you are a candidate for the liposuction procedure.
If you elect to have the liposuction procedure, there are some things you will need to do before surgery. You should avoid alcohol, aspirin, ibuprofen, and vitamin E for a certain time before surgery. Also, you may be given an antibiotic to take as a precaution before you have the procedure.
On the day of the procedure, the doctor will give you a sedative, cleanse the area involved in the liposuction, and administer anesthesia to you to sedate you during surgery. If you choose a local anesthetic, you will be awake during the procedure.
After anesthesia, the surgeon will make several small incisions and insert a small tube called a cannula into the area to suction out the excess fat. After the fat has been removed, the wound will be dressed with absorbent pads and a compression garment. Because the incisions are so small, they will heal without sutures.
After the procedure, you will probably be groggy and feel some discomfort. You will need to have someone to drive you home. You will be given instructions about how to change the pads and how you should wear your compression garment. The doctor will also instruct you about when you can resume your normal activities.
If you think liposuction may be right for you, you should consult with your Dallas plastic surgery specialist for more information. This could be the solution for excess body fat that you have been looking for.
