Liposuction

DURATION

The surgery duration depends on the body areas, and may last from 20 min to 2.5 hours. The patient usually returns home in 3-4 hours after surgery.

ANESTHESIA

A liposuction procedure is in 90% of the cases, performed under local anesthesia in combination with sedation. For small areas, local anesthesia is sufficient.

PAIN

Liposuction is not a painful procedure. There is no severe pain. By the use of oral analgesics, during the first few days after liposuction surgery, the patient feels a sense of numbness and stretching (pulling) in the operated area, resembling to n intense exercise pain, which gradually subsides after 4 to 5 days.

Liposuction is not a painful procedure. There is no severe pain. By the use of oral analgesics during the first few days after liposuction surgery, the patient feels a sense of numbness and stretching (pulling) in the operated area, resembling tointense exercise pain, which gradually subsides after 4 to 5 days.

RETURN TO WORK - EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES

The patientcan return to work in 24-48 hours after surgery, depending on how many areas have undergone liposuction and the fat volume that has been removed. The exercise is allowed one month after surgery and swimming is allowed three weeks after surgery.

WEIGHT LOSS ACHIEVED AFTER A LIPOSUCTION

There will be a small difference in weight (depending on the fat volume that will be removed). In the first few days after liposuction, there will be an increase of the weight due to the fluid retention (e.g. in a liposuction of 2 liters fat, there will be a difference in weight of about 1-1.5 kg).

RESULTS

Results are more evident in about six months. The bruises usually subside in 10-14 days while the sense of numbness in the skin gradually subsides in a few weeks.

Lipoplasty or Lipo or Suction-Assisted Lipectomy (SAL)
Liposuction is the cosmetic surgery operation that removes the localized fat deposits that don’t subside with diet and exercise. What we aim for in this surgery is not weight loss, but the permanent change of body shape. The ideal candidates for this procedure are those with normal weight and good skin elasticity. There no age restrictions. Any age can be subjected to liposuction (from 16-76 years old).

Before starting liposuction, the surgeon makes an injection (tumescent technique) with saline solution containing a local anesthetic and adrenaline. This helps in the quicker and easier suction of adipocytes as well as in significantly less blood loss (due to vasoconstriction that is caused by adrenaline), thus allowing the removal of a larger quantity of fat with safety and less bruises postoperatively. Afterwards, the fat is sucked through thin cannulas with 4.2 mm in diameter.

With regards to incisions, there are 1-2 holes with 2-3 mm in diameter per area, which after a few months are not visible. In the dark skin types, hyperpigmentation may appear on the incisions that may persist for a longer time.

Laser Assisted Lipoplasty (LAL)
The world experience about laser-assisted lipoplasty hasn’t proven to be more effective than traditional liposuction and is usually associated with a greater surgical time, a bigger cost, and problems in the kidneys and liver by the release of free fatty acids that are produced by the destruction of fat cells. Also, in several cases burns and damages have been reported  to the surrounding tissues. We believe that in the future, when this technology improves and real –and not directed- studies prove tangible and significant advantages and fewer complications, we will start using it to our patients.

The Fat does not Reappear After Liposuction
Due to the fact that the number of fat cells (adipocytes) per body area is stable, the fat cells (adipocytes) that are removed will not reappear. In the case of an increased caloric intake, as the fat cells (adipocytes) act as fat deposits, one can gain weight also in the body areas that have undergone liposuction. However, since the number of cells is reduced, the difference will not be significant. In contrast, the body areas that have not undergone liposuction will be more affected.

After Liposuction, small waterproof pads are placed in the incision areas so that the patient can take a shower one day after the surgery. Immediately after surgery, the patient wears an elastic compression garment for a month that he/she must take off only when taking a bath or going to the toilet.