Lifestyle Choices

Fat suction, known technically as lipolysis or suction assisted lipectomy, is still a relatively new procedure. It was developed in France in the last decade and now is a very common cosmetic surgery procedure in the United States and increasingly common here. It has been the cause of a great deal of excitement and raised hopes for those in a permanent struggle with their weight but, while it is indeed a successful method for removing some excess fat, it is not a procedure that is suitable for those who are most overweight. It is not a surgical alternative to dieting.

Fat suction is only really a solution to the kind of fat deposits which defy any amount of dieting. These are often given the nicer name of ‘cellulite‘ by women’s magazines and tend to occur mainly in women, who are destined by nature to bear more fat than men. The fat deposits site themselves in hard little lumps on the buttocks, hips and thighs, never, it seems, to shift again. They are normally inherited and are a depressing legacy to be left, as they show up in all the greater prominence if you have virtuously dieted away all other excess fat.

Even for this kind of fat, however, fat suction is only effective for some. It has known risks as well as benefits and, as it has been in use for less than ten years, it may at this stage carry unknown risks as well. You need to be very sure that any surgeon you see has considerable experience in this particular technique, as it is not yet in the repertoire of all cosmetic surgeons.

Fat SuctionProcedure

To remove unsightly fatty tissues permanently by a suction technique. It will not remove the dimpled orange- peel effect that often appears on the skin of the hips, thighs and buttocks when hard lumps of fat lie underneath.

Fat Suction, for whom is it appropriate?

Fat suction is most suitable for people who are under 35 and who are already at their best possible weight. Only fat is removed and, unless the skin is still elastic, it will sag and wrinkle after fat suction instead of sitting snugly. It is not, therefore, suitable for those whose skin has been stretched after repeated weight gain, weight loss and weight regain or as a result of pregnancy, unless excess skin is cut off as well, leaving long scars.

Fat can be suctioned from the buttocks, hips, thighs, arms, stomach, the underside of the knees and the ankles. Increasingly, too, fat suction is being used in conjunction with face lifts to remove small permanent deposits from the neck or chin.

Fat suction can be an effective method of removal of the fatty tissue that sometimes develops under the nipples in men and creates the appearance of breasts.

Only five pounds of fat can be removed at any one time because, above that, you start needing blood transfusions. And, although the process can be repeated at another time, there comes a point at which further fat suction is ineffective.

Fat Suction, what needs to be done?

Fat suction is usually carried out under general anesthetic and may take from half an hour up to two hours, depending upon how much fat is being removed.

The surgeon makes a small half-inch incision in the area of your body from which the fat is to be suctioned. If you are having treatment for your buttocks and thighs, several incisions will need to be made, usually in the crease line of your buttocks and near the groin, so that the scars can be hidden. A suction tube is put into the incision and moved quickly back and forwards to break up the fat before drawing it, in a liquified form, up into a glass container. As this process tears some small blood vessels, drainage tubes are inserted after the procedure is completed to prevent the collection of excess blood.

Fat Suction Pain and Recovery

You might not expect that the removal of a bit of excess fat would leave you with any pain but fat suction is quite surprisingly painful to recover from. If your buttocks and thighs are suctioned, they will be bruised and sore and sitting, lying, standing and especially walking will not be comfortable for some little time. Some women find that walking is painful for quite a few weeks after fat suction carried out anywhere below the waist. They say it feels like they are being kicked.

You will need to wear support bandages for a few days and, if appropriate, a long pantie girdle or elastic corset for about three to four weeks, to help the bruising and swelling subside. Still, bruising and swelling are unlikely to disappear within a month at best and until the swelling has gone, you won’t be able to tell what improvements have been made in your outline, so suspend any disappointment at this stage. Swelling may last as long as six months if your stomach or ankles have been treated.

Drains will be removed two days after the operation and then you can usually go home. Stitches are removed after a week, unless they are the dissolving kind.

If you have had a very small area treated, you may be able to return to work or normal activities within four or five days. If a large area has been treated, you should take it easy at home for two weeks after the operation and make sure that you do the right things to ensure your best recovery and reduce the risk of a blood clot in the leg, which can result from too much inactivity. Gentle massage of the suctioned area will help stimulate blood flow and reduce swelling and bruising more quickly. Gentle exercise, after two weeks, can supply the same sort of benefits. If you have a tendency towards anaemia, may have to take iron tablets for a month after the operation.

Work, ordinary daily activities and sex can all be resumed after two to three weeks. But anything that requires you to stand or walk too long for comfort, and particularly strenuous leg exercise, such as running, cycling and aerobics, should be avoided for up to six weeks.

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