May 10, 2020 | 3 minute read
Liposuction has continued to rank among the top five plastic surgery procedures for the past three decades. If you are seeking a slimmer and more proportionate body contour, liposuction may be a suitable option. The procedure is designed to remove stubborn fatty deposits from targeted areas of your body.
Liposuction may be combined with other cosmetic procedures such as tummy tuck, body lift or breast augmentation. Envy Aesthetic Center, led by board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Marco Gonzalez, provides liposuction to patients in El Paso, TX, and surrounding locations.
Good Candidates
As a candidate for liposuction cosmetic surgery, you would ideally have the following characteristics:
- You have a need to enhance body contours and achieve a more defined figure
- You have localized fat deposits that are resistant to diet or exercise
- Your skin the treatment areas is fairly elastic (or you are ready to combine liposuction with body lift or other skin tightening procedures)
- Your body weight is moderate and stable
- You have realistic expectations and are looking for fat loss, and not weight loss
Areas of Treatment
Liposuction works best in areas that have stubborn, excess fat deposits that have not responded to diet or exercise. Some of the common areas where liposuction is performed include:
- Abdomen
- Flanks (love handles)
- Buttocks
- Thighs
- Breasts
- Upper arms
- Back
- Calves and knees
- Neck and face
Surgical Procedure
Traditional Liposuction
Your surgeon will use a blunt, narrow tube called cannula, which has a suction pump at the other end to draw out the unwanted fat. Through a small incision, your surgeon will insert the cannula into the treatment area, and manipulate it gently back and forth to disintegrate the fatty tissue. The loosened fat will then be suctioned out through the pump attached at the end of the cannula.
Tumescent Liposuction
In recent years, tumescent liposuction has become more accepted because it is less invasive than traditional liposuction, and involves the use of only local anesthesia. Your surgeon will inject a solution (including lidocaine, salt solution, and epinephrine) into the deeper fatty tissue layers through a small incision. The volume of fluid will be roughly three times the amount of fat to be removed.
This solution will isolate the fat cells by causing them to swell. At the same time, the blood vessels in the area will shrink because of lidocaine. Your surgeon can precisely remove the isolated fat cells, while you experience minimal tissue trauma. Recovery with tumescent liposuction will be faster and post-treatment discomfort will also be reduced.
In some cases, your surgeon may recommend the use of laser or ultrasound technology to perform assisted liposuction in a less invasive manner.
Recovery
You can expect to return to your normal routine to go back to work in about one week to 10 days after your liposuction surgery. You will experience mild discomfort or pain in the treated sites in the first week, which can be managed with oral pain meds prescribed by your surgeon.
You should avoid performing any strenuous activities for about one month to allow the incisions to heal completely. Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Marco Gonzalez receives patients from El Paso, TX, and nearby areas for liposuction body contouring surgery.
For more information on Plastic Surgery (cirugía plástica) and Non-Surgical Medical Spa procedures and treatments, please contact the offices of Board Certified Plastic Surgeon (cirujano plástico), Dr. Marco A. Gonzalez (Dr. G) by clicking here or calling 915-600-2639.
Serving patients in El Paso Texas, Las Cruces New Mexico, Ciudad Juárez Mexico and surrounding areas.