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With Today’s Advanced Techniques, Liposuction Is Safer and Easier
It seems most of us in the Western world are fighting an uphill battle to get in better shape. We’re surrounded by tempting but unhealthy foods. Our lifestyle is busy, but sedentary because we drive to work and sit at a desk all day. We can try to squeeze in some time at the gym and watch our diets, but even if we manage to lose weight and get into better shape, many of us are still left with bumps and bulges we can’t seem to lose. Back rolls, bingo wings and saddlebag thighs… have you considered liposuction to deal with these problem areas?
Liposuction has come a long way. In the basic terms, it involves inserting a metal tube known as a cannula to remove deposits of fat. Despite the wishes of many, it is not really a weight loss surgery, but is intended to remove stubborn pockets of fat to improve the contour of your body rather than remove fat for the purposes of weight loss. The full extent of the improvement won’t be obvious right away as your body recovers from the surgery. In fact, some patients continue to notice improvement for some months after the surgery. There are a couple of variations in how the surgery is done, and your surgeon can talk to you about which method is best for you. First, he or she will need to review with you exactly what you want to change about your body and why. Remember, that cannula is not a magic wand! It is important to go into any cosmetic procedure with a realistic view of what is possible to achieve, and your surgeon can discuss that in detail with you. Here are some of the options and variations for liposuction surgery today.
- SAL stands for suction assisted liposuction, which is the image most of us have of liposuction basically vacuuming the unwanted fat away.
- Some cannulas have a motor to make them move around a bit, and this process is known as power assisted liposuction (PAL).
- Tumescent liposuction uses local anesthetic infiltration into the area to be treated, and then the cannula is inserted through small incisions to remove the areas of unwanted fat. The size of the area to be treated and a person’s weight will help determine if the areas of fat removal can be completed in one or more sessions.
- Ultrasound assisted liposuction uses ultrasound to break down the fat to be removed before suctioning.
- A laser can be used in the same way as ultrasound to break down the fat with beams of light energy before it is removed from the body.
No matter which technique is used, the goal is the same; to remove stubborn diet and exercise resistant areas of body fat to improve your look and shape. Back rolls can be one of the toughest areas to change with diet and exercise, so liposuction can help improve this challenging area.
If you have worked to get in shape but are still plagued but bumps and bulges of fat you just can’t shed on your own, your doctor can help you decide if liposuction is the answer for you to finish the job and have the silhouette you’ve been working hard to achieve. It is not the shortcut to a perfect body, but liposuction can be an effective step to get your body into the shape you want. If you’ve been thinking about it, why not contact your doctor for advice?
