Am I a Candidate for Liposuction?
Most patients are good candidates for liposuction. You are encouraged to
consult with Dr. Sayah about your areas of concern and to discuss treatment
options. Our team of nutritionists, exercise physiologists, and endocrinologists
will assess your current physical status and optimize your exercise regimen
and nutrition. Dr. Sayah emphasizes a practical yet conservative approach
to liposuction to achieve natural results with excellent overall proportion
after surgery.
Will the Fat Come Back in Other Body Parts?
Your body is essentially a bank account for calories. Every day you consume
certain calories and burn off some calories through your daily activities.
If you take in more calories than you burn off on any day, your body saves
the accumulated calories as fat, muscle or glycogen. On the other hand,
if you burn more calories than you take in, you use up calorie storages
from your fat, muscle or glycogen. Liposuction essentially decreases the
fat storage capacity at the particular area which has fat removed. So
if you continue your healthy lifestyle and continue to maintain your weight,
then you will not accumulate more fat elsewhere. On the other hand, If
you gain a considerable amount of weight (more than 10 lbs), your body
will need to store the fat somewhere. It then stores more of the fat in
areas which have not had liposuction. If your weight fluctuates less than
10 lbs, the location of the fat gain will likely go unnoticed. So plan
on a healthy lifestyle after liposuction and enjoy your figure forever.
Is Cellulite Due to Excess Fat?
Cellulite is due to dimpling in the skin as connective tissue anchors the
skin to the deeper structure below. While cellulite worsens with fat gain
as the skin tents upwards, cellulite is not only due to excess fat. In
those with cellulite but minimal to no excess fat, the skin irregularities
and dimpling can be due to decreased skin elasticity or thin cords of
connective tissue below the skin. Fine liposuction improves cellulite
by breaking such cords and improving skin elasticity by inducing scarring
under the skin.
Dr. Sayah offers advanced cellulite removal treatments, including Thermage.
What Happens to the Loose Skin after Liposuction?
In most cases, the skin has enough elasticity or “spring” to
tighten after liposuction. As we age, our skin continually loses its elasticity.
An excellent analogy is going from spandex which is very elastic to linen
with no elasticity at all. In those with borderline skin elasticity, judicial
and conservative liposuction is extremely important in avoiding issues
with loose skin after surgery. In those with minimal skin elasticity,
the more fat is removed from the area, the more loose skin results. Liposuction
can be effective in those with poor skin elasticity. Those with poor skin
elasticity simply have to accept minor skin excess post-operatively. Other
surgical procedures may be necessary for conjunction with liposuction
to effectively address the loose skin.
How Will Pregnancy Affect My Liposuction Results?
Not all women gain extreme amounts of fat during pregnancy. Regardless,
the physical changes of pregnancy don’t necessarily negate the effects
of liposuction. In fact, if you have had liposuction of troubling areas
on your body, you will not gain much fat at the liposuctioned areas during
pregnancy. If you are going to be pregnant in the next six months, Dr.
Sayah recommends holding off on liposuction until your body has returned
to its normal state after your delivery and nursing.
What Are the Risks of Liposuction?
Any medical procedure has associated risks just like most decisions in
our lives. In expert hands, liposuction is very safe with minimal risks.
The potential risks include scarring, infection, unevenness, contour irregularity,
excess loose skin, need for additional surgery, and injury to surrounding
areas such as nerves or organs. Dr. Sayah chooses tactically placed minimal
incisions which lead to small hidden scars. You are placed on prophylactic
antibiotics to minimize the risk of infection. Using micro-liposuction
techniques, Dr. Sayah removes fat in very small amounts thereby reducing
the incidence of contour abnormalities. Judicial conservative liposuction
in imperative avoidance of most risks associated with liposuction.
What Is the Right Age for Liposuction?
Liposuction is typically recommended for adults only as the body continues
to evolve and grow throughout adolescent years. Boys with gynecomastia
(excessively large breasts) and women with development abnormalities of
their breasts (Poland’s syndrome) or breast tumors are exceptions
to this rule as they can have liposuction at younger ages based on the
severity of their problems.
When Can I Resume My Normal Activities after Liposuction?
You are encouraged to walk around even on the day of your liposuction.
You should increase your activity daily until you are fully running at
two weeks post-operatively. On your regular follow-up visits, your activity
level will be modified based on how you are healing. Remember to drink
plenty of fluids after our liposuction procedure particularly if you are active.
How Much Fat Can Be Removed with Liposuction?
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, as well as many State Medical
Boards, recommend limiting outpatient liposuction volume to 5 liters.
More than 5 liters may be removed if liposuction is performed in a hospital
setting. This guideline was established to ensure patient safety and minimize
liposuction complications. To give you a better perspective, more than
90 percent of patients will require removal of fewer than 5 liters regardless
of this guideline. Liposuction is probably not the best solution in the
extremely obese who should try weight loss through other modalities.
How Do I Correct Problems with Past Liposuction by Another Surgeon?
As with any revision surgery, correction of problems from past liposuction
is possible but more difficult than the first time around liposuction.
Dr. Sayah specializes in revision surgery. Using
Micro-liposuction, fat is removed in small amounts at areas of deformity. The harvested
fat can also be purified and stem-cell enriched to be injected into divots
or dimpled areas which are present from prior liposuction.
