The first step is to make your area known. Your surgeon will physically indicate on your body, using a magic marker, the parts of your body from which undesirable fat will be removed during the procedure. Your plastic surgeon will be able to better design the liposuction procedure with the use of such markers before surgery.
Anesthesia awareness is the second step. The use of general anaesthetic is the norm while doing liposuction, although in some circumstances, local anesthetic may be more appropriate. Sedation through intravenous means or an epidural block are two other alternatives. You and your physician will need to collaborate on this choice. It takes into account how long the operation will take, as well as the area of the body that will be targeted during the liposuction procedure and the total amount of fat that will be extracted.
The third step is to become solution-savvy. Before any fat is removed from the region, wetting solutions are injected into it. The fluid comprises saline, which is salt water, as well as epinephrine, which constricts blood vessels in order to limit any blood loss that may occur during the aspiration process, as well as a local anesthetic. The reason that surgeons employ a wetting solution is straightforward: they aim to reduce the amount of blood loss and improve the overall safety of the liposuction procedure. Liposuction makes use of a wide variety of different wetting solutions. The quantity of liquid that is utilized is the primary distinction between them.
- The “dry” technique. Before wetting treatments were available, surgeons had to do dry procedures. This caused me to lose blood and get bruised as a result. As a matter of fact, around 45 percent of what was suctioned out was blood (not fat!), which is why it is no longer often used.
- The “wet” technique. At each treatment location, the surgeon will provide an infusion of fluid ranging from 100 milliliters to 300 milliliters, with or without epinephrine.
- The “super-wet” technique. The super-wet technique, just as its name suggests, includes the injection of far bigger quantities of fluid than the wet technique does. It is typically a 1:1 or 1:1.5 ratio, which indicates that the amount of fluid to be taken from the body is roughly equivalent to the amount of fat that is to be eliminated. When using the super-wet method, less than one percent of the fluid that is removed by suctioning contains blood.
- The tumescent technique. This method requires an even significantly greater quantity of liquid than that which is required for the super-wet method. The aspirate that has to be extracted will typically be three to six times the amount of the fluid that the surgeon will inject into the patient. Opponents of the tumescent technique argue that it prevents the surgeon from effectively sculpting the patient’s body and that it poses a safety risk due to the risk of fluid overload and anesthesia overdose. Supporters of the technique argue that it causes the tissues to swell, which makes it easier to remove fat (which is used in the solution). Get more information about tumescent liposuction.
Step Four: Fat Removal. Remove any excess fat from the body. During liposuction, there are a variety of techniques that may be used to suction out the fat. many different ways to vacuum out the fat during liposuction.
- Traditional suction-assisted liposuction. In this procedure, a cannula, which is a long, thin tube, is inserted through a very small incision in order to suction the fat cells. The extra fat is removed by the surgeon by first breaking up the fat layer using the cannula, and then sucking it out of the body after it has been broken up.
- Ultrasound-assisted liposuction. A unique cannula is then inserted by the surgeon through the previously made “access” incisions. The cannula releases sound waves that assist in the breaking up of the fat, which likely makes it simpler to suck up. The most recent and cutting-edge form of ultrasonic liposuction technique is called vaser-assisted liposuction (Vaser-assisted for short). In a nutshell, the cannula that is utilized in Vaser-assisted liposuction generates sound waves that are more delicate in order to first break up the fat, and then to remove it. Because these techniques do not affect the blood arteries, nerves, or connective tissue, the patients have far less bruising, swelling, and discomfort in comparison to those associated with classic suction-assisted liposuction.
- Power-assisted liposuction. A motorized cannula is used in this procedure to break up fatty tissue, which is subsequently removed using a vacuum. It goes in through the same teeny, tiny incisions as before.
- Laser-assisted liposuction. In this procedure, a tiny incision is made, and then a laser fiber probe is inserted. This probe generates a burst of energy, which melts the fat so that it can be removed more easily. (SmartLipo and CoolLipo are just two of the brand names that you can come across.) Some people believe that laser-assisted liposuction is the most cutting-edge technique available and that it also has the potential to tighten the skin. However, critics claim that it does not improve the outcomes of liposuction in any way, other than increasing the cost of the treatment and making it more difficult for the patient as well as the surgeon. They claim that it can increase the cost of liposuction by several hundreds of Dirhams without providing any more evidence that it is beneficial.
Cannula Is Considered, as Well
It doesn’t matter which kind of liposuction you and your doctor decide to go with; the size of the cannula is still a crucial consideration. A cannula is a fat suctioning device that consists of a long, hollow tool that is attached to the main device. Suctioning the fat out of the body is made possible by the cannula used by the plastic surgeon.
Cannulas used to have a diameter of up to 10 to 12 millimeters, but now they are as small as 3 millimeters or even less. In the past, cannulas had much larger diameters. The surrounding tissues and blood vessels are subjected to less damage as a result of the reduced diameter. Therefore, smaller cannulas result in less tissue being bruised. Think about inquiring with your physician about the cannula that they like to use.
Putting Everything Into Perspective
Your surgeon will select a technique of liposuction, an acceptable wetting solution, and a way of administering the anesthesia based on the amount of experience and competence he or she has as well as the specifics of your case.
For anything other than extremely minor excisions, the vast majority of plastic surgeons opt for general anesthesia, and occasionally epidural anesthesia, the super-wet technique for wetting solutions, and aspiration with the traditional technique, utilizing ideal cannula types for the body area they are treating. Vaser is the most recent advancement in the field of ultrasound technology.
How much time is required for the liposuction procedure?
The length of time needed for the liposuction surgery is variable and is based on the size of the region that is being treated. It may last anything from half an hour to five hours. The process will take significantly longer if you opt to have many regions treated at the same time.