In 2006, liposuction was the most popular cosmetic surgery performed in the US, and is on the rise. Liposuction, or lipoplasty, as a practiced procedure has been around since 1974, however, earlier procedures have been performed dating back to the 1920s.The most common areas of liposuction are: the abdomen, hips, outer thighs (saddlebags), flanks (love handles), back, inner thighs, inner knees, upper arms, submental (chin), and gynecomastia (male breast tissue). While the concept of liposuction evolved around changing the body’s contour to enhance beauty or appearance, it comes at a high cost. The associated liposuction side effects and complications include a long list of appalling outcomes. The risks and byproducts of surgery vary based on the type of procedure.

Types of Liposuction

In general, liposuction procedures involve fat being removed via a cannula (a hollow tube) and an aspirator (a suction device). Liposuction techniques can be categorized by the amount of fluid injection and by the mechanism in which the cannula works.

• Dry liposuction.The dry method does not use any fluid injection at all. This method is seldom used today.
• Wet liposuction. A small amount of fluid, less in volume than the amount of fat to be removed, is injected into the area. This fluid contains lidocaine as a local anesthetic, adrenaline to contract blood vessels, and a salt solution. This fluid helps to loosen the fat cells and reduce bruising. The fat cells are then suctioned out with the basic vacuum procedure.
• Super-wet liposuction.In this method, the infusate volume is in about the same amount as the volume of fat expected to be removed. This is the preferred technique for high-volume liposuction by many plastic surgeons as it better balances homeostasis and potential fluid overload. It takes one to three hours, depending on the size of the treated area/ areas. It may require either IV sedation as well as the local lidocaine, or complete anesthesia.
• Tumescent liposuction. The surgeon injects high volumes of solution directly into the subcutaneous fat to be removed. Due to a potentially large total volume of local anaesthetic injected into the tissue, systemic toxicity from lidocaine is a potentially fatal complication which must be considered with larger volume cases.
• Laser assisted liposuction (LAL).Laser assisted liposuction uses thermal and photomechanical energy to affect the lipolysis. The addition of a laser to traditional liposuction possibly increases skin tightening effects through tissue coagulation.
• Ultrasonic Assisted liposuction (UAL). This includes any modified liposuction technique that delivers ultrasonic energy to subcutaneous fat in an effort to facilitate traditional negative-pressure liposuction.
• Power Assisted Liposuction (PAL). PAL devices use power supplied by an electric motor or compressed air to produce either a rapid in-and-out movement or a spinning rotation of an attached liposuction cannula. Advocates of PAL assert that it makes liposuction easier for the surgeon, decreasing the amount of manual movements.
• Micro Liposuction. This refers to the the removal of small areas of fat through tiny tubes and very small incisions. Microliposuction is commonly performed on the face, especially the cheeks, neck, under the chin, and the jowls.

Compression Garments

After a lipoplasty procedure, surgeons will often recommend the use of compression garments. Wearing a compression garment after liposuction is essential to improve blood circulation, minimize swelling after the procedure, flush the body out of potentially harmful fluids, accelerate the healing process, and allow the patient to return to daily routines sooner. A liposuction compression garment also provides support to surgical areas for more comfort and helps the skin fit better to its new contours. These garments should be worn for the first several weeks after surgery.

Side Effects of Liposuction

• Bruising.You might experience evident bruising, which generally fades away in 2 to 4 weeks.
• Swelling.There’ll be swelling usually on the surgically treated regions. Fortunately, these also slowly settle down in a couple of months. You might also suffer swollen ankles after that surgery.

• Dimpling. After liposuction, you could notice some sort of skin dimpling because of the fat removed from that area. When lots of fat gets removed, your skin might have an ugly and lumpy appearance.
• Scars.There might be some obvious scars, which are around and inch or two long and slowly vanishes if you allow a couple of weeks. These things are the simple symptoms of liposuction.
• Thrombophlebitis. You might experience thrombophlebitis and/or inflammation on your veins. This happens especially when your liposuction surgery has been performed on your upper thigh region. This generally settles following a couple of weeks.
• Thromboembolism or Fat Embolism.Although rare, blood clots following surgery can occur, and may have serious consequences, including death.
• Pain, Numbness and Discomfort. And finally, you might be faced with some sort of discomfort, coupled with some provisional numbness on your surgically treated regions.

Things to Consider

Not everyone can undergo lipoplasty procedures. To be a good candidate, one must usually be over 18 and in good general health, have tried a diet and exercise regime, and have found that the last 10 or 15 pounds persist in certain pockets on the body.