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Liposuction can reshape and smooth the contours of your body to help you get the perfectly proportioned curves you want. Any of DiFrancesco Plastic Surgery’s liposuction procedures can sculpt your body to remove unwanted fat from specific problem areas, including the neck, abdomen, hips, buttocks, thighs, upper arms, and calves.
Although liposuction removes fat, it is not a weight loss procedure. So, while this surgical procedure is no substitute for a healthy diet and exercise, it can slim and reshape specific areas of the body. If you have stubborn fat deposits that don’t seem to budge, no matter how healthy your diet is and how consistently you work out, a cosmetic surgery procedure can help.
WHAT IS LIPOSUCTION?
Also known as lipoplasty or body contouring surgery, liposuction is one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures among men and women of all ages year after year. Liposuction in Atlanta is commonly used to remove fat and improve the contour of your abdomen, upper arms, neck, back, thighs, knees, calves, and ankles. This fat removal technique is minimally invasive, and may only require using a local anesthetic and an outpatient procedure to achieve significant results.
Liposuction surgery can come in many different forms based on desired results and available medical equipment. There are liposuction procedures that use ultrasound waves or radiofrequency technology to provide specific and efficient results for some patients’ unique desired outcomes. And in addition to being a standalone surgical option, liposuction is also used within other plastic surgery procedures, like tummy tuck procedures, breast lift or reduction, or when men undergo liposuction of their chest to treat gynecomastia.
You can learn more about liposuction and the various plastic surgery procedures offered at DiFancesco Plastic Surgery by contacting us today. During a liposuction consultation with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Lisa DiFrancesco, you’ll be able to share your concerns and desired outcomes and come up with a personalized liposuction procedure that works for your goals and recovery timeline.
AM I A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR LIPOSUCTION?
Liposuction is a procedure for individuals who, despite having a healthy diet and exercise routine, have stubborn, persistent pockets of fat in undesirable parts of their body. Traditionally, liposuction has been used to flatten problem areas or to enhance curves and contours.
Individuals with a low percentage of body fat and stable weight who want a more toned body are excellent candidates for liposuction surgery at DiFrancesco Plastic Surgery. Advancements in liposuction techniques allow for more defined results with decreased complications and faster recovery.
If you are close to your ideal body weight, are a non-smoker, and do not plan to get pregnant in the future, a liposuction procedure may be a great option for body contouring. In addition, a good candidate for liposuction has reasonable expectations for what liposuction can and cannot achieve, and is willing to assume the risks and responsibilities of this procedure.
WHAT CAN LIPOSUCTION ACHIEVE?
A highly flexible and effective surgical procedure, liposuction can remove stubborn fat areas from nearly anywhere on the body to provide aesthetically pleasing results with little downtime. From correcting a double chin to helping sculpt better-looking thighs, liposuction is capable of providing unique and wide-ranging body contouring results.
WHAT LIPOSUCTION CANNOT DO
Liposuction does not address excess skin, stretch marks, or cellulite. For the treatment of stretch marks or loose skin, you may be a candidate for RF Microneedling, which has been proven to improve the appearance of stretch marks and boost skin elasticity and even skin tone.
More importantly, potential liposuction patients must be aware that this is not a weight loss procedure. In the average liposuction procedure, only a few pounds of fat are removed from a treatment area. If you are looking for significant weight loss, this plastic surgery cannot help. Dr. DiFrancesco can estimate how much fat can be safely removed during a liposuction surgery.
THE LIPOSUCTION METHOD
Liposuction was originally developed in the 1970s, and over the past decades, plastic surgeons’ liposuction techniques have improved the speed of recovery as well as safety. The modern liposuction performed by board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. DiFrancesco uses blunt tip cannulas and a surgical wetting solution called tumescent that consists of IV fluid, lidocaine, and epinephrine.
Tumescent liposuction allows Dr. DiFrancesco to remove more fat with less blood loss and faster recovery. The development of different cannula shapes, diameters, and lengths allows Dr. DiFrancesco to tailor your unique liposuction procedure to perform best in your specific treatment area.
Types of Liposuction
Traditional liposuction
Traditional liposuction (also called tumescent liposuction or suction-assisted liposuction) is the most popular of our Atlanta liposuction techniques. It is usually performed under general anesthesia, and often includes several areas of the body. Liposuction uses several small incisions in which a cannula—a thin, hollow tube—is inserted, and a tumescent fluid is infused into the area to help constrict blood vessels, minimize blood loss, and numb the treatment area. After waiting several minutes, another cannula is used to remove the fat cells through the small incisions. Once the fat cells have been removed, they are gone forever.
Traditional liposuction is used for fat transfer or fat grafting, a plastic surgery technique that utilizes purified fat from your own body to enhance the results of another procedure, such as breast augmentation or a Brazilian butt lift (BBL).
Power-Assisted Liposuction
Power-assisted liposuction is essentially traditional liposuction with the addition of an electric-powered handpiece that vibrates the cannula at a high frequency. The vibration helps Dr. DiFrancesco with fat removal, as the motion of the cannula breaks down fat in the treatment area and makes the procedure more efficient.
Power-assisted liposuction is especially helpful in treating areas with a lot of fibrous or fatty tissue. The vibration helps break up the fibrous tissue as well as fat cells, making it easier to remove difficult-to-access fat stores and helping the procedure be less traumatic on the surrounding tissues. Power-assisted liposuction is sometimes combined with ultrasonic energy. This cosmetic surgery is called ultrasound-assisted liposuction.
SmartLipo™ Laser Liposuction
SmartLipo (or laser assisted liposuction) uses the same basic technique as traditional liposuction, injecting the treatment area with tumescent first and later removing unwanted fat deposits with a cannula. SmartLipo uses a laser to break apart and liquefy fat cells prior to removal with the cannula. This causes less trauma to the tissue, resulting in less bruising and swelling, and decreasing the time needed for recovery.
The SmartLipo laser also stimulates collagen production, improving skin tightness alongside the benefits of traditional liposuction. SmartLipo is performed in our Atlanta office under local anesthesia and is best for small areas of fat.
SAFElipo
SAFElipo is the latest technique developed by plastic surgeons to improve liposuction results in Atlanta. SAFE stands for separation, aspiration, and fat equalization. Separation loosens the fat and breaks up or emulsifies the fat cells. Fat cells aspire gently with suction. Finally, fat equalization prevents contour deformities by smoothing out the remaining thin fat layer. SAFElipo can remove a lot of fat without increasing the risk of a contour deformity or skin damage.
LIPOSUCTION RECOVERY
Liposuction results can be seen within a few weeks to months of surgery. During this period, it’s essential to wear a compression garment over the area to reduce swelling and enhance body contours. Postoperative pain is typically minimal after liposuction surgery and can easily be managed with pain medication. Most patients return to normal activities with restrictions within 1-2 weeks of surgery. However, recovery might be a little longer if another body contouring procedure was combined with liposuction. To maintain your results, keep a healthy diet and exercise routine so that you do not gain weight after surgery.
Schedule a Consultation
A staple of plastic surgery centers everywhere, liposuction is a highly effective technique for conquering stubborn fat deposits that a healthy lifestyle can’t beat. However simple it seems, though, not all plastic surgeons are experienced or qualified to perform liposuction. Dr. Lisa DiFrancesco specializes in and performs liposuction procedures of all kinds and is double board-certified in both general and plastic surgery.
TTo find out if liposuction in Atlanta can help you achieve your body contouring goals, contact DiFrancesco Plastic Surgery by calling us at (404) 531-2478 or contacting us online today.