Liposuction surgery

Liposuction Surgery (Body Contouring Procedures, Tummy Tuck, Body Contouring after massive Weight Loss or Post-Bariatric Surgery)

LIPOSUCTION

Liposuction is surgery to improve the contour of your body by removing pockets of excess fat from specific areas of the body. "Lipo" comes from Greek word "Lipos" meaning fat. Liposuction uses suction to remove fat deposits. The suction device is inserted through a small incision in the body and the surgeon suctions out the fat tissue. Liposuction is not an alternate to weight loss. Fat can be removed from many different area of the body, including the thighs, abdomen, buttocks, breast , waist , upper arms and neck.

ABDOMINOPLASTY

Commonly call tummy tuck is a method of removing fat from abdomen. If your abdomen has excessive amount of skin and fat, a tummy tuck may be better option than liposuction.

BODY CONTOURING SURGERY AFTER MASSIVE WEIGHT LOSS OR POST-BARIATRIC SURGERY

After Massive weight loss, the skin and tissues lack elasticity and cannot conform to the reduced body size. This leads to:-

Upper arms sag and appear loose

Breasts may flatten and hang with nipples pointed downward

Abdominal area, Buttocks, Groin and Thighs can sag and may overhang like an apron.

Body contouring removes excess sagging fat and skin and helps to improve the shape and tone of the underlying tissue. The final result is a more normal appearance to the body, with restoration of contours. This procedure can be done for adults of any age.

Plastic surgery procedures recommended include:

Lower body lift: to correct sagging of the abdomen, buttocks, groin and outer thighs

Breast lift: to correct sagging, flattened breasts

Arm lift: to correct sagging of the upper arms

Thigh lift: to correct sagging of the inner, outer and mid thigh

FAQ’S on Tummy Tuck

What is tummy tuck procedure?

Tummy tucks means to remove not only the excess fat through liposuction but also to remove the extra skin envelope to give a proper desired shape depending on the body type. Also we make a neo-umbilicus using ones own tissues. It is usually a day care procedure with discharge on the same day or maximum the next day morning. As the skin envelope is also removed, we insert drains at the end of the procedure to remove the melting fat or extra fluid. This is usually removed in 2-3 days time or sometimes longer depending on the extent of incision. The incision is slightly longer than that of liposuction but we always try to keep the scar as low as possible so that it is hidden well below the belt.

Any special tests required before tummy tuck?

Apart from the routine tests we get for every surgery, ultrasound whole abdomen is required to rule out any hernia and to look for any recti divarication which needs to be corrected during tummy tuck to get the ideal result.

What are the essential steps of the procedure?

Tummy tuck involves the following steps: -1) Liposuctionof the excess fat. 2) Muscle repair or correction of any hernias 3) Neo-umbilicus formation. 4) Excess skin excision. 5) Final closure in layers, all stitches are inserted from inside to minimize scar formation.

What is done post surgery? When can exercise be resumed?

Immediately after surgery, after the dressings are finished, an abdominal binder or belt is applied to provide support to the newly shaped skin and abdomen.Drains remain in place for 2-3 days or even longer depending on extent of skin excision. Client is advised to take adequate rest at home following discharge and told to do active toe and hand movements. Bath is recommended only after 4-5 days or may be 6 days depending upon client to client. Normal walk and other activities can be resumed in a week’s to ten days time. Heavy exercises, gym, running, swimming is not allowed for the client till 8 -12 weeks post surgery. Abdominal binder is advised to be worn till 4-6 months post surgery.

Who can perform tummy tuck? Is there any pain or bruising after surgery?

Tummy tuck should only be performed by a board certified plastic surgeon. Pain is experienced post surgery for few days, which gradually wades away as day’s progress. Pain is easily controlled by analgesics. Slight bruising is always there on the areas treated, which disappears in a matter of 2-3 weeks. Tissue swelling is there after surgery, which initially increases and then subsequently starts decreasing with time. It usually takes about 8-12 weeks for swelling to completely subside and good contouring is evident.