Liposuction

What is liposuction?

Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure that improves your body’s contours by removing unwanted pockets of fat. Liposuction can treat almost any part of the body, including:

• Abdomen
• Thighs
• Buttocks
• Upper arms
• Cheeks
• Chin
• Hips
• Knees
• Neck
• Waist

When you gain weight, your fat cells grow in size. Liposuction removes these fat cells; once gone, they never return. As long as you maintain a healthy weight, liposuction provides permanent results. 

Am I a candidate for liposuction?

Your provider at Woodlands Hand To Shoulder Foot and Ankle Center determines if you’re a candidate for liposuction during a cosmetic surgery consultation. Though liposuction helps you get rid of excess body fat, it’s not a weight-loss procedure.

You may be a candidate for liposuction if you're at or close to your goal weight and have unwanted fat bulges that don’t go away with diet and exercise. 

You also need to be in good overall health and not have any conditions that may complicate the procedure, such as a circulation problem or diabetes. 

What happens during liposuction?

Your Woodlands Hand To Shoulder Foot and Ankle Center provider customizes your liposuction treatment plan based on your concerns and goals. They review the details of your procedure at your pre-surgical visit so you know what to expect and how to prepare. 

Your surgeon may use general or local anesthesia depending on the area of your body undergoing treatment. Your surgeon infuses a diluted anesthetic into the treatment area to minimize bleeding and trauma and inserts a thin hollow tube through a small incision to loosen the fat.

Using the same cannula, your surgeon suctions out the loosened fat, repeating the process until they get the desired results.

Your surgeon sends you to the recovery room for monitoring. Most patients go home the same day, but you may need to spend the night at the hospital.

How long is recovery following liposuction?

Recovery time varies. However, the Woodlands Hand To Shoulder Foot and Ankle Center team recommends you plan to take a few days off from work following your liposuction and avoid strenuous physical activity for a few weeks.

You should notice improvements in your figure within a few weeks after the swelling subsides. You can expect continued improvements in your body shape over the next several months.

Liposuction is a popular cosmetic procedure that improves your shape and contours. Schedule your liposuction consultation at Woodlands Hand To Shoulder Foot and Ankle Center; call the office or book an appointment online today.