The most commonly requested and performed plastic surgery worldwide is liposuction. While the procedure can be successfully performed with many other plastic surgery procedures and also as part of liposculpture and lipofilling procedures, there are some cases when it is not a good idea to get liposuction.
Keep in mind that the procedure can be performed under local anesthesia with IV sedation, but if the area targeted is wider or if the plastic surgeon estimates that the procedure will be lengthier, the recommendation will be to have general anesthesia administered.
If you have had previous reactions to anesthesia, chances are it is not a good idea to get liposuction and risk severe side effects. You will know if you are a good candidate after having a consultation with the plastic surgeon and the anesthetist. Also, make sure to mention previous surgical experiences and how they went.
It is not a good idea to get liposuction if you are planning to get pregnant in the future. The results of liposuction are considered long-term and can also be permanent, but there is a pre-requisite condition: the patient needs to keep a stable weight. This means that weight fluctuations of more than 2 kg every month can alter the results. Moreover, the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy can change the skin and its appearance and trigger imperfections such as stretch marks.
Another case when it is not ideal to get liposuction is when you don’t have a good skin quality. While liposuction can be performed on practically anyone with a good indication for it (both men and women of any age), chances are the skin won’t retract on the new contours of the body and the patient will be left with skin imperfections or skin sagginess if the skin quality is poor.
To avoid this, some plastic surgeons recommend body lift procedures or a tummy tuck to be performed with liposuction if the patient is over a certain age or the skin has lost elasticity. If the skin is not of a good quality, not even wearing the compression garments can help the skin retract after the fat has been extracted, so it is better to avoid the procedure if you don’t want to get a lift.
Also, it is not a good idea to get liposuction if you can’t take a few days off from work or if you can’t stop your exercise routine for a few weeks. The procedure is not overly complicated and the recovery is short and easy for most patients; however, you would still need to take some time off from work to allow your body to rest and recover, and also to take it easy when it comes to sports and physical exercises.