Why did liposuction become so popular?
Introduction
For each and every one of us, self-image is an important appearance of our lives. If we have a good self-image, this will increase self-esteem levels, make us more confident, and be of a big help in creating interpersonal relationships. We all want to have a beautiful body and most of us try as much as possible to avoid fat accumulations. Fat deposits accumulated in different areas of the body can ruin the aesthetics of the silhouette and have a negative impact on self-image. An innovative and minimally invasive treatment that was developed to help patients get rid of unwanted fat deposits from different areas of the body is liposuction.
There are different types of liposuction that can be performed depending on the technology preferred or used by the plastic surgeon or recommended for a certain patient such as laser liposuction, ultrasound-assisted liposuction, wet liposuction, and dry liposuction, among others.
Liposuction is among the two most performed procedures on patients in the United States and all over the world. If you were wondering why liposuction became so popular, in this article we will discuss some of the reasons behind the increase in demand for liposuction and the details of the procedure.
Overview of liposuction
Liposuction is one of the most frequently performed plastic surgery procedures in the United States and all over the world. It is the fastest and most efficient method to remodel the body without having to go through tremendous efforts or wait a long time. Unlike physical exercises and diets, liposuction happens in a matter of a few hours and can have a positive effect on the stubborn adipose pockets that can be localized in areas difficult or impossible to target with other methods.
For example, when we lose weight in the attempt to get rid of the fat deposits on the abdominal wall or flanks, it is not just the fat from these areas that will disappear in time, but also fat from the breasts, buttocks, arms, and all over the body, depending on the patient’s predisposition. This means that in an attempt to get rid of the unwanted fat on the flanks we can actually end up with smaller breasts and buttocks but without eliminating the adipose tissue on the flanks. This is exactly the role of liposuction, to correct imperfections associated with adipose accumulations in areas impossible to treat with other methods. Liposuction can help the patient get rid of the fat cells in different areas of the body such as the abdomen, flanks, back, arms, thighs, calves, and knees and even the face. However, probably the most commonly performed is abdominal liposuction that is performed with the aim of slimming down the waist and eliminating the fat on the abdominal wall to make it firm and flat.
Tumescent liposuction is one of the most performed types of liposuction, and it involves injecting the areas to be treated with a special tumescent solution that acts as a local anesthetic and anticoagulant and also helps the plastic surgeon dislodge the fat easier.
To perform liposuction, the plastic surgeon will make small incisions in the areas to be treated. The incisions can be no longer than 3 to 4 mm, depending on how large the surface to be treated is. Generally speaking, the incisions need to be large enough to allow the insertion of the cannula. This cannula is connected to a powerful medical vacuum device that collects the fat. The plastic surgeon will make back and forth movements with the cannula to try to dislodge the fat and liquefy it so the vacuum machine can suction it. The procedure should only be performed by an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon to avoid imperfections that could be left behind after the procedure and also other more severe complications such as organ rupture.
Liposuction can be performed on both men and women of different ages. The first condition that needs to be fulfilled to be able to undergo liposuction is to have good skin tonus in the area/s to be treated. This means that often, liposuction is not a solution for patients who have cellulite, stretch marks or loose skin in the areas that they want corrected with liposuction.
While the are many types of liposuction, tumescent liposuction is always preferred in the cases of patients who have liposuction followed by a fat transfer procedure. Other types of liposuction such as laser-assisted liposuction can damage the fat cells and make their reinjection impossible.
Why has liposuction become so popular?
- Many people have adipose deposits on the body
Fat can start to accumulate in different areas of the body even from an early age, depending on the genetic predisposition and despite having an active lifestyle and a balanced diet. With aging comes the tendency to accumulate fat on the midline, and this ruins the appearance of the silhouette. This can happen even for people who perform physical exercises regularly and are dedicated to staying in shape. Liposuction became so popular because it can correct these imperfections and eliminated fat cells from areas where there are no other methods that can help.
- It eliminates fat without patient having to resort to drastic diets
When thinking about losing weight, it is normal to consider diet and physical exercise. But when we have a normal weight and we are concerned just with the appearance of different areas of the body that present an excess of adipose tissue, this is when diets can’t help and shouldn’t be used. We can’t keep a strict diet to lose weight or fat from a specific part of the body. Things just don’t work like this. It is the only liposuction that can eliminate fat from certain areas of the body without having a negative impact on other areas where we need fat such as the breasts and buttocks.
- It is not a painful procedure
The procedure is often associated with a moderate level of pain for most patients. In other words, some simple analgesic medication will help you alleviate the pain and discomfort that can be experienced for a few days post-op, depending on the area that was treated. Generally speaking, the second day after the procedure the patient might still feel slight discomfort, but the pain has mostly subsided already.
- Short recovery period
For many patients, the recovery period is no longer of a few days. Younger patients tend to have shorter recovery periods, and men tend to recover faster than women, especially when it comes to abdominal liposuction. Most activities can be resumed the day after the procedure, and the patient can even go back to work during the first week post-op.
- The results are visible immediately
As soon as liposuction is performed, the shape of the body will be improved and the fat will be missing from the area targeted with the procedure. This doesn’t mean that the patient can assess the final results within hours after waking up from the anesthesia, but the new contours of the body are visible straight away. The final results will transpire in a few months when all the side effects such as swelling and bruising will vanish. Keep in mind that it can take up to one year for the incisions to completely heal and mature. Make sure to visit the plastic surgeon for the follow-up consultation to avoid unsightly scarring.
- The results are easily sustainable
We could say that the results of liposuction are permanent, but this might just send out the wrong message. The reality is that the fat cells that were removed from the body won’t come back, even if the patient gains weight. But what can happen in a case of weight gain is for the fat cells that are left in the area and all over the body to increase their volume considerably. To sustain the results of liposuction, the patient has to keep a stable weight with little or no weight fluctuations.
Conclusion
There are many reasons why liposuction has become so popular in the last few years, but the most important things we need to mention are about the low risks involved and the high benefits that can be achieved when this procedure is performed by a talented, experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon. The procedure entails small incisions that will be difficult to spot with the naked eye when they are completely healed and matured a year after the procedure. Moreover, there are no long-term consequences or severe complications that can occur after liposuction, and this aspect alone can considerably increase the demand for this procedure.