Even with the best diet and exercise habits your body can hold onto stubborn fat deposits. Liposuction can help remove this unwanted fat and give you a slimmer, more contoured shape. Common areas for liposuction include the belly, hips, thighs, buttocks, back, arms, and chin.
Liposuction is a safe surgical procedure with a moderately quick recovery time when performed by an experienced, board-certified liposuction surgeon, like Dr. Do at Aesthetic Surgery Institute. Dr. Do has performed hundreds of liposuction procedures using the latest techniques and state-of-the-art equipment.
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Liposuction can remove fat in many parts of the body, including:
Abdomen and torso: These are common problem areas for both women and men. Liposuction can help remove fat from the lower abdomen and the upper abdominal region (between the belly button and ribs). Liposuction can take inches off and improve the contours of your waist, especially if you have an “apple” shape.
Love handles/muffin top: Liposuction can remove that stubborn fat that sticks out over your waistband, commonly called a “muffin top” or “love handles.”
Buttocks: Everyone wants a shapely bottom, but no matter how much you exercise you still may not be able to get rid of unsightly dimpling or uneven fat distribution. Liposuction can help make your rear end appear more proportionate and shapelier.
Hips: Removing fat from the hips can give you a shapelier silhouette and improve how your clothes fit.
Thighs: Women especially tend to store excess fat in the upper thighs. Liposuction can help smooth out the thighs for a more proportionate look. It can also help give you the highly desired thigh gap and prevent uncomfortable chafing.
Back: Excess fat on the back, sometimes called “bra rolls,” is unsightly and often visible even under clothes. Liposuction can help address excess fat around the bra line and under the armpits and give you smoother contours.
Chest: Liposuction in the chest area is more commonly performed on men than women. It can help remove excess fat in men who have gynecomastia (enlarged male breasts) or those who have lost muscle mass in the chest area.
Upper arms: It’s common for the skin on the upper arms to begin sagging over time, especially in women. Liposuction can help address “arm jiggle” and smooth and tighten the upper arms.
Face: Liposuction can reduce excess fat in the neck and cheeks, eliminating a double chin and giving you more defined facial and neck contours.
You’ve probably seen a liposuction procedure on TV at some point. The doctor inserts a thin medical tube called a cannula through a small incision in the target area, such as the belly, thighs, or buttocks. Using the cannula, the doctor loosens and suctions out fatty tissue.
Several different liposuction techniques can be used in place of traditional liposuction.
The doctor numbs the target area and injects an anesthetic solution into the fatty tissue. By numbing the area to be suctioned, the doctor can easily insert the cannula and remove the excess fat without the need to put patients completely to sleep.
Uses a specialized low-energy laser to liquefy excess fat. This makes it easier to loosen and remove the fat using gentler physical movements than traditional liposuction. Laser liposuction in Houston costs more than other liposuction techniques, on average, but some people may achieve better results with this technique.
Also involves liquefying the fatty tissue, but with ultrasound technology rather than a laser. Ultrasound liposuction is commonly used around the neck, back, torso, and ribcage.
Uses a cannula in a rapid back-and-forth motion, which often helps the surgeon pull out larger amounts of tough fat more easily. Despite the seemingly more aggressive approach, power-assisted liposuction sometimes causes less post-surgical pain and allows for more precise fat removal.
Dr. Do will explain which liposuction procedure is best for you and may recommend more than one liposuction technique, depending on your areas of concern.
Whether you’re looking to slim down your thighs, reshape your waist with stomach liposuction, or say goodbye to a double chin, Aesthetic Surgery Institute is ready to help. With more than 15 years of experience and a team of knowledgeable, board-certified cosmetic surgeons, we aim to give you exceptional results.
We’re committed to safe, ethical medical care. Our team will closely monitor you after your procedure to ensure you’re healing well and are completely satisfied with the results.
To learn more about how we can help you sculpt the body you’ve always wanted, contact our surgery center in Houston today.
CALL OUR HOUSTON COSMETIC SURGERY CENTER AT (713) 892-5476!
Modern liposuction techniques make it possible to perform liposuction as an outpatient procedure, with no hospital stay and a moderately quick recovery.
Depending upon which areas of the body we treat, the amount of work we perform, and how your body responds to the treatment, recovery can take anywhere from a few days to a month. Most patients can move around without difficulty as soon as they recover.
Swelling and bruising are very common in the first week or two. Our team will carefully wrap your surgical areas in bandages and compression garments to encourage circulation and healing. Some fluid drainage from the incisions is common and expected.
If Dr. Do suspects you may be at risk of infection, he may prescribe a course of antibiotics to take during your recovery. Our team will follow up with you closely after the procedure to ensure your recovery is going smoothly.
As with any surgery, liposuction comes with some risks. These include contour irregularities (bumpy or wavy-looking skin due to uneven fat removal or unusual healing); fluid accumulation under the skin; nerve irritation or damage in the treated area; infection; fat embolism (a medical emergency that occurs when a piece of loose fat breaks off and enters a blood vessel); lidocaine toxicity, and others.
Choosing a knowledgeable, well-trained surgeon, like Dr. Do, can help minimize these risks.
Liposuction helps contour the body by removing excess fatty tissue in people whose weight is stable. But it’s not meant to be a weight-loss procedure. People who have a lot of weight to lose or who plan to have bariatric weight-loss surgery are not good candidates for liposuction.
Additionally, people taking drugs that increase the risk of bleeding (such as aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and warfarin) are not good candidates. Those who have poor skin elasticity also must consider the risk of a slightly wrinkled skin appearance after liposuction.
There are alternatives to liposuction, which may be more appropriate for high-risk patients and those who want a less invasive procedure. These include:
With all the above procedures, fat cells are gradually eliminated from your body. Dr. Do will discuss with you whether you are a good candidate for liposuction or whether another procedure may be more appropriate.
Ready to get the body you want and deserve?
CALL OUR HOUSTON COSMETIC SURGERY CENTER AT (713) 892-5476!
After liposuction, it’s normal to have swelling in the procedure areas. Swelling and fluid retention can make you feel as if you’ve gained weight in the treatment area, but, when the swelling subsides, you’ll begin to see results. Depending on how much fat is removed, it can take between one and three months to see the final results.
Scars from liposuction are minimal. The doctor makes very small incisions/punctures to perform the procedure. Depending on the treatment area(s), the doctor may also be able to place the incisions in areas that are inconspicuous. Scars typically fade over time and eventually may not be noticeable at all.
State regulations vary, but in most places, including Texas, surgeons remove no more than 5000 mL of fat per procedure.¹ Because people have different bodies and BMIs, the appropriate amount of fat to remove will be different for each patient. More isn’t always better; your surgeon will remove the amount of fat necessary to achieve results without introducing risks.
Before the removed fat is disposed of, there are several procedures that can make use of it. These fat transfers involve harvesting fat from one area of the body, purifying it, then injecting it into other places. Your own fat can be used to fill out wrinkles, plump lips, correct scars and redistribute fat for a nicer body shape. A perfect example of this is the Brazilian Butt Lift, which uses fat from other areas to make the butt look rounder and more aesthetically pleasing.
Like any other surgical procedure, your body needs time to heal properly before you can safely return to more intense activities like exercise. Even if you feel okay, putting strain on things too soon could lead to complications or affect your final result. Most patients are advised to wait about 4-6 weeks before returning to their usual exercise routine.² Your own healing time may differ, however, so it’s important to ask your doctor this question and follow their recommendations.
Although you may not be able to do your normal workout right away, you should still move your body at regular intervals to help prevent the formation of blood clots. If you’ve been sitting for a while, get up and casually walk around a bit.
Liposuction can take anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour to complete.³ If the area is small and the extraction is minimal, it can be done very quickly. If it’s a large area and a great deal of fat is being removed, it can take much longer. Abdominal liposuction, for example, usually takes at least an hour. Your surgeon can estimate the duration of your specific procedure(s) for you.
The weight you see on the scale can fluctuate for various reasons. The weight of the fat removed from your body will also depend on how much it takes to achieve your desired results. Surgeons typically remove no more than 5,000 mL from a patient, for a maximum loss of about 10-12 lbs of fat.¹
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons estimates the average cost of liposuction at around $3,548, excluding other expenses.⁴ However, your individual cost will vary depending on where you go, how much fat is being removed, etc. Most health insurance plans don’t offer coverage for liposuction, but some do. To make it more affordable, many surgeons offer special deals and financing.
At the Aesthetic Surgery Institute in Houston, TX, liposuction starts around $3,000. Your actual cost will vary depending on the details of your treatment plan, as well as any other complementary procedures you may want done. The more extensive the work, the greater the cost. If you need help paying for your procedure, you can take advantage of our payment plans and financing.
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You can expect great results if you have realistic expectations from Rhinoplasty. Final results of nose reshaping cosmetic surgery may not be apparent until 6 months to a year after the surgery.