Liposuction

Liposuction (removal of fat) is a method intended for removing excess fats from certain areas of our bodies by means of special cannulas.

Fats accumulate in certain areas, especially in the belly, thighs, legs, inside of the knees, sides of the waist, the back, and under the chin; and sometimes these stores are not expected to shrink with weight loss in consequence of diet and exercise.

Ideal candidates for these operations:

• Those who have weights a little bit more than normal but have excessive fat accumulation in certain areas of their bodies, and who want to get rid of them.
• Those whose skin tones and elasticities are good and whose skins have no excessive stretch marks.
• Those whose skins are free from excessive loosening and sagging.
• Those whose weights have been unchanged for a period of 6 months or longer.
• Anesthesia

If it will be applied in a limited area, sedation (condition created with relaxing drugs) accompanied with local anesthesia will be sufficient. But if the application will be made in larger areas, general anesthesia (full narcotizing from the beginning to end of the operation) will be preferred.

Surgery

When the patient stands, the regional fat depots disrupting the comfort are marked with drawings. After administered an appropriate anesthesia to the patient, a specially prepared liquid is given these regions. That liquid with its local anesthetic content helps control the pain and reduces the bleeding with adrenaline. It also makes the vacuum easier with the pressure that it creates in the region.

In accordance with the drawings, at least 2 incisions with a length of 1 cm are made for each region. A special suction tube having holes at its tip is inserted from the region into the fat depots. Negative pressure unit is connected to the rear end of the suction tube. The fats are removed to the desired extent, with the effect created by the negative pressure.

When the process is completed, each incision is closed with a suture, and the patient wears a corset specially prepared to reduce the bleeding in the region and prevent the edema as much as possible.

After Operation

• The pain can mostly be controlled with simple analgesics taken orally. Rarely, an injection may be required.
• The patient can return to her job usually after 3 to 7 days, depending on the width of the areas of liposuction as well as the amount of the removed fat.
• Swelling and bruising may occur in the operated areas. Bruises disappear within 2 to 3 weeks.
• Although most of the swelling decrease in 3 weeks, its complete disappearance takes 4 to 6 months; and the final result of the liposuction process is seen at the end of this period of time.
• Continuous use of the corset for 3 to 4 weeks is very important in a rapid reduction of the swelling and proper remodeling.

Risks

Infection and bleeding may be encountered after this surgery, as after any surgery. When the procedure is performed with due diligence, under hospital conditions, and when a corset is used after surgery, these risks are extremely low.

Fat embolism is a life-threatening risk. It is the case where fats are included in the bloodstream and block the circulation of vital organs. This formerly feared complication has been reduced to a negligible rate, with the application of specially prepared liquids to the application area before liposuction.

The upper limit of the amount of fat removed should be 2.5 to 3 kg. Does storage of excess fats repeat after a liposuction applied to the majority of patients, who underwent liposuction, in amounts less than these?

The number of fat cells is fixed and the cells do not be affected by weight changes, as from the adulthood period. In case of weight gain, these fat cells swell. And they shrink in case of weight loss.

But fat cells never disappear. However, they can be removed from the body by means of liposuction or other surgical procedures.

In case of weight gained after liposuction, fat will be stored in the application areas but the previous condition will not be created because of the fact that an important part of the fat cells will have been removed. On the contrary, a better distributed and ordered storage will be observed.