1. Is liposuction a reasonable treatment for obesity?

No. Liposuction is the ideal solution for removal of localized fatty deposits.


2. What is a successful liposuction surgery?

Liposuction is considered successful when the treated area of the body shows an improved contour.


3. Does liposuction cause dimpling or indentations in the skin?

Professionally performed liposuction should not cause indentation. At times, the skin which is less under tension may reveal superficial irregularities and / or cellulites.


4. What Alternatives Are There to Liposuction?

Quite often weigh loss is helpful. Stubborn areas may continue to appear bulky and requiring surgical intervention.


5. What type of liposuction is the best?

There are different types of liposuction for different purposes. The traditional liposuction utilizes hollow cannulas and vacuum to remove fat from underneath the skin. This is the most common type. Ultrasound-assisted liposuction utilizes ultrasound energy to emulsify fat before being removed by suction. This is a good method for fibrotic and dense areas (male breasts, back humps) and repeat liposuctions. Power-assisted liposuction principally functions similar to the traditional liposuction but slightly easier for surgeon to perform. Laser-assisted liposuction is a more recent development. Laser energy is used to heat up the fatty tissue and skin before removing the fat. The idea is that the heat generated by Laser would lead to skin tightening. We need thorough scientific studies to show consistent results. The data is not yet available.


6. How much liposuction is excessive (Staged liposuction, Megaliposuction)?

The safety of liposuction depends on many different factors, including patient selection, location of liposuction, the amount of liposuction, the type of liposuction used, the type of anesthesia, and the type of fluid used to treat the tissue prior to liposuction. If it is anticipated that more than 5000 ml of fatty tissue will be removed during the procedure, it should be performed in a licensed facility. The fluid balance has to be monitored closely after surgery, which may require an over night observation of the patient. Larger volumes of liposuction should be staged to decrease the potential risk for life-threatening complications (Deep Vein Thrombosis, Fat Embolism, Cardiovascular problems, Lidocaine toxicity, etc.).


7. How is Tumescent Liposuction performed?

For the majority of the liposuction procedures, the target area of the body is treated with injection of a solution into the fatty tissue prior to liposuction. This fluid is called the Tumescent fluid. It consists of various concentrations of an electrolyte solution like normal saline, Epinephrine, and local anesthetics. The solution makes the procedure mechanically easier. The epinephrine decreases the amount of blood loss. The local anesthetic provides some degree of pain control. Most of the surgeons inject tumescent fluid at a volume close to the liposuction volume or even more. That is (among other reasons) why the amount of fat removed has to be limited to avoid excessive injection of local anesthetics and Epinephrine.