Liposuction atlantaIt can be frustrating after putting a lot of time and effort into a diet and exercise routine, only to realize you still have a flabby belly or jiggly thighs when the rest of your body is slender and trim. In such cases, many men and women turn to liposuction to achieve the look they desire.

Liposuction is a cosmetic surgery that breaks up and “sucks” stubborn fat bulges from parts of the body, most often the thighs, abdomens, buttocks, neck, chin, arms, calves, and back. It is not a weight loss procedure but a body sculpting tool for removing concentrated pockets of fat that don’t respond to diet or exercise. With liposuction, Dr. Deutsch can contour specific areas of the body to improve your shape and eliminate excess fat. Liposuction is often combined with other plastic surgery procedures such as abdominoplasty (“tummy tuck” surgery), breast reduction, butt lifts, or breast implants.

 

Get Rid of Problem Areas With Liposuction

Good candidates for liposuction are people who are at or close to their ideal body weight and only need to get rid of localized fatty deposits—not a large amount of excess weight all over their body. Candidates for this procedure should be relatively fit and in good overall health and have firm, elastic skin and good muscle tone.

Dr. Deutsch does not recommend liposuction to people with a lot of cellulite (lumpy fat), as they could develop skin irregularities in the treatment area. In some instances, liposuction could make the appearance of cellulite worse or “cause” cellulite in patients who did not have it before having the surgery. Liposuction is also not recommended for very heavy people, as only moderate amounts of fat can be safely removed during the procedure.

The Liposuction Procedure
atlanta liposuction

Liposuction is a short outpatient surgery performed in our Atlanta office using mild anesthesia. The procedure takes about one hour per area to be treated. Dr. Deutsch utilizes the tumescent technique, where a solution is injected prior to suctioning to divide the fat planes and reduce bleeding secondary to trauma from equipment.

To perform liposuction, small incisions are placed near the area to be suctioned. Whenever possible, the incision lines are made within the natural creases of the body so that they are inconspicuous. Dr. Deutsch uses a thin, hollow tube called a cannula to perform liposuction. One end of the cannula is connected to a suction pump. The other end of the cannula is carefully inserted through the incision into the underlying layer of fat. Dr. Deutsch then moves it back and forth to break up the fat and gently remove it from the body. Once he has achieved your desired contours, your incisions are then closed.

What’s the Difference Between a Tummy Tuck and Liposuction?
Many people confuse the difference between a tummy tuck (also known as abdominoplasty) and liposuction. A tummy tuck procedure involves removing excess fat and skin and tightening the area around the abdomen. Liposuction is the contouring of various parts of the body that people have difficulty defining on their own. Neither a tummy tuck nor liposuction is recommended as an alternative to weight loss. It’s advised that patients lose all the weight they want and reach their goal weight before having a tummy tuck and/or liposuction.

A tummy tuck is mainly concentrated on the abdomen area of the body, whereas the most popular areas for liposuction are the arms, thighs, and flanks. If you have very little loose skin around your abdomen, you may need liposuction or a mini tummy tuck rather than a full tummy tuck procedure. If you’ve experienced diastasis due to pregnancy, you may need to tighten your abdomen area with a tummy tuck rather than relying on liposuction alone.

If you’ve lost a significant amount of weight and have a lot of loose, excess skin, we typically recommend a full tummy tuck to help tighten the abdomen, along with liposuction to contour the waist.

Recovery and Results
Following the procedure, patients can expect some temporary bruising and swelling. Other than that, this procedure is not associated with a lot of postoperative pain. However, a special compression garment must be worn for several weeks (which makes the chilly months ideal for this procedure since you’re lucky to be bundled up in extra layers of clothing, so you may be less bothered by wearing a compression garment). Most patients are able to resume work and their normal activities 1 to 3 weeks following the procedure. Patients can resume exercise after 2 to 3 weeks.

As you heal, you will begin noticing the impressive changes in your body, and as the swelling dissipates, you will see the slimming effects of your liposuction treatment. Some people worry that the fat will return, but it usually does not return to the areas where liposuction has been performed. This has been proven by multiple studies in recent years. The fat cells removed during the liposuction procedure do not grow back, and fat pockets will not reappear in these areas. However, you will still be able to regain weight in other parts of your body. Following liposuction, Dr. Deutsch encourages patients to lead a healthy lifestyle with a proper diet and exercise. This is the best way to maintain your new shape and contour.

Another Option: Liposuction with Fat Transfer to the Buttocks
Pop culture, as well as the marketing world of America, is emphasizing a larger backside as the new, beautiful look. The healthiest and most effective way to enhance your backside is to have minor liposuction from another area of your body, typically from the area around the waist and thighs, and inject that into the buttocks for shaping. Sometimes referred to as a “Brazilian butt lift,” the patient’s own fat is transferred from areas in the body where it is not desired into strategically-determined positions around the buttocks to reshape that area and has more projection.

For patients who desire fuller buttocks, using the patient’s own fat as a filler is the most natural and safest option. Because a patient’s own fat is used, there is less likelihood of an allergic reaction or an adverse complication, according to Dr. Deutsch. Sometimes patients consider hydrogel, silicone, cement, fix-a-flat, mineral oil, and sugar glue fillers, but these substances should never be injected into your body.

When the filler used is the patient’s own fat or an FDA-approved substance, and the butt lift is performed in an accredited operating room, there are few risks with this procedure. Afterward, only minimal downtime is required. Depending on the patient, generally, a two-week recovery time is needed (which includes sitting on a “donut”) to make sure the treatment area heals properly.

If you would like to learn if you are a candidate for liposuction, please contact us to schedule a consultation with Dr. Deutsch. During your liposuction consultation, Dr. Deutsch will go over important details regarding the procedure, recovery, and total cost. You’ll also have the chance to view our gallery of before-and-after photos. To book your consultation, please contact us.