Liposuction Surgery

The surgical removal of excess fat deposits by applying suction through a small tube into fatty areas of the body is an operation known as a ‘suction lipectomy’ or more commonly as liposuction. There are three purposes for which liposuction surgery is used: obesity, lipoma (fatty deposits under the skin) and gynecomastia (the over development of breast tissue in men).

What is liposuction treatment used for?

Liposuction is not used for the treatment of cellulite because it is ineffective nor as a substitute for exercise or proper diet and it is definitely not used as a cure for obesity. Usually liposuction is performed for cosmetic purposes only to contour body shape with minimal scarring. The operation is generally done by a plastic surgeon on body parts such as the arms and legs, back, buttocks, abdomen, face and neck. It is serious surgery with a guaranteed painful recovery and complications from liposuction surgery can be fatal.

Liposuction Surgery

The medical procedure itself begins with an initial consultation with a plastic surgeon for a physical examination, to record your health history and for a psychological assessment. Although in some treatments ultrasound is being used, the most common form of liposuction medical treatment is tumescent surgery or fluid injection. Using a liposuction machine and very specialized instruments the attending surgeon makes a small incision into a fatty pocket and inserts a small hollow suction tube with a sharp end. The liposuction machine then sweeps the tube through the area where the fat is to be removed and vacuums all the dislodged fat up the hollow tube. Small drainage tubes are then inserted and left for a few days to remove any blood and fluids. The surgical site will then be kept bandaged for about two weeks, at which point the whole procedure is wrapped up with a follow up visit.

Cost of Liposuction Surgery

It will depend on the area of the body and the amount of fat to be removed that will determine whether the operation will be done under general anesthesia or local freezing to numb the suction tube injection site (or if it’s a large area, sites). Once again it will be where on the body and the amount of fat involved, along with which type of surgery you elect to have, that influences the cost of a liposuction operation. On-line pricing begins at around $2000 for a small procedure involving only one spot, and the prices escalate from there. Liposuction is a very expensive undertaking and be mindful when garnering quotes that many do not include what are called “additional fees”. Additional fees are often items you would assume to be included in the price but are not, such as facility fees (which can easily be another thousand dollars), blood testing, garments, and even anesthesia. As a general rule of thumb the longer the time it takes to do the surgery, the higher the cost of the operation.

Is Liposuction Surgery Worth the money and pain?

So what have we learned here – that liposuction operations are super expensive with painful recovery times done primarily to enhance appearances. That careful research needs to be carried out into the various procedures available and their attendant costs before making a commitment to go under the knife. And last but not least, is the need to think long and hard before allowing anyone, regardless of how well qualified, to put you to sleep and suck out parts of your body. Amen to that.