Sculpt Your Trouble Areas with Liposuction

Understanding liposuction

In order to understand the purpose and procedure of liposuction, it’s important to understand what it's not:

• Liposuction is not a weight loss program
• Liposuction is not a substitute for a healthy diet and regular exercise routine
• Liposuction does not get rid of cellulite

Liposuction is meant to complement your other weight loss efforts by surgically removing fat from your body to create the contours you want. This is especially helpful when you have areas of diet- and exercise-resistant fat, but it’s also good for some breast reductions and double-chins.

In the most basic sense, liposuction works like a vacuum cleaner, sucking the fat out of your body through a long, slender tube called a cannula. Of course, the technique is much more refined than that, and technological advances over the years have made the procedure more comfortable and effective.

Types of liposuction

Depending on where you need liposuction and the size of the treatment area, Dr. Polavarapu selects the right type of liposuction procedure for you.

Super-wet liposuction

Injecting fluid into the treatment area helps the fat release more easily and reduces blood loss and bruising. The liquid Dr. Polavarapu injects contains a saline solution mixed with lidocaine (an anesthetic) and epinephrine (to constrict blood vessels). The amount of liquid is about equal to the volume of fat she plans to remove. You undergo general anesthesia for this procedure, and it takes about two hours.

Tumescent liposuction

Tumescent liposuction is the same as the super-wet technique, except it uses much more fluid in the process — up to three times more than the volume of fat. Although tumescent liposuction takes longer (about 4-5 hours), you don’t need general anesthesia, because the injected fluid contains enough local anesthetic to keep you comfortable.

Ultrasound-aided liposuction

If you have particularly dense fatty tissue, as is common in back fat or male breasts, Dr. Polavarapu may use ultrasound-aided liposuction. In this procedure, she starts by using a special instrument that directs ultrasound energy into your fat cells, which obliterates them and makes them easier to extract when she follows up with traditional liposuction.

What to expect from liposuction

One of the most important aspects of your liposuction consultation with Dr. Polavarapu is a conversation about your expectations.

While liposuction is a highly effective and proven way of ridding your body of extra fat, it won’t change your body type. But if you’re generally healthy, have elastic skin, and are mentally stable, liposuction can close the gap on your weight loss goals and boost your confidence considerably.

Although these advanced techniques reduce some of the common after-effects of liposuction, you can still expect some swelling and bruising for a few weeks, and you may need to wear a compression garment.

The best news is that liposuction removes fat cells permanently. While many fat cells still remain in your body and are capable of expanding if you go off your diet and exercise routine, the ones that are gone are gone for good.

If you’re frustrated with certain areas of fat that just won’t go away, call us at 817-615-8576, or book a consultation online today.