Liposuction, just like any surgical procedure, involves a certain degree of risk. Risks can be minimized by choosing a fully trained and experienced cosmetic surgeon and following the surgeon’s pre- and post-operative instructions.

Double board certified cosmetic and oral & maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Landon McLain provides liposuction and other procedures to patients in Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and surrounding locations.

 

Potential Complications

Complications with liposuction surgery are rare, but the patient should have full information about these in order to make a well-considered decision. The complications may include:

• Infection
• Slow healing
• Poor reaction to anesthesia or medications
• Blood clotting
• Excessive loss of blood and fluids
• Accumulation of fluid beneath the skin
• Friction burns
• Visible scarring
• Numbness in the treated area
• Changes in skin pigmentation
• Damage to vital organs
• Damage to the nerves or skin

 

Extremely Rare Complications

Liposuction may lead to severe complications in extremely rare cases. These complications may include cardiac arrest, cardiac arrhythmia, internal blood clots, excessive bleeding, severe drug interactions, allergic reactions to anesthesia or medication, permanent nerve damage, seizures, and brain damage from anesthesia. When the liposuction procedure is performed by an experienced cosmetic surgeon, the occurrence of such complications is usually highly unlikely.

 

Risks of Excessive Fat Removal

If the surgeon adopts an aggressive approach to remove an excessive amount of fat from targeted areas at once, or performs too much liposuction in a single day, it can pose a risk for the patient. This is one of the common risks associated with liposuction, particularly when the surgeon does not follow a conservative approach.

Excessive liposuction can lead to lumps, dents, and sagging skin. To minimize the risk of such complications and reduce the side effects of overexposure to anesthesia, liposuction should be performed in phases, with each phase scheduled several days apart. This may be recommended in a situation where patient is looking for larger amounts of fat removal from one or more areas.

 

How to Minimize Risks? 

As a first step, the patient should disclose full details about their current health condition, medications and supplements, and a complete medical history, including previous surgeries, if any. If the patient is a smoker, the fact should be disclosed clearly. The surgeon should assess carefully whether the patient makes a fit candidate for liposuction or not.

The surgeon should evaluate the age, body weight, overall health and fitness and lifestyle of the patient, and look at these facts in the light of the patient’s personal aesthetic goals and needs. Preparation constitutes an important part of risk minimization in liposuction. The patient should carefully adhere to the surgeon’s instructions for pre-operative care and post-operative recovery.

Less invasive liposuction techniques such as tumescent liposuction, which involves local anesthesia, or liposuction assisted by laser, ultrasound, or radio frequency techniques may be chosen to reduce risks. Non-surgical fat reduction alternatives may be explored where it is necessary to cut down the risks of surgery. Double board certified cosmetic and oral & maxillofacial surgeon Dr. McLain receives patients from Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and nearby areas for liposuction.

McLain Surgical Arts is a leading cosmetic surgery practice headed by Dr. Landon D. McLain MD, DMD, FACS in Huntsville, AL. Dr. McLain is a double board certified cosmetic and oral & maxillofacial surgeon, offering a variety of procedures such as dental implants, wisdom teeth extraction, breast augmentation, liposuction, rhinoplasty, tummy tuck, facelift, Botox, and laser skin resurfacing. For more information or to schedule a consultation call 256.429.3411 or click here. Now taking patients from Huntsville, Scottsboro, Decatur, Madison, Athens, Florence, Cullman, AL and surrounding areas.

Liposuction is second-most popular cosmetic surgery procedure after breast augmentation. During the initial consultation, the surgeon will explain all aspects of the liposuction procedure in detail. While the approach and technique will vary from one patient to another, most liposuction surgeries will have the same basic outline.

Double board certified cosmetic and oral & maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Landon McLain provides liposuction and various other procedures to patients in Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and surrounding locations.

 

Anesthesia

Liposuction cosmetic surgery can be performed using general or local anesthesia. General anesthesia will be administered either in gaseous or injection form, and will place the patient under sleep throughout the procedure. Local anesthesia, on the other hand, will only numb the specific area of the body to be treated, and the patient will remain conscious during the surgery.

Tumescent liposuction is a popular technique nowadays, which only involves the use of local anesthesia. This makes the procedure less invasive and involves a faster recovery. However, the choice of technique and use of anesthesia will be determined according to the extent of fat to be removed and considering several other factors.

 

Making the Incisions

Once the patient has been placed under anesthesia, the surgeon will create small incisions in targeted areas of the body to remove excess fat tissue. The incisions are usually minor, ranging from a quarter to a third of an inch. An experienced surgeon will ensure that the placement of incisions is such that the subsequent scarring remains discreet as far as possible.

Double board certified cosmetic and oral & maxillofacial surgeon Dr. McLain receives patients from Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and nearby areas for liposuction surgery.

 

Removing the Fat Tissue

Through the incisions, the surgeon will insert a slender vacuum tube called a cannula. It will go into the deeper fat layers. The surgeon will manually dislodge the fat cells by moving the cannula back and forth. Once the fat cells are disintegrated, these will be suctioned out with the help of an attached vacuum pump or syringe.

Laser, ultrasound, radio frequency, or other technologies may be combined at this stage to make the fat removal easier and less invasive. The patient will receive replacement fluids intravenously during and after liposuction because fat removal will lead to some amount of blood and bodily fluid to be removed along with the fat.

 

Closing the Incisions

Following the procedure, the surgeon will close the incisions with removable or dissolvable sutures. Drainage tubes may be placed beneath the skin for a few days to collect excess fluid and minimize the risk of infection. Sutures and drains will usually be removed in about a week to 10 days. In a few cases, the surgeon may keep the incisions open to minimize bruising and swelling.

 

Liposuction with Other Procedures

Liposuction is a highly customizable procedure that can be performed along with other surgeries for more comprehensive outcomes. Tummy tuck, body lift, breast reduction, and mommy makeover surgery are some of the procedures that are commonly combined with liposuction.

 

McLain Surgical Arts is a leading cosmetic surgery practice headed by Dr. Landon D. McLain MD, DMD, FACS in Huntsville, AL. Dr. McLain is a double board certified cosmetic and oral & maxillofacial surgeon, offering a variety of procedures such as dental implants, wisdom teeth extraction, breast augmentation, liposuction, rhinoplasty, tummy tuck, facelift, Botox, and laser skin resurfacing. For more information or to schedule a consultation call 256.429.3411 or click here. Now taking patients from Huntsville, Scottsboro, Decatur, Madison, Athens, Florence, Cullman, AL and surrounding areas.

Before an individual is allowed to undergo liposuction, a qualified cosmetic surgeon must determine their candidacy. The best candidate for liposuction would be someone who is in good general health, is within 25 pounds of their ideal body weight, and is bothered by the appearance of stubborn fat pockets that are resistant to diet or exercise.

The candidate should ideally be over the age of 18 for liposuction surgery. Dr. Landon McLain is a double board certified cosmetic and oral & maxillofacial surgeon providing liposuction to patients in Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and surrounding locations.

 

Who should Avoid Liposuction?

The cosmetic surgeon may advise the following individuals to avoid liposuction:

• Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding
• People with specific medical conditions that could interfere with the surgery or delay healing
• People who are unable to discontinue blood thinning medications a few weeks before and after liposuction
• People who have an allergy to lidocaine, a local anesthetic that may be used in liposuction
• People who are unable to achieve a moderate or stable body weight

 

Liposuction and Teens

Teens receiving liposuction is an uncommon occurrence, but in exceptional cases, the surgeon may perform liposuction on a teen, particularly after a major weight loss that may have left one or more persistent fat bulges. The surgeon will evaluate the physical fitness, emotional stability and self-esteem of a teenager before accepting them for such a procedure.

If the teen feels strongly undermined due to the appearance unsightly fat deposits under the chin, in the hips, calves or other areas, restoration of a more sculpted appearance may benefit them emotionally. In such rare instance, a liposuction may be recommended for a teen.

 

Liposuction for Adults

Liposuction candidacy is not limited by age, but it is a major surgery which will have inherent risks that are associated with any surgical procedure. Therefore, it is vital to determine that the patient is in marvelous health in order to sustain the procedure. The surgeon will assess the patient’s health condition, medical history, previous surgeries, if any, and their skin type and elasticity before recommending liposuction.

Patients should know that liposuction is not a weight loss surgery or a skin tightening procedure. Individuals with good skin elasticity will usually achieve more aesthetically appealing results. Younger patients will have an advantage over older patients in this regard. Double board certified cosmetic and oral & maxillofacial surgeon Dr. McLain receives patients from Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and nearby areas for liposuction.

 

Reasonable Expectations

Individuals with a positive mindset, clear aesthetic goals and reasonable and realistic expectations will usually make the best candidates for a procedure such as liposuction. The patient should review liposuction before and after photos objectively, talk to previous patients, and clarify all they want to know about liposuction from the surgeon during the pre-operative consultation.

Liposuction can typically remove small, localized concentrations of fat, which may be in the range of 10 pounds or less in a particular area. Well-informed patients will achieve the best satisfaction levels in the end.

 

McLain Surgical Arts is a leading cosmetic surgery practice headed by Dr. Landon D. McLain MD, DMD, FACS in Huntsville, AL. Dr. McLain is a double board certified cosmetic and oral & maxillofacial surgeon, offering a variety of procedures such as dental implants, wisdom teeth extraction, breast augmentation, liposuction, rhinoplasty, tummy tuck, facelift, Botox, and laser skin resurfacing. For more information or to schedule a consultation call 256.429.3411 or click here. Now taking patients from Huntsville, Scottsboro, Decatur, Madison, Athens, Florence, Cullman, AL and surrounding areas.