EL-ROUBY-CLINIC

Liposuction (Liposculpture , Lipoplasty or Fat Removal)

What is Liposuction?

There are many individuals looking to improve their body appearance. Many choose to diet and exercise, however some individuals possess fat deposits that are actually resistant to these methods. This may seem like the goal of reaching a better body is out of reach for these individuals, however liposuction offers a solution. Liposuction is a procedure that can remove these fat deposits that are diet and exercise resistant and achieve a better-shaped body.

Historically, the greatest efforts have been made to reduce a woman's waist line. Boned corsets were used for several centuries, but during the twentieth century these were mostly replaced with more flexible foundation garments. Where corsets are used for waist reduction, it may be temporary reduction by occasional use or permanent reduction by people who are often referred to as tight-lacers. Liposuction is the common surgical method of reducing the waist size.

Although liposuction removes fat from unwanted areas, liposuction should not be considered as a substitute for exercise, nor is liposuction designed for weight loss.

Liposuction is a body contouring procedure. It is designed to help those who are near their normal body weight, but still possess bulging areas of fat. After undergoing liposuction, most patients find that not only has their appearance improved, but they also feel more confident about their appearance.

Liposuction can treat areas such as the neck, abdomen, back rolls, arms, buttocks, thighs, breasts, chest and many other areas. This procedure can also be performed on several areas during a single operation.

There are various fat removal methods a surgeon can use to perform liposuction. These include:
- The tumescent technique
- Ultrasound Assisted Lipoplasty (UAL)
- Laser lipolysis or Smartlipo.

With the increasing popularity of various cosmetic surgery procedures, including lipoplasty or liposuction, it is imperative that the prospective patient research and understand different issues like what the procedure can and cannot treat, inherent risks, costs, and so on. Keep in mind, cosmetic surgery is just that – a surgical procedure whose results cannot simply be erased. When considering any form of cosmetic surgery, it is important to have a good understanding of the procedure before making a decision. Take some time to view the introductory information we have provided on fat Removal or Sculpture techniques. While the information contained in this website will provide you with a basic understanding of the procedure, it may not answer all of your questions. To get complete answers to the questions you are seeking, we recommend that you contact us.

Liposuction or Lipoplasty??!!!!!

One of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures, liposuction -- technically known as Suction Lipoplasty -- offers patients a means of losing stubborn fat deposits that are seemingly immune to diet and exercise.

In some patients, the overall proportions of the body may appear to be unbalanced due to pockets of fat. Or, the abdomen may protrude. In such cases, liposuction may successfully permanently remove excess fat, resulting in a more slender, flatter, and balanced body shape.

Where do I begin?

Prior to all liposuction procedures, a consultation will occur between the prospective patient and the consultant. During this consultation, the consultant and patient will discuss issues such as the desired outcome, various options that are available to achieve that outcome, the procedure itself, as well as all various risks and limitations. The patient should be informed regarding anesthesia options, the location and description of where the liposuction procedure will be performed (i.e., hospital vs. office surgical suite), and associated costs.
A discussion regarding the patient's medical history, as well as a physical examination of the area to be treated, will also take place during the consultation.

When you make a pre-surgical appointment, we will take a history of your weight, diet, and exercise level. Those factors are important in determining the appropriateness and magnitude of your liposuction.

Patients considering abdominal liposuction should also be prepared to answer the following questions:
• What has been your maximum weight, including pregnancy?
• What has been your minimum weight?
• Is your weight stable at the present time?
• How successful have you been on various diets?
• Which diets have you tried?
• How often do you exercise?
• What are your eating habits? Do you eat sweets, drink alcohol, and consume other high calorie items?

Benefits of Liposuction:

Aside from the visual pleasure of removing unwanted fat, most liposuction patients find that their clothes fit better after healing. Moreover, a trimmer, firmer body may provide a psychological lift. Some patients find that shedding extra fat results in making physical exercise easier, thus providing more incentive to exercise regularly and enhance one's fitness level.

Who is the Candidate for Liposuction?

- Liposuction procedure not to be used for management of obesity but just for minimal weight reduction surgery (weight less than 100 Kgm) and definition of specific areas of the body.
- Body mass index is ranging: for woman 30% -35% and for man 32% - 37%
- Those that are physically healthy, psychologically stable, and have realistic expectations make the best candidates.
- Age: 20 up to 50 years.
- Areas that could be treated by liposuction are: neck, arms, breasts, abdomen, love handle areas, back rolls, thighs, buttocks, knees and legs.

How is Liposuction Performed?

- The type of anesthesia used typically depends upon the area to be treated. For upper body areas, like breast, arm or neck, we recommend general anesthesia. For lower body areas, like abdomen, thighs or buttocks, local anesthesia may be used, allowing the patient to be awake but relaxed.

- Multiple areas could be liposuctioned in the same session according to fitness of the patient's general condition. So, the Liposuction procedure may take from 30 minutes up to 3 hours.

- Before starting the liposuction procedure, we identify and mark the specific areas where the fat deposits are to be removed.
- Small incisions about half to one cm are made in skin creases near by treated areas.
- Then we inject a solution containing a local anesthetic and other medications "tumescent".
- This solution makes fat deposits easier to break up and remove.
- The injection of the fluids also helps minimize trauma to reduce swelling and post-operative pain.
- Additionally, the solutions help decrease bleeding.

- After that, we insert a thin suction tube -- technically known as a cannula -- into the fatty area, loosens the fat deposits, and sculpts the region into the desired proportions. The resulting fatty tissue is removed at the same time with a powerful vacuum that is attached to the cannula.

- The patient should wear a compression garment to facilitate healing for 3 months. Compression garments are easily concealed under regular clothing.

How Much Pain is Associated With Liposuction?

Very little pain is associated with the procedure during or after surgery. Because the liposuction also removes some blood and nerves, patients may notice a slight numbness in the treatment area. But the nerves grow back in a matter of weeks, allowing feeling to return to normal.

What is The Long-Term Effect of Liposuction?

Most of the associated bruising and swelling should subside within the first weeks. To expedite the healing process, liposuction patients may be encouraged to begin light activity as soon as possible. Regardless, liposuction patients should avoid strenuous activities for several weeks while the body naturally heals.

Results achieved from liposuction are often visible within one to three months, while the full effects may not be evident for six months to a year. The more fat removed, the longer it takes to achieve optimal results because the skin has to adapt to a more radical change in shape. It is important to note that liposuction will not alter skin quality or muscle tone.

Furthermore, liposuction is not designed as a means of weight control or as a substitute for regular exercise and a balanced diet.

Because the cells that hold and store fat are permanently removed by liposuction, future weight gain will not occur in the treated areas. If you do gain weight, you will gain it somewhere else in the body. Also, since the aging process directly affects the firmness and elasticity of the skin, older patients may not achieve the same results as younger patients.

Liposuction could be done in connection with other cosmetic plastic surgery procedures, such as tummy tuck surgery, face lift, body contouring, breast reduction, thigh-plasty and other forms of fat injections, a procedure which is also known as fat grafting.

What Are the Risks and Limitations of Liposuction?

Liposuction is subject to the usual problems and complications that accompany any surgery. Following liposuction, some patients may experience dimpling, lumpiness, numbness, discoloration, or sagging skin in the treated area. Follow-up surgery may be needed to correct these problems.

Rare but more serious complications associated with liposuction include blood clots, infection, excessive fluid loss, and fat pulmonary embolism. A combination of the following factors is associated with the increased risk of serious complications:
1) removal of large amounts of fatty tissue (more than 8 Liters);
2) multiple procedures being performed simultaneously;
As with any surgical procedure, in an effort to minimize the associated risks, it is important to follow all of the surgeon's instructions pre-operatively, as well as post-operatively.

How Much Do Liposuction Typically Cost?

Often the price says nothing about the quality of the work. Most multicenter clinics charge much more than private doctors — their advertising budget is more and the owner of the clinic has to take his 20% or 30% off the top. In my opinion, you are less likely to get a quality procedures at these multi-center locations.

Although price is a factor when deciding on surgery, the most important factor is that you feel you are getting a good quality, natural-looking result from the procedure.

Liposuction costs are variable according to the deformity, treated area and the used technique. Usually the cost is ranging from 800 to 1500 U.S. dollars per area. When dealing with costs, you also need to take into consideration the fact that the procedure may need to be repeated. Most medical insurance providers do not cover the procedure.

Mini-Liposuction

Mini-liposuction is a shorter version of this procedure and is ideal for spot reductions in one or two areas in individuals who are closer to their ideal body weight. It is ideal for making a slightly out of proportion individual with one or two stubborn areas proportionate.

The Highlights of Mini-liposuction are:
• One or two areas
• Less than one liter total fat removed
• Entire procedure under one hour
• Purely local anesthesia

Mega-Liposuction

Mega-liposuction is a augmented version of this procedure where more than 8 upto 20 Liters of fat could be . It is ideal as a complementary medical management for certain medical diseases like diabetes and cardiac illness but not for obesity.

The Highlights of Mega-liposuction are:
• One or two areas
• More than 8 liters total fat removed
• Entire procedure under one or two hours
• General or local anesthesia

Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction (UAL):

This particular liposuction technique represents a somewhat recently developed treatment. UAL uses ultrasonic waves to liquefy the fat deposits following the injection of fluids. That results in less bruising and blood loss.

Liposculpture:

While the terms “LipoSculpture” and “Liposuction” are often used interchangeably, substantial differences exist between the two in cosmetic plastic surgery. Basically, LipoSculpture is a more refined version of Liposuction.

Common to both Liposuction and LipoSculpture is the basic principle that neither is a means of weight control. Instead, both are intended to rid the body of stubborn fat deposits that will not respond to diet and exercise.

The most common LipoSculpture for men are the “love handle” bulges, while women frequently opt to have “saddlebags” on the hips removed, along with slimming of the thighs, the undersides of upper arms, and tummies. Both procedures use the tumescent method.

Fine LipoSculpture instruments remove small but noticeable pockets of fat on the neck, face, chin, waist, knees and, in a few cases, ankles.

Both Liposuction and LipoSculpture use a cannula -- a long, thin, hollow surgical tube -- inserted through equally small surgical openings in the skin. The cannula is connected to an aspirator, a suction device that removes the fat. We use the cannula to create long, narrow tunnels through the fatty areas.

After the procedure, the patient wears a compression garment for at least 1 to 3 months to collapse the tunnels, creating an overall slimmer profile.

With Liposculpture, the result may be a little different, however, when you are in beachwear because common side effects of ordinary Liposuction include grooves, lumpiness, and dents in the skin, along with some hanging, loose skin. Those are often caused when the patient is over-liposuctioned (more than 8 Liters).

LipoSculpture patients often notice numbness in the treatment area for several months. That happens because the suction force removes not only fat but minor nerves, blood vessels, connecting tissues and other smaller bodily material. Of course, nerves, blood vessels and other tissues grow back by the time the LipoSculpture is showing its final appearance on the patient.

What are the Types and applications of LipoSculpture?

1- Fat grafting, Fat transfer or Fat injection: We usually use LipoSculpture procedure in which some of the patient’s body fat is transplanted from one spot to another. This type of LipoSculpture is also known as ”.

2- Abdominal etching: More commonly, LipoSculpture refers to the procedures in which we remove fat to provide better definition to certain muscles and a far sleeker appearance for the patient. Using standard Liposuction, we remove fat over and around the abdominus rectus, the large parallel stomach muscles running from the sternum at the bottom of the chest to the pubic region. Not only is the abdomen then made flatter, the stomach muscles show more definition and appear larger and more powerful.

3- Surgical etching: has been extended to a few other areas of the body, like the latissimus dorsi muscles along the sides of the body and male chest muscles. Primary recipients of etching surgery have been males in the modeling, body building, and acting professions.

4- VASER High Definition LipoSculpture ™: The newest form of LipoSculpture. This method uses an ultrasound-based cannula which breaks up and liquefies fat cells with ultrasonic energy. (The ultrasound burst is small, the same as that used to remove cataracts in the eyes.) The liquefied fat is then easily extracted, leaving other bodily structures like nerves, blood vessels and connecting tissue intact. That means faster healing and less recovery time for the patient.

5- SmartLipo™: The latest development in LipoSculpture, which uses a laser- tipped cannula to melt fat. In this application, the cannula is as small as a thick needle on a syringe and requires such a small entry point through the skin, only band aids are used to close the tiny incisions. SmartLipo™ brings even less trauma to surrounding tissues than the other Liposuction methods.

Frequently asked questions from patients when considering undergoing Liposuction?!

Q - What is the type of anesthesia, and when I can return to normal life?
A - According to your preference and the procedures. General anesthesia or Local anesthesia with sedation, and you can practice your normal life within 2 hours up to few weeks.

Q - What are the symptoms that may occur in the first five days after liposuction procedures?
A - Soreness which could be managed by pain killer’s medications and there may be edema or swelling of the treated areas.

Q - What are the guarantees that the success of the process?
A - There is no doubt that the followers of the medical instructions and close follow up visits are the main factors for the success of any surgical procedure. If not, the process to achieve the agreed outcomes before, the process repeats at reduced cost. The procedure may needs refine touch after 8 months.

Q - When can we get the final results?
A - The final results is achieved within the first three months.

Q - If I gain weight again, is liposuctioned areas could be accumulate fat again?
A - No. But other non-liposuctioned areas could be.

Q - What is the maximum amount of fat to be suctioned?
A - According to indication and tone of the skin 1 up to 20 liters.

Q - What is ideal age for liposuction?
A - It could be done at any age. But skin tone for redraping is better before 30 years old.

Q - If you are not Egyptian, What is the minimum period for follow up?
A - Five days.

Q - What are the contraindications of liposuction procedures?
A - There are no absolute contraindications but the patients should inform their surgeons about any allergies, serious medical conditions, and medications they may be taking. Smokers should stop smoking 2 weeks before surgical procedures to promote the healing process.

Q - Where will the liposuction procedures be performed?
A - In hospital or may be in outpatient bases (clinic).

Q - In my case, what amount is most appropriate in helping me achieve my cosmetic goal? what liposuction technique (i.e., Super-Wet, Ultrasound Assisted, SmartLipo™ or VASER High-Definition LipoSculpture ™) is most appropriate?
A - It depend on the your age, skin redundancy, distribution of body fat and your preference.

Q - How much does liposuction procedure cost and what elements factor into that cost like hospital fees, anesthesia, and so on?
A - Ranging from 800 to 1500 U.S. dollars per area. Medical insurance dose not cover liposuction procedures.

Q - What is the surgeon’s level of experience in performing liposuction procedures?
A - Consultant or Doctoral in Plastic surgery.

Q - What percentage of patients experience complications with liposuction procedures?
A - 7 - 14%

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Summary of Liposuction (Lipoplasty, Liposclpture) Procedures:

The time of the procedure: from half to two hours.
Type of anesthesia: local anesthesia +/- sedation or General.
Location: hospital or clinic with or without postoperative hospital stay.
Expected Side effects: Temporary swelling, ecchymosis and pain.
Recovery time: return to work after 2 hours and the final outcome within 3 months.
Cost: according to procedure and treated area: 800 to 1500 U.S. dollars, or 4500 to 8,000 Egyptian pounds per area.
Results: Permanent.

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