Are you considering having a liposuction procedure? 

All of us want to look our best and, coming into the warmer months, it’s more important than ever to have the best body you can for utmost self-confidence. When a healthy diet and exercise don’t quite deliver the physical results you’re after, contemplating liposuction or liposculpture is the next logical step. 

It’s important to know what to expect from liposuction / liposculpture before you decide to go ahead and have it done. This includes:

• the benefits and limitations of liposuction/ liposculpture
• the liposuction procedure itself
• the risks
• the recovery process and aftercare
• the difference between liposuction and liposculpture – and which is right for you

First and foremost, you need to be aware that a liposuction procedure is not a substitute for weight loss through maintaining a healthy diet and moderate exercise. It is, instead, an ideal approach for people who have reached their ideal weight and size but have stubborn bulges that persist despite diet and exercise – it offers a form of “spot” reduction. 

Examples of this include successful overall weight loss with remaining:

• “muffin top”
• “love handles”
• “saddlebags”
• “cankles”
• “man-boobs”
• waist
• post-pregnancy fat
• back fat
• hips
• jowls and double chin

Liposuction / liposculpture helps to recontour the body by removing these deposits of fat from specific areas. The recontouring is permanent, and even if weight is regained, the new body shape should be maintained. 

Liposuction Surgery: What is the Procedure?

Your suitability for liposuction will depend on your general health and the quality of the skin over the area to be treated. If it is already sagging, stretch-marked, or otherwise damaged, the procedure may be contraindicated.

During the liposuction procedure, which is carried out under a general anaesthetic, localised deposits of fat are removed from the body through suction cannulae. These are tubes that are passed into the fatty area through small incisions. Negative pressure is applied to the tubes and fat is literally sucked out of the body.

How Does the Liposuction procedure Differ from Liposculpture?

Tumescent liposculpture involves infusing local anaesthetic and a large volume of fluid through tiny incisions – these are much smaller than for a liposuction procedure, and there is minimal scarring. Liposculpture is a great approach for smaller volumes of localised fat removal and reshaping the body. All of the above mentioned areas can be treated.

During the liposculpture procedure, you’ll be given medication to help you relax and a local anaesthetic. You may have light sedation if you are feeling anxious. 

The skin will be cleaned with a sterile solution and tiny incisions of just 3-5mm are made as access points for infiltration of the local anaesthetic solution. A thin cannula is inserted to break up and gently strip away/ suction out the fat cells. These are removed in such a way as to reshape the area for a cosmetically pleasing contour.

What Should You Expect?

Liposuction: You will need to be admitted to the hospital and undergo a general anaesthetic for liposuction. 

More areas, or a larger volume of fat to be removed, carries greater risks, including the time under general anaesthetic, greater blood loss, and changes to electrolyte levels in the body. If, however, you are deemed by your surgeon to be a good candidate for this surgery, several major areas can be treated at once.

Depending on the number of areas to be treated and the volume of fat to be removed, the surgery will last, on average, between one and three hours. Following the procedure, you will may remain in hospital for up to three days. Bed rest is required more often after liposuction and the first few days will be the most uncomfortable. You will be given appropriate pain relief medication. 

Liposculpture: liposculpture is a more minimally invasive procedure that removes smaller volumes of fat and sculpts the body for an appealing result. It is carried out in our clinic as a day-only, walk-out procedure and under local anaesthetic. Depending on the area/s to be treated, it can take from 2-4 hours. Lightsedation is often used. All the fatty tissue is local anaesthetised because the patient is awake and therefore recovery is better compared to liposuction under general anaesthetic. 

As the incisions are so tiny, there are no sutures (stitches). Compression garments must be worn (as described above) and your doctor will provide the relevant aftercare advice.

Aftercare and the Healing Process for Liposuction / Liposculpture

You’ll need to wear a pressure garment over the treated area for between two and six weeks. This will help to minimise swelling and bruising (which are very common and may take a few weeks to disappear) and encourage your skin to contract to your new underlying body shape.

Work can usually be resumed after a week. Oher normal activities can usually be resumed in two to three weeks, however, strenuous exercise needs to be avoided for up to four to six weeks. 

Visible scarring should be minimal as incisions are less than 1cm apiece. Any scars will fade in time.

Pain and discomfort can last from a few days to a week, and numbness in the treated area is also common and may last a few months. 

Some people undergo liposculpture after fully recovering from a liposuction procedure to fine-tune and enhance their results. It is very much considered a body-sculpting tool. Smaller, more narrow-bore cannula are used to get finer results.  

While most people will not require further treatment, a few will need excess skin removed or tightened if it does not contract effectively after recovery. As such, though it can be effective for any age group, liposuction/ liposculpture tends to get better results for people who are in a good physical condition and whose skin retains a more youthful quality.

Pain and discomfort are significantly less after liposculpture and recovery times are quicker. You can return to most normal activities very quickly, however, strenuous exercise should be avoided for several weeks.

Book for Liposculpture at Be Sculptured

Be Sculptured is open as usual for liposculpture procedures. We comply with all current NSW Health COVID protocols.

Are you considering a body overhaul for when life gets back to normal?

If you are close to your goal weight or have areas on your body with stubborn pockets of fat you’d like to say goodbye to permanently, liposculpture might be right for you! 

Book an appointment now for a 45-minute initial consultation with Dr Meagan Heckenberg. Meaghan is our in-house liposculpture expert and she is one of Australia’s leading specialists in her field. 

Explore our website and read some of our news articles to learn more about liposculpture and understand what’s involved and how it can benefit you.

Call us today on (02) 9906 1555 or email [email protected]

You can also book online on our website here: https://besculptured.com.au/online-enquiry/