Liposuction is fast approaching breast augmentations in terms of popularity in this country. And for good reason. It is an extremely safe method for improving your body contour by removing fat from areas where you have too much. In fact, today, it’s even possible to take that fat and strategically place it areas where you don’t have enough such as the buttocks, face and breast. Dr. Richard Zienowicz of Providence, RI discusses a couple of key points that can help ensure that you have the most successful liposuction result possible.
What is Liposuction?
Liposuction is, quite simply, the extraction of fat from body. A plastic surgeon uses a cannula to strategically remove fat from areas where you don’t want it. One of the keys to successful liposuction outcomes is that your surgeon take a 360° approach to treatment. Since your thighs, buttocks, tummy and breasts all work together, slimming down the thighs may involve building up the buttock or smoothing out the flanks. Liposuction is truly body contouring. It’s about restoring proper balance and proportion to your individual body.
Liposuction & Fat Grafting
One of the cool things today, explains Dr. Zienowicz, is “we can use the fat in other places where you might need it.” Basically, this is recycling at its best. Your surgeon can remove excess fat from, for instance, the thighs that have been bugging you for years, and add that fat to your buttocks, face or breast. It’s called fat grafting and it’s gaining in popularity for a number of reasons such as:
- fat is natural vs. fillers, which are not
- the results are permanent
- there is no chance of an allergic reaction as it’s your own tissue
Liposuction Not a Method for Maintaining Your Weight
“Liposuction is not, however, a method for maintaining your weight,” explains Dr. Zienowicz. This seems to be an area of confusion for many patients since it’s such a safe operation. Some people think that if they gain weight in a certain area, they can just keep getting it removed with liposuction, but this is not actually the case.
When fat is removed with liposuction, those fat cells are gone for good. However, if you gain weight, your remaining fat cells will get larger, meaning that you might gain weight in others areas. Bottom line, don’t use liposuction as a method of maintaining your weight. Instead, stick to a healthy diet and exercise. This is truly one of the key components to a successful outcome.
Successful Liposuction is Sculpting
“Liposuction is exciting to me because it is basically sculpting the body. I get the chance to actually take away from the areas that don’t look particularly good and make them look really good,” explains Dr. Zienowicz. One of his favorite areas to improve with liposuction is around the knees. Women love to wear skirts and shorts in the summer. If you have dancers legs, you will be proud to show them off.
Another hot spot is the upper arms. People accumulate fat around the shoulders, biceps and triceps. With liposuction, Dr. Zienowicz is able to deliver a very muscular, toned look to your arms. The procedure is very safe and fairly quick. This is a godsend for patients with a genetic propensity to carry excess weight in certain areas of the body, such as their arms.
Liposuction Methods
Today, there are a wide variety of different liposuction techniques. There is laser assisted liposuction, power assisted liposuction, tumescent liposuction, ultrasound liposuction and high definition liposuction to name just a few. Trying to decipher which one is better than another can feel completely overwhelming.
First, it’s important to remember that these different techniques are all liposuction .The real key to an exemplary outcome is not so much the technique used, but “really the person behind the cannula who’s doing the work,” says Dr. Zienowicz. Conventional liposuction in the right hands is just as effective as any of these newer methods.
Liposuction & Recovery
Of all of the operations that plastic surgeons perform, liposuction is one of the kindest and easiest on the body. The cannula removes fat, and fat isn’t connected to a lot of nerve tissue. Patients them generally feel pretty comfortable, even after major or high volume liposuction. The important thing with recovery is to make sure that you drink enough fluids afterwards, and to listen to your doctor. Every surgeon has his or her own unique post op protocol so follow those directions to the letter. It will go a long way towards ensuring the best possible outcome.
For Dr. Zienowicz, he finds successful liposuction, “personally gratifying” because he is able to make amazing changes in a patient’s body contour. This, in turn, improves the patient’s self-esteem and outlook on life. It’s really a win-win for everyone.